AXS TV Fights To Celebrate Affliction: Banned This Coming Friday

Step into the ring with AXS TV this summer, as the Network looks back at the historic 2008 MMA event Affliction: Banned on Friday starting at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT, which is the 11-year anniversary to the day of the original broadcast. AXS TV Fights commentator Ron Kruck hosts the two-hour special featuring all the full fights from the main card including the main event: former Pride Heavyweight Champion Fedor Emelianenko vs. 2-time UFC Heavyweight Champion Tim Sylvia.

The groundbreaking event was the first to debut under the new Affliction promotion, an offshoot of the popular clothing brand of the same name. Affliction had the support of future President Donald J. Trump who spoke at the Affliction: Banned initial press conference at Trump Tower and who was also in attendance at the world-class matchup at the Honda Center in Anaheim, CA. The show boasted a star-studded lineup widely considered to be the greatest MMA card of all time. The roster featured 3 former UFC Heavyweight Champions and superstars of the sport such as Josh Barnett, Fedor Emelianenko, Tim Sylvia, Andrei Arlovski, and Ben Rothwell, and a historic payroll extending well over three million dollars.

“Affliction: Banned was truly a crossroads moment for MMA, as an up-start promotion with ties to the MMA subculture and future President of the United States assembled an unprecedented heavyweight fight card that has been described as one of the greatest of all time,” said Andrew Simon, AXS TV Fights CEO. “AXS TV Fights is proud to celebrate the enduring legacy and significance of this event with this anniversary special.”

“Affliction immediately came out swinging in 2008 and instantly changed the MMA landscape when they assembled some of the top HWs in the sport for their initial event, including arguably the greatest of all time Fedor Emelianenko,” said Kruck. “For AXS TV Fights to revisit this historic anniversary is going to be awesome for MMA fans who may have been at the show 11-years ago, bought the pay-per-view or may be watching the fights for the first time.”