EliteXC/Affliction partnership needs to happen

By: Matt Bishop Posted: 09/30/08 6:33pm

When word came down last week that Affliction was loaning Andrei Arlovski and Roy Nelson to EliteXC for this weekend’s Saturday Night Fights broadcast on CBS, I was pretty excited.

While I love the UFC, we all know competition generally brings the best out of everybody. That is why, for the good of mixed martial arts, this partnership between Affliction and EliteXC has to be more than a one-time thing.

Both promotions have a great stable of fighters. Combined, this mega-promotion could give the UFC a run for its money.
Lately, EliteXC has been struggling for funding. Affliction, which lost a ton of money on its first show, has that, mainly due to the people who buy their $86 T-shirts and $222 blue jeans. EliteXC brings TV exposure on CBS, Showtime and FSN.

If this isn’t a match made in heaven, I don’t know what is.

Imagine the hilarity of Kimbo Slice fighting Fedor Emelianenko on CBS — I want this to happen just to see that. The sight of Fedor mauling Kimbo would be something to behold. That fight wouldn’t last a minute.

Then there’s fights like Robbie Lawler vs. Vitor Belfort, which could be contested for the EliteXC Middleweight Championship. That would be an explosive fight for certain.

Think of the possibility of Antonio Rogerio Nogueira against Tito Ortiz (assuming he could be signed).

There are a lot of possibilities here. I, for one, would like to see them played out.