International Fight League Tickets

International Fight League
World's first MMA league, the International Fight League is an American mixed martial arts promotion billed. Instead of the established norm for MMA events each IFL card is a showdown between two teams of five fighters, each fighter fighting one match against another on the opposing team. The IFL is currently televised in the United States on Fox Sports Net and MyNetworkTV.

History
The IFL was founded January 7, 2006 by real estate developer Kurt Otto and Gareb Shamus, two well-financed devotees of mixed martial arts.

To elevate the livelihoods of mixed martial arts fighters, many of them living meagerly, training without steady incomes and only earning small fight purses when they do fight. With the IFL, they intend to create a system not only showcasing mixed martial arts action but also to provide a business plan that will allow fighters to also share more of the profits of the sport. Instead of paying fighters only purses after fights, they are given a salary and health benefits to train and fight. The team concept is also conducive for television, where episodes can be regularly produced in the continuing storyline of an ongoing season.

It has been widely speculated the IFL, television deal and innovative business plan, may become a major circuit for MMA in North America, directly competing with the Ultimate Fighting Championship. The UFC and IFL already, have a hostile relationship, as the UFC have accused the IFL of and sued them for illegally using proprietary information obtained by hiring executives from the UFC organization. The IFL shot back with their own suit claiming the UFC was threatening potential partners to not work with the IFL, including Fox Sports Net. The tension between the IFL and the UFC has recently worsened with accusations that the IFL has attempted to buy out several top UFC fighters.

Television
In 2007, the IFL made a television deal with Fox Sports Net and MyNetworkTV. This made it the first MMA promotion to appear regularly on broadcast TV in the United States. The premiere of IFL Battleground in March 2007 on MyNetworkTV scored a 0.8 household rating, and gained 250% in all key male demos versus February. This represented a new MyNetworkTV high for male 18-34, a 17% rise over the previous record of 0.6. However this episode was criticized by MMA journalists and fans. Kurt Otto apologized to fans, their fighters and coaches, and critics for the content of that show.

Grand Prix
In order to appease the many MMA critics who felt that the team concept the IFL displayed had no place in the one on one sport of MMA, the IFL decided to conduct an end of the year Grand Prix which will take the four best fighters of each weight class to fight it out in a mini tournament that will be conducted over two events. During the 2008 season each Grand Prix winner will be crowned the first IFL champions of their weight class and be awarded titles that they will defend.

Rules
The IFL follows the Unified Rules of Mixed Martial Arts established by the New Jersey Athletic Board, with several exceptions. Elbow strikes are not allowed to the face or head, Matches consist of three rounds of four minutes instead of the usual five, If the match is initially scored a draw after three rounds, there will be a three-minute sudden victory round to decide a winner.

Ring
The IFL stages their fights in a five-roped ring similar to the one used in PRIDE In contrast with most mixed martial arts promotions in the United States.