Affliction exec insists Trilogy is just the beginning; press conference thursday
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While Affliction executives have been forced to answer questions regarding the financial stability of the company from the time of the promotion's inception, Affliction COO Michael Cohen recently insisted the company is doing just fine.
Cohen recently told AOL FanHouse that nor only does he expect the company's third event, "Trilogy," to turn a profit, but that he could "assure" a fourth, fifth and sixth event.
"Affliction: Trilogy," featuring a long-awaited clash between Fedor Emelianenko and Josh Barnett, takes place Aug. 1 at the Honda Center in Anaheim, Calif.
While Affliction's first two events have been star-studded affairs, the company's astronomical paydays have led many experts to predict demise for the organization.
January's "Day of Reckoning" awarded $3.3 million in paydays compared to just $1.4 million collected in ticket revenue. Likewise, the July 2008 event had an official purse of $3.3 million, while the live gat topped out at $2.1 million.
Cohen told AOL FanHouse the salaries for "Trilogy" would be less than those two events, and that he "absolutely" expects the show to be profitable.
Affliction Vice President Tom Atencio has remained steadfast in his commitment to put on three shows and then reevaluate his position at that time.
While Cohen's comments seem to indicate the organization is looking beyond the August event, Atencio recently indicated to MMAjunkie.com (
www.mmajunkie.com) that he was focused solely on the task at hand.
"Anybody that knows me knows that I just take it one fight at a time," Atencio said. "I'm honest. I try to give as much information out as I can without getting screwed.
"I'm learning. This is new to me. But the bottom line is that we're moving forward."
While Affliction quietly announced "Trilogy" by posting the event's poster on the company's official website. A more formal announcement will be made on Thursday, when Affliction hosts a press conference in Los Angeles.
