(Noons: More elusive than Machida? Photo courtesy of Combat Lifestyle.)

Jared Shaw has had enough. The EliteXC vice president told MMA Junkie that KJ Noons has been given one more day to accept an October 4th title fight with Nick Diaz. “A bout agreement has been sent to KJ Noons,” Shaw said. “He has until 5 (p.m. PT Thursday) to accept it, or he can face public opinion.”

In a longer interview with MMA Junkie posted yesterday evening, Shaw strongly criticized Noons and his management for their unwillingness to commit to the Diaz fight. Some highlights:

“I’m sitting here and I’m drinking from a carton of milk right now. And the EliteXC lightweight champion KJ Noons’ face is on the back of this milk carton because he’s missing in action. I can’t seem to find him.”

“Since day one [Noons' manager] Mark Dion has been insinuating that EliteXC has been out to get KJ Noons. I just can’t figure that out. When a guy appears on the very first card — and the very first fight gets knocked out in the very first round off the very first punch — and we’re there to hold his hand and pick him back up and put him right back on television in a main event on ShoXC? And then when he’s 1-1, get him right back into a main event situation for the world championship against Nick Diaz, the legend who beat Gomi, how are you going to say that we’re not trying to help your kid? What more opportunity could we give the kid?”

“[Noons] is earning in his next fight about $23,000 to show. That to me is already more than any fighter who has under 10 fights is making. He’s highly paid.”

“If this fight doesn’t go off then this a textbook case in business law of harbor. It would be called the KJ Noons case. It will be the biggest mismanagement of an athlete’s career you will ever see.”

We’ll update you if and when any of this gets resolved. In the meantime, EliteXC does have at least one major title fight booked for their third CBS show — MMAWeekly reports that welterweight golden boy Jake Shields will be facing Paul “Semtex” Daley, the Cage Rage welterweight champ who came out of a brief retirement last month to knock out Bojan Kosednar at Cage Warriors FC. Said Jared Shaw:

“Jake Shields and Paul Daley have a date on Oct. 4. Both fighters have verbally agreed. Bout agreements are out and we’re just waiting for them to come back in. Unlike some others, these are two guys that I trust their word.”

Shaw also did his best to debunk rumors that Kimbo Slice would be facing Sean Gannon on the October 4th card: “There are several options we’re considering right now [for Slice's next opponent]. Gannon is not the guy.”