Affliction: Fedor vs Arlovski Set for Oct. 11 in Vegas

by Kid Nate on Jul 24, 2008 9:01 AM EDT in News

Ept_sports_mma_experts-562052865-1216884957_medium Kevin Iole has the sources in Vegas to get the scoop:

Fedor Emelianenko will defend his newly won World Association of Mixed Martial Arts heavyweight championship belt on Oct. 11 against Andrei Arlovski in the UFC’s backyard.

Affliction’s second MMA promotion will be at the Thomas & Mack Center on the UNLV campus, in the shadow of the UFC’s corporate offices, according to a venue official.

Obviously this match-up is huge, pitting Fedor against another former UFC champ. Arlovski looked really good against Ben Rothwell but Fedor looked like a GOD against Tim Sylvia. Will be very interesting to see how this goes down. Previous reports had the second Affliction event happening in November. Interesting that they're going right after Dana's home town. Hard to sell tickets in Vegas but easy to get media coverage.

And as Steve Cofield points out, the UFC already has an event scheduled for the UK on October 11 18 so there won't be another free event on Spike, not live anyway.

UPDATE: Cofield got the dates wrong and I didn't double check. Sorry about that. This actually makes a stronger case for his point though -- with a free event already scheduled for October 18 on Spike TV, it seems unlikely they'll be able to counter-program Affliction's event on the 11th.

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“And as Steve Cofield points out, the UFC already has an event scheduled for the UK on October 11 so there won’t be another free event on Spike, not live anyway.”

I thought UFC 89 on October 11th was in the works to be free on Spike to set up UFC 90 on PPV?

by Baudelaire on Jul 24, 2008 8:14 AM EDT reply reply 0 recs

You might be correct, but nothing is finalized.

by Luke Thomas on Jul 24, 2008 8:25 AM EDT up reply reply 0 recs

It just seems like an odd business move. Either going against a UFC PPV or a free event that could have Anderson Silva in a title defense on Spike—tape-delayed, of course.

And I know UFC 90 is going to be in Chicago, which I like because that is my town, but Arlovski would best be used here, which I would like as well.

by Baudelaire on Jul 24, 2008 9:08 AM EDT up reply reply 0 recs

Nevermind.

UFC 89 is on October 18th.
I’ve proven it is too early for me to post. Arlovski should still be in Chicago though.

by Baudelaire on Jul 24, 2008 9:12 AM EDT up reply reply 0 recs

You do know that Arlovski isn’t in the UFC anymore, right? Your couple posts here kind of sound like you’re suggesting that the Arlovski should be on the Chicago UFC card … Just checking.

by Kierkegaard on Jul 24, 2008 10:30 AM EDT up reply reply 0 recs

I am saying that Affliction should use the large Eastern European population and draw that Arlovski has here in Chicago at some point.

by Baudelaire on Jul 24, 2008 10:32 AM EDT up reply reply 0 recs

Gotcha. I was just checking … it’s early for me, too!

by Kierkegaard on Jul 24, 2008 10:33 AM EDT up reply reply 0 recs

No worries : )

by Baudelaire on Jul 24, 2008 10:34 AM EDT up reply reply 0 recs

So Polish people (who are the clear majority of said Eastern Europeans) will just support Russians and Belrussians because, uhhh, slavic pride or something?

by D.Capitated on Jul 24, 2008 10:34 AM EDT up reply reply 0 recs

Also, so much for WAMMA forcing mandatory #1 challenge fights.

by Luke Thomas on Jul 24, 2008 8:31 AM EDT reply reply 0 recs

or rather

Not forcing, but so much for their notion that champs will fight #1 contenders first…or that 1 will defend against 2 before 4.

by Luke Thomas on Jul 24, 2008 8:32 AM EDT reply reply 0 recs

how could they ever follow a rule like that? They can only give him opponents they have access to after all.

by Benicio on Jul 24, 2008 8:33 AM EDT up reply reply 0 recs

they have josh barnett

but something makes me think that arlovski’s impressive win other a top 10 fighter - rothwell - will cause him to leapfrog over Arlovski.

by Kid Nate on Jul 24, 2008 9:07 AM EDT up reply reply 0 recs

But they updated the rankings after Affliction and Barnett is still ranked above AA.

I really don’t get it. If they aren’t going to make Fedor fight the best guy he can, they need to mail Forrest, the winner of GSP/Fitch, Anderson, BJ, and Faber belts because they’re all fighting people who are ranked, not necessarily the top ranked fighter. And apparently that’s all the WAMMA champ needs to do.

by Phildo on Jul 24, 2008 9:19 AM EDT up reply reply 0 recs

Are we really going to split hairs and argue about Fedor fighting Arlovski? As long as a champ is fighting someone reasonable, I’m happy.

by Mike Fagan on Jul 24, 2008 9:49 AM EDT up reply reply 0 recs

I have no problem with Fedor fighting AA.

I do have a problem with it being for the WAMMA belt if the UFC champs (not HW) can’t get WAMMA belts.

by Phildo on Jul 24, 2008 9:51 AM EDT up reply reply 0 recs

Do I personally care?

No. Is this what WAMMA said it was going to be doing? No. I’m just highlighting what appears to be inconsistencies in their story.

by Luke Thomas on Jul 24, 2008 9:53 AM EDT up reply reply 0 recs

WAMMA doesn’t even have any real bylaws, far as I can tell, so who can even tell if they have a one year period before a champ has to defend? . I would really like to see them try and force mandatory fights though. Let’s see them force the fights to purse bid and see what happens.

by D.Capitated on Jul 24, 2008 10:31 AM EDT up reply reply 1 recs

UFC 89 is scheduled for October 18th is it not.

http://tharealness.wordpress.com/

by Tha Realness on Jul 24, 2008 9:04 AM EDT reply reply 0 recs

Sorry. Yeah.

by Baudelaire on Jul 24, 2008 9:10 AM EDT up reply reply 0 recs

Dana's 1 2 punch?

I think this is the best fight they could have made. I don’t see where it leaves them to grow from there, but the best fight for sure. Yet I find myself wondering if this one a clever (or not so clever) attempt from Dana, sending his two best HW’s out to destroy the name of Fedor. It was mighty nice of Afflicition to clear up the Fedor is #1 in the world thing. I wonder in the end will it really be worth the 10 million their gonna lose.

by Tommy7 on Jul 24, 2008 9:42 AM EDT reply reply 0 recs

Well, fighters don’t have infinitely long contracts with anyone, so its likely that various name guys will enter the free market and they’ll pursue them. That is what they plan on using to bolster their ranks. In the meantime, there’s plenty of other fights they can put together I’d like to see. They might not include a couple midwestern white guys with bad tattoos in shitty pseudo boxing, but I’d be more than excited about Babalu/Noguiera.

by D.Capitated on Jul 24, 2008 10:42 AM EDT up reply reply 0 recs

I’m excited for this. I know Barnett – Fedor would probably be more significant…but I’m excited for this.

by goo on Jul 24, 2008 9:55 AM EDT reply reply 0 recs

UFC can and will counter

They will probably replay the August 9th fight.

by lovingmma25 on Jul 24, 2008 10:25 AM EDT reply reply 1 recs

That would be great

I’m leaving for Japan that day and will be flying during the event. If I can watch that event rather than download it I would do it rather than buying affliction again. Although if Affliction can come through with Little Nog v. Babalu and Barnett v. Rothwell on that card, I might be forced to buy another one.

Anyone else think that now, that it seems like the UFC may already have some sort of controlling interest in the IFL, and with EXC sketchy on Affliction, that they may only have 1 or two more cards before the talent pool starts dwindling?

by B Money on Jul 24, 2008 11:17 AM EDT up reply reply 0 recs

Hmm..

If they decided to air something it would probably be UFC 85…that would give madd exposure to Thiago Alves…with him fighting Sanchez on the UFC 90 card. As well as Werdum, Bisbing, and Luis Cane.

http://tharealness.wordpress.com/

by Tha Realness on Jul 24, 2008 11:32 AM EDT up reply reply 0 recs