Right around this time last year, the Affliction Clothing brand decided to compete directly with MMA outfits like the UFC, and opened its own fighting event with Affliction Entertainment. They managed to put on two shows: “Banned”, featuring a match between Fedor Emelianenko and Tim Sylvia, and “Day of Reckoning”, showcasing Fedor versus Andrei Arlovski.
Their third event, “Trilogy” would have occurred on August 1st, with a match-up between Fedor and Josh Barnett, but for Barnett’s failing a drug test that seemed to implicate him for steroid use. Subsequently, his license was revoked, the main feature — and in fact the whole show — was cancelled, and it looks like Affliction Entertainment is gone for good. Affliction Clothing, however, has once again become a sponsor of the UFC.
A lot of fighters are now looking at some serious debt, having been training for their fights on the 1st, and will now probably never recoup these losses. It seems aparent now that Affliction was not doing well at all; if the loss of one fight — no matter how huge — can take down the entire event, then the company must have been in the hole for some time now.
Dana White is now in an interesting position. He has the opportunity to bankroll a one-time event featuring all the fighters who were on the “Trilogy” bill; guys like Paul Daley and Dan Lauzon, preparatory to taking them into the UFC, if that’s what he wants to do. It seems likely that he’ll take this chance to once again go after Fedor, and his position now is better than it’s ever been. Depending on how he handles this situation, he could be a hero to a lot of MMA fans, or just another opportunist.
Comments
No comments.