“The IFL Goes Live”

The IFL is going live. I mean it, the IFL is going to broadcast live, from Chicago, tonight, on MyNetwork TV. Though perhaps overstated at times, being live on TV does carry some importance for a sport. Don’t get me wrong, the IFL’s problems are not because it was on tape-delay for all this time: a format that might not have mass appeal, disjointed television that got off to a horrible start, no real sense that this is an actual league, and a lack of any real name fighters that aren’t UFC castoffs have all played larger roles in the IFL’s struggle. Being live is a good thing though, as it lets the viewers feel their witnessing something important. When you’re seeing fights taped two months prior and you haven’t heard a thing about them, you instinctively know it can’t be that important. So, being live is a good thing, all in all.

Some have posited that this might be the big break the promotion needs, that this one-hour special will turn things around for the company. Anything is possible. The UFC got a tremendous boost when their first live show, the TUF 1 Finale, highlighted by the legendary Griffin-Bonnar 1 battle, was a success. I don’t know if it’s a lock the UFC would have reached its current level had that night been a bomb, but I think they’d have overcome in the long run. Still, it did help a great deal. On the other hand, the UFC has regularly done good TV ratings for clip shows and the months-ago-taped Ultimate Fighter. So, being live is a good thing, all in all, but it is not the end all be all.

The IFL is not a calm port in the storm. Many fighter contracts are coming due, and some of the bigger names, Ben Rothwell immediately comes to mind, are opting to play the market rather than resign. Additionally, the stock is so low it mingles with ants, teams are being contracted, and TV time has been reduced. A Hail Mary might soon be needed.

The irony of this broadcast being that potential salvation is that it won’t even really present the IFL concept. Instead, tonight will feature the opening round of the IFL Grand Prix, a tournament focusing exclusively on the individual fighters and eschewing the team concept that is the trademark of the company.

The IFL will be airing a rematch of the Chris Horodecki-Bart Palaszewski fight that the company heavily pushed earlier this year. This past February, the two lightweights went at it for 12 minutes (the IFL uses three, four minute rounds). It was a great fight, one that Horodecki won by a split decision. Bart was anything but happy, feeling the IFL was protecting its poster child. I doubt there’s any credence to that theory, but Horodecki has been, along with Palaszewski and Rothwell, one of the few genuinely new stars the IFL has created. Horodecki entered the league with a great deal of hype and has so far lived up to it. He’s young (he turned 20 in September) and undefeated, with a 10-0 record. Originally born in Poland, the Canadian has an exciting standup style, one that is almost all action and that has lead to some great fights – including his potential fight of the year this past June against Shad Lierley. He won’t soon be confused as a top 10 lightweight, but with charisma and entertaining bouts under his belt, and that undefeated streak, Horodecki is someone worth watching.

Palaszewski is a veteran of the MMA world, having fought everyone from Clay Guida to Ivan Menjivar. From Crystal Lake, Illinois, he should have the hometown advantage. He likes to strike with those willing to trade, but he’s been in there with some of the best, so he’s not really the type to be made a fool of, no matter where the fight takes place.

Horodecki v. Palaszewski is really the fight worth tuning in to see. With all due respect to Vladimir Matyushenko and Alex Shoenauer, no one really cares about The Janitor and the TUF castoff battling in the other guaranteed televised bout. Good fighters both? Yes, but that doesn’t mean they’re particularly interesting. If tonight’s live show is a good one, if it gets people talking, it’s likely because Chris and Bart had one hell of a great fight. They both been in wars in the past, and neither man is the type to dry-hump their way to a decision, so the odds are good this fight will be worth watching. Whether it is the IFL’s answer to Bonnar-Griffin is a question for another day.

Mike Coughlin is the host of Five Star Radio, found exclusively at figurefouronline.com. This week’s episode is free to listen to, so give it a shot. Mike will also be live at the IFL in Chicago tonight. {plug}