Can Affliction fight off the U.F.C.?

It looks like UFC chief, Dana White, is trying to apply a “guillotine choke" on the upcoming “Affliction: Banned" promotion set for July 19^th at the Honda Center in Anaheim. While the Affliction show is slated to be a pay per view event, White will be counter programming on the same day with a free UFC telecast on Spike T.V.

 

But can the newly formed California promoters stave off the UFC’s aggressive assault and live up to its expectations?

 

Luckily, Affliction has several key components in place that’ll boost their chances for success.   

 

They have a very solid main event which will feature the legendary Fedor “The last emperor" Emelianenko (27-1) taking on the very credible former UFC heavyweight champion Tim Sylvia (24-4). While the Russian is seen in some circles as an unbeatable force, others will counter by saying that he hasn’t beaten any of note lately. Sylvia, is just the type of credible opponent he needs to face at this point of his career.

 

Emelianenko’s last fight against the South Korean giant, Hong Man Choi, ended with a tightly applied armbar that made the seven foot two, hulk-like figure, tap out in agonizing pain. He made it look easy. Maybe too easy for some of his detractors. A win over Sylvia would quiet down some critics for a little while.

 

As far as this writer is concerned, Emelianenko is the best that Mixed Martial Arts has to offer. The fact that he defeated the current UFC heavyweight champion Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira twice while competing for the PRIDE organization speaks volumes of his talent.

 

Nogueira recently defeated the aforementioned Sylvia via submission in a bout where the Brazilian was being pounded into the canvas before catching “The Maine-iac�? with a “guillotine choke�?.

 

Another key component that Affliction has going for them is their partnership with well known Orange County promoter Roy Englebrecht. Having tracked Englebrecht’s success for almost a decade, I can tell you that no one can put a show together like the man who’s been running “The Battle in the Ballroom�? to sold out crowds in Irvine for more then a decade. He’s also the man responsible for putting together Oscar De La Hoya’s Golden Boy Promotions on the boxing map.

 

Englebrecht knows the promotions game better than anyone in California. So well in fact, that he runs Fight Promoter University, a workshop for aspiring Bob Arum’s, Don King’s and Dana White’s. And if anyone has his finger on the pulse of the O.C., it’s Englebrecht.

 

The undercard being stacked with top shelf talent doesn’t hurt either. 

 

In the semi main event, the well regarded Andre Arlovski (12-5) is slated to take on former I.F.L. star Ben Rothwell (29-5) in what should an intriguing battle. Arlovksi is from Belarus with a background in Sambo and Kick Boxing. In Rothwell, you have a good ol’ American corn fed boy from Wisconsin. An incredibly aggressive heavyweight with a brutal punch who’s on a thirteen fight win streak.

 

Antonio Rogueiro Nogueira (no to be confused with brother Antonio Rodrigo) and Vernon White will also be mixing it up on the card. Other names include Pedro Rizzo, Matt Lindland, Vitor Belfort, Paul Buentello, Josh Barnett, and Renato Sobral, these are just some of the more well known names who’ve signed to do battle.

 

You can’t go wrong with that kind of lineup.

 

The last component that’ll help the promotion’s success is the location of the venue. Orange County is bursting at the seams with M.M.A. fans.  

 

If smaller promotions like Diana Ocampo’s San Diego based company, “Total Combat�?, can bring in more than 3,000 fans to a hall in Del Mar, California with a bunch of up and comers then Affliction should have no trouble filling up the Honda Center that can accommodate up to 15,000.

 

But where the Affliction promotion is most vulnerable will in the Pay Per View area. The UFC’s placement of a free event on Spike TV will definitely take a bite out of Affliction’s P.P.V. buys. American fans are much more familiar with the UFC then they are with Emelianenko. With out of control gas prices and the economy being worse than ever, it’s easy to pass up spending forty dollars when matches headlined by Anderson Silva and Brandon “The Truth" Vera in separate bouts are set to take place on “free" television.

 

Dana White is well versed in boxing and other aspects of combat sports. He’s also one of the most cut throat men in the business world. To him, business is combat, and in combat there can only be one winner. In his world there’s no room for Affliction or any other Mixed Martial Arts organization that doesn’t cater to the UFC.

 

The fight for America’s M.M.A. audience continues. Will Affliction survive the guillotine or will they be forced to tap out like the now defunct World Fight League, Bodog and others?

 

We’ll find out soon enough.