AXS TV Fights

AXS TV Fights
Starring Pat Miletich
Michael Schiavello
Production
Running time 150 minutes or until fight card ends
Broadcast
Original run 2007 – present
External links
Website

AXS TV Fights is the brand name of AXS TV's live mixed martial arts (MMA), Muay Thai and kickboxing broadcasts. Fight coverage is usually preceded by the live MMA-themed talk show Inside MMA.[1] Formerly known as HDNet Fights, the program's name was changed to AXS TV Fights in July 2012, following the network's rebrand from HDNet to AXS TV.[2] The current CEO is Andrew Simon.[3]

History

HDnet Fights logo used from 2007-2012.

Origins as HDNet Fights

HDNet Fights was founded in 2007 by billionaire entrepreneur Mark Cuban, owner and founder of HDNet, as a programming cornerstone to build the new network on. Cuban's goal was to present MMA in a manner more in line with other professional sports, while eliminating ancillary details such as ring card girls. Taking a hands-on approach in the business and promotion of MMA, Cuban became one of the sport’s most vocal defenders in his blogs and interviews.[4][5][6][7] HDNet Fights hosted its first self-promoted event on October 13, 2007, featuring a light-heavyweight main event contest between Erik Paulson and Jeff Ford.[8] The program’s second and final event, Reckless Abandon, was held two months later.[9] Realizing that the company’s strength did not lie in hosting fight cards, Cuban re-vamped the HDNet Fights concept, as HDNet began broadcasting live weekly events from other organizations, including many top regional fight promotions.[10]

After acquiring the rights to air Japanese Fighting and Entertainment Group's MMA promotion Dream in the United States for the first time ever, HDNet premiered a repeat of the Dream 1 event on May 2, 2008. A repeat of Dream 2 aired the following day, and Dream 3 aired live on May 11.[11] On February 6, 2009, HDNet announced they had reached an agreement with another Japanese MMA promotion, and competitor to Dream, World Victory Road. The promotion made its United States debut with a broadcast of its "Sengoku" events, opening with World Victory Road's first event of 2009 on March 20.[12]

Under the HDNet Fights banner, the network’s broadcast lineup included DREAM, Sengoku, K-1 and K-1 Max, Strikeforce, Adrenaline MMA, SportFight, Ring of Fire, Ring of Combat, M-1 Global, Ring of Honor, Maximum Fighting Championship, Affliction Entertainment, Urban Conflict Championship and the now-defunct IFL, among others.[12]

As AXS TV Fights

Since its regeneration as AXS TV Fights, the program has become a major fixture in AXS TV's Friday night programming line-up, with the network airing over 40 live events per year.[13] The AXS TV Fights broadcast lineup has featured events from promotions including BAMMA (USA),[14] Legacy Fighting Championship,[15] Lion Fight Muay Thai,[16] Maximum Fighting Championship,[17] Resurrection Fighting Alliance,[18] Titan Fighting Championships,[18] and Xtreme Fighting Championships.[19] In August 2014, the network announced a multi-year deal with CES MMA.[20] The following January, the network joined forces with Legacy Fighting Championship, airing the promotion’s first-ever kickboxing event on January 16, 2015.[21]

On March 14, 2014 AXS TV Fights aired the North American premiere of the Russian Hip Show: Arena Combat. A two-on-two, points-based fighting event on a padded obstacle course instead of a traditional ring or cage. The pilot episode was a two-hour "best of" special, featuring lightweight and middleweight tournaments from 2012.[22] English commentary was provided by Cyrus Fees and Casey Oxendine.

AXS TV Fights' presentation of LION FIGHT 16 on July 4, 2014 was the network's historic 250th fight broadcast.[23]

New Japan Pro Wrestling

In November 2014, AXS TV announced it had acquired the rights to re-broadcast a series of thirteen episodes of New Japan Pro Wrestling, originally produced by TV Asahi. The series premiered on Friday, January 16, 2015 and features play-by-play and color commentary by Mauro Ranallo and Josh Barnett.[24]

Fight Commentators

UFC Hall of Famer, and founder of Miletich Fighting Systems, Pat Miletich and award-winning sports journalist, writer, commentator and television personality "The Voice" Michael Schiavello provide live play-by-play commentary for AXS TV Fights' broadcast coverage.[25] Since 2010, Schiavello also conducts one-on-one interviews with combat sports stars on The Voice Versus, which airs intermittently in primetime.[26]

List of AXS TV Promotions

Current Promotions

AXS TV Fights currently broadcasts events from the following promotions:

Past Promotions

AXS TV Fights

AXS TV Fights has previously broadcast events from the following promotions:

HDNet Fights

Under the HDNet Fights banner, the network broadcast fights from the following promotions:

AXS TV Fight events

# Event Date Location
1 AXS TV Fights - RFA vs. Legacy Superfight 8 May 2015 United States

References

  1. ↑ "AXS TV's 'Inside MMA' Moves To New Friday-Night Time Slot". MMA Junkie. 2014-11-03. Retrieved 2015-02-06.
  2. ↑ "Ryan Seacrest Joins AEG, CAA to Relaunch Mark Cuban's HDNet". TheWrap. 2012-01-18. Retrieved 2014-04-17.
  3. ↑ "AXS TV Fights CEO Andrew Simon Apologizes to Ben Askren for 'Inside MMA' Fiasco". Bloody Elbow. 2014-09-07. Retrieved 2015-02-06.
  4. ↑ "Cuban sees bright future for MMA". ESPN/Sherdog. 2007. Retrieved 2008-04-10.
  5. ↑ "MARK CUBAN SETS HIS SIGHTS ON MMA". MMA Weekly. 2007. Retrieved 2008-04-10.
  6. ↑ "Mayweather mulling move to MMA in deal with Cuban". ESPN. 2007. Retrieved 2008-04-10.
  7. ↑ "This Guy Proves Anyone with a Keyboard can be Stupid". Blog Maverick. 2008. Retrieved 2008-04-10.
  8. ↑ "HDNet Fights Play-By-Play". Sherdog.com. 2007. Retrieved 2008-04-10.
  9. ↑ "Past HDNet Fights events". Retrieved 2009-02-07.
  10. ↑ "Mark Cuban and the future of MMA on AXS TV". USA Today. 2013-03-19. Retrieved 2014-04-18.
  11. ↑ "MARK CUBAN'S HDNET TO AIR JAPAN'S Dream". MMA Weekly. 2008-04-26. Retrieved 2014-04-18.
  12. ↑ 12.0 12.1 Mendoza, Ricardo (February 6, 2009). "HDNET REACHES DEAL TO AIR SENGOKU EVENTS". MMAWeekly.com. Retrieved 2009-02-07.
  13. ↑ "HOLLY HOLM CROWNED BANTAMWEIGHT CHAMPION AT 'AXS TV FIGHTS: LEGACY FIGHTING CHAMPIONSHIP 30'". Sherdog. 2014-04-10. Retrieved 2014-04-18.
  14. ↑ "BAMMA 12 finalized fight card and line up for 'Veach vs. Wallhead' on March 9 on AXS TV". MMA Mania. 2013-03-08. Retrieved 2014-04-18.
  15. ↑ "AXS TV Fights renews Legacy deal". SportsProMedia. 2013-11-18. Retrieved 2014-04-18.
  16. ↑ "AXS TV Fights Renews Broadcast TV Rights Deal with Lion Fight". AD Combat. 2014-01-24. Retrieved 2014-04-18.
  17. ↑ "MFC Signs Five Year Deal With HDNet". Bloody Elbow. 2011-07-26. Retrieved 2014-04-18.
  18. ↑ 18.0 18.1 "RFA acquires Titan Fighting, assumes AXS TV broadcast deal". MMA Fighting. 2012-10-15. Retrieved 2014-04-18.
  19. ↑ "XFC 27 results: Ribeiro outpoints Sharipov for featherweight belt". MMA Junkie. 2013-12-13.
  20. ↑ "AXS TV Announces Multi-Year Broadcast Deal With CES MMA". MMA Junkie. 2014-09-21. Retrieved 2015-02-02.
  21. ↑ "Legacy Kickboxing Will Debut On January 16th On AXS TV Featuring Cosmo Alexandre And Pat Barry". FirstStopFantasy. 2015-01-11. Retrieved 2015-02-02.
  22. ↑ "American Gladiators Meets MMA in 'Hip Show: Arena Combat' on AXS TV". Bleacher Report. 2014-03-13. Retrieved 2014-04-18.
  23. ↑ "AXS TV Fights set for historic 250th card with Lion Fight 16 in Las Vegas". MMA Junkie. 2014-06-09. Retrieved 2014-06-25.
  24. ↑ "New Japan Pro Wrestling is coming to American television". Sporting News. 2014-11-26. Retrieved 2015-02-23.
  25. ↑ "Observer Exclusive: AXS TV's Pat Miletich & Michael Schiavello". Wrestling Observer. 2014-03-09. Retrieved 2014-04-18.
  26. ↑ http://www.tv.com/shows/the-voice-versus/episodes/

External links