October 5, 2008 is a date which will live in infamy for EliteXC. Originally scheduled to be a marquis matchup between MMA legend Ken Shamrock and YouTube sensation Kimbo Slice, the day ended up being a disaster of epic proportions for EliteXC.

The ideal situation for EliteXC would have been for Kimbo Slice to destroy Shamrock, who is well beyond his prime. To the uneducated fan, this would validate Kimbo's career, which had so far only been a series of beatdowns against lousy fighters. While a win against Shamrock would have just been more of the same, Shamrock's reputation was good enough that it would have fooled many casual MMA fans. However, those "casual fans" were EliteXC's bread and butter, composing the bulk of their audience for their CBS shows.

Less than 24 hours before the fights, EliteXC's plans crumbled. Shamrock was forced to back out of the fight at the last minute with a cut above his eye, and was replaced by Seth Petruzelli, who promptly disposed of Kimbo in 14 seconds by TKO. Prior to the fight, Kimbo was EliteXC's biggest draw by far. Now that he has lost to a relative unknown, Kimbo's marketability has plummeted.

EliteXC has already displayed an inability to consistently give audiences fights that are worth seeing, and although CBS executives express happiness with the ratings, they are still considerably lower than they were in May, the first time EliteXC had a card on CBS with Kimbo and Gina Carano, the woman considered to be the face of female MMA.


Despite Gus Johnson's best attempts (as displayed in the above video) to make people believe that Petruzelli's knockout of Kimbo was a huge event, most knowledgeable MMA fans aren't buying it at all. Instead, the general consensus is that Kimbo is a fraud, and was overhyped from the start.

EliteXC's next problem is one that many people haven't acknowledged. Their poster girl, Gina Carano, is enjoying great success so far. She's currently undefeated (7-0), and her looks are even better than her skills. However, now that she has beaten up on everyone she has faced, she is slowly running out of opponents. The latest rumors are that she is on a collision course with Cristiane "Cyborg" Santos.

Normally, this wouldn't be a problem. However, it's obvious that Cyborg is considerably more skilled than Carano's previous opponents. She has dominated her last 6 opponents, and is itching for a chance to make Gina Carano her next victim. The only difference between her and the rest of Carano's opponents is that Cyborg has a very real chance to win.

How is this a problem for EliteXC? To be frank, Cyborg simply isn't as marketable as Carano. If she wins, Carano loses her position as the elite female MMA fighter, and risks becoming just another pretty face.

To add insult to injury, the UFC is growing as strong as ever. With upcoming fights between 4 of the best heavyweight fighters in the world (aside from Fedor Emelianenko), as well as the increasingly popular MMA reality show The Ultimate Fighter, the UFC is throwing their weight around and putting together the best fights money can buy.


Brock Lesnar is UFC's version of Kimbo Slice, if such a thing exists. However, the popular former WWE star actually has some skills. He's as big as any other heavyweight in the UFC, he's as fast as any lightweight, and his wrestling skills are as good as anyone. That's the difference between the UFC and EliteXC, and the reason that the UFC is going to push EliteXC into obscurity. EliteXC simply doesn't offer enough quality fighters, and eventually, the public will see through the gimmicks and publicity stunts. It has already started, and it won't get any better for EliteXC.