Sorting Through the Pro Elite Unemployment Line
(Will act coquettishly adorable and sexy for food?)
While none of us may be positively heartbroken or even surprised to see Pro Elite shut down its operation, the thing to keep in mind is that the MMA marketplace just got smaller. That means fewer opportunities for fighters and, at least for most, meager paychecks in the near future. Former Icon Sport promoter Patrick Freitas reminded us of this fact with a post to the UG that read, in part:
I Just wanted to say that as everyone here is dancing on the Elitexc's grave, I think its important to remember that a shitload of good fighters (and great people) just saw their contracts disappear into the ether.
That's the truth. Whatever you think of Pro Elite's demise and the reasons behind it, one thing we can all agree on is it isn't the fault of the fighters they employed. But now that those fighters find themselves without an organization to call home, where do they go? The answer, of course, depends on who they are. Most will end up in local promotions. But what about the big fish?
Jake Shields: If the UFC could only pick up one of the newly unemployed EliteXC fighters, Shields should be that one. He was probably the most talented guy on their roster, and something tells me Zuffa could scoop him up relatively cheaply. If he comes in and makes an impact on the UFC's welterweight division right away, great. If he doesn't, the UFC can claim it as proof that their fighters are far and away the best in the industry.
Kimbo Slice: The EliteXC collapse couldn't have happened at a worse time for Ferg. Coming off an embarrassing loss and with a half a million dollar price tag, he does not look like a good investment right now. We know the UFC isn't interested. Affliction has enough heavyweights to do something with him, but he'll have to take a major pay cut. Even then his shelf life is a question, as is his desire to continue on as a pro fighter. Don't be surprised if we've seen the last of Kimbo's MMA days.
Gina Carano: She's beautiful, she's charismatic, and she'll fight for twenty-five grand even when she's pulling in a hefty portion of the audience. Who wouldn't want to sign Carano? Well, the UFC doesn't seem anxious to get into the women's MMA business, so unless they change their stance -- fast -- that isn't happening. Carano's apparent willingness to fight for peanuts increases the chances that she'll be among the first to find a new home, perhaps in Strikeforce or another smaller organization.
Robbie Lawler: EliteXC's middleweight champ already had his go 'round in the UFC, but the exposure he got in his CBS appearances make it worth everybody's while to give it another shot. The list of credible middleweight challengers to Anderson Silva's throne has gotten so paltry we're about to pay to see him destroy Patrick Cote. Lawler would be a welcome addition there.
Antonio Silva: The steroid suspension, which he's appealing, is going to make "Bigfoot" a difficult sell. He's not the most marketable heavyweight out there, either, and being the EliteXC champ after a victory over Justin Eilers, well, that doesn't mean too much. Looks like it's small time for Silva.
Nick Diaz: Does the UFC have the patience for two Diaz brothers on the roster? He's got some name value and he always turns in an exciting performance, but if you invite him to your party you only have yourself to blame when he shoves someone through the sliding glass door. His northern California appeal might make him attractive to Strikeforce, but the UFC will likely pass.
Eddie Alvarez: A smart investment if there ever was one. The UFC has every reason to sign him and help him get over with the American fans who may never have seen him in action. And unlike Dream, you don't have to worry when the UFC tells you that the check is in the mail.
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Comments
NC Says:
"He’s got some name value and he always turns in an exciting performance, but if you invite him to your party you only have yourself to blame when he shoves someone through the sliding glass door"
Funniest thing I have seen written on here in a long time.
Bud Says:
Man, that just plain SUCKS for Gina! I could care less to ever see Kimbo and his posse ever again. Maybe Kimbo, Phil Baroni, Nick Diaz, both Shamrocks and of course Junie Browning can all open up there own organization and just beat the crap out of each other forever......far away from society of course! I was just like most people that i know, i tuned into elitexc to watch Gina first and everybody else second. Not just because she's hot but that girl could flat out throw down! Wherever she lands i hope we get to watch her grow! Good luck Gina!
Josh Aint Thug Says:
Shields, Diaz, and Alvarez all seem like good acquisitions, but I think Shields would be the only one that makes sense for UFC. Bring Shields in to fight GSP, because other than a guy who is a lightweight and maybe a guy who he's fought before and beaten there's really no immediate challengers for GSP's gold
Diaz and Alvarez are both superb and fun to watch, but the lightweight division is just really stacked. You got BJ Penn, Florian, Huerta(maybe), Joe Stevenson, Sherk, Hermes Franca is back, Frankie Edgar, Clay Guida, Danzig, Lil Diaz, Tyson Griffin, I mean the list goes on of the lightweight fighters who can easily put themselves in title contention just by winning 2-3 fights. If it was me, I'd go with Alvarez, because 2 Diaz brothers may be too much
Reel Sandman Says:
Brett Rogers?? I'd like to see him stand and bang with Shane Carwin.
Dude Says:
True, Nick Diaz is an exciting fighter (since exciting fights make great cards, UFC 89? HA!) and would be awesome to see in the UFC again but I don't think they'll give him another chance; same with Lawler. Too bad for Carano, really wanted to see her fight Cyborg. CBS should really consider offering the UFC some kind of deal...that would just confirm what we already know. UFC, bring in JOEY VILLASENOR!
NealTaflinger Says:
There are actually a lot of fighters on the EliteXC roster who would be good hires for other promoters.
Aaron Says:
I'm just going to put this idea out there. How cool would it be to have a TUF show with all women? Pick up Carano, Santos, and 14 others and put them in the reality house format. The 18-35 demo would totally watch that, plus women might take an interest too. We get to learn about the fighters on the show. Put a female card on UFC. If that's too risky for some stupid reason, use the same format and put them in the WEC. I've grown to love watching the women fight. Gina and the girls need a good home.
MeatHookJones Says:
Let the UFC sign a one-off deal with Kimbo. Have him fight an open weight bout against Houston Alexander, not only would Houston's heavy hands and questionable chin make it an anything could happen type of scrap, the UFC probably wouldn't have to pay him extra to stand and trade.
Plus as far as mainstream fighting goes Gina probably wont have many options. That being said I'll give her $100 to give me a BJ and then punch me in the face. Seems unrealistic now but wait a few months, this is a standing offer.
Old, Bald and Irish Says:
Shields, Diaz, and Alvarez should all go to the UFC, but with thier recent purges of the UFC roster, I'm not sure how fast Dana will open his wallet for all three fighters. Although, I would LOVE to see all three head to the UFC.
Alvarez is ready for the big time.
Shields too, but his last outting was a little off. He got the win, but his punches didn't seem to have a lot of power and he was WAY to focused on getting that armbar. It was like he made a bet with someone that no matter what, he would beat Semtex by an armbar submission.
And two Diaz brothers in the UFC? That would bring street-thug trash talkin' to a level never before witnessed on planet Earth. I'd love to see it, but I don't think it's gonna happen. If the UFC do pick up Nick, they need to IMMEDIATELY set up a Diaz vs Diaz bout!
Hey...that reminds me. With the collapse of EXC, we won't be subjected to the train-wreck also known as "Blood Brothers: Shamrock vs Shamrock"! Yea!
Once again, I agree with everything Ben wrote...
...except one thing.
Kimbo could still have life as an MMA fighter...
...in Japan. Sapp is a god over there. They'd love Kimbo!
Either that, or Kimbo should pick up the phone and call Vince McMann over at the WWE. Trust me. People are thinkin' about it...
justin Says:
+1 on Villasenor
BIG CHRIS Says:
Yeah where is Brett Rogers on this list? He is a way more legitimate fighter than Kimbo. I would like to see him in the UFC, he gets in there and throws some bombs.
TheONE Says:
(UFC) Sign Jake, make him a gate keeper (cuz he can scrap), sign Diaz, throw him to the Welterweight lions, unless he can make 155lbs, then pit him against Nate. I'd pay to see that. Kimbo to the WWE doesn't sound far fetched. Gina? Poor (sexxxy ass) Gina. I still want to see her fight Cyborg. That would have been a REAL test. Thank you for participating, now go make me a sandwich. Just kidding, but not really.
LukeTheDuke Says:
kimbo should box
UFC fan Says:
I just want to see gina struggle to make weight again, and towel-down. :)
TUF Guy Says:
Expect to see Gina in an upcoming Playboy magazine. I'll put money on that. Any ammount. Not that it matters because even if I lost the bet I would just beat the crap out of the person that is asking for his/her money LoLz
Jemaleddin Says:
Call me a broken record, but I think the best evidence that EliteXC was a joke was Robbie Lawler as Middleweight champ. The guy couldn't hang in the UFC at 170, and now we're all going to pretend that he's a threat to anyone at 185? PLEASE.
No1Dad Says:
The big winner in all of this could be the WEC. Alvarez, Diaz, Shields already have some name recognition which is exactly what the WEC is lacking. This is the perfect scenario for them.
mayhem420 Says:
Jake and Eddie.... thats it.
Nick wont fight for the UFC again.
Lawler wont fight for the UFC either.
Kimbo is a joke although the Old Bald Irish guy has a point about Sapp and how he is huge (hahaha) in Japan... hell Kimbo would be almost god like. He should (if he still wants to fight MMA) go to Dream... fight some cream puffs... wait ..... did he do that here?
As for Gina..... Just get Naked already and then we can all stop talking about you.
Your a good fighter but with no women in UFC and no other real options right now...
Just do it.... for the love of all that is held dear.... Strip already!!!!
Jugger Says:
The UFC could pick up any and all of XC's top tier (skill-wise, not hype-wise) fighters if they wanted to. They could just cut loose some of their TUF dingle-berries to make room for them.
The problem is, the UFC's lower weight classes are already too bloated. If you're a bottom feeder LW, WW, or MW, you've got long waits between meaningful fights, and even longer waits for title shots. Especially when the lightweight beltholder is taking 4 months off to fight for the title in another division. And the MW beltholder is experimenting at LHW.
Sure, I'd like to see Villasenor, Benji Radach, Lawler, Alvarez, and Shields replace some of the expendable undercard-fodder that the UFC now has... But I don't see it happening.
And BTW, Nick doesn't "turn in and exciting performance." His last three fights have been very sub-par. I even recall him butt-scooting against Noons.
Gina Corano's Pimp Says:
In resopse to the $100 BJ... Gina will be on HDnet soon enough for those who have Directv. Mark my words. For those poor blokes who don't? get a better paying job. maybe sell some drugs.
I cannot belive someone thinks the street-smart-only Kimbo can or could ever be a boxer. He may look like tyson but he has no skills. Look for him on a local fight card in Miami facing Sean Gannon in rematch for some BS title WITH YET ANOTHER RETARDED LOOKING SHAVED CHEST JOB. Brett Rogers would have destroyed Kimbo.
UFC should set up Diaz vs Diaz call it UFC 110 "brotherly beatdown" and the loser doesn't get a ufc contract. Same goes for Lawler vs Alvarez.
Good Riddance EliteXC! next up for bankruptcy? Affliction.
t.p. Says:
carano's left boob looks way bigger than her right.
Lyquid Says:
They forgot Feljao. Alvarez and him are the only real prospects for the ufc. Shields will get dominated by any welterweight in the ufc.
Pervert Says:
They should make one MMA card on Playboy channel with Gina Carano and all the hottest female fighters going in matches all naked. I would love to see them on the ground with submissions, ground and pound, etc. I bet that guys will pay to see that than to watch a UFC PPV card.
qp Says:
I say the UFC opens up its stance on the womens MMA by allowing it on the WEC. Since there thinking of shrinking the division by taking out a couple weight classes, they could easily throw a womens division here. People want to see Gina fight as well as a couple other fighters. What better way to keep some more cash flowing towards this company than to convert the EliteXC fans into WEC fans. There stubborn, but letting other organization reak the benefits isnt the wisest choice either.
The Truth Says:
I can't believe I'm the first to mention this...
WHAT ABOUT TITO ORTIZ?????
Tito was all smiles claiming he is going to get paid for signing with EliteXC...now what???
Jeepman Says:
TUF Guy Says:
October 21st, 2008 at 11:32 am
Expect to see Gina in an upcoming Playboy magazine. I’ll put money on that. Any ammount. Not that it matters because even if I lost the bet I would just beat the crap out of the person that is asking for his/her money LoLz
I'll take that bet,TUF Guy....and I'll be around to collect when I win. Bring your own band-aids......
tkb Says:
gina will doff her gear, get paid and we'll all be disappointed.
cyborg will defeat anderson silva in his farewell fight.
kimbo will go back to the taco bell.
TUF Guy Says:
@ t.p. Says:
October 21st, 2008 at 12:17 pm
carano’s left boob looks way bigger than her right.
- well you homo, one day when you get a girl you will realize that the left one is usually a bit bigger.
@ Jeepman
- well you homo, I see the internet gives you all kinds of courage. But by all means, keep your fantasies flowing it keeps the mind sharp.
t.p. Says:
TUF Gay, i hate you.
aly Says:
Aaron, ufc wouldn't do that, the oxygen network already had a program like that called fight girls in which gina carano was a coach/cornerwoman (for muay thai), but the concept was the same as ur thinking. I actually saw a few episodes and women are too dramatic and emotional for most of us to tolerate watching for 10 weeks straight, and i'm a woman myself
MMAEruption.com Says:
The UFC should sign Nasty Nick Diaz Immediately!
Read why here:
http://www.mmaeruption.com/2008/10/ufc-should-sign-nick-diaz-hold-diaz.html
No1Dad Says:
"WHAT ABOUT TITO ORTIZ?????
Tito was all smiles claiming he is going to get paid for signing with EliteXC…now what???"
Excellent point. I guess Dana really isn't kidding when he says Tito is a moron.
Jack Says:
I wonder what's going to happen to the NYBA? You may hate him but you know you want to see him fight!
Me Says:
Actually TUF Guy, I was thinking the same thing as tp. Not kinda bigger, look at that photo. That left boob is MASSIVE.
odoyle Says:
i think everyones in agreement here.....we just want to see gina naked. thats the only person we care about in elite xc.
Zee German Says:
TUF Guy:
"- well you homo, one day when you get a girl you will realize that the left one is usually a bit bigger."
So funny. Only a gay guy would say that. Idiot.
ADW Says:
I want to see Nick Diaz in the UFC again.
-Diaz vs, Sanchez 2:Badass
-DiazvsThiago Alves:Badass
-DiazvsJosh Koscheck:Badass
-DiazvsMatt Hughes:Badass
all of those fights would be great to watch even if Diaz got his ass whooped. Imagine all of the shit talking that would lead up to any of those fights.
Shark Says:
Gina doesn't have to worry about money her did owns or runs a casino in reno, nv.
The_Outlaw Says:
I would like see Nick back in the UFC but he has bad blood with them. If Jake goes there then most likely Nick will also be in the welterweight division and Nick does not fight no one on his team. He will probaly go to DREAM so Jake can shine in UFC for once.
Jeepman Says:
Zee German Says:
October 21st, 2008 at 3:35 pm
TUF Guy:
“- well you homo, one day when you get a girl you will realize that the left one is usually a bit bigger.”
So funny. Only a gay guy would say that. Idiot.
I was thinking the same thing....TUF Guy likes the meatpole. lol
Kyle Says:
I though Pro Elite owned Strikforce as well?
NECROPHYTE Says:
Jake Shields will probably get picked up by the ufc......
Markdog Says:
Those are some robust knock, knocks. Cheeches Christ! There's a joint, right up the street from my pad, that is hiring. Just saying, worst case scenario.
http://www.sugarsperfect.com/ssa/home.htm
Anonymous Says:
i can not believe all the idiots making such stupid comments.aside from a sad day that a lot of people lost jobs,elite xc was getting better all the time.i hear all the negative comments like people like to see people lose jobs and companies fail.i wish all u asses would lose your jobs or your company goes out of buisness.i never realized this site was for such dicks.talking about gina giving bjs.man i come on hear to read educated well informed opinions but all i see is a bunch of dumb shit.many of u r are silly little people that have petty lifes and like to see others fail.go get a life.
Markdog Says:
I guess your new to the internet? You never realized this site was for dicks? Is this your first time here, too? Donate some money to $kala, that might make you feel better. This website is based on wit, humor, and sarcasm observing anything involving MMA. Also, this website so happens to have two of the best writers in the world. How are you going to promote sympathy, then wish destruction upon the same crown you're trying to preach to. This is not PBS.org, buddy.
hey! Says:
what's going to happen to Seth Petruzelli? I think $kala is gonna scourge whatever money he has left and have seth murdered for destroying the company. DAMN THAT SUCKS!!
grannygrunt Says:
As for Kimbo, there's always Japan. He could always fight for K-1. The Japanese seem to love the freakscenes. Who wouldn't love to see Kimbo fight Bob Sapp or Choi Hong-man? I do agree that it would make sense for the WEC to incorporate women especially after the recent elimination of several weight divisions. For the love of God, please make Carano and Cyborg a reality.
Anonymous Says:
NICKD DIAZ IS THE POUND FOR POUND BEST FIGHTER!!
Derreck Says:
What about Dave "Pee-Wee" Herman? I really enjoyed the fights I have seen him in.
drkliter Says:
What about Wilson Reis?