Affliction 3 card taking shape

It will have been more than six months between its sophomore effort, "Day of Reckoning," and Affliction 3 on Aug. 1 at the Honda Center in Anaheim, Calif., but the fight card is finally starting to take shape.

Recent reports, which MMAWeekly.com has independently confirmed, pit No. 1 ranked heavyweight Fedor Emelianenko against No. 2 ranked Josh Barnett in the main event. The bout has been years in the making.

Gegard Mousasi, currently one of the Top 10 middleweight fighters in the world, left the weight class on Tuesday to fight in Dream's openweight Super Hulk tournament. He handily defeated Mark Hunt by Kimura in the first round.

Following the bout, Mousasi announced to M-1Global.com that he has accepted a bout against UFC and Pride veteran Vitor Belfort. "Yes, those (rumors) are true and I will be fighting Vitor Belfort (at Affliction 3)."

Belfort has recently been fighting at middleweight, but that weight class would appear unlikely for the meeting with Mousasi. Although no weight has yet to be announced for their bout, Mousasi on Tuesday stated, "I could not make (middleweight) anymore. I am a natural heavyweight. I always had to cut from 93 kilo's to middleweight. It was just too hard for me to do."

Besides Emelianenko versus Barnett and Mousasi facing Belfort, MMAWeekly.com has also confirmed that former UFC heavyweight champion Tim Sylvia will make his return to Affliction on the Aug. 1 card, although an opponent has yet to be revealed.