The agenda of the Nevada Athletic Commission meeting Tuesday at the Sawyer Office Building was filled with fighters who had failed post-fight drug tests.
Each of those seven, though, will have to wait a bit longer to learn their fates.
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That didn't sit particularly well with mixed martial artist Pawel Nastula, who pleaded with the commission to hear his case because he wants to fight on a Dec. 31 Pride Fighting Championships card in Japan.
Nastula tested positive for nandrolone, an anabolic steroid, following his Oct. 21 loss to Josh Barnett at the Thomas & Mack Center on a Pride card.
Nastula hired attorney Howard L. Jacobs of Agoura Hills, Calif., to represent him. Jacobs' answer to the commission's complaint argued Nastula was a victim of contaminated supplements.
But Jacobs had a death in his family and informed Nastula and manager Mike Szymanski, who were in Poland, on Monday that he would not be able to attend the hearing.
Nastula, who speaks little English, and Szymanski met with the commission via teleconference. Commissioner John Bailey was uncomfortable proceeding without Jacobs, but Nastula and Szymanski insisted they wanted to go forward.
"(Jacobs) would help us, but we are prepared to answer your questions," Szymanski said.
He and Nastula hoped to have the case disposed of so Nastula could appear on the Dec. 31 card in Japan. However, the commission has suspended the last four men to have steroids in their system at least five months.
After a lengthy debate, the commission voted not to hear the case and put it on the agenda for its Dec. 27 meeting.
It also tabled the hearing for mixed martial artist Vitor Belfort, who also tested positive for an anabolic steroid on the Oct. 21 card. Belfort didn't dispute the finding in a telephone conversation with executive director Keith Kizer prior to the hearing, but said it was due to taking a supplement.
But Belfort, who was in Brazil, failed to join the teleconference.
The commission also issued temporary suspensions for mixed martial artist Kevin Randleman (phony urine sample) and boxers Dewey Cooper (diuretic), Orlando Salido (nandrolone), Omar Nino (methamphetamine) and Joksan Hernandez (marijuana).
Also, it approved a Jan. 20 date for a boxing show at Paris Las Vegas featuring super lightweights Ricky Hatton and Jose Luis Castillo in separate bouts.
But it conditioned the approval on Castillo paying a $250,000 fine levied earlier this year for failing to make weight for a planned June 3 fight with Diego Corrales. Castillo has yet to pay the fine.
