Elite XC Heat And The Fallout From The Show

Many are already calling for Kimbo Slice to retire or consider wrestling and jumping on Elite XC saying their lost their shining star in a matter of seconds. I will admit up front that my cable went out half way through the Carano/Kobold fight so I missed some of it so I can't break down all the matches fairly. What I can do is tell you what I think can be done and be successful for Elite XC when it comes time for their next CBS show, which I think will happen even though I have not seen the ratings, I still think CBS signs on for a couple more at least. Oh and while I am at it, Elite XC needs to start with their next event give the women 5 minute rounds just like the men do and start treating them as legitimate fighters with the same standards as the men.

For those not aware, Ken Shamrock suffered a laceration above his left eye just before the fight and so Seth Petruzelli stepped in and in 14 seconds knocked out Kimbo Slice. This has given those just waiting to see Kimbo "get exposed" their just reward and less then 24 hours after the fight, many are jumping all over it. I am an Elite XC fan admittedly but I have a hard time jumping on the man's back trying to tackle him down after one fight with a couple hours to prepare. I think this situation and Frank Shamrock's mouth maybe turned one fight into two future fights. I would give Kimbo time to train for Seth and then put him in the cage with him one more time before calling him a failure. The guy has only had a few MMA fights so expecting him to not make mistakes is asinine. Nobody has ever called Kimbo a purely talented scientific fighter but I guess is just so easy to judge him for his imperfections and ignore the fact that with training and in time, he could still be a great asset to the promotion. And since I think this rematch is a better fit for Kimbo then trying to get Ken again, I would see if brother Frank's comments about hurting the Shamrock name can be backed up in the cage against his adopted brother. I know Elite can find someone to take his place at ringside and fans can finally see Frank against Ken in what could be a very hard fought battle.

Even though many will point to the Kimbo/Seth fight to try and point to Elite XC's downfall, I think they are ignoring the rest of the card and other great potential fights/talents fighters who deserve to be mentioned. For starters, the next live CBS event, the first match I would sign would be Gina Carano and Cris Cyborg finally fighting each other. Then I would talk to your new partner in business Affliction and see what it would take to possibly get Fedor to work on the card in some form. I love the potential with the two companies working together and will benefit both if both sides remain willing to work together. Also, in an interview with http://www.sherdog.com/ , welterweight champ Jake Shields says he is willing to move up in weight to fight middleweight champion Robbie Lawler which I think would be a great fight and the hardcore pundits would love to see as well as many of us who tend to lean more mainstream. Or maybe give Benji Radach a shot at Lawler after that impressive win last night against Rua and use that to build to Lawler/Shields on the next card. I would also talk to KJ Noons and see what it would take to get him to fight Nick Diaz since they have already stripped Noons of his lightweight title because he would not agree to the fight. Whether it's money or lack of interest in fighting Diaz, I think one big hyped fight between these two could only help both the promotion and especially the fighter who ends up with the victory. If not, I would get Conor Heun in the ring with Diaz and the winner gets either the title or a match with Noons for the title. And I would also find a great fight for Antonio Silva to defend his heavyweight title, maybe Brett Rogers. And depending on the details of the two groups working together, maybe set it up somehow so the winner of Silva/Rogers gets the winner of Fedor/Andrei Arluvski and unify the heavyweight titles later down the line.

Those are just a handful of options that I as a fan can potentially see from last night's card. I know many want to hype UFC and admittedly they have many talented fighters and the resources to promote the heck out of them but I think if Elite XC can provide an alternative competition to them, both sides will prosper from the desire to top the other one and not lack creativity some organizations face when they completely dominate a sport. The fighters also win because out of competition grows more desire to provide the best product and pay the best price for it. Last night may have been many critics wet dream watching Kimbo Slice go down in 14 seconds but I think it showed the potential Elite XC has in not just sitting on one guy but having a talented roster just waiting for chances to prove themselves worthy. I am anxious to see what occurs between Brock Lesnar and Randy Couture, I like the Ultimate Fighter shows, and I think GSP and BJ Penn are two of the most talented fighters in the world but that does not mean I must have blind loyalty towards one or the other of bash them(though sometimes when Dana White talks, it is like fingers on a chalkboard to me) but I just think trying to have at least two top promotions is better then one and by me pointing out Elite XC's progress, it helps everyone. Some may see it as limiting options because you may not see Fedor and Randy or GSP fight Shields but it gives us great conversation and sets up possible contract negotiations in the future that could lead to it if a promotion wants it bad enough. MMA is still an grade school kid in an adult world when it comes to many aspects of business and sports but as time rolls on, they are proving to be the smart kid everyone wants to copy from and skips a grade occasionally because they learned quickly. So show both companies some love and let's see if it helps the future of the sport as well as both companies because in the end, if both companies are profitable, the fans will also win.