Bodog.com Charges into Mixed Martial Arts
(PRESS RELEASE) -- With a fierce cast of nearly two dozen American competitors, Bodog.TV has produced its first Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) television show, with filming slated to begin August 17, 2006, in Costa Rica. The debut episode of the action-packed weekly series BodogFight – in which Bodog.com's billionaire Founder and CEO Calvin Ayre sets out to find the toughest fighters in the world – airs September 12 on Men's Network, a Dish Network satellite channel, and online at Bodog.TV.
In an onslaught of head-to-head bouts, the field will be whittled down to the top seven. The elite modern-day warriors who survive the jungles of Central America will form the U.S. team that squares off against fighters from the Russian Red Devil Sports Club, home to some of the world's nastiest MMA competitors. The USA vs. Russia grudge match will take place in Los Angeles on November 4 and be broadcast live on pay-per-view.
The brainchild of billionaire digital entertainment mogul Calvin Ayre, the series documents Ayre's two special agents – rock phenomenon Bif Naked in the United States and her beautiful Russian counterpart Natalia Vilakova – in their search for the toughest, most ruthless Mixed Martial Arts athletes the two countries have to offer. Once selected by Ayre, the fighters travel to Costa Rica, where they will compete for the opportunity to be part of the American contingent that will advance to battle the world famous Russian Red Devil Team.
Each episode will focus on the lives of the athletes and discover the rich traditions, extreme personalities, grueling training regimens and riveting human dramas that make up the sport and culture of Mixed Martial Arts. As well, viewers will get a behind-the-scenes look at the secret training regimen of the elite Russian squad, which is led by world champion heavyweight Fedor Emelianenko.
"BodogFight is another example of how we are becoming a dominating force in mainstream digital entertainment," says Ayre, creator of a number of reality television series and Founder and CEO of Bodog.com Entertainment Group. "With the immense popularity surrounding MMA as a sport, hosting and producing our own world-class sporting event marks the next step in the evolution of our entertainment brand. BodogTV has evolved into an international TV production powerhouse."
Elimination battles, behind-the-scenes training, interviews with fighters, and lifestyle segments will compose seven of the weekly one-hour "BodogFight" episodes, with the recap finale leading into the USA versus Russia main event in L.A. Three massive superfights will determine the victorious side on that night.
For biographies of all the fighters, behind-the-scenes footage, and unedited interviews and confrontations, go to BodogFight.com. Once each of the eight episodes has aired on the Men's Network, it will be available online through Bodog.TV.