''AXS TV Fights'' is the brand name of

AXS TV AXS TV is an American cable television channel. Majority-owned by Anthem Sports & Entertainment, it is devoted primarily to music-related programming (such as concert films, documentaries, and reality series involving musicians) and combat sport ...

's live

mixed martial arts Mixed martial arts (MMA), sometimes referred to as cage fighting, no holds barred (NHB), and ultimate fighting, and originally referred to as Vale Tudo is a full-contact combat sport based on striking, grappling and ground fighting, inc ...

(MMA),

Muay Thai Muay Thai ( th, มวยไทย, , ), sometimes referred to as Thai boxing, is a combat sport that uses stand-up striking along with various clinching techniques. This discipline is known as the "art of eight limbs", as it is characterised ...

and

kickboxing Kickboxing is a combat sports, combat sport focused on kicking and punch (strike), punching. The combat takes place in a boxing ring, normally with boxing gloves, mouthguards, shorts, and bare feet to favour the use of kicks. Kickboxing is pract ...

broadcasts. Formerly known as ''

HDNET Fights HDNet Fights was a US based television outlet for various MMA and combat sports promotions. Its broadcast lineup included DREAM, Sengoku, K-1, Strikeforce, Adrenaline MMA, M-1 Global, Ring of Honor, Maximum Fighting Championship, Affliction E ...

'', the program's name was changed to ''AXS TV Fights'' in July 2012, following the network's rebrand from ''HDNET'' to ''AXS TV.''

History

Origins as HDNET Fights

HDNet Fights was founded in 2007 by billionaire entrepreneur

Mark Cuban Mark Cuban (born July 31, 1958) is an American billionaire entrepreneur, television personality, and media proprietor whose net worth is an estimated $4.8 billion, according to ''Forbes'', and ranked No. 177 on the 2020 ''Forbes'' 400 list ...

, owner and founder of

HDNet AXS TV is an American cable television channel. Majority-owned by Anthem Sports & Entertainment, it is devoted primarily to music-related programming (such as concert films, documentaries, and reality series involving musicians) and combat sport ...

, 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. HDNet Fights hosted its first self-promoted event on October 13, 2007, featuring a light-heavyweight main event contest between

Erik Paulson Erik Paulson (born June 28, 1966) is an American mixed martial artist. He is the first American to win the World Light-Heavy Weight Shooto Title in Japan. Biography Erik started his career in martial arts starting with Judo at age of 8. However ...

and Jeff Ford. The program's second and final event, ''Reckless Abandon'', was held two months later. 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. After acquiring the rights to air Japanese

Fighting and Entertainment Group Fighting and Entertainment Group (FEG) was the leading Japanese combat sport promoter founded on September 3, 2003. Its last president was Sadaharu Tanikawa and it was the parent company behind the now-defunct mixed martial arts series Dream and fo ...

's MMA promotion ''

Dream A dream is a succession of images, ideas, emotions, and sensations that usually occur involuntarily in the mind during certain stages of sleep. Humans spend about two hours dreaming per night, and each dream lasts around 5 to 20 minutes, althou ...

'' in the United States for the first time ever, ''HDNet'' premiered a repeat of the

Dream 1 ''Dream 1: Lightweight Grand Prix 2008 1st Round'' was the inaugural event of the mixed martial arts promotion, Dream. It took place on Saturday, on March 15, 2008 at the Saitama Super Arena in Saitama City, Japan. The event featured the firs ...

event on May 2, 2008. A repeat of

Dream 2 ''Dream 2: Middleweight Grand Prix 2008 1st Round'' was a mixed martial arts event promoted by Dream. It took place on Tuesday, April 29, 2008 at the Saitama Super Arena in Saitama City, Japan. The event hosted the opening round of the promoti ...

aired the following day, and

Dream 3 ''Dream 3: Lightweight Grand Prix 2008 2nd Round'' was a mixed martial arts event promoted by Fighting and Entertainment Group's mixed martial arts promotion DREAM. The event took place on Tuesday May 11, 2008 at the Saitama Super Arena in Saita ...

aired live on May 11. On February 6, 2009, ''HDNet'' announced they had reached an agreement with another Japanese MMA promotion, and competitor to Dream,

World Victory Road World Victory Road (WVR) is a defunct Japanese mixed martial arts (MMA) organization which promoted the Sengoku Raiden Championship (SRC) in Japan. The organization was formed in 2007 following the purchase of PRIDE FC by Zuffa. It operated in c ...

. The promotion made its United States debut with a broadcast of its "Sengoku" events, opening with ''World Victory Roads first event of 2009 on March 20. Under the ''HDNet Fights'' banner, the network's broadcast lineup included

DREAM A dream is a succession of images, ideas, emotions, and sensations that usually occur involuntarily in the mind during certain stages of sleep. Humans spend about two hours dreaming per night, and each dream lasts around 5 to 20 minutes, althou ...

Sengoku The was a period in Japanese history of near-constant civil war and social upheaval from 1467 to 1615. The Sengoku period was initiated by the Ōnin War in 1467 which collapsed the feudal system of Japan under the Ashikaga shogunate. Various s ...

, K-1 and K-1 Max,

Strikeforce Strike Force may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Games * ''Strike Force'' (video game), a 1991 arcade game *'' Commandos: Strike Force'', a 2006 video game *'' Dynasty Warriors: Strikeforce'', a 2009 video game *''Marvel Strike Force'', ...

Adrenaline MMA Adrenaline MMA was a mixed martial arts organization that operated primarily in North America. It was formerly part of M-1 Global but became independent in October 2007 with Monte Cox as its head. History Foundation In October 2007, Sibling E ...

, SportFight,

Ring of Fire The Ring of Fire (also known as the Pacific Ring of Fire, the Rim of Fire, the Girdle of Fire or the Circum-Pacific belt) is a region around much of the rim of the Pacific Ocean where many volcanic eruptions and earthquakes occur. The Ring o ...

, Ring of Combat,

M-1 Global M-1 Global (Mixfight-1) or MMA-1 (Mixed martial arts-1) is a mixed martial arts promotion based in St. Petersburg, Russia which organizes between 10 and 20 competitions per year. It hosted its first major show (rather than co-promoting with othe ...

Ring of Honor Ring of Honor (ROH) is an American professional wrestling promotion based in Jacksonville, Florida. The promotion was founded by Rob Feinstein on February 23, 2002, and was operated by Cary Silkin from 2004 until 2011, when the promotion was so ...

Maximum Fighting Championship Maximum Fighting Championship is a Canadian mixed martial arts (MMA) promotion based in Edmonton, Alberta. MFC’s former home, in Canada, is the River Cree Resort and Casino in Enoch, Alberta, located just outside Edmonton, Alberta, but has also ...

Affliction Entertainment Affliction Entertainment was an American mixed martial arts (MMA) promotion company created by Affliction Clothing in 2008. The UFC prohibited its fighters from wearing Affliction clothing after learning Affliction was applying to become an MMA f ...

Urban Conflict Championship HDNet Fights was a US based television outlet for various MMA and combat sports promotions. Its broadcast lineup included DREAM, Sengoku, K-1, Strikeforce, Adrenaline MMA, M-1 Global, Ring of Honor, Maximum Fighting Championship, Affliction ...

and the now-defunct

IFL IFL may refer to: ;American football *Intense Football League, (2004–2008) in the United States, merged into the Indoor Football League *Indoor Football League, (2008–present) in the United States *Intercontinental Football League, a European l ...

, among others.

As AXS TV Fights

Since its regeneration as ''AXS TV Fights,'' the program has become a major fixture in ''AXS TVs Friday night programming line-up, with the network airing over 40 live events per year. The ''AXS TV Fights'' broadcast lineup has featured events from promotions including ''BAMMA (USA)'', ''Legacy Fighting Championship'', ''Lion Fight Muay Thai'', ''

'', ''Resurrection Fighting Alliance'', ''

Titan Fighting Championships Titan Fighting Championship (Titan FC) is an American mixed martial arts promotion based out of Pompano Beach, Florida. Their shows were originally run in and near Kansas City and have since expanded to include venues all over North America and e ...

'', and ''

Xtreme Fighting Championships Xtreme Fighting Championships (XFC) is a premier international mixed martial arts (MMA) organization based in Spring Lake, Michigan, with offices throughout the United States and South America. The XFC showcases both male and female fighters, ad ...

''. In August 2014, the network announced a multi-year deal with ''CES MMA''. The following January, the network joined forces with ''Legacy Fighting Championship'', airing the promotion’s first-ever kickboxing event on January 16, 2015. 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. English commentary was provided by

Cyrus Fees Cyrus Fees (born March 15, 1982) is a television and media personality based in The United States of America (USA), who is best known for his work as a ring announcer for Ultimate Fighting Championships, Dana White's Contender Series host for B ...

and Casey Oxendine. ''AXS TV Fights presentation of ''LION FIGHT 16'' on July 4, 2014 was the network's historic 250th fight broadcast. On March 21, 2015, AXS TV Fights announced it would hold its first ever co-promoted mixed martial arts event featuring fighters from Resurrection Fighting Alliance (RFA) and Legacy Fighting Championship (Legacy) May 8, 2015. The event, titled "AXS TV Fights: RFA vs. Legacy Superfight" included a headlining fight between RFA Flyweight Champion

Alexandre Pantoja Alexandre Pantoja Passidomo (born, April 16, 1990) is a Brazilian mixed martial arts fighter, currently fighting for the UFC and is the flyweight champion of the Resurrection Fighting Alliance and Shooto Brazil. As of August 20, 2022, he is #2 ...

and Legacy Flyweight Champion

Damacio Page Damacio James Page (born September 30, 1982) is an American professional mixed martial artist currently competing for Legacy Fighting Championship in the Bantamweight division. A professional competitor since 2005, Page has also formerly competed ...

, two co-main events featuring intra-organizational title fights for each promotion, and three fights between RFA and Legacy contenders on the main card. AXS TV Fights broadcast its 300th combat sports event on October 23, 2016 with Lion Fight 25. On Sept. 19, 2016, RFA president Ed Soares appeared on "The MMA Hour" to announce the merger of Resurrection Fighting Alliance and Legacy Fighting Championship to become Legacy Fighting Alliance beginning in 2017. The newly announced promotion also signed a multi-year deal with AXS TV Fights. The network celebrated its 400th live event broadcast with LFA 40 on May 25, 2018 On September 13, 2019, was announced the end of the partnership between AXS TV and LFA. On November 6, 2019, AXS TV and the MMA organization

Combate Americas Combate Global (previously Combate Americas) is an American mixed martial arts (MMA) sports franchise and media company directed toward a Hispanic audience. It includes TV broadcasts, live events, and mobile content Combate Global airs on Univi ...

announced broadcast deal for 35 events in 2020.

Fight commentators

''AXS TV Fights commentary team included

UFC The Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) is an American mixed martial arts (MMA) promotion company based in Las Vegas, Nevada. It is owned and operated by Zuffa, a wholly owned subsidiary of Endeavor Group Holdings. It is the largest MMA ...

Hall of Famer

Pat Miletich Patrick Jay Miletich (; born March 9, 1966) is a retired American mixed martial artist and former sports commentator. He is known for his fights in the Ultimate Fighting Championship, where he became the first UFC Welterweight Champion and UFC ...

and sports broadcaster and reporter Ron Kruck, with media personality Phoenix Carnevale reporting cageside. Sports broadcaster "The Voice"

Michael Schiavello Michael Schiavello (born 10 April 1975) is an Australian sports commentator and journalist. He has commentated for AXS TV, K-1, Dream, Maximum Fighting Championship, King of the Cage, ONE Championship and '' The Contender Asia''. He has also w ...

was the play-by-play commentator from 2009 to 2017. In May 2017 Schiavello announced his last event with AXS TV Fights would be Legacy Fighting Alliance 13 in Burbank, CA. From 2010 to 2016, Schiavello also conducted in-depth interviews with combat sports stars on ''The Voice Versus'', which aired intermittently in primetime.

List of AXS TV Fights promotions

Current promotions

''AXS TV Fights'' currently broadcasts events from the following promotions: *

Invicta Fighting Championships Invicta Fighting Championships, also known as Invicta FC, is an American professional mixed martial arts (MMA) promotion dedicated to Women's mixed martial arts that was founded in 2012 by Janet Martin and Shannon Knapp. The promotion is currentl ...

Past promotions

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

BAMMA BAMMA (British Association of Mixed Martial Arts) was a mixed martial arts promotion based in the United Kingdom. It premiered on June 27, 2009, and was shown on the television channel Bravo. BAMMA events were shown live on ITV4 in the UK and Ire ...

Championship Fighting Alliance Championship Fighting Alliance (CFA) is a mixed martial arts (MMA) based promotion company located in Miami Lakes, Florida. It was founded by former MMA fighter and promoter Jorge De La Noval in 2011. Events CFA has currently produced 10 live ...

CES MMA CES MMA (Classic Entertainment & Sports) is a mixed martial arts promotional firm based out of Providence, Rhode Island founded by boxing promoter Jimmy Burchfield Sr. It promoted the first sanctioned professional mixed martial event in the stat ...

* Legacy Kickboxing *Lion Fight Muay Thai *

Legacy Fighting Alliance Legacy Fighting Alliance is an American mixed martial arts promotion, created as a result of the ''Legacy Fighting Championship'' and ''Resurrection Fighting Alliance'' merger in early 2017. History Resurrection Fighting Alliance On October 11, ...

New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW) is a Japanese professional wrestling promotion based in Nakano, Tokyo. Founded on January 13, 1972, by Antonio Inoki, the promotion was sold to Yuke's, who later sold it to Bushiroad in 2012. TV Asahi and Amuse, Inc. own minority shares ...

Resurrection Fighting Alliance Legacy Fighting Alliance is an American mixed martial arts promotion, created as a result of the ''Legacy Fighting Championship'' and ''Resurrection Fighting Alliance'' merger in early 2017. History Resurrection Fighting Alliance On October 11, ...

;HDNET Fights Under the HDNET Fights banner, the network broadcast fights from the following promotions: *

International Fight League The International Fight League was an American mixed martial arts (MMA) promotion billed as the world's first MMA league. It was founded on January 7, 2006, and closed on July 31, 2008.

* K-1 * K1 Max *

* Ring of Combat * Ring of Fire MMA *

* SportFight *

AXS TV Fight events

References

External links

AXS TV Fights Homepage
{{DEFAULTSORT:AXS TV Fights Mixed martial arts television shows 2007 American television series debuts