Affliction
- Founded
- 2008
- Founders
- Affliction Clothing (Tom Atencio, VP); Donald Trump was a shareholder
- Home base
- Los Angeles, California, USA
- Fate
- Folded July 24, 2009, after the Trilogy card collapsed.
Notable Eras
- Two pay-per-views in eleven months
Key Events
- Affliction: Banned (July 19, 2008, Anaheim): Fedor vs. Sylvia
- Affliction: Day of Reckoning (Jan 2009): Fedor vs. Arlovski
- Affliction: Trilogy (cancelled July 2009)
Legendary Champions
- Fedor Emelianenko (headliner)
The Full History
2008: Banned
The clothing brand Affliction launched its own promotion in 2008. Affliction: Banned (July 19, 2008, Anaheim) saw Fedor Emelianenko beat Tim Sylvia.
2009: Day of Reckoning
A second show in January 2009 featured Fedor vs. Andrei Arlovski.
July 2009: The Fold
Its third card, Affliction: Trilogy, was set for August 1, 2009 in Anaheim with Fedor vs. Josh Barnett. Barnett tested positive for an anabolic steroid and was denied a California license, and Affliction cancelled the show on July 24, 2009. The same day it left fight promotion and agreed to become a UFC sponsor again.
Why It Closed
A failed drug test and heavy losses. Its two shows were well received but lost heavily. Days before the third card, headliner Josh Barnett tested positive for an anabolic steroid and was denied a license by the California commission. With no suitable replacement to face Fedor Emelianenko, Affliction cancelled Trilogy on July 24, 2009, left fight promotion and went back to sponsoring the UFC.
Legacy
A brief, expensive bid to take on the UFC that showed how hard it is to win on star power alone.
