LOS ANGELES (Reuters) – Triad Fight, a brand new sport that mixes the foundations of boxing and blended martial arts (MMA), will maintain its inaugural bouts on Nov. 27 at Globe Life Discipline in Arlington, Texas, media platform Triller Struggle Membership mentioned on Thursday.
The primary pay-per-view bouts within the triangle-shaped ring will characteristic two-time UFC heavyweight world champion Frank Mir, two-time boxing heavyweight world title challenger Kubrat “The Cobra” Pulev, and former UFC mainstay “Platinum” Mike Perry.
Laborious rock band Metallica will carry out on the occasion, which shall be broadcast on streaming platform FITE and be obtainable by cable suppliers.
Though the fights are one-on-one, the game will divide the fighters into groups of boxers and MMA fighters to find out which sport’s athletes have the superior abilities.
Not like in MMA, kicking and grappling on the mat will not be permitted, however fighters can clinch one another and proceed to trade blows whereas doing so. In boxing, the referee separates fighters who’re holding on to one another.
Triller Struggle Membership co-founder Ryan Kavanaugh instructed Reuters that the game is designed to enchantment to a youthful era that views boxing and MMA, which is intently related to the Final Combating Championship (UFC), as outdated.
“UFC is an outdated sport now,” mentioned Kavanaugh, whose Triller Struggle Membership was behind the Mike Tyson v Roy Jones Jr. exhibition boxing match final yr.
“The youngsters aren’t watching it. The UFC is not giving the 18 to 27 yr olds what they need to see. So we’re hopefully bringing one thing ahead that they do need to see.
“It is extra thrilling, it is faster-paced and higher trying. It is shot like a film or a online game, and it is surrounded by tradition,” mentioned Kavanaugh, who beforehand owned Hollywood film studio Relativity Media.
Nigel Lythgoe, who produced hit TV exhibits American Idol and So You Assume You Can Dance, has signed on to provide Triad Fight and instructed Reuters that music shall be a key element of the packages.
“I need to put music in between the bouts so we now have a whole night of leisure, which I feel shall be profitable,” Lythgoe mentioned.
“What I like about it’s we’re breaking new floor, and I’ve all the time tried to try this in my profession.”
(Reporting by Rory Carroll in Los Angeles, modifying by Ed Osmond)
