Wow, Dana White wins.

After Josh Barnett tested positive for a banned steroid earlier in the week, the company scrambled to find a replacement to fight Fedor Emelianenko. There were rumors about Vitor Belfort, but evidently nothing ever happened, and now the entire event is cancelled.

This is the final blow for Affliction, I don’t think they will ever succeed. I also think it was a stupid move to cancel the entire event, unless there are circumstances we don’t know about (Showtime or other sponsors pulling their money out?)

In a news release, Affliction Entertainment Vice President Tom Atencio said “Finding an opponent for the number one-ranked MMA heavyweight champion in such a short period of time was a huge endeavor, and I’m thrilled at the amount of fighters willing to take on this challenge, but in the end, we just didn’t have enough time to promote a new fight to our standards.”

Is that true, or are there other reasons? Did Fedor’s management not want him to fight someone else on such short notice? Are they protecting him? I know there are many fighters who would be glad to step up and fight Fedor, even on short notice, just for the chance.

I would also say this definitely takes away some of Fedor’s bargaining power when it comes to dealing with the UFC. Where else will he fight?

No I won’t be “live blogging”, because I will be “live partying” while watching the event. Will this be the fight where Fedor shows a weakness? Nah…I don’t think so.

Antonio Rogerio Nogueira defeats Vladimir Matyushenko by KO (knee)

Dan Lauzon defeats Bobby Green via submission (rear naked choke)

Paul Buentello defeats Kirill Sidelnikov via TKO (doctor stoppage)

Renato “Babalu” Sobral defeats Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou by submission (anaconda choke)

Ok, I’ll start blogging a little bit now as I’m able to be in front of the computer for a few minutes.

Damn, Matt Lindland got WRECKED by Vitor Belfort.. Round one, 37 seconds..I hope dude is OK, he was totally out of it for several minutes, and had much trouble trying to stand up. One of the worst scenes in MMA for awhile.

Josh Barnett vs. Gilbert Yvel – Barnett beat on Gilbert Yvel for most of 3 rounds, which Yvel was mounted by Barnett nearly the entire time before tapping out due to strikes in round 3. Barnett wins by tapout in round 3. I guess Barnett gets the winner of Fedor/Arlovski now.

Fedor Emelianenko vs. Andrei Arlovski – Well, Arlovski did great with his striking, and even clinching, and he looked like he had Fedor in a bit of trouble before Fedor threw a right hand upside Arlovski’s suspect chin. The result was Andrei Arlovski laying face down on the mat. Fedor wins in round 1 by KO.

January 22, 2009

On the brink of one of the biggest events in MMA history, Affliction, M-1 Global, Donald Trump, Oscar De La Hoya’s Golden Boy Promotions and The Reunion Parties are proud to present an exclusive star-studded event at one the hottest nightclubs in Hollywood! Prepare to party with MMA’s biggest stars such as Fedor Emelianenko, Andrei Arlovski, Gilbert Yvel, Babalu, Matyushenko, and many more. The red carpet will be out and the paparazzi will be in full effect as MMA All-Stars and celebrity guests make their appearance at Club Ritual. This is an event that you do not want to miss!

IT ALL COMES DOWN TO THIS; AFFLICTION’S & M-1 GLOBAL’S “DAY OF RECONING” OFFICIAL PRE-PARTY PRIOR TO THE BIG EVENT AT THE HONDA CENTER IN ANAHEIM, CALIFORNIA!

Get ready to meet the fighters and celebrities, win tickets to the main event “Fedor vs. Arlovski,” get free Affliction t-shirts, rock the dance floor to the beats of Hollywood’s top DJ’s, and be a part of one of the hottest events of 2009!

This amazing night features…

* “Fedor vs. Arlovski” official Afflictionan & M-1 Global Pre-Party!
* Appearances by Fedor “The Last Emperor” Emelianenko, Andrei “The Pitbull” Arlovski, Renato “Babalu” Sobral, Vladimir Matyushenko, Gilbert “The Hurricane” Yvel, Kirill “Baby Fedor” Sidelnikov, Gegard Mousasi, and many more…
* Ability to meet and party with the fighters
* Red Carpet Celebrity Event
* Celebrity guest appearances
* Ticket giveaways to the “Fedor vs Arlovski” fight every hour
* Affliction T-Shirt giveaways all night long
* Signed merchandise giveaways by the fighters
* Sexy Go-Go dancers
* Hollywood’s top DJ’s spinning the best in Hip-Hop, House, Electronic, Top-40, Trance
* 3 bars, 2 rooms
* Huge outside patio
* Bottle service recommended
* 21 and over

Where: Club Ritual 1743 N. Cahuenga Blvd. Los Angeles, CA 90028

When: Thursday, January 22nd, 9PM-2AM

PLEASE ARRIVE EARLY TO BE GUARANTEED ENTRANCE TO THIS EVENT!

Ticket and VIP table info:

To purchase tickets and for more info please visit: www.TheReunionParties.com

For any event related info and bottle service please call 818-430-9953 or 323-646-8615.

MMAMania broke the news, and it’s a ridiculous decision by the UFC to cut Jon Fitch. Also, Dana White is supposedly pissed off at the entire AKA (American Kickboxing Academy) group of fighters, and won’t be doing business with them anymore. According to Kevin Iole, Dana White said he will keep AKA welterweight Mike Swick because he said Swick called him and told him he wants to keep fighting for the UFC. However, as Jon Fitch and heavyweight Christian Wellisch were cut, heavyweight prospect Cain Velasquez and welterweight Josh Koscheck could be next.

Seriously, what the hell? Fitch said Wednesday that the reason he was cut was because he wouldn’t sign a lifetime contract to allow the UFC to use his name and likeness in a video game. He said he “simply didn’t understand the need to sign a lifetime contract, particularly since it would not pay his family in the event of his death.” Futhermore, Fitch said this has nothing to do with money and that he’s never caused a problem for the UFC. “He wanted us to sign that merchandising agreement, and it was not a very good agreement,” Fitch said. “There was not really a reason for us to sign it. The first thing they brought to us was for us to sign all of our rights away for everything forever. It was for very small compensation, and there was no compensation for family members if we were to die…We could die and they could make memorial figurines and stuff and make thousands, millions of dollars, and our families wouldn’t see a penny of it. The way they bring the contracts and stuff to us, I don’t know, it’s just not how business is done.”

Dana White is quoted as saying “Affliction is still out there trying to build its company. Let him go work with them. Let him see what he thinks of those (expletive). F**k him. These guys aren’t partners with us. F**k them. All of them, every last f**king one of them.”

Jon Fitch has an outstanding record of 17 wins and 3 losses. He went undefeated in the UFC for 8 fights before losing a decision to Georges St. Pierre in a welterweight championship fight.

You know something isn’t right when Jon Fitch gets cut and Brock Lesnar and his 2-1 record (1-1 UFC) gets a title shot with Randy Couture.

Meanwhile, we’ve got Dana White cussing up a storm, and members of The Ultimate Fighter cast drinking each others piss and eating semen tainted food, they make Junie Browning seem normal and classy. Wonderful. Let’s not forget the stupid “Condom Depot” advertisements that fighters wear across the ass of their shorts.

Pure class. While bitching about the Jon Fitch/AKA fiasco, Dana White also bitched about the economy and how the fighters should get out there and find out just how tough it is in todays economy. I can tell you, he would make more money with the UFC and go mainstream a lot quicker, if he would do things a little bit differently. He could appeal to a wider audience.

Regardless, the UFC seems to be the only game in town right now, and they can try to make whoever they want disappear. I know, MMA loyalists are still wanting to see Fedor Emelianenko fight Randy Couture or Brock Lesnar. It’s not going to happen if Dana White doesn’t want it to. Why does Dana even have to let people know who Fedor is? The general public and casual MMA fan doesn’t know the name Fedor, only us who follow MMA religiously really know who he is. If UFC is the only brand with any recognition, they never even have to mention Fedor, they can let him be forgotten and tell the world that Brock Lesnar is teh greatest evah!!1

So can we count on the UFC having the worlds best fighters? Or maybe just the worlds best “yes-men”? I think Dana needs to give Rob Emerson a LW title shot. Then maybe he should give Houston Alexander a HW title shot.

After threatening Randy Couture and his wife, one of the founders of Affliction, Todd Beard, has resigned and apologized and says he will be undergoing anger management and alcoholism. Here is the official press release:

TODD BEARD TENDERS RESIGNATION FROM AFFLICTION INC.

Seal Beach, CA, November 14, 2008 – The board of directors of Affliction Inc. announced today that it received and accepted the resignation of Todd Beard as an employee of the company. Mr. Beard is one of the original founders of the clothing company based in Seal Beach, California. The resignation coincides with a public apology for comments made by Mr. Beard and directed toward Randy Couture and his wife Kim Couture regarding their business relationship.

Mr. Beard also disclosed that he will be seeking treatment for anger management and alcohol abuse.

According to Mr. Beard, “I would like to apologize for my comments that may have offended Kim and Randy Couture and Mr. Spira. I had a long-standing relationship with the Coutures and I was deeply and emotionally hurt by some of their recent business decisions. I have only the best of intentions for the success of the Affliction and Xtreme Couture clothing brands and understand that there are personal issues I must address.”

According to the board of directors, “We are delighted Todd has decided to address these issues and wish Randy Couture well.”

The Board of directors of Affliction Inc. also wanted to clarify that Affliction Entertainment Group LLC. (the promotion company) is not controlled by Affliction Inc. Mr. Beard to its knowledge, is nether an officer, director, or a shareholder of Affliction Entertainment Group LLC. as stated in several periodicals.

MMARated is reporting that Affliction VP Tom Atencio confirmed with them that Fedor Emelianenko will be fighting Andrei Arlovski on the January 24th Affliction show. The event will be an MMA only event, but was originally supposed to be a MMA & Boxing event, co-promoted by Golden Boy Promotions, however, Atencio said “We sat down with them and couldn’t come up with a main event boxing match that everyone wanted.”

This fight will be for the WAMMA Heavyweight Championship

Tim Sylvia said he has never been hit harder by anyone than Fedor Emelianenko, and that he’s not sure if Fedor is even human. In reality, it sure seems like Fedor hits hard, I’ve seen him put Sylvia on the mat much the same way he floored Zuluzinho, but I’ve never seen him knock someone unconscious. Regardless, Fedor has proven himself to be the #1 heavyweight pro MMA fighter on the planet for now. On a sidenote, if you’re looking for a new MMA forum that is relatively uncensored and wont merge your threads into one gigantic thread, you should sign up on our MMA Forums and start a topic.

I admit, the name WAMMA hasn’t grown on me yet. I am in favor of having unified titles throughout Mixed Martial Arts, but I don’t think it will ever happen. For whatever it’s worth, Fedor is the new (and first) WAMMA heavyweight champion. If you didn’t see the Fedor vs. Tim Sylvia fight, look at the little .GIF picture on the left side of the page near the top. That’s pretty much it.

Questions have been answered. If Dana White still can’t admit that Fedor Emelianenko is the top heavyweight in the world, he is in denial. Fedor just destroyed the former UFC heavyweight champion.

Fedor went right out and punched Tim Sylvia in the nose, followed by a flurry that send big Tim Sylvia to the canvas where he gave his back to Fedor, and fell victim to a choke in under 40 seconds of Round 1 in the Main Event of tonights Affliction: Banned pay-per-view show.

Epic insult from Andrei Arlovksi to Tim Sylvia, regarding the rumors of Sylvia dating Arlovski’s ex-girlfriend.

(Phoenix, AZ) – MTX Audio, the leader in high performance mobile audio products, is growing its MMA presence by supporting three MMA fighters on three different fight cards all on the same evening. On July 19th, MTX Fight Team member, C.B. Dollaway (6-1 MMA, 0-1 UFC), will return to the UFC octagon for the second time in two months to battle former TUF 7 alumnus, Jesse Taylor (6-2 MMA, 0-0 UFC), on UFC Fight Night live from Las Vegas which will be broadcast free on Spike TV. Dollaway is looking to get his first UFC win and to prove he belongs in the UFC against a determined fighter in Taylor who is looking for redemption in the eyes of the world. Also on July 19th, MTX will be supporting Ray Lizama (5-5-0) on Affliction’s first ever fight card to be broadcast on PPV. Lizama will be looking to advance in the ranks by defeating Justin Levens (9-8-0) at the Affliction: Banned event at the Honda Center in Anaheim, CA. On Monday, July 21st, HDNet Fights will broadcast the conclusion of the DREAM Lightweight Grand Prix Tournament from Osaka, Japan where MTX MMA fighter, Joachim Hansen (17-7-1) will go toe-to-toe with Kultar Gill (9-7).

UFC Fight Night 14 features a main event between the UFC Middleweight Champion, Anderson Silva, and James Irvin in a light heavyweight battle. This step up to 205lbs will be the first for Silva in his UFC career. On the same card, C.B. Dollaway, an MTX MMA Fight Team member and TUF 7 finalist, will fight against Jesse Taylor who used his ground and pound to get into the TUF 7 finals before he was formally removed from the show by UFC President Dana White for inappropriate behavior outside the cage.

The Affliction: Banned event features a heavyweight bout between Russian Fedor Emelianenko and American Tim Sylvia. During that night MTX MMA Fighter, Ray “Lights Out” Lizama, is set to match up against Jesse Levins, an aggressive fighter who has built a cult following for himself in the central valley of California and who recently gained attention with his quick defeat of Tony Lopez at WEC 15 on May 19th of this year.

Finally, MTX MMA Fighter, Joachim Hansen, fresh off one of the best MMA fights of the year despite his loss to Eddie Alvarez, will go to battle with Kultar “Black Mamba” Gill. The DREAM 5 event in Osaka, Japan will be broadcast live on HDNet Fights, Monday, July 21st at 2:00AM ET and there will be a rebroadcast at 10:00PM ET.

With three different event cards in three different organizations all in one weekend, MTX is front and center in the face of MMA fans worldwide. MMA fans have some big decisions to make when July 19th rolls around and will have Tivo’s working overtime. Rest assured, no matter which event you choose, MTX is going to be there!

MTX is taking the audio industry by storm by setting the standard for all others to follow with reaching all corners of the automotive industry. Visit www.mtx.com for up-to-date information regarding the new MTX Mobile Audio products and news.

[7/3/2008] Retired Referee and MMA Legend “Big” John McCarthy Joins Team Affliction as Color Commentator “Affliction Banned” PPV July 19 in Anaheim

SIGNAL HILL, California (July 3, 2008) – Former MMA referee “Big” John McCarthy may have retired from working in the UFC® Octagon but he will be a color commentator for the July 19th “Affliction Banned” pay-per-view event, featuring the WAMMA heavyweight championship fight between the most lethal MMA heavyweight of all-time, Russian M1 superstar legend Fedor “The Last Emperor” Emelianenko (27-1), and former UFC heavyweight champion Tim “The Maine-iac” Sylvia (24-4), live from Honda Center in Anaheim, California.

A black belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu, McCarthy refereed 535 fights during his 14 years as an MMA referee, and he operates an MMA school in Valencia, California. He started refereeing in the UFC’s second show in 1994 and retired this past December. An MMA ambassador all over the world, “Big” John developed into being as much a part of the UFC as the fighters that entered the Octagon. Now, though, he is a member of Team Affliction.

“Affliction Banned,” presented by Affliction Entertainment, is so stacked with talent that it had to be separated into two live shows produced for broadcast. The night’s activities will kick off with a one-hour, free live telecast on FSN (Fox Sports Net) in the United States and on The Fight Network in Canada starting at 5 PM Pacific (8 PM/ET), dubbed “Affliction Live.” Following that is “Affliction Banned” – five incredible fights on pay-per-view starting at 6 PM/PT (9 PM/ET) via iN DEMAND, TVN, Shaw Communications, Viewers Choice Canada, DirecTV, DISH Network, Bell ExpressVue and Star Choice in the United States and Canada for a suggested retail price of $39.95.

Tickets for “Affliction Banned” range between $50.00 and $1,000.00, and are on sale at Honda Center’s Box Office and also online at Ticketmaster.com.

Affliction
Already a mainstay for the most elite athletes, heaviest bands, A-listers and the fashion conscious, Affliction Clothing’s ability to set the bar high in fashion is evident in its collection’s indulgence of style and design, focus on quality, and its trademark series of divinely executed, dark and powerful themes. (www.afflictionclothing.com)

The Trump Organization
The Trump Organization encompasses global real estate development and global licensing, sales and marketing, property management, golf course development, entertainment, entertainment and product licensing, brand development as well as restaurants and event planning. Donald J. Trump is the Chairman and President of the Trump Organization, a privately held company in New York. (www.Trump.com)

Since the Affliction mega-card was announced a few months ago featuring a cast of big names, headlined by Fedor Emelianenko and Tim Sylvia, the UFC has tried to battle against Affliction by putting on a free event of SpikeTV featuring a main event bout with Anderson Silva going against James Irvin.

Former UFC referee Big John McCarthy is even part of the announce team for the Affliction: Banned event, and is quoted as saying the Affliction event will be “the best heavyweight card ever put together” according to a promotional flier put out by Affliction. On the same flier, they even quote Dana White and other UFC personalities (photo below – thanks to MMAmadness.com).

So to counter Dana White and his spur-of-the-moment FREE show to steal viewers from Affliction, they’ve announced that FSN will show two Affliction fights for free also, at 8pm EST July 19th. Viewers will get to see Aleksander Emelianenko fight Paul Buentello, and Vitor Belfort fight Terry Martin, for free on FSN.

What will you be watching on July 19th?

SIGNAL HILL, California (June 30, 2008) – There are a number of reasons not to miss the mega mixed martial arts extravaganza, “Affliction Banned,” this July 19th at Honda Center in Anaheim, California — not least of which is the unbelievable main event — a dream match-up between heavyweight champs Fedor Emilianenko and Tim Sylvia. But the list of transcendent fight talent doesn’t end there. In one of the biggest cards in the history of the sport, the inaugural fight event of Affliction Entertainment will feature an unprecedented line-up of the best MMA combatants competing against each other, including a brutal, full contact bout between the two heavyweight powerhouses, Andrei “The Pitbull” Arlovski and “Big” Ben Rothwell.

Former UFC® Heavyweight Champion Andrei Arlovski is a 6’ 4”, 240-pound former cop from Belarus with dangerous stand up skills, a brutal right punch, and deft mobility and striking accuracy. Arlovski tears into his opponents, often dealing out devastating damage before the other fighter even has time to recover. Considered one of the top ten ranked heavyweight fighters in the world, “The Pitbull” is one of the world’s most complete MMA fighters, as well as one of its most fearsome. This dreaded competitor gets high marks in grappling ability and massive striking power. He has won notable victories over Tim Sylvia, Paul Buentello, Vladimir Matyushenko, Fabricio Werdum and Wesley “Cabbage” Correira, among others. For his upcoming fight with Rothwell, Arlovski has been training with legendary boxing trainer Freddie Roach, who has trained many boxing champions such as Mike Tyson, Oscar De La Hoya, Bernard Hopkins and Manny Pacquiao. Arlovski’s hard work combined with sheer talent and strong mental preparedness give his opponents plenty to worry about in the ring.

Arlovski will face-off with former IFL® heavyweight standout Ben Rothwell, who is riding an impressive 13-fight winning streak and is currently ranked as the number 10 best heavyweight fighter in the world. At 6’5″ and 265 pounds, this gritty, determined Wisconsin native is a force to reckon with in the ring—just ask anyone who has squared off against him. A young fighter full of zest and energy and a personality as big as his frame, Rothwell is one of the most entertaining athletes in MMA—Rothwell never fails to deliver. And he has an impeccable record, rattling off 11 knockouts among his first 17 MMA victories with a flair that crowds eat up. A wicked combination of aggression, power and style drives Rothwell’s numerous victories. The sheer force with which this giant strikes his opponents leads to the frequent knockouts he is famous for. But his brute strength is tempered by a good measure of agility, allowing him to inflict accurate and precise punishment. “Big” Ben’s fierce ring presence and heavy-handedness often has opponents voluntarily choosing to leave the ring to avoid serious injury.

The brawl between the ferocious “Pitbull” and giant “Big” Ben is sure to please sports fans hungry for a truly ballistic competition and a performance full of charisma. These two magnetic, world-class fighters always put on a great show. With their collective striking power and bigger-than-life personalities, these well-matched opponents combine powerful fighting techniques with a spark of showmanship that electrifies their audience. Both fighters are known for their tremendous hard-hitting styles and numerous victories. Their bouts often end in knockouts — explosive, expedient, and purely exciting. On July 19th in Anaheim, fans will bear witness to a dynamic exhibition of prowess, as these two crowd-pleasing and accomplished warriors deal out a gallon of pain for guts and glory for “Affliction Banned.”

“Affliction Banned,” headlined by the WAMMA heavyweight title bout between Russian superstar Fedor Emelianenko and Tim Sylvia, is stacked with so much world-class talent that it had to be separated into two live shows produced for broadcast. The night’s activities will kick off with “Affliction Live,” a one-hour, free live telecast on FSN (Fox Sports Net) starting at 5 PM Pacific (8 PM/ET) and setting the stage for “Affliction Banned” – five super fights on pay-per-view starting at 6 PM/PT (9 PM/ET) via iN DEMAND, TVN, Shaw Communications, Viewers Choice Canada, DirecTV, DISH Network, Bell ExpressVue and Star Choice in the United States and Canada for a suggested retail price of $39.95.

The heavy metal band Megadeth, led by frontman, guitarist, and songwriter Dave Mustaine, will be performing live at the event.