Will Affliction 3 Actually Go Up Against UFC 100?

Responding to recent rumors that have surfaced online, Affliction vice-president Tom Atencio confirmed that a July 11th date for the promotion is a possibility.

Why is July 11th significant?

This is the same day that UFC 100 will be held.

Plans are apparently in the works to show the third Affliction event for free on a "non-premium" cable television station such as Fox Sports Net or HD Net.

The event would apparently feature both Fedor Emelianenko and Josh Barnett (though they wouldn't be fighting one another for some reason), as well as Tim Sylvia vs Paul Buentello. These are just rumors of course, but this is what has been making the rounds online over the past couple of weeks.

Sources indicate that the promotion would ask their fighters to take a pay cut in order to pull off the event.

Now, airing a show for free on TV is certainly not a bad idea. It is a great chance to draw in some new fans who perhaps wouldn't have shelled out the $50 to buy an Affliction PPV.

However - why on earth would you want to show this on the same night as UFC 100? I don't get it.

UFC 100 is going to feature two of the biggest names in the sport right now - Brock Lesnar and Georges St. Pierre.

If the plan is to capture some of the casual MMA fanbase, then you are absolutely choosing the wrong night to do it.

The casual fan is going to be at the bar or home with their buddies watching UFC 100 - they aren't going to be foregoing that event to "give Affliction a shot".

The hardcore MMA fanbase will record the Affliction event and watch it after the UFC PPV has finished airing - these are people who will buy any Affliction or UFC PPV event anyways.

I know where Affliction is going with this - they want to give a one-fingered salute to the UFC, because the UFC is always counter-programming Affliction PPV events.

However, this move would backfire and explode in the faces of the Affliction promotion, and such a move would be ill-advised.

Affliction needs to worry about cultivating their fanbase and improving on what was a strong second show for the company. They have a marketable champion and a roster of fighters that are capable of putting on a very good show.

Instead of going head to head with the UFC, Affliction needs to swallow their pride and air a free show on a different weekend.

Going head-to-head with UFC 100, in my opinion, would be suicidal for Affliction.

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