updated 10:31 a.m. ET Sept. 15, 2008

LAS VEGAS - Golden Boy Promotions will put boxing matches and mixed martial arts fights side-by-side in a new partnership with Affliction, the fledgling MMA promoter run by an apparel company.

Golden Boy and Affliction will be equal partners in a venture that will put on at least four multisport events starting in 2009, Golden Boy CEO Richard Schaefer said Saturday. Many smaller attempts have been made to pair the two combat sports on the same cards, but Golden Boy and Affliction hope to be the first to do it on a major scale.

"I think the two worlds have finally merged, and this is a perfect example,'' Affliction vice president Tom Atencio said.

MMA exploded in popularity earlier in the decade with the rise of the Ultimate Fighting Championship, which dominates the sport. Affliction, a 3-year-old creator of Gothic-inflected men's T-shirts and apparel, edged into combat sports by sponsoring both MMA fighters and boxers, such as middleweight champion Kelly Pavlik.

Affliction then decided to try MMA promotion after its shirts were banned at UFC events, staging a successful debut show in Anaheim, Calif., on July 19. But Affliction then postponed an event scheduled for October in Las Vegas, leading industry watchers to wonder whether the promoter already was in trouble.

Golden Boy, Oscar De La Hoya's burgeoning promotions company, has long been intrigued by the idea of getting into MMA, with Schaefer driving the interest in its riches and loyal fan base.

"I think there's a tremendous opportunity for crossover promotions, and to team up with such an iconic brand like Affliction is a big step for us,'' Schaefer said.

Fedor Emelianenko, the vaunted MMA heavyweight who starred in the defunct Pride Fighting Championships, is expected to headline Affliction's next show in January, which could be the start of its partnership with Golden Boy. The card's postponement from October allowed time for Emelianenko's injured hand to heal.

Affliction Clothing will produce a new line of boxing T-shirts tied to Golden Boy's upcoming bouts, including De La Hoya's fight against Manny Pacquiao, to sell in its retail outlets and at fight venues. Affliction also will make shirts featuring old covers of Ring Magazine, the once-powerful boxing journal now owned by Golden Boy.

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