Headed into the final week of preparation for its third live broadcast on CBS television this Saturday, the company was on the verge of becoming a running joke among hardcore MMA fans. Equally troubling, it was still struggling to even scratch the surface of mainstream viewership and as it neared the end of its original three-date deal with the TV broadcasting giant, EliteXC desperately needed to create some buzz.
Enter Affliction Entertainment and former UFC heavyweight champion Andrei Arlovski.
By inking an 11th hour deal with Affliction – another company competing for a share of the limited MMA marketplace – EliteXC added Arlovski to Saturday’s fight card, in a bout against former IFL heavyweight champion Roy Nelson. The move effectively breathed some life into what had to that point been a stagnant effort to promote the most important event in the company’s short history.
Suddenly, where before critics said there wasn’t much to like about EliteXC’s upcoming event, there is some real excitement building.
Arlovski, who is currently still under contact with Affliction, is a favorite among longtime fans and will be a natural fit for EliteXC’s bid to attract the coveted 18-to-35-year-old-male demographic. Fanged mouthpiece and all, the 29 year-old Belarusian is one of the most electrifying and color characters in the sport. His athletic stand-up style, distinctive for a heavyweight, will also play well on TV if he can use it to impose his will on the bigger, presumably slower Nelson.
The presence of Arlovski – coupled with what should be a good welterweight title fight when champ Jake Shields meets Paul Daley – even makes the scheduled Kimbo Slice vs. Ken Shamrock main event more palatable. Originally viewed as a cheap ratings grab and yet another easy fight for the former street brawler, it now seems a nice complement to Arlovski vs. Nelson.
What EliteXC needs most of all is an audience approaching or even exceeding the 4.8 million who tuned in for its debut show back on May 31. Now, casual fans who show up to see Slice pound the former WWE wrestler might also like what they see from Arlovski.
The fighter they call “The Pitball” may in fact turn out to be just as marketable as Slice himself. Only, the main difference between the two is Arlovski can actually fight against and beat the best guys in the world. On paper, he easily gets the early edge over Nelson in what amounts to a short-notice fight for both.
At 13-2, Nelson arrived in the IFL after splitting a pair of bouts in the forgettable Bodog Fight organization and most of his experience has come against lesser competition. He has notable wins over Fabiano Scherner and Brad Imes, but didn’t manage to capture the IFL belt until after Ben Rothwell left to pursue other opportunities.
Rothwell defeated Nelson by split decision in April of 2007, but most recently got outgunned by Arlovski during Affliction’s debut pay-per-view in July. Rothwell beat Nelson, Arlovski beat Rothwell. You get the picture.
Though officials from both companies have been quick to say this is one-off talent-sharing deal, the prospect of more cooperation between Affliction and EliteXC is also exciting. If either company is serious about competing with the UFC for control of the MMA market, they probably need each other.
Despite existing partnerships with smaller organizations like
In short, Affliction has the fighters and EliteXC has the platform. A relationship between the two could turn out to be good for the companies, fighters and fans alike. Lending Arlovski to EliteXC is a good start. Here’s hoping we see more cooperation in the future.
“EliteXC: Heat” airs Saturday night on CBS at 9 p.m., EST.
