Bodog Inks Sponsorship Pact With Strikeforce
September 18, 2006; New York, NY….BodogFIGHT, the new docu-reality television series being launched by online wagering powerhouse, Bodog.com, will be the official Presenting Sponsor for “Tank vs. Buentello,” the 10-bout Strikeforce mixed martial arts cage fighting mega-card that will take place at Fresno, California’s Save Mart Center on Saturday, October 7th.
“Being a leader in digital entertainment, Bodog is laying the foundation to capitalize on the phenomenal growth of mixed martial arts and its growing acceptance as a mainstream spectator sport,” said Bodog.com Entertainment Group Founder, Calvin Ayre, of Bodog’s latest venture that will premiere tomorrow on Men’s Outdoor and Recreation, a television network carried in over 23 million homes, as well as on DISH Network and on BodogFIGHT’s official website, www.bodogfight.com. “Our sponsorship of the Strikeforce event on October 7th represents yet another strategic push into this industry. The successes of the ground-breaking BodogFIGHT docu-reality series and partnerships in upcoming venues will only solidify Bodog.com’s position as an international TV production powerhouse.”
As part of the marketing partnership between Strikeforce and BodogFIGHT, the sponsoring company will bring between 20 and 30 Bodog models to entertain the crowd during what will be the first mixed martial arts fight card in Save Mart Center history.
An eight-week series, BodogFIGHT will follow a squad of seven American professional mixed martial arts fighters as well as their Russian counterparts as the two groups prepare to face one another in team format competition. Elimination contests, behind-the-scenes training footage, fighter interviews, and lifestyle segments will comprise seven of the eight one-hour episodes. The season finale will feature a collection of highlights from the first seven shows.
American rock star Bif Naked and Russian rocker Natalya Vilkova will co-host select segments of each episode.
Bodog.com, located in San Jose, Costa Rica, is federally licensed by the Costa Rican and UK governments. Ayre, recognized as a world authority on branding in digital entertainment, was featured on the cover of Forbes magazine’s recent best-selling “Billionaires” issue. In March 2006, Bodog.com was ranked number one for most visited North American style wagering site, according to Hitwise.
The international Bodog.com Marketing Conference, held in Las Vegas for the past two years, attracts the leaders of the online gaming industry for educational and networking opportunities. Bodog also has a thriving online community, which includes history-making World Series of Poker Main Event champion, Jamie Gold.
Bodog.com Entertainment Group includes a music label, Bodog Music; an online magazine, Bodog Nation; a television production unit and additional forthcoming properties.
Tickets for the October 7th Strikeforce event are on sale at Ticketmaster (559-485-TIXS) and Ticketmaster online (www.ticketmaster.com) as well as at the Save Mart Center box office and at select Save Mart supermarkets. Tickets are priced at $201.75, $151.75, $101.75, $76.75, $51.75, and $31.75.
The Strikeforce extravaganza will be headlined by a showdown between former Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) heavyweight knockout artists, David “Tank” Abbott and Paul “The Headhunter” Buentello. Lightweight stars Josh “The Punk” Thomson and Duane “Bang” Ludwig will battle one another while Wesley “Cabbage” Correira will square off with Ruben “Warpath” Villareal in a heavyweight contest.
Bobby Southworth, a veteran of the premiere season of Spike TV’s The Ultimate Fighter, will face off with Anthony “A-Train” Ruiz. Jason “Live Wire” Von Flue, a veteran of the second season of the Spike reality series, will do battle with undefeated prospect, Eric Wray.
All bouts on the card are subject to approval by the California State Athletic Commission.
The Save Mart Center is home to the Fresno State University men’s and women’s basketball teams as well as minor league hockey squad, The Fresno Falcons.
Strikeforce is a world-class mixed martial arts cage fight promotion that, on Friday, March 10th, made history with its “Shamrock vs. Gracie” event, the first sanctioned mixed martial arts fight card in California state history. The star-studded extravaganza, which pitted legendary champion Frank Shamrock against Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt Cesar Gracie at San Jose’s HP Pavilion, played host to 18,265 fans, the largest-ever attendance at a mixed martial arts fight card held in North America.