With the growth and development of mixed martial arts across the world, it was just a matter of time before more television networks showcased the sport on its channel. This year MTV2 has announced a partnership with Bellator Fighting Championships which will air the show live throughout the 2011 year. On Friday, another television deal was revealed as HDNet has signed a broadcast deal with Texas based Shark fights.
Shark fights is an organization that has run previous events on pay per view and is continuing to grow. The first event that is set to appear on HDNet is their March 11th event from the Fair Park Coliseum in Lubbock, Texas. The main event of the evening will feature former International Fight League competitors Matt Horowith and Danillo Villefort. Two UFC veterans will also face off as light heavyweights Houston Alexander and James Irvin will meet in a rematch of their UFC Fight Night 13 battle in 2008 that saw Irvin knock Alexander out in eight seconds.
Past events which have run under the Shark Fights banner have included big names such as Keith Jardine, Trevor Prangley, Paul Daley, Jorge Masvidal, and Rameau Sokoudjou. Their last event was held in September of 2010 on Pay per View.
HDNet has continued to grow its presence in mixed martial arts. The station broadcasts events from Japan such as Dream and Sengoku events. Last month, HDNet aired the preliminary matchups for the Strikeforce: Fedor versus Silva card. The terms of the new deal have not been announced.
