“The Company is continuing discussions with potential strategic investors to secure financing sufficient to cure any possible default under the Showtime loan agreements. However, there is no assurance as to whether any such financing will be available or available on reasonable terms,” was the exact wording used in the filing.

While ProElite opted to protect the identity of its potential investor, FiveOuncesOfPain.com has learned from its sources that the so-called would-be mystery investor is the Art of War promotion, which had tried to specialize in promoting MMA arena shows in Dallas before cutting back due to financial losses.

Art of War is the subsidiary of SUN Sports & Entertainment, which trades under the pink sheets with the ticker symbol SUNR. The company has undergone changes to its board of directors over the past several months and recently notified the public on Oct. 20 that it had secured $5 million in funding after a period of dormancy from promoting shows over financial issues.

However, it’s important to note that several industry insiders expressed skepticism to Five Ounces of Pain regarding Art of War’s possible involvement with ProElite.

For one, it is believed that one of Art of War’s primary objectives through a potential acquisition is to gain access to the company’s current broadcast deal with Showtime. However, in order to do that, the promotion would have to re-pay over $6 million worth of loans and outstanding debt to the premium cable provider in order to have any hope of moving into the slot previously occupied by EliteXC.

The $6 million figure also surpasses the recent $5 million raised by Art of War and for a company just coming out of a financial crisis, it is not believed they are in a position to take on additional debt.

Additionally, by taking a position in ProElite, Art of War would then be responsible for settling any pending or outstanding lawsuits that have been or could be brought against ProElite. It is believed that any company that would acquire ProElite could be putting itself in a tremendous position of liability. As such, it is unclear if Art of War is still a serious candidate to make a bid to acquire ProElite’s assets.

In other ProElite-related news, MMA Weekly is reporting that the promotion has moved to block EliteXC welterweight champion Jake Shields’ bid to be declared a free agent. Last week, Shields and his manager/father, Jack Shields, had pronounced the younger Shields as free to sign with another promotion in an MMAjunkie.com interview after claiming that a 30-day window given to ProElite to cure a breach in his contract had elapsed. According to the MMW Weekly report, ProElite is claiming that it issued a response in time.

Also, California State Athletic Commission Assistant Executive Officer Bill Douglas has moved to reinstate ProElite’s promoter’s license in the state of California. The license had been suspended last month by outgoing Executive Director Armando Garcia.

In reading the release, it was almost surreal seeing managers and agents that compete for the same clients on a daily basis be able to join together for a common cause. The most surprising alliance is one involving well-known rivals Ken Pavia of MMA Agents and Monte Cox.

But according to Pavia, the decision to put differences aside in order to act in the best interest of their clients was a no-brainer.

“I have 12 fighters that are under contract to ProElite and I figured the position would be stronger if other agents shared my voice,” Pavia told FiveOuncesOfPain.com in an exclusive interview. “So I approached Monte Cox, another well known agent, and asked him what his desire was in terms of the position of his athletes and our concerns fit each other to a ‘t.’ And together we thought through the process and approached a couple of agents, and to a man, they were supportive of the effort.”

In the days preceding the press release, Pavia indicated that he has been contacted by four other agents that have pledged their support. The most notable being American Top Team president Dan Lambert and Ed Soares, manager of EliteXC light heavyweight sensation Rafael Feijao.

Since issuing the joint statement, neither ProElite or Showtime has issued a formal response. And to Pavia’s knowledge, Showtime has not decided to cancel the auction even in spite of the fact that the agents have made it clear they intend to challenge whether the contracts are transferable.

CBS and Showtime elected to hold the auction after ProElite defaulted on several loans it had received from the two sister companies. According to SEC filings, one of the primary terms of the loan agreement was that ProElite could not have a balance of less than $550,000 in cash deposited with a major national bank.

Once ProElite’s balance fell below the threshold, Showtime called in the loan and scheduled an auction of the company’s assets in an attempt to recoup some of the $6.3 million it claims it’s owed by ProElite. The total stems from $4 million in outright loans and another $2-plus million in costs to fund the final EliteXC events.

While CBS and Showtime are only trying to protect their business interests, there is still a human side to all of this. It’s one thing to engage in legal proceedings with ProElite in dispute over the possession of tangible assets, it’s another thing to haggle over contracts, thus forcing fighters to sit on the sidelines.

Pavia, a dedicated agent who conducted the interview in the wee hours of the morning, has formed a close bond with several of his clients and is concerned about the financial implications many of the fighters are experiencing.

“Taking the lawyer hat off and looking at it from a human perspective, it’s really unfortunate because some of these guys fight for five grand to show and five grand to win,” Pavia said. “And if they made five grand in their last fight and it’s been three or four months since their last fight, they’re scrambling — they’re hungry. They’re fighters and they want to fight so that they can earn a living.”

But it’s not just the fighters working the way up the ranks that are suffering, as times are apparently tough all over.

“I even have some of the higher earners, such as James Thompson, who made a considerable payday in his loss to Kimbo (Slice),” expressed Pavia. “He was a hot commodity coming out of that and subsequently hasn’t been given an opportunity to compete. Funds are getting low for all of the guys, to a man.”

While ProElite has reportedly given some of its fighters permission to fight outside of their contracts on a one-off basis, Pavia does not believe it’s a suitable solution for most of his clients.

“(The fighters) come to me and ask for me to search for opportunities for them but they are really limited because they are under contract,” he said. “The contracts do state that the fighters are not exclusive but that they are bound to a restrictive non-exclusive clause that requires certain permissions.

“So we’re really restricted in what we can pursue. We can go after one fight deals but it’s hard to get one fight deals at market value without an organization even behind you to push for you. (The restrictive non-exclusive) also eliminates the possibility of signing with the UFC or the WEC. It’s (even) restrictive about us going to Japan.”

The contract for EliteXC’s fighters basically states that if EliteXC is unable to fulfill its payment obligations that the fighters can seek to terminate their contract with the company. Upon notifying the company of a possible breach, EliteXC has thirty days to respond. Cesar Gracie is the latest to do so, sending a notice to EliteXC officials last Friday that the company had breached their contract with his fighters.

This news comes via a report by MMA Weekly.

Gracie, however, is already making plans for Nick Diaz’s next fight, which could come as early as New Year’s Eve for the DREAM promotion in Japan. Gracie claims that if Diaz fights in Japan that he doesn’t have to adhere to the thirty day waiting period that EliteXC has to respond to the notice of breach of contract.

“We’re not doing anything wrong if he fights in Japan. As far as him fighting in the U.S., then the 30 day thing (applies),” Gracie told MMA Weekly.

Gracie said that representatives from both DREAM and Sengoku have approached him about using Diaz on their New Year’s shows. DREAM and K-1 are scheduled for a combined event on December 31 while Sengoku’s New Year’s show will take place on January 4. Gracie said that Diaz will be fighting on one of the two shows.

The news comes via a report by Sherdog late this evening.

“We are confirming that EliteXC has folded. What this means for our fans and supporters is that there will not be a Nick Diaz vs. Eddie Alvarez fight on November 8th,” reads a notice on the Graciefighter.com website, a website which is run by member of Diaz’s camp. 

Showtime Networks had filed public notice with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission in early September that had announced the Networks’ intention to enter into preliminary negotiations to purchase ProElite. It seems that all was well and moving forward with the purchase heading into CBS’ third installment of Saturday Night Fights two weeks ago.

However, with the comments made by Seth Petruzelli to a morning talk show that he was paid to keep the fight standing, negotiations seem to have come to a screeching halt. The negative press combined with the preliminary investigation of the October 4 show by the Florida Boxing Commission may leave the company hanging out to dry with no funding and a huge $55 million dollar deficit which may cause ProElite and, in turn, EliteXC to close their doors.

The news is according to Franklin McNeil of ESPN.com and the Newark Star-Ledger.

Questions about Petruzelli’s 14-second first round TKO over Slice initially surfaced on Monday following an interview with 104.1 FM in Orlando.

“The promoters kind of hinted to me and they gave me the money to stand and trade with him,” Petruzelli told the hosts of the “The Monsters in Orlando” morning radio show. “They didn’t want me to take him down, let’s just put it that way. It was worth my while to try to stand up and punch with him.”

The FDBPR initially told FiveOuncesOfPain.com earlier this week that it had no immediate plans to launch an investigation. While the state of Florida is now switching gears, it does not appear they believe any foul play was involved.

“While the Department of Business and Professional Regulation doesn’t have any reason to believe there was a problem with the Slice-Petruzelli fight, given the interest in it, the Department has begun a preliminary investigation to thoroughly review the circumstances of the fight,” Jennifer Meale, Communications Director for the DBPR, is quoted as saying in ESPN.com’s report.

While it does not appear that ProElite and EliteXC officials tried to fix the outcome of the fight in a traditional sense, questions as to whether it played an unethical role in dictating the nature in which the fight was contested still remain.

During an exclusive interview with FiveOuncesOfPain.com conducted on Tuesday, Petruzelli said that while he did receive a knockout bonus, ProElite and EliteXC officials also offered a submission bonus of equal value as well.

“Yes,” Petruzelli told us when asked if the promotion also offered a submission bonus. “There were submission bonuses, knockout bonuses, and a “Fight of the Night” bonus — just like the UFC does it. They just want an exciting fight no matter where it goes.”

However, EliteXC Head of Fight Operations Jeremy Lappen publicly contradicted Petruzelli after being quoted by Josh Gross in an article for SI.com.

“We don’t give submission bonuses,” SI quoted Lappen. “(But Petruzelli) knew a knockout bonus was possible before the fight.”

Now it appears Lappen could be contradicting himself, unless Gross, a veteran MMA journalist, mis-quoted him because Lappen is quoted in ESPN.com’s report as saying that EliteXC indeed offered Petruzelli a submission bonus.

“We offered Seth Petruzelli a knockout bonus, a submission bonus and “fight of the night” bonus,” Lappen told ESPN.com. “If we were trying to influence the fight, why would we do that?”

The news was confirmed in a press release issued by EliteXC late Wednesday night in which the promotion’s Head of Fighter Operations, Jeremy Lappen, stated that the reports were true.

“… Reports that Frank Shamrock volunteered that evening to fight Kimbo Slice are true,” Lappen is quoted as saying in the release. “Frank is a competitive fighter and he was willing to step up for his organization and the MMA fans. His offer was very greatly appreciated, but everyone in the room knew when he made the offer that it wasn’t a realistic possibility on such short notice.”

Some of the hurdles standing in the way of a Slice vs. Frank Shamrock fight could have been the ability to get Shamrock medically cleared on short notice; work out a compensation package that EliteXC’s shrinking budget could afford; and obtain consent from Slice’s camp to accept the fight.

As dangerous as Seth Petruzelli was to Slice’s perfect record, Shamrock would have been an even greater threat. Slice’s camp was able to negotiate a $500,000 payday for him to fight Petruzelli on short notice and it is likely they were in a position to command even more against the younger of the two Shamrocks.

FiveOuncesOfPain.com has also confirmed that in addition to Petruzelli and Shamrock, another option was considered as well. The man Petruzelli was originally supposed to face, 11-2 light heavyweight Aaron Rosa, confirmed to us via e-mail that he had been asked as well if he was willing to take a fight on short notice vs. Slice.

“… I was the fifth fight of the night so right as i was warming up my manager, Monte Cox called me and told me what had happened to Ken and asked me if I would fight Kimbo,” Rosa revealed. “I thought about it for two minutes (and) asked my corner Kyle. He said it (was) a big opportunity (and) then I said ‘yes.’ Monte told me that he was going to charge them $100,000 for me to fight him. Then I really wanted the fight (but) Kimbo’s team and CBS to pick between who they wanted to fight and they went with Seth.”

Despite being denied an opportunity of a lifetime, Rosa was still able to put the events of this weekend into perspective.

“Seth did a great job — it was the perfect punch,” Rosa wrote. “The stars aligned for him that night. I was mad for awhile that I didn’t get picked to fight Kimbo but G-d knows what he is doing.”

During an exclusive interview with Five Ounces of Pain conducted on Tuesday, Petruzelli, the former UFC fighter who scored an improbable victory over Slice as a last-minute replacement after Ken Shamrock was medically disqualified from competing, said that while he was offered a knockout bonus, he was also offered a submission bonus and “Fight of the Night” bonus of equal value.

“Yes,” Petruzelli responded when asked if he was also offered a submission bonus in addition to the knockout bonus. “There were submission bonuses, knockout bonuses, and a ‘Fight of the Night’ bonus — just like the UFC does it. They just want an exciting fight no matter where it goes.”

Apparently it isn’t just “like the UFC does it” because in an interview with SI.com’s Josh Gross, Lappen said the complete opposite.

“We don’t give submission bonuses,” SI quoted Lappen. “(But Petruzelli) knew a knockout bonus was possible before the fight.”

Not only did Lappen contradict Petruzelli’s words, it appears he may have contradicted his own. On Wednesday night, EliteXC issued a press release in which Lappen said that it did not influence Petruzelli’s strategy in any way.

“Seth Petruzelli was offered a fee to fight Kimbo Slice, plus a knockout bonus, a common practice throughout the industry,” Lappen is quoted as saying in the release. “EliteXC organizes and promotes fights. We have not…do not…and will not suggest or dictate fighters’ strategies or tactics. How the fighters perform in the cage is at the sole discretion of the athletes involved…”

EliteXC officials and Petruzelli have remained consistent in their claims that nobody was issued an edict to keep the fight standing. However, one has to question Lappen’s assertion in last night’s press release in which he’s quoted as saying “We have not… do not… and will not suggest or dictate fighters’ strategies or tactics.”

Depending on your point of view, the fact that EliteXC offers a bonus to some fighters for knocking his or her opponent out without offering an equal bonus for a submission is in a way dictating a fighter’s strategy through the potential of financial remuneration.

EliteXC’s policy in this regard is a rather uneasy one in that it clearly benefits those that come from a striking background and one could make a strong argument that it discriminates against fighters who come from a background in Brazilian jiu-jitsu.

All major sports offer performance incentives to athletes. It’s not uncommon for a power hitter to get receive a bonus if he hits a certain number of home runs. If a quarterback throws a certain amount of touchdown passes, he too may be offered a performance-based incentive. The athlete is receiving a bonus to perform in an area that is an acknowledged strength. If EliteXC wants to play to the standup exploits of a fighter, they should also compensate those such as Jake Shields and Wilson Reis who excel on the ground. Perhaps they already offer the two a submission bonus, but what if they do not? For a company trying to make the claim that the name of the sport is “mixed martial arts” and not “UFC,” they should remain true to the nature of the sport and not favor one style of fighting over another.

Since many bonuses to a fighter do not have to be disclosed to a commission, a promotion should not be left to their own devices in this regard. Commissions across the country should mandate that all promotions that offer a knockout bonus to a fighter must also offer a bonus for a fight that ends in submission that is of equal value.

For the sake of the sport, the practice that EliteXC is executing of awarding knockout bonuses to select fighters without also offering them a submission bonus is one that is unacceptable and indefensible and violates many of the fundamental principles that the sport was founded on.

K.J. Noons

Due to the promotion taking his title away, Noons now believes he’s a free agent. “I’m a free agent,” Noons told Sherdog.

Noons was stripped of the title after allowing a 24 hour period which he was given to accept the fight against Diaz expire. EliteXC then publicly announced that they were stripping Noons of the title. But Noons claims that’s not how it went down.

“We weren’t coming to agreements on the fight, so I gave them written notice that I’d give them the belt back five days prior before they stripped me. I didn’t make it public, and I guess to prove a point, or maybe out of ego or whatever they want, they stripped me,” said Noons.

Due to the stripping of the title, Noons believes the two final fights on his contract are null and void, claiming that the fights he owed them were as a champion and now that he’s not a champion that those fights are no longer his obligation.

Jeremy Lappen, EliteXC’s Head of Fight Operations, claims that Noons still has two more fights on his contract no matter what and hopes that the two parties can come to some kind of agreement. Lappen also went on to say that EliteXC and Noons’ camp have been in negotiations and that progress has been good. No formal agreement has been made between the two parties but EliteXC did allow Noons to pursue a boxing match on November 13.

“We’re still on good terms. We’re gonna see if we can work a deal out, but as of right now, we are on the same page as I’m going to go box right now,” said Noons.

In the meantime, the vacated EliteXC lightweight title will soon have a home around someone’s waist. It has been announced that Eddie Alvarez and Nick Diaz will face off on November 8 in Reno, Nevada.

“The Department has not received any official complaints regarding the fight Saturday night,” Department of Business and Professional Regulation Press Secretary Alexis Antonacci revealed exclusively to FiveOuncesOfPain.com via e-mail in response to a request for comment. “At this time, we have no reason to believe that any wrongdoing occurred. If we did receive a complaint, we would conduct a thorough investigation of all allegations.”

Five Ounces of Pain also spoke with Petruzelli again Tuesday morning during a full-length interview that will be appearing later today. During the interview, we asked Petruzelli to further clarify his initial comments made during the Monsters morning show.

We specifically asked Petruzelli if he had been contacted by EliteXC following the 104.1 FM interview and before he issued comment to us Monday afternoon.

“No, not at all,” he responded. “Honestly, when I woke up in the morning my words were jumbled and obviously my head was in a daze from drinking (laughs) the entire night. Reading the transcript, I actually now feel I worded it perfectly in what I wanted to say. I wanted to keep the fight standing and they offered a knockout bonus and I wanted to get the knockout bonus.”

We also asked Petruzelli about a descrepancy between the listed compensation in his bout agreement that we obtained from the Florida State Boxing Commission ($50,000) and the six-figure total he claimed he received for the fight during the 104.1 interview.

“The knockout bonus was the additional money,” Petruzelli said. “And my sponsors — I added my sponsors in there too for it. So it was a knockout bonus plus my sponsorships that I got.”

Petruzelli also indicated that he would have received the same exact bonus had he submitted Kimbo Slice in his fight with him this past weekend during CBS’ airing of Saturday Night Fights.

EliteXC Vice President Jared Shaw also left a voice mail in response to a message we had left for him earlier in the day seeking comment. According to Shaw, Petruzelli was not encouraged in any way to keep the fight standing.

However, the idea of a potential conspiracy gained additional traction late last night after Bryan Alvarez reported in the premium section of Figure 4 Online that Ken Shamrock also had been offered a bonus to stand with Slice.

“Seth Petruzelli said that he was paid to stand with Kimbo,” Alvarez writes. “Well, he said that and then he claimed he never said it. For what it’s worth, we heard in the days leading up to the fight that Ken Shamrock was going to be paid to stand with him as well.”

Five Ounces of Pain contacted Shamrock’s attorney, Rod Donohoo, for comment, however, our request was not immediately returned.

FiveOuncesOfPain.com confirmed the information after obtaining copies of signed bout agreements from the Florida State Boxing Commission.

Petruzelli, who had originally been scheduled to appear on the undercard vs. Aaron Rosa in a light heavyweight bout, earned a total of $50,000 for the winning effort. EliteXC, which presumably had to negotiate a new salary agreement with Petruzelli after promoting him to the main event, paid him a guarantee of $35,000 and then an additional $15,000 as a win bonus.

Below are the salary figures for the notable fighters involved with Saturday’s show. It should be noted that the salary figures below do not take in consideration any bonuses the fighters might have received as compensation outside of their individual bout agreements.

EliteXC “Heat” Payroll Figures:

– Kimbo Slice: $500,000  vs. Seth Petruzelli: $50,000 ($35,000 to show and $15,000 to win). Slice could have earned an additional $100,000 win bonus if he had defeated Petruzelli.

– Jake Shields: $50,000 ($40,000 to show and $10,000 to win) vs. Paul Daley: $12,000. Daley could have earned an addition $12,000 win bonus had he defeated Shields.

– Andrei Arlovski: $500,000 vs. Roy Nelson: $80,000. No win bonus awarded to either fighter. It is believed that the purses of both Arlovski and Nelson were underwritten by Affliction Entertainment but the documents we have received from the Florida State Boxing Commission does not confirm that.

– Gina Carano: $25,000 ($15,000 to show and $10,000 to win) vs. Kelly Kobold: $6,000. Kobold would have earned $12,000 with a victory over Carano.

– Benji Radach: $30,000 ($15,000 to show and $15,000 to win) vs. Murilo Rua: $35,000. Rua would have earned an additional $35,000 as a win bonus had he defeated Radach.

– Cristiane Justino (aka “Cris Cyborg”): $8,000 ($4,000 to show and $4,000 to win) vs. Yoko Takahashi: $2,000. Takahashi would have earned an additional $2,000 had she defeated Cyborg.

– Conor Heun: $5,000 ($2,500 to show and $2,500 to win) vs. Edson Berto: $6,000. Berton would have earned an additional $6,000 had he been able to defeat Heun.

Gina Carano vs. Kelly Kobold

Cris Santos vs. Yoko Takahashi

Gina Carano vs. Kelly Kobold

Cris Santos vs. Yoko Takahashi

Gina Carano vs. Kelly Kobold

Cris Santos vs. Yoko Takahashi

Gina Carano vs. Kelly Kobold

Cris Santos vs. Yoko Takahashi

Photos: Esther Lin/Combatlifestyle.com

The main question being raised is why did Kimbo accept the fight considering there was little upside?

Well, I believe there was an upside for Team Kimbo and it was likely financial. While speaking with sources at the post-fight press conference for the event, they indicated to FiveOuncesOfPain.com that Slice received a “substantial” increase over the guarantee he was scheduled to make vs. Shamrock.

For a guy who used to fight unknowns in backyards for only a few thousand dollars, accepting a fight vs. Petruzelli probably made a lot more sense once EliteXC made him a financial offer he likely couldn’t refuse.

Sources indicated to Five Ounces of Pain that Kimbo’s camp initially refused to accept a bout vs. any opponent other than Shamrock before accepting the Petruzelli deal. Whether his management was legitimately concerned is uncertain, but you’d have to be a fool to say “Sure, we’ll take the fight” right off the bat and kill your negotiation leverage. Kimbo’s team got the best offer they could for their fighter.

You can look at it from a manager’s perspective and rationalize that it was a mistake because Kimbo didn’t prepare for Petruzelli and that Petruzelli wasn’t an established fighter, thus bringing little reward in exchange for assuming a high risk. From that perspective, it’s hard to argue to taking last night’s fight was a bad decision in hindsight. But that’s also a myopic viewpoint.

There’s another perspective to consider and that is the one of the fighter.

Kimbo is 34 with multiple children. Because of his late start in MMA, his shelf-life as a professional athlete is limited compared to others. He only has so long to make so much money. The goal is to garner big paydays and if EliteXC offered him a compensation package that he was already working towards, why not take it now as opposed to later?

Slice likely found himself in an all or nothing situation: either accept the higher offer or risk coming home with nothing. While I am sure EliteXC would have compensated him for his time to some extent, I seriously doubt that they would have paid him a full purse for not fighting.

It also be overlooked that Kimbo is also a fighter who has repeatedly stated that he’s never turned down a fight and that he’ll fight anyone, anywhere. When you talk the talk, you’re going to need to walk-the-walk.

Ego and pride also come into play. A manager’s job is to protect their fighter but there is a fine line that needs to be walked. If you tell your fighter not to take a fight on short notice because it’s too dangerous, you run the risk of your fighter feeling insulted because of a perception that you don’t believe in their ability.

And let’s be honest, Petruzelli is no world beater at this point. It’s not like he accepted a fight vs. a former Muay Thai champion or jiu-jitsu black belt. At this stage of the game, Slice should be taking on fighters of Petruzelli’s caliber. Granted, it’s better to have more notice so that you have proper time to prepare, but Petruzelli was also at the same disadvantage.

The fact that Kimbo was also fighting in his backyard cannot be overlooked. Many friends and family were in attendance and wanted to see him fight. There’s a chance he felt a sense of duty to go out there and put his best foot forward in light of the bad situation since another option had been presented to him.

Was last night’s decision the right call for Kimbo? It depends on what perspective you’re looking at if from.

Yet Ken Shamrock’s removal from a headline fight just hours before show time is still somewhat unprecedented considering the exposure involved with televising an event on primetime network television.

What happened to EliteXC and CBS on Saturday afternoon was the equivalent to playing black jack at a casino and being dealt a 16 and then opting to hit and drawing an ace, leaving you at 17. Sure, you didn’t bust but your chances of beating the house aren’t especially strong.

Only a handful of people were oblivious to the fact that Kimbo Slice was going to lose sooner rather than later, but not in our wildest dreams did we imagine it would be Seth “The Silverback” Petruzelli. And when Slice would lose, I think the scenario most of us had envisioned would be via submission as opposed to knockout.

Slice deserves credit for stepping up and agreeing to fight a more dangerous opponent on virtually no notice. But did he have much of a choice? Had the show gone on without a main event, offering refunds to Slice’s devoted followers that had purchased tickets to the Bank Atlantic Center might have been the least of everyone’s concerns. And considering he’s chanted a mantra countless times that he was willing to fight anyone, anywhere, declining to save the day and take a fight vs. a 0-2 UFC fighter might not have played well with the media.

What happens next to Slice, Petruzelli, EliteXC, and CBS remains to be seen. During the show’s post-fight press conference, nobody had any immediate answers. And why should they? Was there any possible way to see this coming? Granted, there are risks whenever you entrust half of your main event to a 44-year old Ken Shamrock, but it’s one thing to break down in the midst of a grueling training camp and another to suffer a cut the day of what could be a fighter’s final major payday.

How and why Shamrock sustained a laceration is yet another question that this article will fail to provide a definitive answer to. Of particular interest is why Shamrock elected to go to the emergency room to have the laceration treated.

Once he stepped into that hospital, there shouldn’t have been any doubt about the repercussions. Speaking with several veteran fighters on Saturday, I was told that they would have handled the situation differently and that it is not uncommon to glue a cut shut and then apply makeup just prior to a pre-fight checkup with the commission.

Theories that Shamrock cut himself intentionally while looking for an easy way out have understandably spread through the Internet like wildfire. But Shamrock is a fighter with many financial burdens and he was in no position to sacrifice a six-figure payday. After all, if he was truly scared, he could have pulled another Buzz Berry and gone down at the first sign of contact.

However, if you find the whole nature of events that took place yesterday to be highly irregular and bizarre, you’re not alone. I can’t help but be reminded of the countless times a professional athlete claimed a freak accident caused a serious injury during the offseason only to learn months later that they really hurt themselves partaking in an activity prohibited by their employer.

The whole thing makes little sense: from Shamrock weighing in at 206.5 pounds to him sustaining a serious cut just hours before airtime.

While EliteXC Head of Fight Operations Jeremy Lappen refused to rule out the possibility of working with Shamrock again in the future, I can’t envision a scenario in which a major promotion will ever work with him again. If Shamrock wants to be involved with MMA from a grassroots level and fight for regional promotions, I’m sure he’ll have some options. But I’ve got to believe his days in the “Big Leagues” are over.

Slice took the loss like a man and appeared at the post-fight press conference. He thanked his family and supporters and also thanked Petruzelli for stepping up. Following Slice’s comments, the two embraced in a brief hug and a handshake and the former Internet street fighting sensation went on his way.

Lappen and EliteXC Vice President Jared Shaw both stated during the post-fight press conference that they still consider Slice a star and that he’ll be back. While he’s unlikely to retire, last night’s event could be the final time we see Slice headline a show. An enormous amount of weight has been lifted off his shoulders. However, finding good matchups for Slice was already a difficult task that has now become even harder. Realistically, where does a fighter go following a loss to an unproven such as Petruzelli?

Petruzelli has become a real-life Rocky Balboa but I’m uncertain whether a new star was born last night or if Petruzelli’s 15 minutes of fame have already begun counting down? Do you try and build him up further, or do you immediately try to transfer whatever momentum he has to a more viable entity?

While Petruzelli is a great story, he’s still viewed by many as nothing more as an 0-2 UFC washout with little upside. Do you rush him back for a Nov. 8 show against Rafael Feijao in a bout for the vacant EliteXC light heavyweight title, or do you try and showcase him several months from now against a lesser opponent?

In an ideal world, Slice’s first loss would have come to a more visible fighter such as Brett Rogers, but CBS and EliteXC had few options thanks to Mr. Shamrock’s questionable judgment. It was either go with Slice vs. Petruzelli as the main event or continue with a show sans Slice.

How this loss affects EliteXC and CBS is also uncertain. Rumors of a potential sale continue to circulate; as do rumors that CBS’ vision for Saturday Night Fights will be altered going forward. Instead of putting eggs in only a few baskets, it is believed that an anticipated deal with Tito Ortiz and a possible long-term partnership with Affliction could bring legitimate star power to the fledgling franchise.

Even if Kimbo had won, his days as the primary focus of the promotion were likely over. The promotion also has a Shamrock in its stable that never fails to deliver in Frank Shamrock. And despite being a fixture on the first three CBS telecasts, we’ve yet to see him compete on primetime network television. The SNF franchise isn’t exactly dead if you’re able to feature fighters such as Frank Shamrock, Tito Ortiz, FedorEmelianenko , and Andrei Arlovski.

There are so many questions with so little answers. But this is the sport of MMA, where the only thing you can expect is the unexpected.

UPDATE: Tonight’s main event between Kimbo Slice and Ken Shamrock has been scratched due to an injury suffered by Shamrock.  Official announcement: Kimbo Slice vs. Seth Petruzelli is now the replacement fight. Petruzelli was scheduled to fight Aaron Rosa on the undercard.

EliteXC Heat Results:

Main Card

• Seth Petruzelli def. Kevin “Kimbo Slice” Ferguson via TKO (Strikes) Rd 1.
• EXC Welterweight Champ Jake Shields def. Paul Daley via Submission (Armbar) Rd 2.
• Andrei Arlovski def. Roy Nelson via Knockout Rd 2.
• Gina Carano def. Kelly Kobold via Unanimous Decision
• Benji Radach def. Murilo “Ninja” Rua via Knockout Rd 2.
• KIMBO SLICE vs. KEN SHAMROCK
  

Undercard

• Seth Petruzelli vs. Aaron Rosa
• Cris “Cyborg” Santos def. Yoko Takahashi via Unanimous Decision
• Conor Heun def. Edson Berto via TKO (Strikes) Rd 2.
• Mikey Gomez def. Lorenzo Borgomeo via Submission (Armbar) Rd 2.
• Bryan Hamade def. David Gomez via Submission (Guillotine Choke) Rd 1.
• Nicolae Cury def. Jorge Bouchat via Submission (Strikes) Rd 1.

I believe tonight’s edition of SNF will be different. I can’t give you a strong explanation as to why, but I just have a gut feeling that we will see a major upset or two tonight. All of tonight’s fights present an intriguing clash of styles and the underdog in each fight possesses an element of danger in regard to the favorite.

In my mind, I am convinced we will see at least one major upset tonight. This is after all MMA, where things don’t always go according to plan and to expect the favorites in all five fights to walk away victorious might not be the most realistic expectation in the world.

Even though I already submitted my predictions to CBSSports.com last week for their “Head-to-Head” feature, I still feel a need to revise my selections and call at least one upset. But which fight will provide the upset?

Let’s take a look fight-by-fight.

First, I will omit the opener between Benji Radach and Murilo “Ninja” Rua. While I am told that Radach is a slight favorite, it’s a fairly even matchup and to claim that if Rua wins it would be an upset is kind of a reach. I do think this fight will surprise in one aspect, in that I believe it will be the fight of the night. Both fighters match up so well together and I think we’re going to see some really exciting exchanges in the standup between the two. In the end, my pick is going to be Radach because I think he has too much power for Rua.

You can never count of Rua though, he comes from a family of fighters. Brother Mauricio will be fighting in January against Mark Coleman and 22-year Marcos “Baby” Rua has been training as well and is expected to make his debut in Brazil this December. Despite being the youngest, Baby Rua is the biggest of the three. I’ve never seen the kid fight, but you’ve got to assume he’s going to be good. If I was an upstart promotion, I’d sign him sight unseen.

Next, we have Gina Carano vs. Kelly Kobold. Once again, the chips are down for Gina. I knew right away when she emerged from the staging area that she hadn’t made weight. She had a hood on and sunglasses and looked like she had just found out that someone close to her had died. Despite an applause from the crowd, she did not smile and did not acknowledge the fans right away.

On the scale, she clearly looked distressed and it looked to me that she teared up after the first time she announced her weight. Seeing her leave the hotel Friday night with Kim Couture, I didn’t see any sign of relief on Carano’s face as she walked out. She did not look very happy and part of me wonders if at some point she’s going to get sick of the fight game and walk away. I believe Carano loves to fight but isn’t a big fan of everything else that comes attached to it.

So here I am, once again focusing on the negatives regarding Gina. I did that on May 31 after she missed weight for her fight vs. Kaitlin Young by four pounds and none of it mattered because she came out and fought her ass off. In the end yesterday, she still made weight on her third try.

In my writeup of the weigh-ins on Friday I expressed confusion as to why Carano was able to make weight on her third try even though she had already been disrobed when she weighed in at 142.5 on her second try. My boss at CBSSports.com, Denny Burkholder, e-mailed to tell me that according to Chris DeBlasio of SHOWTIME, there was a towel draped on top of Gina that was causing her to weigh-in heavy. She pointed that out and after re-adjusting the towel, she weighed in at 141.

After learning my lesson from the first edition of SNF, I am going to ignore all of the ancillary elements regarding Carano and focus on her fighting ability. When it comes to the standup game, there are only a few females in this sport that can hang with her.

It should also be noted that Carano’s opponent, Kobold, didn’t exactly have an easy cut either. Two weeks ago she informed reporters during a conference call that she weighed 160 pounds. She didn’t look to be anywhere near 160 when she arrived in Sunrise this week but she didn’t exactly look to be 140. I’d estimate that she looked to be a fit 148 lbs. Kobold was very cheery and pleasant up until Friday morning, when you could tell she was in the midst of her cut and really feeling it.

I can’t count out Carano but I can’t count out Kobold either. She packs a hell of a punch and is much more experienced than Carano. She’s going to be giving up some height and reach but she can compensate for the disadvantage should she decide to put Carano on her back and rely on her devastating ground and pound ability.

Kobold is also a very tough competitor and I just don’t see Carano being able to finish her. I am convinced that the fight is going to the judges, at which point you never know what could happen. Kobold is a very dangerous matchup for Carano but I don’t think this is where we’re going to see our upset. I think the reach advantage and Carano’s kicking ability will prove the distance.

The third fight of the night will pit Andrei Arlovski vs. Roy Nelson. Arlovski is the big favorite but Nelson is so dangerous. I am really surprised Arlovski’s camp was willing to take the fight on short notice. People have raised questions about Arlovski’s chin at times and Nelson has one-punch knockout ability. Arlovski also has a tendency to fight tentatively against fighters that pose a threat to take him down. Nelson is very underrated on the ground, as he not only comes from a wrestling background but is a brown belt in jiu-jitsu.

If Arlovski lacks aggression in order to try and take away the takedown, Nelson could earn points with the judges if he’s the one who is controlling the tempo of the fight. I wouldn’t be shocked to see Arlovski lose a decision here. I also wouldn’t be shocked to see him get taken down at some point and take damage on the ground. I also wouldn’t be surprised to see Nelson put something on his chin and finish him.

As you can probably tell, I am close to calling this one an upset but it’s important not to overlook Arlovski’s attributes. He’s an exceptional athlete for a heavyweight and his boxing has really improved. He’s also coming off a big knockout victory over another former IFL standout heavyweight this past July in Ben Rothwell. Based on that performance, I am going with Arlovski in this one.

At the risk of foreshadowing, I am going to skip ahead to the main event. Earlier in the week I was really on the fence about Kimbo Slice vs. Ken Shamrock. After seeing Slice’s lack of comfort on the ground in Newark this past May vs. James Thompson, it was obvious to me that if Shamrock gets him on the ground, he’s going to lose via submission (I’m not going to say he’ll lose via tap because Kimbo would probably allow his arm or leg to be broken before he quits).

But after seeing Shamrock at the weigh-ins, there’s no doubt in my mind who wins this fight. I really do not understand why he weighed in at just 206.5 pounds. It’s my understanding that in order to fight in a heavyweight fight, you not only have to weigh 265 pounds or less, but you have to weigh more than 205 pounds. Has a fight ever been canceled because a fighter didn’t make the minimum weight requirement? I mean, what had happened if Ken had gotten sick and couldn’t keep food down this week? Or, what if he had gone to sleep the night before without the air on?

Shamrock has good submissions and good wrestling, but he’s not a jiu-jitsu guy. If Kimbo falls on top of him with a 30 pound weight advantage, Ken isn’t going to be able to sweep him. Maybe he’ll be able to triangle him or armlock him, but that’s about all I believe he’ll have off his back.

I also don’t think pushing Kimbo was a great idea. Frank Shamrock had told me earlier in the day that Ken fights out of anger and looks for reasons to make himself angry. Only a few hours after telling me that, w saw what we saw at the weigh-ins. It was a crazy scene and word is that an angry “Icey” Mike Ember was even going to EliteXC officials talking about filing assault charges. I guess cooler heads prevailed.

It seems Ken needs an edge to fight but Kimbo already has an edge and pushing him is only getting to get him even more hyped. I believe Kimbo’s anger gives him focus while Ken’s anger has a tendency to cause him to fight without strategy or technique.

I think Ken Shamrock has convinced himself that he is going to win this fight but he hasn’t convinced me. Yes, Shamrock could win if he gets Kimbo to the ground, but to me, that’s a very big if right now. I believe that Slice wins this first via first round knockout.

That only leaves us with Jake Shields vs. Paul Daley. A lot of people perceive Daley to be arrogant. And you know what, he probably is. But I like his approach. If you don’t believe in yourself, why should anyone else? This is the fight game and a lack of confidence can get your hurt.

The bad blood between the two at the weigh-ins was interesting. I’ve never seen Shields get emotional but he was clearly angry. He’s not an emotional fighter and I am wondering if we will see him fight with emotion tonight? And if he does, how well will he perform? Shields is a technical fighter and technique sometimes goes out the window when you fight angry. There might be some method to Daley’s madness. He clearly wants to turn this into a brawl. It should also be noted that the exchange between Shields and Daley continued backstage with more insults and the throwing of water bottles at each other. The two were taken down separate corridors but could still be heard arguing. One EliteXC official, speaking to me on the condition of anonymity, indicated that there was some consideration of putting the two at separate hotels to avoid the risk of another altercation.

Daley is a dangerous striker and really could cause some matchup problems for Shields. Shields works hard on his standup but he cannot afford to exchange with Daley for an extended duration. He has to get Daley off his feet and onto the ground. But because Daley is a good inside fighter, it makes things interesting. If Shields attacks the legs but telegraphs his shot, Daley could catch him with a knee to the face. If Shields tries to take Daley down from a clinch, he could get caught with an elbow if he leaves some space between the two.

If the fight goes to the floor, Shields will win in a matter of seconds. Daley will begin the fight in the position he’s most comfortable in and the pressure is on Shields to change the terms of the fight. Because of that fact, I am now predicting Daley to win the EliteXC welterweight title in my upset special of the night via second round TKO.

In an attempt to pull the ripcord on their financial free fall, EliteXC made a deal with the sponsorship-devil and allowed Affliction to again promote their clothing as well as their fighters under the Elite XC banner. Andrei Arlovski vs. Roy Nelson is the first attempt at a joint product, as both fighters are under the Affliction promotional contract. This adds hardcore credibility to a show that was stacked heavily towards mainstream attractiveness.

Andrei Arlovski is a former Police officer from Belarus and a 2 time World Russian Sambo Champion. Sambo is a Russian self defense system similar to Judo, and Arlovski excelled in it. He used his success in Sambo to launch a professional MMA career. It was not a stellar success right out of the gate with a knockout loss to Viacheslav Datsik. But with good old-fashioned Russian persistence, he won the heavyweight tournament in M1 with two wins in the same night. That was enough for the UFC, and they signed the 20 year old to fight in America. Arlovski started strong in the UFC with a 4-2 mark and his impressive skills and intimidating physical appearance built him a dedicated fan base.

They say one person’s misfortune is another person’s gain, and case in point is Frank Mir and Andrei Arlovski. Frank Mir was the reigning Heavyweight Champion in the UFC when tragedy struck in the form of a motor bike accident that almost cost Mir his leg. As a result of his serious injuries, the UFC had to create an Interim Heavyweight title. Arlovski found himself up against Tim Sylvia for the title. One quick leg lock submission later and Arlovski was the new heavyweight Champion. He defended two more times in the next year and when it was decided that Mir would not make it back from his injuries Arlovski was made undisputed heavyweight champion. He then re-matched and lost his title back to Tim Sylvia. The grudge match was a 5 round affair where Arlovski lost an uninspired decision to Sylvia. Shortly after Andrei started to enter contract extension talks with the UFC and as a result was shelved in a move to “change’ the Belarusian’s mind about his demands. When it was obvious that Arlovski was not going to be a UFC fighter anymore, they allowed him to fight his contract out and sign with Affliction. In the first fight on his deal he looked re-invigorated in a third round TKO of top-ten ranked Ben Rothwell.

Arlovski is a supremely gifted athlete with a phenomenal work ethic to go along with it. This is the picture of a top tier athlete fulfilling his potential, and it is a beautiful thing to watch. Arlovski’s standup is second to none in the heavyweight division, as he is being trained by the preeminent boxing coach in the US in Freddie Roach. Arlovski has pro level boxing skills, with footwork and head movement better than most professional boxers at his weight. Arlovski is more than just boxing skills though as his kicks and knees are all explosive with perfect technique. As with most Sambo experts, he is an above average grappler with fantastic leg locks and a full arsenal of submissions. Arlovski’s own worst enemy is himself, as his tendancy to push for the exciting finish or the big knockout will sometimes get himself into positions that will cost him a fight. If Arlovski is smart and plays to his strengths against an opponent, he is one of the toughest heavyweights in the world to beat.

Roy Nelson is one of the best submission grapplers in the Heavyweight division that no one knows about. He is a blackbelt in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu and has won several North American titles in grappling. As a Las Vegas native he has helped train some of the best fighters in the world. Nelson saw sparring and training with other fighters as more of a job than one fighter helping out another, and decided to make himself some money instead of making other fighters better. Nelson kicked off his professional fighting career with a six fight win streak, four of which were by submission. Nelson’s stand up continually improved by working with well-known boxing coach Skipper Kelp through most of his career. He lost a close split decision to top-ten ranked Ben Rothwell in the IFL, but in that loss showed everyone that he was a force at heavyweight and someone to watch out for in the future. He went on to win 5 fights in a row in the IFL, including the IFL world heavyweight championship belt. Now that the IFL has closed its doors, Nelson is out to find the respect one can get from defeating a top ten opponent. Arlovski may be his road to legitimacy.

Nelson is a world class submission grappler with speed and agility that belie his size. He does not have many peers on the floor in the heavyweight division. During his stay in the IFL he has also developed quite the ground and pound skills. He can pack an impressive punch from the guard and is more than capable of knocking his opponent out. His stand up has also vastly improved during his IFL stay, as he has shown flashes of knockout power in his punches as well as the skill to outmaneuver and strategically deal with much larger opponents in Rothwell and Brad Imes. The one area most people point to as an area of weakness is his conditioning. Although he looks like he is hiding a medicine ball under his t-shirt, he is quite capable of fighting a full 3 or 5 rounds and winning decisions. He truly is a freak of nature in that respect.

This is an interesting fight in a few different ways. At first glance you would think Arlovski has a big edge in this bout, and by all accounts he does. His stand up is cleaner and crisper, and his ground game is defensive enough to stay out of trouble long enough to get it back to the feet where he holds the decisive edge. Nelson has shown a penchant to surprise when he is considered the underdog, and he is fully capable of doing that here. Arlovski has shown a tendancy to get bored with lesser opponents and loss interest. If he does that against Nelson, he could easily lose this fight. But I cannot see this happening. With the pressure of national television and the rather large payday ahead of him with a win, I think the Arlovski of old comes out and puts a striking clinic on Nelson and either ends it in a third round TKO or a unanimous decision win for Arlovski.

The evolution from street brawler to MMA professional continues on Saturday night October 4th when Kevin “Kimbo Slice” Ferguson takes on another slightly past his prime legend in Ken Shamrock. Although Shamrock has only won twice since the millennium, he will attempt to halt the hype train that is Kimbo Slice. Kimbo can take one small step closer to legitimacy with a win over Shamrock, although it is apparent from the Shamrock matchup that he is in no rush to get there.

Kimbo Slice is a modern rags-to-riches story as he embarks on another chapter of his professional MMA career. As you most likely already know, Kimbo got his start fighting for money on the streets. The highest bidder would get a shot at his unofficial “Street Certified” title. Where Kimbo separated himself from the other wannabe tough guys is in self promotion. Not only did Kimbo beat you up, but then he posted his results on Youtube. It was a minor stroke of genius and the start of something big. Word spread of the Miami internet phenom, and with it his popularity grew. Even after suffering his first loss to Boston Police officer Sean Gannon, his popularity only continued to soar higher. He had to make the next logical step to the professional cage. The fan base was there and in stepped a willing promoter in the form of EliteXC.

After opening with a 19 second demolition of professional door mat Bo Cantrell, he progressed to his first MMA legend in Tank Abbott. Even after a 43 second beat down of the former king of Huntington Beach, he still received no modicum of respect. Tank was old and over the hill, no way Kimbo was that good. With fans clamoring for a legitimate opponent, Kimbo’s trainer Bas Rutten reminded everyone that it was only his third professional fight and he would not give into pressure to place his protégé in a bad situation. With that proclamation entered journeyman fighter James Thompson. Thompson was not the most talented fighter in the world, but he presented an experienced fighter very capable of beating Kimbo. The MMA media didn’t see it that way, and assumed Kimbo would roll over Thompson. When Kimbo looked less than impressive in a third round TKO win over Thompson, again it wasn’t that Kimbo was improving but rather that Thompson was washed up and not worthy of the stature of the fight. In his everlasting quest for respect, the next hurdle propped in front of him by EliteXC and Rutten is 44 year old Ken Shamrock.

For only his forth professional fight Kimbo shows excellent potential in a few areas. The most obvious are his standup skills. He is a natural gifted athlete who shows rare agility and very good footwork for someone with limited formal boxing training. Kimbo’s sheer knockout power is undeniable, and also seems to be in proportion with his cement chin. Granted he has not faced a top flight striker at this level, but shaking off a strong right hand from Tank is no mean feat no matter what his age. Kimbo’s heart and determination can not and should not be questioned as he has stood up to the pressure of his position with undeniable dignity. Many questions still remain with Kimbo’s game, mainly his grappling and his conditioning. Fortunately for him Shamrock will most likely not be able to test the latter. One thing is for certain, if Kimbo allows himself to be taken to the floor his grappling will be tested by one of the best in the world. Will Kimbo be able to react fast enough to defend against Shamrock’s submissions on the ground? That is the million dollar question.

Ken Shamrock is a Hall of famer for a reason, he was the first King of Pancrase and the first UFC Superfight Champion. A catch wrestling disciple of Masakatsu Funaki and Karl Gotch, Shamrock combined his fantastic size and strength with dazzling speed to become a world class submission grappler. After being invited and taking part in UFC 1 in 1993, he made it to the finals of the tournament where he was choked out by Royce Gracie. This was the beginning of a long standing rivalry between the two that would stretch for years. The combination of Shamrock’s intimidating appearance, grappling prowess, and penchant for trash talk would turn him into an instant star and the first for the sport. Shamrock would continue to fight in both Pancrase and the UFC for the next few years with good success. But as the sport began to wain in the United States, the money began to fade away as well.

Driven to provide for his family and the fight camp he founded, the Lion’s Den, he made the next logical step in his career to professional wrestling. Shamrock was a natural fit for the WWF(now the WWE) and with his legitimate fighting background became an instant fan favorite. Riding out the lean years in pro wrestling, Shamrock saw the sport make a financial comeback in the land of the rising sun and decided to make another go of it in Pride. This venture was not the instant success that Shamrock assumed it would be, as he won his first fight but lost his next two bouts and found himself shown the door to the promotion. The following year saw the development of events that would prove to be the turning point of the fighters career. He started a rivalry with a young champion of the UFC, Tito Ortiz. They scheduled a fight and the ensuing Pay Per view became the highest selling MMA pay per view in North American History. It undeniably proved that both the sport and Ken Shamrock could sell. The following grudge match outsold the original and the third match aired live on Spike TV basic cable and pulled the largest TV ratings ever for the sport to date. Shamrock was made a household name and was inducted into the UFC Hall of Fame. After being released from the UFC while riding a four fight losing streak, Shamrock attempted a comeback in an effort to promote a bout with step-brother Frank Shamrock. A first round knockout loss to since-retired Robert “Buzz” Berry has given Shamrock a fifth loss in a row going into his matchup with Kimbo Slice.

Shamrock is 44 and although in decent physical shape, has shown in recent years that his conditioning is no where near where it used to be, or where it needs to be now. If this fight goes further that one round, Shamrock will gas out. One thing Shamrock does have going for him is the ability to end this fight very quickly with a submission. Say what you will about his aging skills, Ken Shamrock is still one of the most dangerous people in the world on the ground. If he can get this fight on the floor at any point in this fight, he can break a leg or an ankle and end it with lightening quickness. Ken has the heart and the determination to take the punishment needed to get inside on Kimbo, take him down and submit him. The biggest x factor in this fight is if his chin will withstand Kimbo’s punishment. Shamrock has shown over the last few years that he has a chin like a light switch. If you hit it hard and fast enough he will go out. This game plan for Shamrock is rather simple, stay conscious long enough to hit the ground with Kimbo. Shamrock will take punishment in this fight, his defense both standing and on the mat is downright atrocious. As long as he keeps his chin tucked until he can take Kimbo down, he has a chance.

I see this fight ending quickly and horribly for Ken Shamrock. I think Kimbo will land his power shots before Shamrock has a chance to get his hands on him for the takedown. Say what you will about Kimbo’s all around skill set, but he has more than enough power to put Shamrock to sleep quickly here and that is why he was choosen. The kid in me wants to see Shamrock pull off the upset and get the submission win just like he would have 15 years ago. But the adult in me who knows the realities of today all too well realizes that he will see the end of a legend’s career Saturday night. I just hope we all stop and remember all that Ken Shamrock has accomplished for the sport and not what his last impression will be.

Jake Shields is a former college all-american wrestler who made the jump to Brazilian Jiu Jitsu and has turned into a dominant grappler. A product of Cesar Gracie’s BJJ school, he is a world champion grappler who titles include first at the Pan Am Games and third at the ADCC open weight tournament. He is a very seasoned fighter for someone of his age, who has managed to fight the best competition available despite never having stepped into the octagon. Shields has high-profile wins over the likes of Hayato Sakurai, Mike Pyle, Yushin Okami, and Carlos Condit. After the 63 second drubbing he put on Nick Thompson in his last fight he is riding a 10 fight win streak that extends back to 2004. I think I can definitively say that Jake Shields is the best 170lb fighter in the world not in the UFC.

Shields’ strength is his grappling, as he can make a case for the best submission grappler in the world at 170lbs and not many would argue. Unlike many of his Gracie Jiu Jitsu brethren, he has adapted his BJJ quite well for the world of MMA with 4 of his last 5 victories by way of submission. To say that Cesar Gracie has made an impact on Shields’ life would be an understatement as he is 18-2-1 since joining the team. Shields’ standup is always a work in progress, while early in his career he used it strictly to get the fight down to the mat where he could dominate the fight he now can stand and trade with most fighters on the feet and still cause damage. As with all of the Cesar Gracie students, his conditioning is impeccable and can push a pace in a fight that few can tolerate. Shields has evolved into a complete fighter who can truly beat you anywhere in the fight.

Paul Daley is a kickboxer from Britain who sported a 10-3 kickboxing record with 10 KOs before making the jump to MMA. He is originally trained in Karate from an early age, but later in his career has fully embraced Muay Thai while training part time in Holland. While fighting almost solely in Britain, he has compiled an impressive KO ratio in his wins on his way to the current Cage Rage welterweight championship. He is a devastating striker with knockout power in his hands and feet as he has demonstrated time and time again. While flirting briefly with retirement, he has come back to take his first big fight on American soil and take his second welterweight belt home with him.

Daley is very well rounded striker with traditional Karate kicks and extensive Muay Thai at his disposal as well as very good boxing. His speed, athleticism, and sheer power often take opponents off guard even when they think they have prepared for it. As his striking has matured it has shown in his results, as none of the fights in his six fight win streak have gotten out of the second round. His ground game is still a work in progress as four of his six losses are via submission. His defensive ground game has shown some improvement but he is still very susceptible to taking damage in the guard as well as vulnerable to submissions. It’s a simple game for Daley. Keep it on the feet and he has a chance to win.

This is a striker vs. grappler matchup on steroids as you have maybe the best striker at 170lbs against one of the best grapplers in the world at 170lbs. The obvious applies here, whoever controls the flow of the fight wins the match. If Shields can stand and trade successfully long enough to set up a takedown and get Daley to the floor, this match is going to be over quickly. If Daley overwhelms Shields with his speed and athleticism and catches Shields thinking too much early, this will be a quick match the other way. I have to go in the direction of the favorite here, as Shields has shown a fantastic chin his whole career as he has never been knocked out. Shields should be able to handle Daley on the feet long enough to take him down and take an arm or choke him out. I think this is the best Elite could do and one more reason that Shields should be doing everything in his power to get into the UFC. I predict Shields via submission in round one.

This is one of the best middleweight fights you will ever see outside of the UFC. These two 185lbers are some of the most exciting stand up fighters in MMA. We have a fighter on the comeback trail to elite status versus another on a quest to reclaim his title belt. Both have slick striking with knockout power and cement chins. This has potential to be fight of the night and steal the show.

Benji Radach was a highly touted prospect early in his career who started off on a nine fight winning streak. He took the step up in competition to the UFC and did well, taking his first loss on a hard fought bout with Sean Sherk that ended with a cut. Not losing any luster off his promising status, Radach moved forward and continued to win at smaller shows. Then his life changed when he took a fight with Chris Leben in 2004. Leben shattered Radach’s jaw which managed to start a chain reaction of injuries that kept Radach out of MMA for almost 3 years. A broken jaw, a herniated disc that caused partial paralysis, a spider bite that created a large hole in his leg, a torn meniscus that required knee surgery, and a staph infection from hell that almost caused his arm to be amputated. They all helped to keep him sidelined until Bas Rutten and the IFL came a calling in 2007. He rattled off five straight wins in the IFL until his championship loss to Matt Horwich last December.

Radach is an excellent wrestler but an even better boxer. He has fantastic hands, but it was his devastating knockout power that put Radach on the map. He has since turn into a pretty good all-around kickboxer with decent ground skills. His wrestling enables Radach to stay out of trouble on the ground and he wins most scrambles for position. His guard is strictly defensive, he will not threaten to many submissions from his back. He also uses his wrestling in reverse to prevent the takedown and keep the fight standing.

Ninja Rua is a Pride veteran and an original member of the famed Chute Boxe academy in Brazil. Ninja started his career with much ballyhoo and delivered with exciting fights. He was an exciting Muay Thai fighter with amazing cardio and fantastic Brazilian Jiu Jitsu. His first loss was a split decision to Dan Henderson, but the fight that really put Ninja on the map was his win over Zen master Mario Sperry. Sperry represented the rival fight team in Brazil, Brazilian Top Team. The fight was not just between to spectacular fighters, but two fight teams and their way of lives. Ninja triumphed in a fantastic decision victory and announced that Rua was the man to beat. But as happened often in his career, every time Rua took a step forward he then took two steps backward. He had several disappointing losses that always seemed to keep him from elite status, but the biggest hit to his mystique was his 15 second knockout loss to Denis Kang. After that fight he ventured from Pride to find his own way. He seemed to finally find the validation he was seeking when he won the middleweight belt in EliteXC by beating Joey Villasenor. But in true ninja fashion he followed one big step forward with a big step backwards in the form of a loss to Robbie Lawler.

Ninja is an excellent kickboxer and Muay Thai fighter, as well as a black belt in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu. He is an fantastic improvisational fighter and is wonderful at winning the scrambles. He is a superb grappler and capable of submitting someone from any position in the fight. His biggest advantage might be his conditioning as he can put a pace on a fighter that they cannot hope to rival. His conditioning can also cause his biggest error, and that is over aggressiveness.  He sometimes rushes head first into trouble and can get caught with strikes. He seems to have settled down with age and maturity, but he still seems impatient at times.

This fight is seemingly for the number one contender spot in the middleweight division. Winner most likely will get a shot at Robbie Lawler. As much fun as Ninja is to watch fight, Radach has the power, the patience, and the wrestling to win the scrambles. I see Radach grinding out a decision victory over Rua. Ninja is extremely tough to finish, even with Radach’s power. Rua could catch Radach in a submission, maybe pick off an arm. But this matchup favors Radach and his controlling patient style of fighting. I think the smart move for Rua would be to take the fight to the floor and do the damage from within the guard, but ninja is too aggressive for that. I think he will want to stand and bang with Radach, and that will prove to be his undoing. I think Radach wins this via split decision.