'Fighting Fedor' partnership between M-1, Affliction and Trump made official

by Mike Trask on Oct 17, 2008 10:44 PM EDT Comment 31 comments

fedor affliction press conference
Affliction is taking a page from the UFC playbook. The company plans to begin filming a reality television show featuring a MMA tournament.

Sound familiar?

UFC has been doing it since 2005, with The Ultimate Fighter now in its eighth season.

Affliction, along with M-1 Global and Donald Trump, officially announced yesterday that it plans to be begin filming a series called "Fighting Fedor." It does not have a television outlet ... yet.

For those who may have missed our earlier announcements, the Affliction show will focus on a 16-man heavyweight tournament with the winner getting a match against Fedor Emelianenko, making it perhaps the first tournament in MMA history that nobody wants to "win."

"I don't know who is going to make it through, but whoever it is will be incredible," Trump said. "The show will be spectacular, unique, and is going to be a special event. It will be taped in St. Petersburg, Russia. I'm going to be there, but I don't want to compete on the show."

Affliction and Trump hope to draw fighters from across the globe.

The announcement comes weeks after the UFC announced it will film The Ultimate Fighter 9 with a "U.S. vs U.K." theme.

That season will feature TUF 3 winner Michael Bisping. Emelianenko headlined the first Affliction card, winning with a submission of former UFC champion Tim Sylvia in 36 seconds.

The 32-year-old Russian will next face Andrei Arlovski at Affliction "Day of Reckoning" on January 24 in Anaheim, Calif.

"What Fedor means to Affliction is what Michael Jordan was to the Chicago Bulls and the NBA, what Mike Tyson was to boxing, and what Tiger Woods is to golf," said Michael Cohen, COO of Affliction Entertainment Group. "Through his abilities, Affliction Entertainment intends to attract more fighters to the sport that represents the highest standards of athleticism."

Stay tuned to MMAmania.com for more details on "Fighting Fedor."

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Comments

the talent pool for this show had better be off the hook. training to fight another castmember is one thing. Fedor is a different kind of beast.

by Fidel Cashflow on Oct 17, 2008 10:53 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Emelianenko!!! the last emperor!!! best fighter there ever was or will be!!!

by brendan on Oct 17, 2008 11:17 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

There is a vast difference b/t Fedor and Big Nog. There is an even bigger one between Big Nog and everyone else. This show will prove to be dumber than Junie.

by NameNotRequired on Oct 17, 2008 11:38 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

I agree whoever wins will get smashed by Fedor, but who wouldn’t??

Either way I get to see my favourite fighter whoop some more ass which is always a good thing.

It will be interesting to see who they get applying and if there are any ‘big’ names.

by Ca$z on Oct 18, 2008 8:35 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

talk about putting all your eggs in one basket… I mean, at least its around an amazing fighter (not a Kimbo), but its still risky. I just get the feeling that if anything happens to Fedor, Affliction is doomed.

I mean, he probably wont, but what happens if he does lose to Arlovski?

by chris on Oct 18, 2008 9:41 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

They build up a great rematch this summer…AA vs Fedor is such a great fight and AA can def win but AA looks so helpless going backwards and on the ground…I think Fedor is going to have a field day against him. I will say this Affliction has gain my respect Big Tim and now AA is def top competition…Elite should take note.

by Robert on Oct 18, 2008 10:17 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

This is stupid. The only ones that stand even a remote chance of beating Fedor are already fighting in the UFC or Affliction. Whoever wins this tournament is in for a quick beatdown. I would be much more interested if the tournament was Fedor vs all of them, one at a time.

by c-war on Oct 18, 2008 11:04 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

kharitonov, overeem, cro cop are all in dream… jerome lebanner… not that i think any of these guys are better than 4 to 1 underdogs but still, they are good fighters

by brendan on Oct 18, 2008 1:50 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Zzzzzzzzzzzz….. Trump is such a tool.

by Muscle Dolphin on Oct 17, 2008 10:57 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Taped in St. Petersburg – sound like a Bodog event.

by Muscle Dolphin on Oct 17, 2008 10:58 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

story of fedors life fight whatever cans for money :) wont lie though id do it to and noone commenting on this can say they wouldnt

by randy murders on Oct 17, 2008 11:19 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

I think its gonna be great!!! Any MMA Entertainment is an A+ in my books.

by spiderman on Oct 17, 2008 11:24 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Hell’’’ I’ll watch it… better be damn’ entertaining!!

by THORAZINE on Oct 18, 2008 12:01 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Definitely this is a show that the winner is gonna be sad to be well, the winner LOL! Unlike GSP who was still establishing himself and ‘the sky was the limit’ Fedor already is the sky in fact the moon ROFL! Thats the difference btw for those who want to bring up the Matt sera shit.

by Khaos_Warrior on Oct 17, 2008 11:26 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

m-1 reminds me of bodog. I was watching m-1 today and they were fighting right by the water. barely anyone was watching. there was nowhere to sit. some were watching from boats. it was weird.

by J.Vorhees on Oct 17, 2008 11:30 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

If you think your #1 STEP UP!!!!!!!

ps.

we need to get randy on the show

by suck my nutz on Oct 17, 2008 11:44 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

im drunk enough to do it but i weighed 154.4 lastnight exactly.. may be a problem but ill do it who cares you gotta buy the beer afterwards..

if you dont believe me im that small ill post a pic or find me in manias myspace friends =]

by randy murders on Oct 18, 2008 12:31 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

That Michael Cohen is one funny guy, lol at the statement he made about Fedor..

by RoB on Oct 17, 2008 11:56 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Sigh I’ll watch, it better be good though. I don’t think whoever wins this is going to get anywhere, but the more MMA the better.

by DSmith on Oct 17, 2008 11:59 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

This is a sorry ass copy of rocky/ultimate fighter!! Are they serious? There is no way in hell any sort of competition is going to be able to compete with fedor coming off a show like this, instantly!! We have seen how long it has taken the likes of evans/griffin/leben etc to find a strong footing in the world of ufc, imagine griffin after TUF1 being fed to the ICEMAN, its sick!!!!!!

by mo on Oct 18, 2008 12:08 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs

I won’t be surprised to see veterans on the show and not unheard ofs.

Otherwise yeah it’ll blow seeing Fedor mmarape some newbie.

by Ognitinoc on Oct 18, 2008 12:32 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

lol how boring will this be another stupid ass reality show fedor needs to stop ducking competition and actually start fight more than once a year he is becoming a joke

by LG on Oct 18, 2008 12:20 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs

How bad can it be? Surely not “The Iron Ring” bad. I’m curious who all will be on the show.

by Ognitinoc on Oct 18, 2008 12:29 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs

kimbo slice,seth petruzelli,tank abbott,ricco rodriguez,and james thompson

by randy murders on Oct 18, 2008 12:37 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

I was getting tired of TUF but I’ll definitely watch this.

by Kas on Oct 18, 2008 12:42 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs

What a stupid idea for show.

by DirtyML on Oct 18, 2008 1:49 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Go eat a twinkie, Fedor.

by peacen'luvdon'tpushnshove on Oct 18, 2008 2:43 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs

TUF is the same old crap. I can barley watch this season. 8 Seasons in 3 years. I mean give it a little break. M1 will, hopefully, be awesome. Im looking forward to the show.

by fast--freddie on Oct 18, 2008 7:39 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs

In their defense, after Fedor beats AA and Barnett (if he quits ducking him) he imo would have put away more top tier names than anyone else (Nog 2ce, Cro Cop, Sylvia, Arlovski, Barnett) that isn’t named GSP. After this list, he doesn’t have anything to prove.

by Bill Maher on Oct 18, 2008 9:50 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Incredible: Another way to hype Fedor fighting no-names (or at least a fighter nowhere near his caliber)…great. With the excetion of Sylvia and AA, isn’t this what we’ve had the last several years? Now we get to stretch it out over an entire television season.

by Kmac on Oct 18, 2008 10:29 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs

I believe that fedor will win against AA, but yea if fedor ever loses i wonder if they will make that person the bread and butter, or they will label it as history which will be cus i think he will retire undefeated

by mma on Oct 20, 2008 2:38 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs