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| Elite XC ratings on CBS down with ‘Unfinished Business’ July 26 Posted: 28 Jul 2008 08:57 AM CDT As expected, the ratings for Elite XC’s second installment of “Saturday Night Fights” on CBS were down from the inaugural show on May 31. Without Kimbo Slice’s drawing power, Gary Shaw’s over-the-top promoter shtick and with the initial appeal of the whole thing having worn off for some, record numbers were not expected. And according to TVByTheNumbers.com, that’s exactly what happened this time around. In fact, the final rating is estimated to be right around a 2.0 and somewhere between 2.5 to 3 million viewers, which is down about 40 percent from May 31. However, it’s certainly not a complete failure. As mentioned before, the initial numbers weren’t expected to be duplicated and it was hard for CBS and Elite XC officials to estimate what would be a success or a failure as far as the ratings went. It’s probably safe to say both parties would have liked to have seen higher numbers, but things could have been much worse. “Unfinished Business” did leave us with reasons to believe Elite XC can still be a success. That’s because the event in itself was a success. The show improved by leaps and bounds as far as production and credibility goes. Hopefully for Elite XC, that will lead to more viewers the next time out because there is a lot riding on that October 4 event in Ft. Lauderdale. In deed, this is a make-or-break event for Elite XC as far as the CBS deal goes. Having said that, CBS will likely not look for record numbers on October 4, but there certainly has to be an improvement. Elite XC needs to prove to CBS that it can pull in consistent numbers and draw that key demographic. If the promotion can do that then maybe we’ll see an extension signed or perhaps even a more lucrative deal with a rival network. However, if Elite XC can’t prove that to CBS then who knows what would happen to Elite XC. As of right now, it appears that there is a lot riding on the broad shoulders of Kimbo Slice on October 4. More than usual. |
| Sengoku 4: Trigg, Gomi and a lightweight grand prix Posted: 27 Jul 2008 08:05 PM CDT
“The Fireball Kid” is looking for his second straight win under the upstart promotion after stopping Duane “Bang” Ludwig at Sengoku: First Battle back in March. Opposing him will be current DEEP lightweight champion Sung Hwan Pang. The South Korean debuted in 2007 and is the winner of five straight. Also headlining the card will be former UFC welterweight Frank Trigg. “Twinkle Toes” last competed at HDNet Fights: Reckless Abandon back in December when he submitted Edwin “Babyface” DeWees by kimura. It will be interesting to see how fans receive the Sengoku lightweight grand prix considering how soon it’s being held after the DREAM lightweight GP. While I’ve yet to hear any fans complain about having too much MMA, there may be an unspoken expectation for the Sengoku participants to try and outshine their crosstown rivals. Here’s how the card is shaping up thus far: Main Card: Takanori Gomi (28-3) vs Sung Hwan Pang (5-1) Lightweight GP: Clay French (16-2) vs Satoru Kitaoka (20-8-9) The GP may not have any household names, but I’ll be keeping a close eye on Clay French, who has wins over some tough competitors like Jason Ireland and Mac Danzig. Also watch out for Brazilian black-belt Rodrigo Damm, winner of eight straight including his last match at Sengoku: Third Battle. Stay tuned for updates as the Sengoku 4 card is finalized in the coming weeks. |
| MMA Quick Quote: Kimbo Slice eyes knockout finish in October against … ? Posted: 27 Jul 2008 02:23 PM CDT
– Elite XC heavyweight fighter Kimbo Slice talked last night at Elite XC: “Unfinished Business” about his upcoming fight in Ft. Lauderdale, Fla., on October 4. This will be Kimbo’s second fight for Elite XC in the “dirty south.” The Miami native knocked out Tank Abbott back in February on the “Street Certified” card, which took place at the Bank United Center in Miami. The interesting thing is that Kimbo’s opponent has not yet been confirmed even though Brett “The Grim” Rogers was believed by most to be that opponent, especially after the post-event fireworks the two had following the May 31 show. Rogers hasn’t been ruled out as Kimbo’s October 4 counterpart, either, but all signs right now appear to point toward a different match up. Perhaps Elite XC believes Rogers is more deserving of a title shot at this point, or maybe they’re just protecting Kimbo. What say you? |
| UFC 88 video trailer for ‘Breakthrough’ in Atlanta September 6 Posted: 27 Jul 2008 02:00 PM CDT |
| UFC 90 tickets Allstate Arena in Chicago October 25 on sale soon Posted: 27 Jul 2008 12:37 PM CDT
That’s sure to be an interesting scrap, especially if “The Predator” follows through with his early promises to trade with the unforgiving Brazilian striker Regardless, here is the UFC 89 tickets sales schedule:
UFC 90 tickets, which start at just $50, can be purchased through StubHub.com. (Note: StubHub often has seats available even if the event is “sold out.”) In addition to the fight between Silva and Cote, welterweights Diego Sanchez and Thiago Silva are also expected to go to war on this card … talk about a great start. Stay tuned to MMAmania.com for more UFC 90 card updates and fight rumors. For more on UFC 90 — the promotion’s historic foray into the “Windy City” — click here. |
| Anderson Silva DVD ‘Cage Rage Superstar Collection’ Posted: 27 Jul 2008 11:09 AM CDT
By now we’re all familiar with the reign of terror Anderson Silva has inflicted on the UFC middleweight and light heavyweight divisions since his debut against Chris Leben at Ultimate Fight Night 5. Now here is a chance to see some of his earlier Cage Rage fights including his battles with UFC veteran Jorge “El Conquistador” Rivera and the legendary “Lightning” Lee Murray, the last man to take Silva to a decision. From big time knockouts to slick submissions, Cage Rage showcases the best of the best from every fighting discipline including Jiu-Jitsu, Boxing, Karate, Kickboxing, Wrestling, Pankration, Tae Kwon Do, Muay Thai and Judo. This is the Superstar Collection…five Cage Rage events comprised of 59 fights in their entirety featuring the biggest names in MMA including Anderson "Spider" Silva, Michael "The Count" Bisping, Paul "Semtex" Daley, Renato "Babalu" Sobral, Ian "The Machine" Freeman, Matt "The Law" Lindland, Evangelista "Cyborg" Santos, Jean "White Bear" Silva, Jorge "El Conquistador" Rivera, Mark Weir, “Lightning” Lee Murray, Johil de Oliveira, Melvin Manhoef and Curtis Strout. DISC 1: Battle of Britain (2:44:23): Philly San VS Dave Elliot, Xavier Foupa Pokam VS Paul Daley, Ricky Andrews VS Jeremy Bailey, Paul Jenkins VS Ronaldo Campos, Jean Francois Lenogue VS Damien Riccio, Samy Schiavo VS Robbie Oliver, Emmanuel Fernandez VS Leigh Remedios, Jess Liaudin VS Matt Ewin, Ollie Ellis VS Jean Silva, Michael Bisping VS Mark Epstein, Jorge Rivera VS Mark Weir Knights of the Octagon (2:35:26): Peter Tiaks VS Ian Butlin, James Nicholle VS Suley Mahmoud, Silvio De Souza VS Mark Epstein, Sol Gilbert VS Jean Francois Lenogue, Jeremy Bailey VS Phil Gildea, Matt Ewin VS Damien Riccio, Ryan Robison VS Kuljit Degun, Leigh Remedios, VS Ricky Salhan, Matthias Riccio VS James Kikic, Mark Weir VS Johil De Oliveira, Lee Murray VS Anderson Silva DISC 2: No Mercy (2:03:05): Brad Pickett VS Stuart Grant, Mustapha Al Turk VS Freidoun Naghizadeh, Sami Berik VS Addul Mohamed, Tulio Palhares VS Alex Reid, Paul Daley VS Jess Liaudin, Dave Elliot VS Robbie Oliver, Ridas Vivada VS Sol Gilbert, Samy Schiavo VS Jean Silva, Renato Sobral VS Cyrille Diabate, Michael Bisping VS Mark Epstein, Matt Lindland VS Mark Weir, Ryan Robinson VS Ian Freeman Deliverance (2:38:38): Andy Walker VS Alex De Souza, Ricky Andrews VS Dave Lee, Brad Pickett VS Chris Freebourne, Robert Berry VS Andy Harby, Daniel Buzotta VS Andy Costello, Evangelista Santos VS Anthony Rea, Jeremy Bailey VS Sami Berik, Jean Silva VS Leigh Remedios, Melvin Manhoef VS Matthias Riccio, Alex Reid VS Jorge Rivera, Gabriel Santos VS Mark Weir, Curtis Stout VS Sol Gilbert, Pierre Guillet VS Renato Sobral DISC 3: Face Off (2:11:48): Atilla Kubilay VS Richard Bowkett, Tom Blackledge VS Kuljit Degun, Jess Liaudin VS Abdul Mohamed, Robert Berry VS Andy Costello, Brad Pickett VS Aaron Blackwell, Henrique Santana VS Hassan Muridi, Paul Daley VS Paul Jenkins, Ross Mason VS Damien Riccio, Pierre Guillet VS Anthony Rea, Evangelista Santos VS Mark Epstein, Mark Weir VS Curtis Stout, Anderson Silva VS Jorge Rivera Face Off Promo (1:21) Running Time: A staggering 735 minutes! Cage Rage: Superstar Collection is now available for purchase in our DVD store for $19.99 by clicking here. To check out our massive library of MMA DVD titles, including PRIDE DVD and UFC DVD click here. We also have Elite XC, WEC, Cage Rage, IFL, King of the Cage and other products for sale in our store. Looking for a title but don't see it in our store? Email us and we'll be happy to check its availability. Please keep in mind that we are only able to ship within the continental United States at this time. |
| DREAM 6: Mirko Cro Cop vs Alistair Overeem? Posted: 27 Jul 2008 11:02 AM CDT
“Demolition Man” — who submitted Mark Hunt last week at DREAM 5 — has accused the Croatian of ducking him on more than one occasion and apparently Cro Cop has had enough. From the Croat’s official blog:
Cro Cop hasn't competed since DREAM 1 back in March after being fed Tatsuya Mizuno in his much ballyhooed debut. He was penciled in to face Jerome LeBanner at DREAM 4, until it was switched to a bizarre grappling match against Ralek Gracie - pushing the LeBanner fight to DREAM 5 on the 21. After Lebanner went AWOL and his injuries started acting up, Filipovic bailed on DREAM 5, instead opting to sit on the sidelines and rebuild his aging body after having arthroscopy earlier this month. Some fans have been less than sympathetic.
Hopefully Cro Cop has one last run in him. He’s a gifted striker who can easily compete with any top ten heavyweight, but his tenure in the UFC left many wondering if his best days were behind him. If Cro Cop can indeed return to action against the resurgent Overeem at DREAM 6 in September, we may have the answer sooner rather than later. Thanks to MMAmaniac “John” for the assist. |
| Elite XC next show on CBS set for Ft. Lauderdale October 4 Posted: 27 Jul 2008 10:46 AM CDT
And the promotion will once again trot out its big guns like in the network television debut on May 31. Hometown star Kimbo Slice will return to action, as well as the “female face of MMA,” Gina Carano. Opponents were not revealed or confirmed last night, however, it’s likely that “Conviction” will clash with Cristiane Cyborg — the Brazilian terror who thrashed Shayna Baszler with a relentless attack to kick-off the “Unfinished Business” show on CBS. In fact, it’s possible that Carano and Cyborg will compete for the first-ever Elite XC female championship belt. Slice has been rumored to take on Brett “The Grim” Rogers ever since the dust up at the “Primetime” post-fight press conference. However, word surrounding that match up has quieted ever since Elite XC Live Events President Gary Shaw’s role has diminished — he was the one who essentially said it was going to happen. Now it’s anyone’s guess. Of course, there are several other showdowns possible for the card, including Frank Shamrock returning to action to challenge Robbie Lawler for his 185-pound crown. Prior to the show last night, we detailed several other possibilities for October right here. Regardless, Elite XC — as promised — delivered a tight show last night that was far more impressive than its first attempt. Of course, the ratings will likely not mirror those of the debut because of a lack of starpower, but overall the production and level of fights last night was far superior. Let’s hope the promotion can keep it up as it once again heads to Florida at the Bank Atlantic Center — a venue that can pack-in more than 22,000 rabid mixed martial arts fans. |
| Jon Fitch vs Georges St. Pierre video fight talk UFC 87 Posted: 27 Jul 2008 10:20 AM CDT |
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