5 Oz. Exclusive: EliteXC working on Sept. 26 event in Santa Ynez

EliteXC officials have begun preliminary work towards organizing a SHOWTIME event tentatively scheduled to take place on Friday, Sept. 26 to take place at the Chumash Hotel & Casino in Santa Ynez, Calif.

Based on the location of the card, the event most likely will be branded as a “ShoXC” event. EliteXC will also be promoting a ShoXC card on August 15.

While bout agreements are not expected to be signed until next week, FiveOuncesOfPain.com has learned that verbal commitments have been made for bouts involving Erik Apple vs. Matt Makowski and Jon Murphy vs. Shane Del Rosario.

Apple, 9-1, has not competed since submitting to a Kimura by Brock Larson at WEC 26 in March of 2007. Prior to the defeat, Apple had won the first nine bouts of his professional career.

He’ll be taking on Makowski, who is 3-0 as a pro and 2-0 while competing under the EliteXC banner. He last fought on May 31 during the Internet portion of CBS’ “Saturday Night Fights.” In that fight, Makowski was declared the winner against Nick Serra after a battered Serra refused to get up from the mat in the second round and was disqualified. This will mark the 21-year old’s first-ever appearance on SHOWTIME.

Murphy also last competed on May 31, taking on Brett Rogers in the first-ever MMA fight televised on primetime network television. Murphy, a former middle linebacker at the Syracuse University, lost to Rogers via first round knockout.

Del Rosario, a Muay Thai standout out of Team Oyama in California, last competed on March 21 during a ShoXC event. He improved his MMA record to 4-0 after TKO’ing Analu Brash at 3:18 of round 1.