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Following the very successful debut of new Mixed Martial Arts venture Affliction, gamblers now have a new set of events to bet on.
"It's like getting a whole new league or sport," declares Payton O'Brien, Operations Manager for the Gambling911.com website, which monitored odds on Affliction Banned throughout the week. "Interest in this event based on traffic demonstrates just how popular Affliction and Adrenaline MMA (co-sponsor of Banned) will be."
Much of the interest generated from Affliction Banned centered on one single bout - Fedor Emelianenko vs. Tim Sylvia.
"Fedor (Emelianenko) will be the nucleus of the Affliction franchise," stated Tyrone Black, who covers MMA odds for Gambling911.
David Meltzer of Yahoo Sports writes:
The landscape of the mixed martial arts business may have changed Saturday night as the debuting Affliction promotion came out of its debut show with the potential for several of the biggest heavyweight marquee matches in the sport.
The myth of the quiet but unbeatable Russian, Fedor Emelianenko, turned into an undisputed reality as he destroyed former two-time UFC heavyweight champion Tim Sylvia in a scant 36 seconds in the main event at the Honda Center. Emelianenko, 28-1, who was the PRIDE heavyweight champion from 2003 until the company closed in 2007, became the first World Alliance of Mixed Martial arts heavyweight champion with the win.
"I was very pleased with my performance," said Emelianenko after the match. "Everything I wanted to do, I was able to do."
"I was prepared to stand up, but I knew I had a better chance to end it on the ground."
"I know I'm one of the best heavyweights in the world, and I was amazed at him," said Sylvia. "I really don't think that he's human."
Emelianenko laughed about the comment.
"I'm human," he said, noting his thumb came out of its socket during the flurry. "I thought I was the guy to beat him," said Sylvia. "But I've never been hit so hard. I think it was a choke across the windpipe because that hurts. But my pride's hurt, that's about it."
Even UFC President Dana White acknowledged Fedor's status as one of the greatest in the sports - though he stopped short of saying Fedor is the greatest.
""It (Fedor's win Saturday night) does change my opinion," he conceded. "Tim Sylvia was a real opponent."
White has been in a well-publicized dispute over Emelianenko's status as a "free agent", believing that the Russian is still under contract to fight with the UFC via its Pride acquisition.
White insists that Anderson Silva is still the best fighter in the MMA.
Affliction Banned was co-promoted by Affliction Clothing and Adrenaline MMA. For Adrenaline, this is their third fight card.
Fedor has expressed an interest in fighting Randy Couture once the later fighter can get out of his UFC contract entirely, which many expect will happen some time later this year. This is likely to become one of the most anticipated bouts in MMA history.
For the gambling public, bets were now being taken on Mixed Martial Arts fights all the way up to October 18.
Available at Bookmaker.com were odds on:
MFC-5 Hostile Takeover - July 25 - Joe Jordan vs. Ryan Ford
Elite XC - Unfinished Business - July 26
UFC 87 Seek and Destroy - August 9
UFC 88 Breakthrough - September 6
UFC 89 - United Kingdom - October 18 - a bout featuring Michael Bisping (-185) vs. Chris Leben (+155)
Bookmaker.com was offering a 20 percent signup bonus with any initial deposit.
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Christopher Costigan, Gambling911.com Publisher Ccostigan@CostiganMedia.com
Originally published July 20, 2008 6:41 pm EST
