[MMA] EliteXC is no more!

[Zoom7000]

And it is all over for Kimbo & Co

If ever there was a time Mike Goldberg?s famous catchphrase was needed to sum up a situation in Mixed Martial Arts ? then this is it.

The commentator uses the phrase ?and it is all over? at the end of every major UFC event ? but his words now also apply to rival promotion Pro EliteXC?s status following the company?s collapse today.

The MMA brand has shut down, effective immediately, according to a report on top American website Sports Illustrated.

It leaves Kimbo Slice, Gina Carano and the rest of Elite XC?s roster facing an uncertain future.

UFC president Dana White has stated he will NEVER sign Slice ? real name Kevin Ferguson ? and his promotion do not have a female division, which leaves Carano and the other female fighters in limbo.

EliteXC's closure marks the end of a series of calamities for Jared Shaw?s firm ? who have struggled to match the UFC?s slick production values, high-class fighters and audience share during their short-lived lifespan.

They built their promotion on Slice ? a street fighter who made his name on YouTube by posting a series of videos of his unsanctioned bouts online.

He has headlined the last three EliteXC shows he has been involved in but has been criticised for his lack of MMA skills.

And his last bout courted controversy when his opponent, Seth Petruzelli, alleged the firm had paid him to keep the fight with Slice standing.

Kimbo lost the clash but the bout is being investigated by the Florida State Athletic Commission following complaints from fans.

Elite XC were in operation for just 22 months and had a partnership with Showtime ? who had a 20 per cent stake in the company ? and CBS, the TV firm who broadcast their shows on primetime TV.

After debuting on May 31 to an audience of 6.5million viewers, EliteXC's ratings on CBS fell significantly in its second effort, drawing just 2.7million in July. An average audience of 4.5million saw Petruzelli's farcical bout with Slice.

They also owned smaller MMA promotions King of the Cage, Icon Sport and Cage Rage.

And following reports EliteXC had debts of over $50million in debt, Showtime tried to up their stake to a controlling interest but negotiations failed and the lack of funding forced the promotion's closure.

[ProElite, EliteXC out of businessite, EliteXC out of business

Less than two years following the formation of ProElite, Inc., the group notified employees and fighters Monday it was shutting its doors effective immediately, multiple sources confirmed to SI.com.

ProElite was an entertainment and media company founded in partnership with Showtime Networks and spearheaded by the mixed martial arts promotional brand EliteXC.

Representatives for ProElite, EliteXC and Showtime did not return calls for comment.

Through its partnership with Showtime and later CBS, which in 2008 agreed to broadcast four live EliteXC events in primetime, EliteXC gained a tremendous amount of visibility. The company, however, hemorrhaged tens of millions of dollars during its 22 months in operation.

In September, Showtime, which owned a 20 percent stake in ProElite, entered into preliminary negotiations to purchase a controlling interest in the company. When those negotiations failed, said a source inside ProElite who asked not to be identified, funding dried up and the company was forced out of business.

Beginning with Rumble on the Rock, ProElite purchased numerous MMA promotional brands around the world, including King of the Cage, Cage Rage, ICON, and Spirit MC. While these companies remained in operation, the focus was EliteXC, which held 17 events starting with its first card Feb. 10, 2007.

EliteXC's third card with CBS on Oct. 4 was also its last as a promoter. Headlined by the controversial Kevin "Kimbo Slice" Ferguson, the event made headlines with discussion surrounding the legitimacy of the main event between Ferguson and Seth Petruzelli. The bout is currently under investigation by the Florida State Athletic Commission.

After debuting on May 31 to an audience of 6.5 million viewers, EliteXC's ratings on CBS fell significantly in its second effort drawing just 2.7 million in July. In its last event the numbers appeared to bounce back nicely, with an average audience of 4.5 million.

Kelly Kahl, senior executive vice president of programming operations at CBS, declined to comment on ProElite's demise.

EliteXC was scheduled to promote its final event of the year Nov. 8 on Showtime, however the manager for lightweight Nick Diaz, who was scheduled to fight Eddie Alvarez that night for the organization's 160-pound belt, said he was told the event would not take place absent a last-minute "miracle" investor.

Sources, The Sun, Sports Illustrated

Can't say I'm surprised really. Poor bookings, amatuerish presentation and building the entire division behind:

1) Kimbo Slice, who can't seem to fight anyone of any interest in the HW division and gets knocked out in 14 seconds when he meets a real MMA fighter not good enough for the UFC! And...

2) Gina Carano, a woman for whom they created a weight division, yet she still couldn't make weight in 5 of her fights!

Affliction seems to have weathered the storm for the time being, but, if they aren't careful, we might be ready a similar thread in the not too distant future!

[Rappy Veteran]

UFC is like the WWE in the MMA world and everyone else just doesn't have the power or finance sadly.

[digipoi]

I find it sad tbh. We need more organizations to promote the sport, I'm not much into the whole monopoly thing. Competition keeps you honest. I liked some of the fights, was looking forward to the Villasenor vs Lawlor and the Diaz vs. Alvarez scraps. Sucks now. The Kimbo thing was stupid and so was the mismanagement.

[Konstanov]

Now UFC just needs to buy out Pride and get Ф?дор Владимирович Емельяненко fighting people he deserves to fight. By the way, anyone in Dallas, I've signed up recently but Nogueira's gym is now open and he is teaching a class.

[DavidM]

Fertitta brothers did buy Pride, now they own both UFC and Pride. I believe it was a done deal last March, didn't you notice all the Pride fighters showing up in the UFC? "Rampage" Jackson, Heath Herring, ?Shogun "Rua, Mirko Cro Cop, Wanderlai Silva, Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira, Fabricio Werdum, just to name a few.

[Andrew Lyle Global Moderator]

Poor kimbo. Wonder why Dana White won't sign him to UFC...

[Zoom7000]

Poor kimbo. Wonder why Dana White won't sign him to UFC...

Maybe because he would probably get owned big time by the majority of the UFC's HW roster? After all, he only lasted 14 seconds against a UFC reject! The UFC's HW division used to be a joke not too long ago with Tim Sylvia at the helm and no one being able to knock him off the top. Now with Big Nog, Mir back in form, Lesnar and the return of Couture, not forgetting the prospect of Fedor, it seems to be one of the most exciting divisions there is!

The only time I would like to see Kimbo Slice in the UFC is so that they could feed him to one of the top guys and expose his "skills" for exactly how "good" they really are! :laugh:

[Konstanov]

not forgetting the prospect of Fedor,

Fedor will never fight in UFC, he was told by Russian Combat Sambo that he could fight in either UFC or Russian Combat Sambo but never both at the same time and he chose RCS.

[rajputwarrior]

that sucks, more competition is always better. They had a good headline fight coming up too

[Rappy Veteran]

Fedor will never fight in UFC, he was told by Russian Combat Sambo that he could fight in either UFC or Russian Combat Sambo but never both at the same time and he chose RCS.

Yeah fedor has had 2 chances to join the UFC and turned them down twice

[Matrix XII]

It's never good when you get a monopoly.. :(

[Dev Null Zen]

It's never good when you get a monopoly.. :(

While this may be true, a shoddy crap product has no chance to stand against one. Affliction may be able to last as they at least have real fighters, albeit past their prime.

[stephen_0002]

LMAO best news i heard all day ... kimbo slice is %$#@ed!!!

[digipoi]

LMAO best news i heard all day ... kimbo slice is %$#@ed!!!

bah. Kimbo's image was already tainted. The fighters on the next card is who suffered and so does the fans this time. That card was decent.