The UFC is the largest mixed martial arts promotion in the world.

The UFC has the deepest roster of fighters and puts up the biggest pay-per-view numbers.

It's not even close at this point.

UFC president Dana White has been the driving force behind taking MMA and the UFC into the mainstream.

So when there were rumblings that Affliction, a popular clothing brand that had sponsored many UFC fighters, was going to start its own promotion, White went on the offensive.

Affliction announced in May it would make its foray into MMA with “Affliction Banned” on Saturday at Honda Center on pay-per-view.

The card was loaded with three former UFC heavyweight champions and would pit former PRIDE champion Fedor Emelianenko against Tim Sylvia, a former two-time UFC champion, in the main event.

Last month, White countered with his announcement that UFC Fight Night 14 would be held on the same night as Affliction's card.

Affliction is on pay-per-view for $39.95, but the UFC's card is for free on Spike TV and features UFC middleweight champion Anderson Silva, considered the top MMA fighter pound-for-pound in the world, making his light-heavyweight debut against James Irvin.

White has reportedly called Affliction president Tom Atencio nothing more than a “T-shirt salesman” and that Affliction is “no competition.”

“A lot of people are talking to us because they see us as competition for the UFC,” Atencio said.

“We have a lot of people approaching us, so we'll take it as it comes.”

Businessman Donald Trump was one of those people.

Trump partnered up with Affliction and was on Howard Stern's Sirius satellite radio show promoting “Affliction Banned” on Wednesday morning.

White made sure to put popular fighters such as Silva and Brandon Vera, who is making his light-heavyweight debut against Reese Andy, on the UFC card in effort to draw attention away from Affliction's card.

“They are not messing around,” Vera said.

“That's Dana's style. You've got to respect that. I love it. I mean, he's a go-getter and the guys in the UFC are down for the UFC. I mean, everybody took the fight on short notice like, ‘Yeah, let's do it. We'll do it.'

“Dana takes no prisoners. We do have the elite organization in the world. There are a lot of shows that come, like we were talking about earlier. A lot … put on one great show. So we've got to see how they (Affliction) do.”

Silva said he has no plans to stay at 205 pounds. He said the light-heavyweight division belongs to his teammate Lyoto Machida.

He said he took the fight against Irvin as a favor to White to help the UFC.

“I wasn't planning on fighting at 205, but it came as a challenge and we are ready to test our skills,” Silva said.

“It's not necessarily Dana trying to put Affliction down. He is just doing his job as a businessman and a promoter. That's what he has got to do to protect his company. … Affliction has got a great card, but I hope that UFC Fight Night 14 comes out great.”

Emelianenko said the cards should be judged by the quality of the fights on them.

“M-1 Global and Affliction have come together to make one of the best MMA cards in the history of the sport,” Emelianenko said.

“So compared to the card that is going on the same day, it doesn't really compare at all.

“I don't think it is really going to make that much of a difference. I'm confident that our fans, the MMA fans, are going to understand that and realize the difference between the two shows.”

The live Affliction card begins at 4 p.m. The Fox Sports Net portion of the card starts at 5 p.m. and the pay-per-view telecast starts at 6 p.m. The UFC card begins at 9 p.m. (tape delayed on the West Coast) on Spike TV.

Former referee "Big" John McCarthy had the best suggestion for Saturday night.

"Go watch the one live and TiVo the UFC show," McCarthy said. "That's what I'm going to do. I will TiVo the UFC show."

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