Affliction Starts Hyping 'Banned' Show, Featuring Fedor Emelianenko vs. Tim Sylvia

A week ago I wrote that I thought American fans were likely to ignore the first Affliction mixed martial arts show. As Affliction tries to make sure that doesn't happen, they've released the first promotional video:

That video is a good sign: The production values are solid, they've spared no expense (the voice of Michael Buffer ain't cheap), and, most importantly, they're keeping the focus on the simple fact that they've got a great lineup of fighters.

Still, you have to wonder: Will it all add up to enough pay-per-view buys to make this show a success? Fedor Emelianenko vs. Tim Sylvia is a very good heavyweight fight, and Matt Lindland, Josh Barnett and Renato "Babalu" Sobral are all appealing names on the card. But it's not UFC. And so far, no MMA promotion other than UFC has succeeded in the United States.