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 Spike TV’s “Guy’s Choice” awards premiered on Sunday, June 22nd and the awards gala which featured such esteemed awards as “Hottest Eva” and “Most Unstoppable Jock,” gave Anderson Silva the award for the “Most Dangerous Man.” The event, which actually took place on May 30, saw the UFC middleweight champion beat out the only other nominee, well known Russian-heavyweight-boxer Wladimir Klitschko for the prize.
The broadcast timing of the show could not have come at a better time for the biggest MMA promotion on the planet, as Silva’s short notice upcoming UFC lightheavyweight debut against James Irvin on July 19 is less than a month away. Is it coincidence that aforementioned bout will take place on the same day and time as the Affliction “Banned” PPV? Not exactly. The ratings battle has obviously begun, with the ire of the UFC culminating in a free MMA show on Spike that will no doubt put a serious dent in Affliction’s final Pay-Per-View numbers.
Competing with the MMA juggernaut known as the UFC is a daunting task at the best of times, and this time is no different. Would you rather watch Emelianenko vs. Sylvia on PPV for $30+ dollars? Or watch Silva vs. Irvin for free on Spike TV? Free + the marketing muscle and brand recognition of the UFC = eyeballs on televisions. It was hard to imagine the Affliction event turning a profit, or even breaking even, before the Silva fight was even announced. It is going to be much harder now.
Commercials for the bout were featured prominently at the “Men’s Awards,” with several spots for the upcoming event proudly proclaiming Silva as “Pound for Pound” the best fighter in the world. This may actually be the case, but better competition for Silva in that very category, as well as the category for “Most Dangerous Man,” might have been better suited coming from of Russian heavyweight Fedor Emelianenko. I digress...
My guess is more eyes will see the Silva fight than the Emelianenko fight, so the battle for the eyeballs will probably go to Silva. Truth be told, the real winner is not the Brazilian superstar. It is the UFC. The real loser will not be Fedor, it will likely be Affliction.
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