International Fight League, HDNet Fights Team Up to Televise December 29 IFL World...

Fri Dec 7, 2007 8:00am EST
 
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International Fight League, HDNet Fights Team Up to Televise December 29 IFL World Grand Prix Finals Live from Mohegan Sun

      HDNet Fights Presents: IFL World Grand Prix Finals To Show
 Unprecedented Five Titles On One Card, starting at 9:30 p.m. Eastern
                                 Time
NEW YORK--(Business Wire)--The International Fight League (OTC.BB: IFLI) and HDNet Fights
today announced that the 2007 World Grand Prix Finals will be
televised live from the Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Connecticut,
on HDNet on Saturday, December 29, starting at 9:30 p.m. EST. This
will mark the first collaboration between the IFL, which is completing
its first full season of operation, and HDNet Fights. It will also
mark the first-ever live IFL broadcast in HD. The regular IFL
broadcast team of Kenny Rice, Bas Rutten and Ron Kruck will call the
action.

   "We are very pleased to be able to offer our fans around the
country this special event live and in HD for the first time," said
IFL President and COO Jay Larkin. "Our first live television event on
November 3 received great reviews, and we think this event, with an
unprecedented five titles on the line, may be the MMA event of the
year."

   "This is a great opportunity to work with the IFL for the first
time and to bring one of the best cards of the year live to MMA fans
and HDNet customers," said Andrew Simon, CEO of HDNet Fights. "HDNet
Fights Presents: The IFL World Grand Prix Finals is a fantastic
addition to a huge month of MMA action on HDNet in December and is
part of our overall plan to have over 24 live fights a year with HDNet
Fights. The IFL Grand Prix is showcasing some of the newest stars in
the sport in what will be an action packed, exciting show."

   "Our goal is to bring the best fights possible to air in HD,
regardless of what organization those fighters are with," added Mark
Cuban, chairman and co-founder of HDNet. "It is obvious from this
partnership for the World Grand Prix that the IFL feels the same way,
and we are really pleased to be able to have this historic night for
IFL, with some of the rising stars of MMA competing for five belts, as
part of the HDNet Fights Presents fight series. It will be a great
night for the sport and for the fans."

   The IFL World Grand Prix Finals will feature some of the best
rising talent in the sport who have stood out during the IFL's
inaugural season. Included in the matchups will be the rematch of what
many believe to be the MMA "Fight of the Year" between undefeated
phenom Chris "The Polish Hammer" Horodecki and Shad Lierley, this time
for the lightweight title. Others on the card include undefeated Benji
"Razor" Radach against Matt "Suave" Horwich for the middleweight belt,
Long Island native Jay Hieron against Brazilian sensation Delson
Heleno for the welterweight crown and Roy "Big Country" Nelson of Las
Vegas against Brazilian Olympian Antoine Jaoude for the heavyweight
title. The IFL will also launch its featherweight division with a
battle of unbeatens, Wagnney Fabiano of Brazil taking on Kansas City's
L.C. Davis for that belt.

   About HDNet

   HDNet (www.hd.net) provides viewers with the best in original
comedy, drama, news, sports and music programming. HDNet is your
exclusive, high definition home for popular, critically acclaimed
original programming, including television's only HD news feature
programs "HDNet World Report", "Dan Rather Reports" featuring
legendary journalist Dan Rather and "NASA on HDNet" (presenting live
shuttle launches through 2010). HDNet presents championship sports
coverage featuring the National Hockey League, Major League Soccer,
NASCAR Grand National Division, NASCAR NEXTEL Cup re-broadcasts,
boxing and Mixed Martial Arts; groundbreaking music programming with
the HDNet Concert Series featuring leading artists and bands including
U2, Black Eyed Peas, Gwen Stefani and more, plus original music
programs "Sound Off with Matt Pinfield", and "True Music w/Katie
Daryl"; entertaining interview shows including "Face 2 Face with Roy
Firestone" and "Higher Definition", in addition to fun and irreverent
lifestyle programming including "Geek to Freak with Dennis Rodman",
"Deadline!", "Art Mann Presents", and "Get Out!" HDNet is also the
exclusive high definition home to the critically acclaimed and award
winning programs such as the Emmy Award winning "Arrested
Development", "The Black Donnellys", "Blade: The Series", "Star Trek:
Enterprise", "Dead Like Me", "Smallville", "Joan of Arcadia",
"Boomtown" and "Andy Richter Controls the Universe".

   HDNet Movies also features a wide selection of major studio
theatrical releases - all uncut, unedited, and appearing in their
original aspect ratio so that HDNet Movies viewers get the best
possible home theater experience. Only HDNet Movies exclusive "Sneak
Previews" bring feature films to viewers before they premiere in
theaters! Some of the HDNet Movies "Sneak Previews" have included the
Academy Award nominated "Enron: The Smartest Guys in the Room",
Toronto Film Festival nominee "The War Within", and "Bubble", the
first of six movies by acclaimed director Steven Soderbergh and
produced exclusively for HDNet Films and, most recently, "Broken
English", from Zoe Cassavetes, starring Gena Rowlands, Parker Posey,
Drea de Matteo and Griffin Dunne. Upcoming Sneak Previews include
"Quid Pro Quo", starring Nick Stahl and Vera Farmiga, "Hunter", the
story of the life and death of infamous gonzo journalist Hunter S.
Thompson from director Alex Gibney and producer Graydon Carter,
"Cashback", written and produced by Sean Ellis, "Flawless", starring
Michael Caine and Demi Moore, and "Closing Escrow", a real estate
mockumentary featuring April Barnett and Allen Friedman.

   Launched in 2001 by Mark Cuban and General Manager Philip Garvin,
the HDNet networks are available on AT&T, Bright House Networks,
Charter Communications, DIRECTV, DISH Network, Insight, Mediacom, Time
Warner Cable, Verizon and more than 40 NCTC cable affiliate companies.
For more information visit www.hd.net.

   About the IFL

   International Fight League(TM) (IFL) has its headquarters in New
York and offices in Las Vegas. For more information about IFL, please
see: www.ifl.tv.

   Forward-Looking Statements: This release contains forward-looking
statements pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of the Securities
Litigation Reform Act of 1995, which are subject to various risks and
IFL's management's expectations, hopes, beliefs, intentions or
strategies regarding the future financial condition, and results of
operations. There can be no assurance that future developments
actually affecting IFL will be those anticipated.

   Important factors that could cause actual results to differ
(favorably or unfavorably) from the expectations stated in this
release include the risks and uncertainties such as the conditions of
the markets for live events, broadcast television, cable television,
pay-per-view, Internet, entertainment, professional sports, and
licensed merchandise; acceptance of the Company's brands, media and
merchandise within those markets; uncertainties relating to
litigation; risks associated with producing live events; uncertainties
associated with international markets; risks relating to maintaining
and renewing key agreements, including television distribution
agreements; effects of competition, including locations of competitors
and operating and market competition.. Should one or more of these
risks or uncertainties materialize, or should any of the Company's
assumptions prove incorrect, actual results may vary in material
respects from those projected in these forward-looking statements.

   IFL undertakes no obligation to update or revise any
forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information,
future events or otherwise, except as may be required under applicable
securities laws. This press release may include the opinions of IFL
and does not necessarily include the views of any other person or
entity.

   The names of all International Fight League, Inc. televised and
live programming, teams, images, and logos are trademarks, which are
the exclusive property of International Fight League, Inc. All other
trademarks and tradenames mentioned in this release are the property
of their respective owners, and are not affiliated with IFL in any
way.

International Fight League
Joe Favorito, 212-356-4003
jf@ifl.tv

Copyright Business Wire 2007

 

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