Posts with the tag "EliteXC"

There won't be a third round for EliteXC. After a two year run, it appears that EliteXC is closing it's doors. This wasn't a surprise to anybody, it was only a surprise in that it happened so soon. For more on the downfall, read the article Behind the Scenes of ProElite and EliteXC’s Demise.

Being a dedicated fan, I wonder about the fallout of such an event. My immediate reaction is that this is bad for mixed martial arts. There won't be any more Saturday Night Fights. MMA won't have national TV exposure. Worst of all, it may be sometime before we see Gina Carano fight again.

Then again, this might be a good thing for mixed martial arts. The few good fighters that EliteXC had under contract will now migrate to Affliction and the UFC. Fighters might start appreciating the pay they are receiving. Best of all, no more Kimbo hype.

In any case, the fallout will be interesting to watch. Time will tell how this truly impacts mixed martial arts.

MMAJunkie wrote a great article about last weekend's Fight Night.

By far, the best line of the article is:

Slice's days as an MMA curiosity are over. He will still be able to sell some tickets, but the loss to Petruzelli, who's never been confused with a truly elite-level fighter, effectively makes Slice just another guy who fights for a living.

MMAJunkie points out that the big winner was Affliction and of course Seth Petruzelli. I tend to agree as I saw the Affliction name everywhere during the show. Also, Andrei Arlovski looked very good once he got going.

As for the losers, there is of course Ken Shamrock who never got his chance at Kimbo Slice. With Kimbo losing, the other big loser has to be EliteXC. Where they go from here is beyond me, but it will be interesting to see how they advertise Slice going forward.

The big losers were Kimbo Slice and EliteXC.

I know my wife has noticed it and so have some of you. There seems to be a lot more Mixed Martial Arts these days. I remember back about a year ago when I couldn't get enough MMA, but those days seem long gone. With the UFC, EliteXC, DREAM and Affliction events, you can find fights to watch almost every weekend.

To complicate things, the UFC has been airing shows on the same night as EliteXC and Affliction. They are trying to draw away potential viewers with their own events. Case in point was last weeks UFC Fight night which aired on the same night as the "Banned" Affliction event.

The question is whether this is too much MMA? The quick response is a definitive "no." Fans love the ability to turn on the TV almost any weekend and watch fights?

The problem is that the events are losing the appeal of the big show. They are too often and there isn't enough build up. As the events are watered down and the talent is spread across more promotions, there will be a negative effect on the fans.

The real answer lies in the long term growth of the sport. The explosion of mixed martial arts will draw new fans and encourage competition among promotions. This competition will ultimately lead to better events and most likely fewer promotions. So, yes there is too much MMA right now, but it essential for the sport to evolve into a better product. What do you think?

Once again the rumors are spreading that MMA is coming to network TV and this time it's EliteXC. Seems like a good deal for EliteXC who will get a ton of new exposure. Not sure how this will effect the UFC. On one hand, it could raise interest in MMA which could mean new UFC fans. However, some fans may become loyal to EliteXC. At any rate, this is a win for mixed martial art fans.