UFC Counter Programming Affliction? (Updated)

by Michael Rome on Jun 16, 2008 4:44 PM EDT in News Comment 48 comments

MMA Mania reports that the UFC is planning on running a show on July 19th for free on Spike TV. The show is obviously being added to take away viewers from Affliction:

Several fighters have recently been contacted about competing on a UFC card slated for July 19 for free on Spike TV — the same night that Affliction MMA is set to pull the trigger on its monster debut with “Banned” via pay-per-view (PPV).

Unabashed counter programming at its finest.

MMAmania.com learned over the weekend that promising heavyweight Cain Velesquez has been approached about making an appearance. In addition, Sherdog.com is reporting that Wanderlei Silva and Brandon Vera have also been contacted about getting in on the action — possibly against one another.

This decision makes a lot of sense. Affliction will derive its buys from hardcore fans, and giving those fans a major free show with Wanderlei Silva on it may make them think twice about ordering the Affliction show. I find it highly unlikely that Silva will be fighting Vera, it's a ridiculous size mismatch for Silva, and I don't think there's enough interest in that fight to really justify it.

Dave Meltzer reported this week that Affliction is hoping to break even with a strong gate and 250,000-300,000 buys on PPV. That number was absurd to begin with, and now looks far less likely.

July is shaping up to be an even hotter month for MMA than May was. I think we are already seeing how competition benefits fans.

[UPDATE]: Dave Meltzer is reporting that officials from the UFC and Spike TV are denying reports of a live show on July 19th.

[UPDATE] by Nick Thomas - More from Meltzer:

Here is the basics on the story going around regarding a UFC show on 7/19, head-to-head with the Affliction show. The sherdog.com story is correct in that fighters have been called, including Wanderlei Silva and Brandon Vera, but that match is likely not happening even on the chance there is such a show on that date.

It was an idea talked about in preliminary stages but Spike officials have said the next live special after Saturday will be on 9/17 and Dana White had also not green-lighted the idea as of earlier today and it was considered a no-go this morning.

Fighters have been contacted and based on updated stuff, I expect it is happening and most likely the final decision and an announcement will be made tomorrow. The fact they are still working hard on getting a quality main event says something.

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Comments

Wow smart move my the UFC if its true.

Im a big fan of the Affliction card and will definitely try to watch the fights, but if the UFC puts on any decent event …especially for free that will be my first choice.

by Sauce on Jun 16, 2008 12:09 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs

If the UFC puts on Wanderlei/Vera that will make my decision a lot harder but I will probably just record it and order the Affliction card so I can see Sylvia beat Fedor

by The Legend on Jun 16, 2008 12:16 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs

What about July 26th?

Will Dana try to distract from Affliction on the 19th but not EliteXC on CBS on the 26th? Will the fighters at some point refuse to be played as pawns and demand appropriate fights with time to train? (I know, Pride/Dream don’t extend such courtesies)

by Jaydoggydog on Jun 16, 2008 12:39 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs

I’m sure the fighters want their promotion to be the most successful and will do what they can to contribute to that success.

Your point about the 26th is an excellent one. IMO, it makes FAR more sense to try and make a dent in the EXCBS plans. They are a far bigger threat in the race for new/casual fans.

"They said you was hung!!"

"And they was RIGHT!"

by BJJDenver on Jun 16, 2008 5:03 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

But in theory it’s much easier to prevent people from buying a PPV by offering compelling fights on cable television (so ostensibly for free), than to prevent them from tuning into MMA on network television by offering MMA on cable television. I’m not saying that they shouldn’t counter-program the EXC event in July, just that if they are going to run a live event as counter-programming the more successful venture would be to squash Affliction before it gets off the ground (lowering PPV buys) rather than attempt to have EXC booted from CBS due to poor ratings (as EXC would still have their Showtime deal).

by Estrada on Jun 16, 2008 6:20 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

I agree somewhat, but the way to knock down Affliction ppv buys, is to offer a competing ppv. Imo, most people that were going to order Affliction, still will do so, and record the UFC.

"They said you was hung!!"

"And they was RIGHT!"

by BJJDenver on Jun 17, 2008 12:19 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Good plan by the UFC. Gonna work for alotta people that dont wanna dish out the PPV money for Affliction and its gonna get picked up at sports bars instead of Affliction too.

by Yasnian on Jun 16, 2008 12:44 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs

This is a smart tactic by Zuffa if it is true. I mean for someone who is cost conscious, they will always take the free show. Furtunately for those of us with dual Channel Tivo’s, we can still watch both.

www.RevolutionMMA.com

by RevolutionMMA on Jun 16, 2008 1:02 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs

how is it good for the fans?

If 2 fights are the same night? One probably shitty free fight on spike, and one of the biggest cards that isn’t on ufc ever. I mean, i dont know i think it kind of sucks, as much as i hate seeing people wear those retarded ass affliction shirts, the fight card is cool, and probably one of the best this year.

by p0wn on Jun 16, 2008 1:57 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Smart move by the UFC. Affliction will be hard-pressed to get even 100,000 buys if and when UFC does this. In response to fighters refusing to play pawns and asking for proper time to train. For the most part, they won’t because exposure on free tv outlets such as CBS or Spike TV is too hard to turn down and takes big time money in the form of sponsors out of their pockets.

by filipinomix2oo0 on Jun 16, 2008 1:59 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs

300,000 buys?

Affliction are going to be seriously disappointed. I think they’ll be doing well with 30,000 buys. K-1 last year managed less than 50,000 buys with Brock Lesnar and Royce Gracie on the same card while their UFC fights both pulled over 600,000 buys.

by rabrown on Jun 16, 2008 2:01 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs

They managed way less than 50,000 buys actually.

It’s good for fans for obvious reasons. We get more shows and more fights, including a full free show. For fans with DVR it is tremendous, and same goes for fans that can watch the fights online or just record one. Competition is always better for fans.

by Michael Rome on Jun 16, 2008 2:49 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs

And

Those of us with more than one DVR are hoping that Sengoku and DREAM will get into the act. Finally, my ability to record 4 shows at once could be useful!

Don't believe a word I say, I don't train BJJ. -- TangleBones

by jemaleddin on Jun 16, 2008 9:23 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Wanderlei vs Vera?

Dana White must of heard our dream match of Wanderlei vs Vera, oh wait no one has mentioned this. This has got to be the most random match up. If Vera loses hes gone and if Wanderlei loses there goes any more chances to build him up.

by Hookem325 on Jun 16, 2008 4:41 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Yeah Wanderlei vs Vera makes no sense for anyone. I’d be surprised if that was to happen.

by idefinecagefighter on Jun 16, 2008 7:43 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Still

Good fight though, no?

Don't believe a word I say, I don't train BJJ. -- TangleBones

by jemaleddin on Jun 16, 2008 9:23 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

No

Stupid fight.

by FRANKIE on Jun 16, 2008 10:02 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Great Fight!

I’m confused by all the people who want to see the best fight the best, but then go on saying how the fight don’t make sense cause it could ruin the credibility of them as individual stars. Someone has to lose! The comeback story never gets old. GSP gets beat then comes back twice as strong. Wandy was on the losing streak, then came back vicious as ever. Let’s stop asking worrying about protecting fighters records or image, and start DEMANDING the Elite fighters don’t fight parallel to the rest of the elite in their division.

all you gotta do is...

by imapimp08 on Jun 16, 2008 3:35 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

No kidding. That said I don’t like the Vera/Silva matchup because there are more interesting fights for Silva in my opinion.

Intentional Blog on Balls

by Richard Wade on Jun 16, 2008 4:52 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

No kidding. I want to see the best fight the best, but in this case I’m not sure how interesting a Vera/Silva fight really is.

Intentional Blog on Balls

by Richard Wade on Jun 16, 2008 4:52 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Agreed

Can’t say i’d put that fight on my UFC Fantasy Fight card! There are definately a few people i’d like to see the “AXE MURDERER” square off against rather than Vera.

all you gotta do is...

by imapimp08 on Jun 16, 2008 5:22 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

i really hope that fight does not happen , whoever loses is pretty much done for and that sucks as they both are exciting fighters especially Wanderlei.

by ELL on Jun 16, 2008 10:25 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Wanderlei would have a major size disadvantage

by jason4jc on Jun 16, 2008 10:25 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Does Eric Bischoff run UFC?

I don’t like this because I want to sport to flourish and for it to succeed their needs to be viable competitors to the UFC. I don’t support heavy handed knee-jerk reactions like this, especially with the current amount of UFC product. The UFC itself would benefit by having less, not more.

by ghettoiam on Jun 16, 2008 11:02 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs

I love how everyone demanded competition because it would be “good for the sport,” then when it’s reported that the UFC plans to actively compete against a “rival” promotion, people start calling “no fair.”

Intentional Blog on Balls

by Richard Wade on Jun 16, 2008 4:54 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Yes, and honestly, I can’t see a big number of the people that were going to watch Affliction, change their minds because of a free UFC card.

I will DVR the UFC and still order Affliction, which is what I suspect most fans that were ordering Affliction, will also do.

I have yet to see a bunch of “Yay! Screw Affliction, I’m watching the UFC!!” posts.

"They said you was hung!!"

"And they was RIGHT!"

by BJJDenver on Jun 16, 2008 5:01 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

I’m actually kind of on the fence about ordering the Affliction card and if there is a free UFC event I definitely won’t order it.

Intentional Blog on Balls

by Richard Wade on Jun 16, 2008 5:06 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Really?

There are so many fighters that I want to see, even if they aren’t the match ups I eventually want. I also think that Sylvia fight is more interesting than Fedor/Couture, but that is just me.

You know, I think the UFC should hold a ppv that night. With 2 ppvs, many fans would be forced to pick just one, and I feel certain that many would choose the UFC. Having a free card, makes it to easy to buy Affliction and record UFC.

"They said you was hung!!"

"And they was RIGHT!"

by BJJDenver on Jun 16, 2008 5:10 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

And AA beating down Rothwell, may be worth the price all by itself, lol!

"They said you was hung!!"

"And they was RIGHT!"

by BJJDenver on Jun 16, 2008 5:11 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

There are a lot of fighters I’d like to see, but really only one fight I want to see.

Intentional Blog on Balls

by Richard Wade on Jun 16, 2008 5:47 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Likewise

There’s plenty of top-level fighters on the card but, Fedor/Sylvia aside, they’re all shaping up to be mismatches. I’m okay with that though if they’re looking long-term though and building some other fights up.

by rabrown on Jun 16, 2008 6:30 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

you have a point there, PPV would be better, if they a had a longer prep.. like if they planned it as soon as they knew what affliction was trying to present on that night as against thinking of doing it just now (since the talk of counter programming just emerged recently).. but i think its highly unlikely since doing that would make it look like the UFC are desperate to bring them down and that the affliction is a major threat to them. And knowing how Dana thinks about his competition, he’ll just shrug it off… with a free card on spike.

by Johann on Jun 17, 2008 1:43 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

I can't wait until UFC starts spoiling the results of Dream main events

Then Goldberg says, “That’ll put some butts in the seats!”

by ghettoiam on Jun 16, 2008 11:04 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs

You can’t expect the UFC to sit by and give Affliction a chance to make a big splash with a card full of notable fighters. If Affliction is in it for the long haul and has a good plan, they should be able to withstand the UFC’s counter-programming. However, they seem to have left themselves vulnerable by putting so many resources into this first show. Their expectations are also pretty out there.

by Cannon Jacques on Jun 16, 2008 2:03 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

they may be denying it but they defo did consider as one of Wanderleis coaches said Wandereli was contacted and no opponent has been finalised yet

http://www.tatame.com.br/2008/06/16/UFC-convoca-Wand-para-desbancar-Affliction

by ELL on Jun 16, 2008 5:01 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

I feel like I should know this already, but is Affliction going to be in a ring or a cage?

Intentional Blog on Balls

by Richard Wade on Jun 16, 2008 5:46 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Survey Says

People are claiming a ring. I haven’t seen anything definite, but supposedly that’s what Fedor wants.

I think a ring is actually better suited for big Tim, so it may be a mistake…

Don't believe a word I say, I don't train BJJ. -- TangleBones

by jemaleddin on Jun 17, 2008 11:59 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Anyone else hoping for five rounds of Sylvia landing nothing but jabs on his way to a unanimous decision victory?

Intentional Blog on Balls

by Richard Wade on Jun 17, 2008 4:25 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

(Shhhh!)

Don’t tell anyone, but yes – that would be hysterical.

Don't believe a word I say, I don't train BJJ. -- TangleBones

by jemaleddin on Jun 18, 2008 11:04 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Dave also reported in a members only report that Wanderlei turned down the date because it was too soon to have such a big fight. I’m gonna guess Franklin/Henderson headlines this thing.

by Michael Rome on Jun 16, 2008 6:09 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

I think Franklin/Henderson would be an awesome choice.

by Cannon Jacques on Jun 16, 2008 7:29 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

If it’s Franklin/Henderson, I’ll definitely watch that instead of ordering Affliction.

Intentional Blog on Balls

by Richard Wade on Jun 16, 2008 7:52 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

I don't like it.

Sure on the outside it looks like UFC is giving you a free show, so soon you forget the $50-$100 you spend every month on their events but all they want to do is solidify their monopoly in MMA.

Regardless of this show I will be watching the Affliction card and Tivo’ing the free UFC event.

Is it a smart business move for the UFC? Yes.

Is it good for MMA? No, again making the casual mma fan that only the UFC exists.

by Fedor on Jun 16, 2008 9:04 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Aren’t you supposed to fight on that night?

by Johann on Jun 17, 2008 1:27 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Yeah!

Seiously – you should be training – stay off the message boards!

Don't believe a word I say, I don't train BJJ. -- TangleBones

by jemaleddin on Jun 17, 2008 12:00 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Someone in UnderGround posted this lineup of fights… total rumor for now.

- Wanderlei Silva vs. Thiago Silva
- Chris Leben vs. Nate Quarry
- Luiz Cane vs. Goran Reljic
- Stephan Bonnar vs. Sokodjou
- ?Rich Franklin? vs. TBA

by Nick Thomas on Jun 17, 2008 9:45 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Holy crap. If you make that last fight Franklin vs. Henderson, that is an absolutely killer card with the potential for extremely compelling and competitive fights. Understanding it’s all rumor, and rumor from the UG on top of that, but that would be pretty amazing.

If they do anything at all, I’m definitely in the camp of watching both. As an aside, what is the availability of these fights all over the internet for free within hours of the card doing to impact newer ventures? I know that I never have to make much of an effort to find a way or a place that I might be able to see cards like Dream or EliteXC on Showtime, etc., because within a couple hours I can find them for free on the internet and still see the fights anyway. It hasn’t had any impact on my willingness to go out and pay for UFC pay-per-views, but when it comes to the less established organizations, I figure I can still see the fights if they are any good and I’m not out any money if they end up being lousy and/or overly cheesy productions.

by Kierkegaard on Jun 17, 2008 9:53 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs