A writer at Bleacher Report indicates that the Affliction: Banned card is finalized and the Arlovski/Ben Rothwell fight we intimated at yesterday is almost a done deal with the holdup being Rothwell’s status with Adrenaline MMA:

A fight between top 10 heavyweight and former UFC champion Andrei Arlovski versus IFL superstar Ben Rothwell is expected to happen.

Rothwell is also currently signed with another promotion, Adrenaline MMA. He will miss Adrenaline’s first card on June 14 but is slated to fight for them in September.

Arlovski is on a three fight win streak, while Rothwell has won 13 in a row and remains undefeated in the IFL. Arlovski will be a huge test for Rothwell, as he looks to establish himself as one of the premier heavyweights in MMA.

Another interesting note from the story is the suggestion that the relationship between Affliction and HD Net may be “on” again:

In an ironic twist, Affliction has decided to name their first event Affliction: Banned. The main card will be shown on pay-per-view, while the undercard may be shown on the premium broadcast channel HDNet.

Negotiations between the two companies over broadcasting rights continue. The event was originally scheduled to take place in Dallas, Texas. The venue was then moved to The Pond arena in Anaheim.

In actuality, holding the card in MMA-crazy southern California may have been the right move all along….

Affliction reveals first card @ Bleacher Report