“IFL BATTLEGROUND” PREVIEW SHOW AIRS WEDNESDAY NIGHT ON MYNETWORKTV; FSN WEEK THREE SWITCHES TO SPECIAL SATURDAY NIGHT AIRING FOR THE DEBUT OF DON FRYE’S SCORPIONS AGAINST THE REVAMPED TOKYO SABRES
Special Sneak Preview of “IFL Battleground” to be seen Wednesday night at 8 p.m. EST/PST, 7 p.m. CST, while FSN show three moves to Saturday Night at 11 p.m.
NEW YORK, March 7, 2007- The International Fight League (OTC.BB: IFLI), the world’s first team-based professional mixed martial arts league, will air two hours of original programming this week, as the league moves closer its full regular broadcast schedule next week. In all, 66 hours of original IFL programming are scheduled to run on FSN and MyNetworkTV, which together reach more than 95% of U.S. television households, the largest consistent audience ever for the sport.
First on Wednesday night, MyNetworkTV will air a special one hour preview of “IFL Battleground,” entitled “Countdown to Battleground,” at 8 p.m. ET/PT, 7 p.m. CT/MT. The show will give fans an inside look at the makeup of the weekly “IFL Battleground” show that will debut in its regular Monday night time slot this Monday, March 12, at the same time. The preview show will explain the IFL and MMA in general to the casual fan, while also giving a very strong inside look to some of the athletes and fights that have helped push the IFL into rising prominence in the sport.
The coverage will continue with a special Saturday night version of “The IFL on FSN,” at 11 p.m. This week’s matchup will see the debut of Don Frye’s Tucson Scorpions as they take on the new-look Tokyo Sabres. Key matchups will include the IFL debut of Tucson’s Chad Griggs taking on John Marsh, as well as the return to the ring of MMA veteran Vladimir “The Janitor” Matyushenko, an MMA veteran who has missed the last two years. Ken Yasuda’s team will also feature the debuts of two Los Angelenos, Antonio McKee and Savant Young. Start time for the show is 11 p.m. in most markets. The only exception will be on the West coast, where the show will remain in its Friday night spot. The March FSN schedule, with dates and times on each Regional FSN network, can be seen at http://www.ifl.tv/TV-Schedule.html. Viewers can also check their local schedule at http://msn.foxsports.com/tv/schedule.
The FSN schedule will follow the order of IFL events through early April. Then, the battle at Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Conn., between two of the league’s two top teams, the Pitbulls, coached by Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu master Renzo Gracie and based in New York, and the Wolfpack, coached by Olympic Silver Medalist Matt Lindland and based in Portland, Ore., will be shown on same-night delay at 11 p.m. on Friday, April 13.
The 22 hours of original programming scheduled on FSN this year represents nearly 70% more than the 13 hours shown in 2006, when the network aired three hours of coverage of the IFL Legends Championship in May and June and followed up with 10 hours of IFL World Team Championship action, September through December.
The remaining schedule of matchups on each FSN debut date is as follows through April:
March 16, Anacondas vs. Silverbacks (Houston, Feb. 2)March 23, Dragons vs. Wolfpack (Atlanta, Feb. 23)March 30, Pitbulls vs. Red Bears (Atlanta, Feb. 23)April 6, Condors vs. Sabres (Los Angeles, March 17)April 13, Wolfpack vs. Pitbulls (Uncasville, Conn., April 13 same day show)April 20, Anacondas vs. Razorclaws (Los Angeles, March 17)April 27, Dragons vs. Scorpions (Uncasville, April 13 show)
Each of the nine regular season IFL events will consist of four teams – each with an athlete in all five weight classes competing – along with a special Superfight, for a minimum of 11 bouts per card. The team that wins the best three of five match setup will be declared the team winner for the match, similar to collegiate and high school wrestling meets. The IFL also differs from other MMA organizations in that the bouts are held in an oversized five-rope boxing ring with three, four-minute rounds, each designed to create the most compelling in-arena experience for local fans.
Each of the 12 IFL teams for 2007 will compete in three regular season events; the teams with the top four overall win-loss team records will advance to the semi-finals, which will be held on Thursday, August 2, at Continental Airlines Arena in East Rutherford, N.J. The 2007 IFL Finals will then be held at The Forum in Los Angeles on Saturday, September 15.
About the IFL
International Fight League™ (IFL) is the world’s first professional mixed martial arts sports league. IFL has its headquarters in New York, NY and offices in Las Vegas, NV. For more information about IFL, please see: www.ifl.tv.
Forward-Looking Statements: This release contains forward-looking statements pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of the Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, which are subject to various risks and IFL’s management’s expectations, hopes, beliefs, intentions or strategies regarding the future financial condition, and results of operations. There can be no assurance that future developments actually affecting IFL will be those anticipated.
Important factors that could cause actual results to differ (favorably or unfavorably) from the expectations stated in this release include the risks and uncertainties such as the conditions of the markets for live events, broadcast television, cable television, pay-per-view, Internet, entertainment, professional sports, and licensed merchandise; acceptance of the Company’s brands, media and merchandise within those markets; uncertainties relating to litigation; risks associated with producing live events; uncertainties associated with international markets; risks relating to maintaining and renewing key agreements, including television distribution agreements; effects of competition, including locations of competitors and operating and market competition.. Should one or more of these risks or uncertainties materialize, or should any of the Company’s assumptions prove incorrect, actual results may vary in material respects from those projected in these forward-looking statements.
IFL undertakes no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as may be required under applicable securities laws. This press release may include the opinions of IFL and does not necessarily include the views of any other person or entity.
The names of all International Fight League, Inc. televised and live programming, teams, images, and logos are trademarks, which are the exclusive property of International Fight League, Inc. All other trademarks and tradenames mentioned in this release are the property of their respective owners, and are not affiliated with IFL in any way.
— IFL —