Affliction is Dead

It seems there was no turning back or recovery for Affliction following Wednesday’s Josh Barnett fiasco. Unable to adequately patch up the holes in their venue, Affliction: Trilogy was canceled, and the entirety of Affliction as a promotion flatlined. Supposedly, there were rumors that they had talked with both Strikeforce and the UFC about possible mergers, even before recent events, but in any case, they’re majorly in the doghouse now. It’s official that Affliction will salvage what they can and re-enlist as a brand sponsor (i.e. stick to making clothes) for the UFC. This is somewhat ironic considering the less than friendly relationship Affliction and the UFC/Dana White have had with each other. Dana White practically called out their demise last year. Of course, Dana White likes to talk and present himself as an asshole, so it’s not surprising that he’d rejoice over fallen competition. But really, who else would you turn to when you’re struggling and the UFC is raking in the big bucks?

No one really knows what will happen to the fighters. They may be taken in to the UFC or left as free agents. There is also talk that some of the fights meant for Trilogy may be reworked for the M-1: Breakthrough event being held August 28th. I would like to see that considering Trilogy was a co-sponsored event between both Affliction and M-1. There is also the August 15th Strikeforce promotion that may stand to pick up some fights/fighters. But who knows? A lot is up in the air right now.

Of course, that does not mean we will see Fedor fight anytime soon. That’s a whole different ballgame it seems. Will he end up in the UFC? It wouldn’t surprise me if he did, but not under general circumstances. I can’t believe that he would sign himself away, but I think he’d like the exposure and opportunity to fight, just on his own terms. We’ll see what happens. Apparently Dana White and the UFC will have a press conference on the 31st that will answer a lot of questions and announce “a lot of crazy things.” I hope it’s interesting.

Even though I’m still massively disappointed, I very much enjoyed the two Affliction events they did hold, and I do understand they need to fold to try and salvage their business. I wish they had stuck around longer, but we have to thank them for bringing Fedor and others in to, or back in to, the spotlight here in the States. What ever happens, I’ll be looking forward to the future.