Affliction one of many interested in EliteXC's talent pool
Following this week's demise of Elite Xtreme Combat and its parent company, ProElite, Inc., due to ongoing financial problems and controversy over its most recent main event, other MMA promotions could soon find a surplus of free-agent fighters.
One organization that could capitalize on EliteXC's downfall is Affliction Entertainment, an upstart promotion that's spent mightily for its debut event and upcoming January show.
However, Affliction Vice President Tom Atencio told MMAjunkie.com (
www.mmajunkie.com) that he'll be slow to loosen the purse strings and that the process won't happen overnight.
"My understanding is that [EliteXC is] releasing them, but I don't know if that's fact or fiction," Atencio said. " I think, at this point, we'll have to see. I'll have to start talking to fighters about what's going on and getting their contracts or working with them for new contracts."
The options could be plentiful.
During its short two-year existence, EliteXC became a foster home for many fighters who either left or fell out of favor with the Ultimate Fighting Championship. The list includes EliteXC middleweight champion Robbie Lawler, lightweight contender Nick Diaz, Frank Shamrock, Yves Edwards, Scott Smith and others.
Additionally, given its broadcast partnerships with CBS and Showtime, some overseas stars were able to garner some traction with U.S. fight fans. Eddie Alvarez, Rafael "Feijao" Cavalcante, Antonio Silva, Murilo "Ninja" Rua, Paul Daley, Joey Villasenor and others all benefited from the TV exposure. Prospects such as heavyweights Brett Rogers and Dave Herman, rising bantamweight Wilson Reis, former lightweight champ K.J. Noons, David Douglas and Fabricio Camoes were in the same boat.
And though some promotions, most notably the UFC, have shown virtually no interest in women's MMA, Atencio said female fighters are welcome with Affliction. Before EliteXC's end, a fight between undefeated notables Gina Carano and Cristiane "Cyborg" Santos was on tap for early 2009. After all the build-up for that bout, it'd be a shame for it never to materialize.
However, assuming Affliction can work out deals with the fighters, Atencio would like to host it.
"We're definitely interested (in women's MMA)," Atencio said. "Gina Carano is a great fighter. I think Cristiane Cyborg is an unbelievable fighter. I'm definitely open to the idea of that fight."
Perhaps the best fighter available after EliteXC's collapse is Jake Shields, the organization's longtime welterweight champion and, according to the World Alliance of Mixed Martial Arts rankings committee, the No. 3-ranked 170-pound fighter in the world.
Sources close to both sides have told MMAjunkie.com that Shields will likely end up in the UFC. In fact, Cesar Gracie's website, which first broke news of EliteXC's demise on Monday, reported the possibility of Shields heading to the UFC in that initial report. Shields, one of Gracie's top students, always appeared happy with EliteXC, but the organization struggled to find him worthy contenders, and he just didn't garner the name recognition his resume likely warranted.
The UFC can solve both problems, especially considering the organization's stacked welterweight division and potential for blockbuster fights.
Affliction is a possibility, but if the UFC wants Shields, it makes the most sense for both sides.
One fighter who probably won't be in demand anytime soon is Kevin "Kimbo Slice" Ferguson, a former street brawler and YouTube legend who was manufactured into EliteXC's top draw. However, with allegations that EliteXC paid late replacement Seth Petruzelli to keep the fight standing earlier this month at "EliteXC: Heat" -- a serious offense that former EliteXC Head of Fight Operations Jeremy Lappen denied to MMAjunkie.com -- Kimbo comes with some serious baggage. The matter is still under investigation by the Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation.
Factor in the humiliating 14-second TKO loss to Petruzelli and his gargantuan salary (Slice made $500,000 in the fight), and you realize it's a complicated and risky signing.
There's also the matter of Slice's skills -- and yes, perhaps the lack thereof. Under the tutelage of Bas Rutten, Slice made some solid strides honing his raw power to the MMA game, but he's a not-so-young 34, and fans grew tired of the sub-par, hand-picked opponents brought in to fight Kimbo.
UFC President Dana White has long been critical of Slice, so perhaps Japan (with DREAM or World Victory Road) and the country's fascination with big, intimidating and scary-looking heavyweights will create the opportunity for a new home.
Regardless of where he ends up, Kimbo's going to need a promoter with patience, a game plan and a fat wallet if he ever hopes to reclaim his once-booming popularity.
Petruzelli, meanwhile, still has the opportunity to cash in on his win over Kimbo. Following the victory, former EliteXC Vice President Jared Shaw told MMAjunkie.com Petruzelli was a candidate to fight for the organization's first-ever light-heavyweight title. Obviously, the opportunity would have been based more on his fame than merit, but EliteXC was willing to stick by him. "The Ultimate Fighter 2" cast member is unlikely to earn an invitation back to the UFC, but he could make a nice living headlining regional shows, especially near his home in Florida. Petruzelli is a better fighter than most give him credit for, and those skills and his popularity -- which included coverage on ESPN, TIME Magazine and just about every major newspaper's sports page -- could present many opportunities in the Southeast.
Regardless, with EliteXC's roster of fighters likely to disperse throughout the fight world, a handful of promotions could claim EliteXC's unofficial status as the UFC's No. 1 competitor.
"It's an open door, definitely," Atencio said. "I think it maybe brings more spectators to us, to the UFC, to Strikeforce, to Adrenaline and all the smaller organizations out there. I think it just opens up the market. ... And, I think, just like anything else, the strong survive."
