Affliction Clothing is an American clothing manufacturer and retailer based in
Seal Beach, California
Seal Beach is a coastal city in Orange County, California, United States. As of the 2020 census, the population was 25,242, up from 24,168 at the 2010 census.
Seal Beach is located in the westernmost corner of Orange County. To the northwest ...
.
It was launched in 2005 by Courtney Dubar and partners, and is now owned by Affliction Holdings LLC. The company offers a wide range of products, including t-shirts, hoodies, swimwear, headwear, and watches.
History
Prior to the founding of the company, Courtney Dubar had designed and printed merch designs for his brother
Pat's band
Uniform Choice
Uniform Choice (formerly known as Moral Sin) was an American hardcore punk band from Orange County, California.
History
Uniform Choice was started by guitarist Myke Bates, bassist Hanson Meyer and drummer Eric Hanna during the Spring of 198 ...
, using a
screen printer he had purchased himself in a shed in his parents' back garden. Affliction Clothing was launched in August 2005 by Dubar, Todd Beard, Nicole Behrle, Eric Foss, and Clifton Chason. In 2012, Courtney Dubar (current CEO) bought Todd Beard's portions of the company, making him majority shareholder of Affliction Clothing.
Products
Affliction's clothing line includes men's and women's T-shirts, polo shirts, thermals, button downs, hoodies, denim, dresses, watches, headwear, shorts, and swimwear. While the company has deep roots in the
MMA
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 strike (attack), striking, grappling and ground f ...
community, its "Live Fast" motto represents and appeals to audiences who appreciate a variety of disciplines and eras such as
Rock & Roll
Rock and roll (often written as rock & roll, rock 'n' roll, or rock 'n roll) is a genre of popular music that evolved in the United States during the late 1940s and early 1950s. It originated from African-American music such as jazz, rhythm an ...
, Moto Culture,
Tattoo
A tattoo is a form of body modification made by inserting tattoo ink, dyes, and/or pigments, either indelible or temporary, into the dermis layer of the skin to form a design. Tattoo artists create these designs using several Process of tatt ...
, Vintage Americana,
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 ...
and Impact Sports. The ''Signature Series'' of Affliction shirts bear the logos of many of the world's top-ranked
MMA fighters, including
Randy Couture
Randall Duane Couture (; born June 22, 1963) is an American actor, former United States Army, U.S. Army sergeant, former mixed martial arts, mixed martial artist and former Collegiate wrestling, collegiate and Greco-Roman wrestling, Greco-Roman ...
,
Georges St-Pierre
Georges St-Pierre (; born May 19, 1981) is a Canadian actor and former professional mixed martial artist. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest fighters in mixed martial arts (MMA) history. St-Pierre was a two-division champion in the Ult ...
,
Fedor Emelianenko
Fedor Vladimirovich Emelianenko ( rus, Фёдор Влади́мирович Емелья́ненко, r=Fyodor Vladimirovich Yemelyanenko, p=ˈfʲɵdər vlɐˈdʲimʲɪrəvʲɪtɕ jɪmʲɪˈlʲjænʲɪnkə, IPA; born ...
,
Quinton Jackson
Quinton "Rampage" Jackson (born June 20, 1978) is an American mixed martial artist, actor and former professional wrestler, who most recently fought in the Bellator MMA. He is a former UFC Light Heavyweight Champion and unified the Pride Middlew ...
, and
Renato Sobral
Renato da Cunha Sobral (; born 7 September 1975), also known as "Babalu", is a retired Brazilian Luta Livre submission grappler, mixed martial artist, and was the former Strikeforce Light Heavyweight Champion. Sobral previously fought in the Ult ...
and boxers, including
Oscar De La Hoya
Oscar De La Hoya ( , ; born on February 4, 1973) is an American boxing promoter and former professional boxer who competed from 1992 to 2008. His accolades include winning 11 world titles in six weight classes, including the lineal championshi ...
,
Shane Mosley
Shane Mosley (born September 7, 1971), often known by his nickname "Sugar" Shane Mosley, is an American former professional boxer who competed from 1993 to 2016. He held multiple world championships in three weight classes, including the IBF l ...
, and Zab Judah. Affliction has also produced ''signature'' shirts in collaboration with musicians like
Avenged Sevenfold
Avenged Sevenfold (abbreviated as A7X) is an American heavy metal band from Huntington Beach, California, formed in 1999. The band's current lineup consists of lead vocalist M. Shadows, rhythm guitarist and backing vocalist Zacky Vengeance, ...
,
Ozzy Osbourne
John Michael "Ozzy" Osbourne (born 3 December 1948) is an English singer, songwriter, and television personality. He rose to prominence during the 1970s as the lead vocalist of the heavy metal band Black Sabbath, during which period he adop ...
,
Black Sabbath
Black Sabbath were an English rock music, rock band formed in Birmingham in 1968 by guitarist Tony Iommi, drummer Bill Ward (musician), Bill Ward, bassist Geezer Butler and vocalist Ozzy Osbourne. They are often cited as pioneers of heavy met ...
,
Megadeth
Megadeth is an American thrash metal band formed in Los Angeles in 1983 by vocalist/guitarist Dave Mustaine. Known for their technically complex guitar work and musicianship, Megadeth is one of the "big four" of American thrash metal along wit ...
,
Pantera
Pantera () is an American heavy metal music, heavy metal band from Arlington, Texas formed in 1981, and currently comprised of vocalist Phil Anselmo, bassist Rex Brown, and touring musicians Zakk Wylde and Charlie Benante. The group's best-kn ...
,
Korn
Korn (stylized as KoЯn, or occasionally KoRn) is an American nu metal band from Bakersfield, California, formed in 1993. The band is notable for pioneering the nu metal genre and bringing it into the mainstream.
Originally formed in 1993 ...
,
Staind
Staind ( ) is an American rock band from Springfield, Massachusetts, formed in 1995. The original lineup consisted of lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist Aaron Lewis, lead guitarist Mike Mushok, bassist and backing vocalist Johnny April, and dr ...
,
Static-X
Static-X is an American heavy metal band from Los Angeles, California, formed in 1994. The line-up has fluctuated over the years, but was long-held constant with band founder, frontman, lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist Wayne Static until his ...
,
Testament,
Shadows Fall
Shadows Fall is an American metalcore band from Boston, Massachusetts, formed in 1996. Although Shadows Fall has experienced several line-up changes, for most of its recording career, Shadows Fall has been composed of Jon Donais (lead guitar, ...
,
Atreyu
Atreyu is an American metalcore band from Yorba Linda, California, formed in 1998. The band currently consists of clean vocalist Brandon Saller, guitarists Dan Jacobs and Travis Miguel, bassist and unclean vocals, unclean vocalist Marc "Porter ...
,
Behemoth, and
Biohazard
A biological hazard, or biohazard, is a biological substance that poses a threat to the health of living organisms, primarily humans. This could include a sample of a microorganism, virus or toxin that can adversely affect human health. A bioh ...
. Designs incorporate graphic images of angel wings, roses, skulls, skeletons, crosses, and swords.
Affliction was a longtime sponsor of the
Ultimate Fighting Championship
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 ...
(UFC) and its fighters, until 2008, when it broke ranks and formed
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 ...
to compete with the UFC. As a result, UFC banned its fighters from wearing Affliction branded clothing.
American Fighter
''American Fighter'' is a clothing and sports equipment company. Trademarked in 2006, it became a registered trademark of Affliction Holdings LLC on April 22, 2008. Several fighters have been sponsored by this sub brand, including
Rich Franklin
Richard Jay Franklin II (born October 5, 1974) is an American businessman and retired mixed martial artist. He is best known for competing in the Ultimate Fighting Championship, where he is a member of the UFC Hall of Fame and a former UFC Middl ...
.
Rebel Saints
''Rebel Saints'' was trademarked by Affliction Holdings LLC on September 27, 2011. The line of clothing is sold primarily at
Spencer's Gifts
Spencer Gifts LLC, doing business as Spencer's, is a North American mall retailer with over 600 stores in the United States and Canada. Its stores specialize in novelty and gag gifts, and also sell clothing, band merchandise, sex toys, room de ...
.
Sinful
''Sinful'' is a clothing line specifically designed for women, as part of Affliction Inc., and is the sister brand to Affliction men's clothing. Its T-shirts, pants, and hoodies often feature a mix of spirited elements, including angels, angel wings, doves, crosses, burning hearts, roses and skulls.
Throwdown
''Throwdown'' was founded as a hard goods company, positioning its products and services within the market of Mixed Martial Arts and the Combative Sports Industry. Affliction joined forces with Throwdown to develop a full clothing brand in order to complement the already successful hard goods line with items such as protective gear, training bags, cages and rings. Throwdown clothing is sold internationally.
Xtreme Couture
''Xtreme Couture'' clothing was founded in 2006 by Affliction, in a partnership with
Randy Couture
Randall Duane Couture (; born June 22, 1963) is an American actor, former United States Army, U.S. Army sergeant, former mixed martial arts, mixed martial artist and former Collegiate wrestling, collegiate and Greco-Roman wrestling, Greco-Roman ...
.
Xtreme Couture
/ref>
Sponsorship
In June 2011, Affliction sponsored a photo contest in which the prize was a custom Harley-Davidson
Harley-Davidson, Inc. (H-D, or simply Harley) is an American motorcycle manufacturer headquartered in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, United States. Founded in 1903, it is one of two major American motorcycle manufacturers to survive the Great Depressi ...
worth $25,000 or $12,000. These motorcycles were:
* A men's 2010 Harley-Davidson Softail ‘crossbones’ American Customs Harley-Davidson customized Motorcycle with 1584 Twin cam 96B counterbalanced engine – worth about $25,000 after customizations.
* A women's 2010 Sportster 883 American Customs Harley-Davidson customized Motorcycle with Low Rubber mounted 883cc Evolution engine - worth about $12,000 after customizations.
See also
*Mixed martial arts clothing
MMA clothing refers to the sportswear worn in mixed martial arts (MMA) competition and training, and branded fashion clothing related to the mixed martial arts scene. As MMA becomes a mature sport, brands dedicated to it have worked toward speciali ...
References
External links
* {{Official website, https://www.afflictionclothing.com/
Clothing companies of the United States
Sporting goods manufacturers of the United States
Sportswear brands
Companies based in Orange County, California
Seal Beach, California
American companies established in 2005
Clothing companies established in 2005
2005 establishments in California