Company type | Public |
---|---|
OTC Pink: PELE | |
Founded | November 13, 2006 |
Founder | Showtime Networks, ProElite |
Defunct | October 20, 2008 |
Fate | Folded |
Headquarters | , United States |
Key people | William Kelly President & Chief Operating Officer, Chairman, Paul Feller, Glenn Golenberg, Douglas De Luca, Lloyd Bryan Molander |
Parent | ProElite |
Elite Xtreme Combat, also known as EliteXC, was a United States-based mixed martial arts (MMA) organization owned and operated by ProElite. It was founded as a partnership between Showtime Networks and ProElite and officially announced on December 14, 2006. [1] It was headquartered in Los Angeles.
The partnership to form EliteXC was announced on November 13, 2006. [2] The first major event occurred February 10, 2007 at the DeSoto Civic Center in Southaven, Mississippi. Fighters Frank Shamrock and Renzo Gracie fought in the main event. Also debuting on this card was Charles Bennett, K. J. Noons, Mike Pyle and Antônio Silva.
In early 2008, EliteXC had reached an agreement with CBS to broadcast EliteXC shows on prime time. The arrangement was that CBS would broadcast EliteXC specials every other month on Saturday nights. [3] CBS aired only three events in 2008, on May 31, July 26, and October 4.
This is a list of events held and scheduled by Elite Xtreme Combat (EliteXC), a mixed martial arts organization based in the United States. The first event took place in February 2007. The list includes three events that EliteXC co-promoted (Dynamite!! USA, Strikeforce Shamrock vs. Baroni, and Strikeforce: Shamrock vs. Le) with other MMA organizations. Two events were shown initially on pay-per-view, while the others aired on the Showtime cable network or on CBS.
On July 11, 2007, it was announced that Proelite.com and Showtime would produce a new series titled ShoXC. [4] The monthly shows featured up-and-coming MMA talent, similar to Showtime's ShoBox boxing events. The first took place on July 27, 2007. The first event was co-promoted with King of the Cage and was also known as KOTC: Undisputed.
On September 7, 2007, ProElite, Inc. announced that they had officially acquired British MMA organization Cage Rage Championships. EliteXC and Cage Rage Championships planned numerous joint ventures together, beginning with Cage Rage 23. [5]
On May 10, 2008 EliteXC announced a working partnership with Japanese promotion Dream. The two groups intended to share fighters (Eddie Alvarez, Jason Miller and Nick Diaz have already participated in Dream events) and eventually co-promote shows. [6]
On September 24, 2008 EliteXC announced a working partnership with rival US promotion Affliction. Affliction offered Andrei Arlovski vs. Roy Nelson for the EliteXC: Heat card on CBS. [7] In addition, Affliction heavily promoted their line through commercials on the show. It was hoped that the two companies would survive a rocky financial situation long enough to co-promote fights again in the future.
On October 4, 2008 at EliteXC: Heat, EliteXC's biggest ratings draw Kimbo Slice was knocked out just 14 seconds into his bout with Seth Petruzelli. Petruzelli served as a last-minute replacement for MMA pioneer Ken Shamrock, who got injured on the day of the fight and was unable to compete. The unexpected outcome of this fight drew a great deal of attention, and subsequent comments by Petruzelli that he was offered a monetary bonus to employ certain techniques during the fight (comments he later recanted and obfuscated), raised the question of undue influence by EliteXC representatives in fights. Significant debt incurred by parent company Pro Elite with no investors or buyers showing interest [8] caused the subsequent cancellation of the November 8, 2008 event. Combined with the Florida State Athletic Commission launching an investigation into the Slice/Petruzelli fight, Pro Elite announced on October 20, 2008 that they would cease operations.
Weight class name | Upper limit |
---|---|
Bantamweight | 140 lb (63.5 kg) |
Featherweight | 150 lb (68.0 kg) |
Lightweight | 160 lb (72.6 kg) |
Welterweight | 170 lb (77.1 kg) |
Middleweight | 190 lb (86.2 kg) |
Light Heavyweight | 210 lb (95.3 kg) |
Heavyweight | No weight limit |
No. | Name | Event | Date | Defenses |
---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Antônio Silva def. Justin Eilers | EliteXC: Unfinished Business Stockton, California, US | July 26, 2008 |
No. | Name | Event | Date | Defenses |
---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Murilo Rua def. Joey Villasenor | Strikeforce: Shamrock vs. Baroni San Jose, California, US | June 22, 2007 | |
2 | Robbie Lawler | EliteXC: Uprising Honolulu, Hawaii, US | September 15, 2007 | NC vs. Scott Smith at EliteXC: Primetime on May 31, 2008 in Newark, New Jersey, US |
No. | Name | Event | Date | Defenses |
---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Jake Shields def. Nick Thompson | EliteXC: Unfinished Business Stockton, California, US | July 26, 2008 | 1. def. Paul Daley at EliteXC: Heat on Oct 4, 2008 in Sunrise, Florida, US |
No. | Name | Event | Date | Defenses |
---|---|---|---|---|
1 | K. J. Noons def. Nick Diaz | EliteXC: Renegade Corpus Christi, Texas, US | November 10, 2007 | 1. def. Yves Edwards at EliteXC: Return of the King on Jun 14, 2008 in Honolulu, Hawaii, US |
Noons was stripped of the title on September 19, 2008 by EliteXC |
No. | Name | Event | Date | Defenses |
---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Wilson Reis def. Abel Cullum | ShoXC 8 Santa Ynez, California, US | September 26, 2008 |
Frank Shamrock is an American former professional mixed martial artist. Shamrock was the first to hold the UFC Middleweight Championship and retired as an undefeated champion. Shamrock was the No. 1 ranked pound for pound UFC fighter in the world during his reign as the UFC Middleweight Champion. Shamrock has won numerous titles in other martial arts organizations, including the interim King of Pancrase title, the WEC Light Heavyweight Championship and the Strikeforce Middleweight Championship. Shamrock is regarded as one of the first complete mixed martial artists, having adapted his game from a ground-focused style of fighting to a more well-rounded and versatile style. He is a seventh degree black belt in submission fighting.
Nickolas Robert Diaz is an American professional boxer and mixed martial artist who competed in the welterweight and middleweight divisions of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). Diaz is a former Strikeforce, WEC and IFC welterweight champion and a UFC title challenger. He also notably competed in PRIDE, EliteXC, DREAM, and Shooto. Nick is the older brother of former UFC fighter Nate Diaz, with the pair of brothers being one of the biggest influences in the sport of MMA.
Cage Rage Championships, also known as Cage Rage, was a United Kingdom-based, mixed martial arts promotion that premiered on 7 September 2002 in London. Cage Rage went into liquidation and is now no longer trading. Cage Rage had been owned and managed by Elite XC until that company ceased operating, and the British promoters behind Cage Rage formed a new organization and withdrew all the old Cage Rage titles. Matchmaker and on-screen personality Dave O'Donnell was also a minority shareholder in the company. Fellow on-screen personality and co-promoter Andy Geer also owned a minority stake until he left the promotion in 2008. Cage Rage events were replayed on Nuts TV, along with their own weekday show on The Fight Network until these channels closed down. Every Cage Rage event and bout is now archived as part of the UFC Fight Pass library.
Strikeforce was an American mixed martial arts and kickboxing organization based in San Jose, California that operated from 1985 to 2013. It was headed by CEO Scott Coker.
Murilo Milani Rua, also known as Ninja, is a Brazilian retired mixed martial artist. He is the older brother of former UFC Light Heavyweight Champion Mauricio Rua. He was the inaugural EliteXC Middleweight Champion and also competed in Pride Fighting Championships.
Joey Simon Villaseñor is an American former professional mixed martial artist. A professional competitor from 1999 until 2012, Villasenor competed for the PRIDE Fighting Championships, Strikeforce, EliteXC, King of the Cage, DEEP, Shark Fights, BAMMA, and the World Fighting Alliance. Villasenor is the former King of the Cage Middleweight Champion, and defended this title seven times before vacating it to sign with PRIDE.
Antônio Silva is a Brazilian retired professional mixed martial artist and kickboxer who formerly competed in the Heavyweight division. Silva has competed for the UFC, Strikeforce, EliteXC, Cage Rage, Fight Nights Global, World Victory Road, K-1 HERO'S, and Cage Warriors. He is the former EliteXC Heavyweight Champion, Cage Rage World Heavyweight Champion, and Cage Warriors Super Heavyweight Champion.
Strikeforce: Shamrock vs. Baroni was a mixed martial arts event co-promoted by Strikeforce and EliteXC. The event took place on Friday, June 22, 2007 at the HP Pavilion in San Jose, California. The main card aired on pay-per-view, with the undercard streamed live on ProElite.com. The PPV event was rebroadcast on the Showtime premium cable channel on June 30, 2007.
ProElite, Inc. is an American entertainment and media company involved in the promotion of mixed martial arts (MMA).
EliteXC: Destiny was the inaugural mixed martial arts event by the mixed martial arts organization EliteXC. The event took place on Saturday, February 10, 2007, at the DeSoto Civic Center in Southaven, Mississippi. The main card aired on Showtime, with the undercard was streamed live on the Proelite.com website.
ShoXC is a mixed martial arts series produced by the mixed martial arts organization EliteXC, Showtime and Proelite.com. The series was announced on July 11, 2007. The purpose of the show is to highlight up and coming MMA fighters.
Karl James Noons is a retired American professional mixed martial artist, as well as a former professional boxer and kickboxer. Noons competed for UFC, Strikeforce, DREAM and EliteXC. He is the former EliteXC Lightweight Champion and runner up for the StrikeForce title.
Strikeforce: Shamrock vs. Le was a mixed martial arts event co-promoted by Strikeforce and EliteXC. The event took place on Saturday, March 29, 2008 at the HP Pavilion in San Jose, California.
Kevin Ferguson, better known as Kimbo Slice, was a Bahamian mixed martial artist, professional boxer, and actor. Originally a bare-knuckle boxer, he became noted for his role in mutual combat street fight videos which were spread online, leading Rolling Stone to call him "The King of the Web Brawlers".
EliteXC: Heat was a mixed martial arts event held by Elite Xtreme Combat on October 4, 2008, in Sunrise, Florida, at the BankAtlantic Center. The event was scheduled to be headlined with a heavyweight fight between Ken Shamrock and Kimbo Slice, but Shamrock had to pull out due to an injury and Seth Petruzelli was called up to replace him. Petruzelli delivered a shock win by knocking out Slice, but the fight was overshadowed by accusations that Petruzelli had been offered a payment by EliteXC's promoters to not fight Slice on the ground. The event also featured a heavyweight match between Andrei Arlovski and Roy Nelson in a cross-promotional event, and drew an estimated 4,560,000 viewers on CBS.
Prior to the closure of parent company ProElite on October 20, 2008, EliteXC: A Night of Champions was to be a mixed martial arts event held by EliteXC that would have taken place on November 8, 2008 in Reno, Nevada at the Reno Events Center. The event was scheduled to include two title fights and would have aired on the Showtime cable network.
Strikeforce: Shamrock vs. Diaz was a mixed martial arts event held by Strikeforce on April 11, 2009 at the HP Pavilion in San Jose, California. It was the first event promoted by Strikeforce after their acquisition of assets from the defunct EliteXC promotion through its parent company ProElite. It aired on the Showtime cable network and online through Strikeforce All Access. Gus Johnson, Mauro Ranallo and Pat Miletich were commentating during the broadcast and Jimmy Lennon Jr. was the ring announcer. The official attendance was announced to be 14,409. The event drew an estimated 364,000 viewers on Showtime.
Strikeforce/M-1 Global: Fedor vs. Rogers was a mixed martial arts event held on November 7, 2009 promoted by Strikeforce in association with M-1 Global. It was the first MMA event on network television since the now-defunct EliteXC promotion broadcast its final event, EliteXC: Heat, on CBS on October 4, 2008. The event had a four-fight main card with a broadcasting team of Gus Johnson, Frank Shamrock and Mauro Ranallo. The event drew an estimated 4,040,000 viewers, with a peak at 5,460,000 on CBS.
Scott Coker is an American mixed martial artist, Taekwondoin, former movie stuntman, and combat sports promoter. He is the founder and former CEO of MMA promotion Strikeforce, former president of Bellator MMA, and founder of Fight Night at the Tech.