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The MMA Minute: Affliction Still Fighting For Its Future
By Ariel Helwani
March 19, 2009


Yesterday, Five Ounces of Pain reported that Affliction Entertainment was looking into staging their third event on July 11 – the same night as the much-anticipated UFC 100 pay-per-view.

Affliction COO Michael D. Cohen spoke exclusively to Versus.com today about whether the organization was in fact looking to go head-to-head with the UFC.

“Right now, nothing is signed,” Cohen said. “We are exploring several different dates including that July 11th date. There’s so much that has to go into deciding what date that third event is going to take place on.”

Cohen noted that Affliction has found a venue to stage their third show, but would not reveal its identity. He denied the rumor that Affliction is looking to stage one final event against the UFC before closing the chapter on its fight operations business.

“I don’t think we are ever looking to go up against the UFC or anyone for that matter,” Cohen said. “We are certainly not looking to share the viewers or the audience that is our there.

“We would like a date to ourselves because, at the end of the day, we want the greatest number of people to be watching.”

Cohen said that the second Affliction pay-per-view in January generated “somewhere in the neighborhood 200,000 pay-per-view buys.” If so, that would make “Affliction: Day of Reckoning” the highest-grossing non-UFC pay-per-view of all-time. Cohen used this as further proof that the organization’s days of promoting events are far from over.

“It’s absolutely untrue,” Cohen said when questioned about whether this summer’s third show would be Affliction’s last. “The Trump involvement has really elevated Trump’s Affliction to becoming a real contender in this sport. Trump’s Affliction Entertainment is going nowhere except to the top, and the company will continue throughout 2009 and well into 2010.

“It’s here. It’s here to stay.”

According to the Five Ounces of Pain report, several fighters were “approached by Affliction officials about the possibility of accepting restructured contracts in order to compete on the show.” While Cohen would not confirm nor deny this, he did say that the current state of the economy has forced the organization to spend its money as wisely as possible.

“You have to look to see what’s going on in the world right now,” Cohen said when asked about whether or not the organization’s fighters will be asked to take a pay cut.
“We want to be able to make the event affordable to the viewers, and those who are going to be in attendance. Obviously Affliction needs to make money in order to keep the engine going.”

July 11th may be a busy night for combat sports fans. Maxboxing.com is reporting that the HBO is looking to book a Floyd Mayweather Jr. or Bernard Hopkins boxing match on the same night.

SENGOKU SEVENTH BATTLE IS OFFICIAL
All twenty fighters scheduled to compete on Friday’s Sengoku Seventh Battle made weight today. Below is a look at the official lineup with my predictions in CAPS:

* Ryo Kawamura (204.6) vs. MUHAMMED LAWAL (204.2)
* HATSU HIOKI (143) vs. Chris Manuel (141.2)
* NAM PHAN (142.6) vs. Hideki Kadowaki (142.8)
* James Thompson (271.3) vs. JIM YORK (264)
* Michihiro Omigawa (142.6) vs. L.C. DAVIS (142.3)
* MARLON SANDRO (143) vs. Matt Jaggers (143)
* Kim Jong Man (142.6) vs. MASANORI KANEHARA (142.8)
* CHAN SUNG JUNG (142.8) vs. Shintaro Ishiwatar (143)
* RONNIE USHIWAKA (142.3) vs. Tetsuya Yamada (143)
* Seiya Kawahara (143) vs. NICK DENIS (142.6)

The first round of the promotion’s featherweight tournament highlights the event. The Lawal vs. Kawamura and Thompson vs. York fights are the only non-tournament bouts on the card. (Credit: MMA Junkie)

FIGHTIN’ WORDS
"You've been faking this for how long? Tell'em, let'em know. How long's it been since you trained hard? How long has it been since you squared up against someone who's going to hit you on the chin? And not pull a punch?"

 - Jason Guida doing his very best to hype his upcoming fight against Bobby Lashley at this Saturday’s “March Badness” pay-per-view. Be sure to check out the exchange between the two fighters at yesterday’s press conference that “forced” Roy Jones Jr. to split them apart. (Credit: Cage Writer)

FINAL SECONDS
* Good news, Vancouver MMA fans: Your city council will “debate” next week whether they should sanction the sport. (Credit: The Vancouver Sun)

* Speaking of regulation, Marcus Davis is fighting to get Maine on board with MMA. (Credit: The Seattle Times)

* Randy Couture and Tim Sylvia are about to face off again! (Credit: Xtreme Couture)

* A former Dallas high school principal forced troubled students to settle their differences in a bare-knuckle cage-fight. Wow. (Credit: Cage Potato) 

* And finally, a memorial service for Charles “Mask” Lewis Jr. has been set for April 14 in Garden Grove, Calif. (Credit: MMA Convert)