“Our plan is to do three events, and if we’re successful with those, then we’ll continue and go from there. I’m in business to make money, not lose money. We’ll see how it goes.”
– Affliction Vice President Tom Atencio tells the Chicago Sun-Times that his upstart promotion could call it quit after three shows if the profits aren’t living up to expectations. It took the UFC — the top organization in the business — several years to begin making money. In addition, other promotions such as Elite XC and the IFL, which have been around much longer than Affliction, have yet to turn profits. There is literally a lot riding on the “Banned” debut tomorrow and the next to shows if Atencio sticks to his guns.
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Well hopefully enough fans pay for those three events, or it will be good while it lasted.
bump-bump-bump… another one bites the dust… UFC buries it’s compitition… Fedor will give in
The money making machine has rolled once again…i wonder how far this one rolls. Let’s just hope it’s at least 3 Afflictions that we’re gonna see. If not, i guess us mma fans are gonna feel “afflicted” due to the fact that we’re gonna get less in the future…Tsk!
I’ve been saying from day one that Affliction would stuggle to survive. There must be paying $6-7mill + bonuses for tonights fights, whereas UFC normally pay $1-2mill.
bAD NEWS!!! Even more of a reason to purchase afflict9ion TONIGHT!
How is that more of a reason to buy Affliction? They cant pay fighters properly and reasonably, havnt done enough promotion (we think) and are useless as an MMA production (we think). So why should I buy an event which has only one sided fights or relativly unknown fighters in comparison to the UFC?
Unknown fighters? Its stacked with former UFC and Pride champions:
Arlovski (UFC champ)
Sylvia (UFC Champ)
Barnett (UFC champ)
Rothwel (IFL champ)
Babalu (UFC top contender at 1 point)
Vitor (UFC champ)
Rogerio Nogueira (twin brother of UFC champ)
Fedor (PRIDE champion, undefeated and top 1 or 2 fighters in the world)
Pedro Rizzo (UFC legend)
Lindland (Former UFC fighter andf top 5 middleweight)
Dewees/whitehead (TUF rejects)
Buentello (Former UFC fighter/strikeforce champ, who fought for the UFC HW title)
Last I checked they sold out the arena! They definetly have a shot at lasting more than 3 events, especially if they land trhe big fight between Fedor vs. Couture!
Dont watch the event, but trust me we are going to see some great fights out of Affliction tonight!
Unless you cant afford it (which is understandable), I dont see how anyone that isnt hype to see these fights can call themselves a fan of mma, more like a fan of the UFC, but all true fans of mma will be watching Affliction at some point this weekend! FACT!
You state it yourself. “TUF rejects”, “former” UFC fighters. Fedor, Tim, Andre…. OK. Rothwell who? Lil Nog is the twin brother of the UFC champ? No shit?! Now I HAVE to buy Affliction for sure! Barnett, where has he been for the last two years? Nearly everyone, wait, no, EVERYONE on that list is past their prime. Some by a good few years (Vitor, Rizzo, Buentello, Lindland)If you want to watch fighters who are passed their best, watch Affliction. If you want to watch the next generation (Velasquez) AND this generation (Anderson Silva, Brandon Vera) of MMA stars, watch UFC.
For me, it is an easy choice.
I’m with Adam
just cause they’re not in the ufc doesn’t mean they’re washed up. last i checked the ufc had some washed up fighters like evan tanner and matt hughes, just to name a few. vitor belfort past his prime? are u serious, the guy is 30 yrs. old. i’d say he’s just getting in his prime, lol, he dominated ufc competition at 22-23 yrs. old. fedor, tim and andre could EASILY beat the ufc’s top 3 heavyweights, not to even mention adding barnett to that group.
fedor vs. ufc #1 hw (nog) hmm… wonder who would win that
barnett vs. ufc #2 hw (mir)
andre vs. ufc #3 hw (werdum)
tim vs. ufc #4 hw (herring)
ufc goes 0-4
Fedor, Tim and Andre EASILY beat the UFC top 3? O dear. Can you not remember what happened at an event called UFC 81? Nog defeated Sylvia. Andre has looked boring recently. Fedor is untested recently. I think Fedor would probably beat Nog again, but I dont know if Fedor has ring-rust, which he probably has.
Belfort is not past his prime? O….k… where have you been since 2004? Last 9 fights he has gone 4-5. Last 9 fights = Losses to Couture, Ortiz, Overeem (x2) and Henderon. Wins over Ivan Serati, James Zikic, Antony Rea and Takahasi… excuse me for asking, but who the hell are they?!! Since 2002, 6 years ago, Belfort’s only porper win against a half-decent opponent was over Marvin Eastman. Wow, Belfort is on fire recently, dont you think?
Sure, Buentello and Rizzo are no in the UFC, does this mean that they are not washed up? No. Being in the UFC or not makes no difference over whether or not you are washed up. Affliction = one sided beat downs and washed up fighters. Sounds like fun (not).
I’ve been saying it for a while. Its pretty obvious.
I think they’ll be out in one.
i agree trump wont take the loss and if this guy wont either affliction is going away.. the only company rivaling the ufc with good cards consistantly is the WEC and they’re owned by zuffa HAHAHA
affliction wont make money marketing fedor in america noone here really knows who he is,i think there card shoulda been held in japan they woulda made out ok money wise
See ya later Affliction, still like your shirts though…
Yeah, when the vice president of the company talks about losing money and quitting a couple of days before his first event, it really doesn’t leave you feeling too secure about future events. On top of that, the fighters that they sponsor are not allowed to wear any of their clothing to an event held by anyone else. They may forget about mma entirely.
Well they said there making a lot from tickets and if they put other good events on like this they surely will stay and do more! there much better then cage rage elite xc. there build up footage has been very good and advertising too.
Tony: Cage rages wage bill is probably $250k per event so it should be easy for them to cover costs, however they still have big money problems.
Affliction do not have the PPV’s sales, sponsorship, dolls, video games, dvds etc…that makes all the money for the ufc.
Nobody will ever make money from simply running MMA events – no mater how good the event is.
I can’t he said that. Dana White is the best thing to happen to MMA. He does it for the love of it first money second. I believe he said that the UFC was 46 mil in debt before they started to make a profit. So maybe we can at least get Fedor to fight one more top ten guy.
The UFC is financed by Billionaire casino owners. Dana is only the corporate face.
the fertitta brothers are middle class folk compared to donald trump
Maybe Zuffa can buy Affliction.
would be sweet but they’d renegotiate fedors contract.. i dont give a sh!t who you are 800k per fight is outrageous it isn’t as bad as most decent boxers but c’mon fight to fight not for money
Yeah, if Fedor thinks for a second anyone else would be willing to pay 800 grand for a single fight, he really is a crazy russian.
Fedor isn’t in it for the money, Dana said before that it was his management that was so money hungry. Durring negortiations, it was like dealing with children. They only wanted a boat load of money for themselves. Of course there’s also more to it, like Fedor wanting to compete in Sambo every year still.
Either way, I like how theyve started. If they end up dropping it at the end of the year, I can still respect the work they put in to give us some match ups fans wanted.
Maybe Dana will sign Fedor to the next season of TUF. Who better to get drunk on Vodka shots and trash a really nice house than a Bald Russian with sweet submission skills?
damn dude that would be a badass idea.
the coaches could be like him and lesnar and they fight either on the finale or a ppv for #1 contender status.
that wont happen but it would be sick and i for one would order the pv twice to show my appriciation..(j/k)
If the first event is a financial disaster, I doubt there will be a #2
Also, the strength of the promotion hangs on the reputation of Fedor. Although they have many of the top heavyweights, if Fedor loses they will lose the luster of their Poster Boy
Anybody else go to the weigh ins today? I called a friend of the family while I was there and got hooked up with 2 amazing tickets. I am f$%^ing excited! I felt kind of bad because Ben Rothwell’s mom and dad sat directly behind me. He got some pitty claps, but oh well Arlovski is one of my favorite fighters. Everyone went crazy for Fedor, Arolovski, Babulu, & Belfort.
Fedor isn’t very smart, going for too much money too quickly. If he just signed for really decent money that wouldn’t put an organization at risk, let them build up their organization as he builds his own reputation, it would be better for everyone in the long run. Once the organization is strong, and it’s based on his reputation, he can command more money and have more security. As it is in a couple of months he’s going to have lots of money and no job or future significant accomplishments. He’s not worth what he’s asking, he only thinks he is.
Chuck isn’t worth 500k per fight because of his talent and record. He’s worth that because he draws people in and people get excited about watching him fight. Same with Rampage and Couture etc. Their talent is just one of the factors. Fedor only has the one factor (Talent) and while it’s important, it’s not enough to lay claim on the highest amount of money. He needs a reputation and charisma and a following that shows he’s worth the investment.
Exactly how many organizations have Fedor killed so far. Take money with less up front money and more perks like % of buys or something like that
BYE, Affliction. you guys were just too late to the party. I’m willing to bet that every show these guys put out, the UFC will put one out as well.
seriously, just THREE shows??? what kind of VISION is that? these guys should AT LEAST be thinking TWO years!
anyway, if that happens i sure as heck wont be complaining. i hope all Affliction’s fighters go to the UFC.
Most of Afflictions fighters were from the UFC….
I’ve been saying it for awhile now that Affliction will not last. I just don’t see how another org will ever compete with the UFC in the states, Even Pride, a well respected org that had already been around for years failed when they tried to put on shows here. The majority of the very casual fans don’t even call it MMA, they know the sport as “Ultimate Fighting”.
i surely think it will take more than 3 shows to determine its sucess or not! that doesnt even sound logical!
No doubt! What kind of leader talks about quitting before the first event? That’s right a loser does. Way to inspire the organization that works for you to work hard too!
I think it is more of a realistic loss to profit budget they are working with. I think they know they will take a hit on the first card. If it is a good show and the buzz is high on their brand, then they might be able to turn profits on the 2nd and 3rd. If this is the case they can look at the situation, try to pull investors and sponsors like Mickeys lol. UFC has moved up the beer chain to Budweiser so even Miller may be a good approach.
Now Dana know exactly how many counter events he’s going to have to schedule against Affliction.
knows*
is this web site controlled by the ufc or ufc supporters??? just wandering because i tried to make a comment about the fertitta brothers money compared to donald trumps money and it didnt post. sorry if i offended someone by just simply stating facts
Actually about 4 months ago, Mania did this dandy thing where when somebody is replying to a comment it nests below the comment it replied to. So if you’d please scroll up the thread, you can read some simply stated facts about billionaires. It’s a good read, enjoy!
If Fedor wins tonight and they do land Randy to fight him, The natural is going to get beat. In a ring Fedor has the advantage, in a cage I would give to Randy. If Randy does fight Fedor, he better try and push to fight in a cage.
They’re on the right track here and, damn, I hope they’re well off financially. Otherwise we might end up once again with that prick Dana stealing the show and running his petty little monopoly bullying both fighters and fans.
damnit. i was supposed to be getting this card tonight, but my buddy who was gonna go half with me and host the party at his house seems to have flaked out on me. grrrr
What needs to be realized is that when there is competition for the UFC the fans win! I love the UFC but having other games in town means the UFC will have to step their game up in many ways and there is no longer a monopoly on the worlds best fighters. So what if Affliction tanks? It will not mean the end of competition for the UFC. Judging from Trump making himself ever-present at the Affliction Event, I dont think that they are going anywhere. There is a lot of money to be made in MMA and guys with super-deep pockets are seeing that now (CBS, Trump, Etc.) This means that the fighters will have a choice to sign with the UFC or other organizations if they want and Dana White loses a lot of his leverage when it comes to renegotiating with fighters, I dont know about you guys but I am tired of good fighters not fighting because they had a falling out with Dana White. Everybody views it like its the UFC vs. Affliction/Elite-XC or whoever and the UFC will kick their ass….thats stupid. The UFC is the best estasblished, most entertaining and has the best fighters (for now) but the wind blows in many directions. Elite-XC is kinda corny right now but what you have to realize is that it is on a huge nationwide network and that equals SPONSORS, SPONSORS and MORE SPONSORS! Huge sponsors that want to sell their products to that ever so large 18-40 year old male demographic. This dictates that the UFC will no longer maintain its stranglehold on MMA, pun intended.