Dana White: Affliction, What's Affliction?

While confirming to SI.com's Nicki Jhabvala that the UFC will indeed be holding a July 19th event featuring Anderson Silva, Dana threw in this little bit of disingenuous patter:

Once word got out about the UFC even considering a July 19 card, the assumption was that White was trying to counter Donald Trump's latest endeavor in Affliction's Banned in Anaheim, Calif., which is set for the same day.

...

White denied such reasons of counter-programming, claiming, instead, that more fights is simply "giving the fans what they want. And Silva just wants to fight more," he said.

Dana also says Anderson Silva will likely fight on both July 19th AND on September 6th's UFC 88 card.  I guess no one is expecting James Irvin to pose much of a threat to the middleweight champ.