So Affliction, the popular MMA apparel producer, decides to get into the MMA promotion game.
The UFC, unhappy with having a new rival, bans fighters from wearing any Affliction gear at its events. (That meant Georges St. Pierre was sans sponsor on his shorts in Montreal.)
Affliction then signs Fedor Emelianenko, a fighter who in effect the UFC would not sign because he wanted non-exclusivity. And it schedules its first event on July 19 and calls it Affliction: Banned.
If you ask me, that's a bit witty.
The UFC’s counter-punch? They’re throwing together a last-second card on the same night with Anderson Silva headlining, and it's available for free.
If you ask me, that's a bit petty.
Not that I'm not interested in such a card. Free is free, after all. But I for one am surprised they’re doing this. The biggest MMA organization in the world is threatened by a promotion put on by a clothing company?
Affliction does have a bit going for it. After all, it has one of the top fighters in the world finally fighting in North America against a two-time former UFC champion (although it isn’t Randy Couture.)
But by scheduling an event opposite it, instead of just ignoring it as if it were insignificant to them as a competitor, the UFC appears to be giving more credence to its rival. Frankly, it makes the UFC look a little scared.
Perhaps they were a bit influenced by the "success" of the first EliteXC show on May 31, which was the most watched MMA event in North America.
But that one was free. Affliction won’t be.
What happens if the UFC puts on this free show and the Affliction event still beats it out? That would really make them look bad. Is that likely? No. But it’s a risk.
Yet what bothers me the most is that the UFC is now forcing MMA fans to make a choice between watching one or the other (lest they use the old PVR). While it’s an understandable move from a business point-of-view, if they truly want to be fan-friendly like they claim, why not put it on a different night? Don’t make us choose.
One thing I will give them credit for is that if you are going to put this head-to-head against Emelianenko, having Silva in the main event is smart. Put your best pound-for-pound fighter against theirs.
The problem is, it won’t be a title fight (since Silva is fighting one weight class higher than the one in which he holds the belt) and it’s against a guy who if he beats it doesn’t really advance his career. He’s going to likely drop back down afterward, so what’s the point?
And what if Silva were to lose? That would really make him look bad. Is that likely? No. But it’s a risk.
The bottom line is this: The Affliction event has some intrigue since it’s the first one and has a bunch of fighters people haven’t seen in a while. But much like EliteXC, the promotion’s roster isn’t deep enough to pose a threat to the UFC anytime soon.
But by doing what they’re doing, the UFC is making it look like it does.
