In the past, EliteXC has been late to finalize shows and the end result has been a short turnaround time to sell tickets to its live events.

However, it’s looks like the promotion is learning from past mistakes as tickets for CBS’ Saturday Night Fights III on Oct. 4 in Ft. Lauderdale, Fla. at the BankAtlantic Center are already on sale through Ticketmaster outlets.

While the card has yet to be finalized, EliteXC announced during Saturday Night Fights II this past weekend that both Kevin “Kimbo Slice” Ferguson and Gina Carano will be returning to action during the event.

That’s the word according to the official Xtreme Couture website.

“The Phenom” Vitor Belfort is at Xtreme Couture training for his upcoming bout at Affliction: Banned. Vitor will be taking on Terry Martin in his debut at 185lbs. Vitor has spent most of his career fighting at 205lbs which is about what he normally weighs. Meaning he was going in the cage and ring against opponents 10-15 pounds heavier than him at fight time. He says he feels faster and lighter at 185 and is looking to make an immediate impact on the division.

I found this piece of news interesting as I wouldn’t be surprised to learn that Belfort actually has nightmares about Randy Couture. The first beating Couture gave to Belfort is something I don’t think he ever fully recovered from mentally and the third fight between the two was another psychological beatdown of epic proportions.

But I guess training with the guy that dished that type of punishment out to you is a way for you to gain some form of confidence back and who knows, with tips from Couture and a new weight class for Belfort to begin anew in, maybe we’ll see the destructive Belfort of old?

I know, I’m a sucker for punishment.

Read more Vitor Belfort content on FiveOuncesOfPain.com.

Adam Swift of MMAPayout.com is reporting that the IFL will use Team Tompkins as the name of the Tompkins-coached team in the IFL at tonight’s event instead of using the team name of Xtreme Couture. He was able to obtain the following statement from Joe Favorito, Senior VP of Communications with the IFL:

Given the ongoing litigation between Extreme Couture and the UFC, we were asked by Extreme Couture Wednesday to not use the Extreme Couture camp name in our event this Friday. Out of respect for Randy and his team in this difficult situation, the camp will take the name Team Tompkins. Shawn Tompkins is coaching this Friday as already announced for this Friday’s event. The IFL is not in any way involved in this litigation, we are doing this out of professional courtesy for Randy and his group.

Has it really come to this? A bunch of Randy Couture’s guys are fighting in the IFL and they can’t even fight under his banner? What a joke. Props to Couture for being the bigger person and yanking his name from the event before it got any uglier. Wouldn’t want to do anything to upset the big, bad UFC.

Things just got real serious at Xtreme Couture. According to their official blog, their bringing 2007 Abu Dhabi Absolute Champion and highly decorated jiu jitsu player Robert Drysdale into the fold:

2007 Abu-Dhabi Absolute Champion Robert Drysdale is the newest member of Xtreme Couture. Robert just moved to Las Vegas, where he is living full time. He is excited to be the newest addition to our Pro Team where he will train in preparation for his MMA debut. Robert will be instructing the Pro Team in jiu jitsu and will teach the jiu jitsu classes at the gym. He is also going to coach our amateur submission grappling and jiu jitsu teams.

Drysdale submitted Marcelo Garcia in last year’s Absolute Division finals, shocking the jiu jitsu community in the process. Garcia is considered the best jiu jitsu player, pound for pound in the world and Drysdale made him tap. That’s saying something. He’ll now serve as the head jiu jitsu coach for Xtreme Couture while also training to make his mixed martial arts debut.

Xtreme Couture, from a coaching standpoint, may be the best mixed martial arts camp in the world right now. They have coaches at the top levels in wrestling, striking, and now jiu jitsu. Add to that a solid roster of professional fighters and, of course, Randy Couture, and you’ve got one hell of a camp.

ProElite.com (SamCaplan.ProElite.com) has learned that Randy Couture’s Xtreme Couture gym in Las Vegas will be one of the four teams featured on the IFL’s 2008 season opening card on February 29 at the Orleans Arena in Vegas.

In addition to Xtreme Couture, fighters representing Matt Lindland’s Team Quest and Ken Shamrock’s Lion’s Den will be featured as well. A fourth and final team that will be appearing on the card has yet to be finalized.

CLICK HERE TO READ THE REMAINDER OF THIS ARTICLE ON SAM CAPLAN’S PROELITE.COM BLOG

After proposed bouts against Frank Trigg and Antonio McKee fell through for an Oct. 20 card promoted by “Brawl for it All” at the Cow Palace in San Francisco, FiveOuncesOfPain.com has learned that Jake Shields’ next fight will be for EliteXC on November 10.

According to his trainer, Cesar Gracie, Shields has signed a bout agreement to fight on EliteXC’s next card against an opponent that has yet to be confirmed. However, Gracie did indicate that Shields’ opponent could end up being someone that is already on the EliteXC roster and currently trains out of Xtreme Couture in Las Vegas.

According to prior interviews by Shields, he has just one fight remaining on his current contract with EliteXC. Unless he has already signed extension, he could become a true free agent following the event on Nov. 10.

Former UFC fighter Mark Homnick was victorious this past Saturday while fighting for the Canada-based fight promotion TKO at the Bell Centre in Montreal, reports The Fight Network.

Hominick broke a two-fight losing streak with a first round TKO over Ben Greer. According to TFN, the win could lead to a return to the WEC for Hominick with Alex Karalexis being discussed as a potential opponent.

TFN is also reporting that Hominick is planning to start training on a regular basis at Randy Couture’s Xtreme Couture gym in Las Vegas, NV.

You know what I love so much about covering MMA? There’s never a shortage of news to cover. Here are some stories that are being reported around the ‘Net:

- Loretta Hunt from The Fight Network spoke with John Hackleman, the trainer for Chuck Liddell, who says he’s unaware of any retirement talk. In fact, he not only claims Liddell told him he’ll be back in the gym next Monday, but didn’t rule out a December fight for Liddell:

“He’s already said he’ll be back in the gym next Monday,” said Hackleman, who has coached Liddell for 16 years. “He’s going to fight again, hopefully as soon as possible, maybe in December. We’re looking at ‘Shogun.’”

- It was revealed during the UFC 76 post-fight press conference that Quinton “Rampage” Jackson’s hand injury worsened during his UFC 75 title defense against Dan Henderson and that he’s unlikely to fight again in 2007. It doesn’t look like the UFC can fall back on a Forrest Griffin vs. Rampage UFC light heavyweight title match for UFC 79 on Dec. 29.

- According to John Pollock of The Fight Network, Karo Parisyan has confirmed he’ll be fighting Judoka standout Hector Lombard at UFC 78 in Newark, NJ.

- MMAJunkie.com broke the news that Dean Lister’s opponent at UFC 79 on Dec. 29 could very well be Jordan Radev, the dude who got wrecked by Drew McFedries at UFN 10.

- UFCDaily.com is reporting that Doug Evans will be fighting in a preliminary match on the UFC 79 undercard on Dec. 29.

- According to this week’s print edition of The Wrestling Observer, BodogFIGHT welterweight champion Nick Thompson is having contract issues with the company. He’s one of the most underrated fighters in the world right now (right up there with Jon Fitch) and would be a tremendous addition to any fight promotion’s talent roster.

- In case you missed it, Ricco Rodriguez confirmed on Inside the Cage Radio with Matt Cava and I this past weekend that he’s still under contract to EliteXC (although a debut match has not been scheduled) and that he plans to continue to fight at heavyweight for the time being. His ultimate goal in the next year is to fight at light heavyweight and he also challenged former friend Tito Ortiz to a catch weight fight at 225 lbs.

- In a previous interview with me for CBSSports.com earlier in the year, Joe “Diesel” Riggs claimed he was transferred from the WEC to the UFC per his request. During Inside the Cage, he indicated that was not actually the case and that the idea was actually pushed on him by Zuffa. Riggs has signed what he believes is a five fight contract with Strikeforce and he’ll make his debut for the promotion this Saturday at the Playboy Mansion against 41-year old Eugene Jackson. It’s a non-exclusive deal but he needs to get permission from Strikeforce to fight outside of it (hey, how about Riggs vs. Nick Diaz II?). Riggs also confirmed there’s a chance he could fight Cung Le if he beats Jackson but said that while he wouldn’t mind fighting Le, he’d love to fight Frank Shamrock.

- I came across this interview via a story on MMANews.com, but in an interview with IronLife.com, Pride lightweight Joachim Hansen indicated he is still technically under contract to Zuffa through the Pride acquisition but there are no immediate plans to fight for the company. It appears they don’t want to use him under his existing deal, and wanted to re-negotiate his contract for less money:

They offered me a fight some months ago – I wasn’t sure if they had bought Pride for what the hell was going on. They offered me a fight against Marcus Aurelio, they offered me half the salary of what I got in Pride. Obviously at the time they had already bought Pride, in my opinion they also bought my contract, so how can they offer me half the salary?

- According to The Fight Network, NSAC officially decided not too suspend Renato “Babalu” Sobral following his extended choke on David Heath following their match at UFC 74 on Aug. 25. However, he will not receive the $25,000 win bonus that the commission decided to withhold, which means he’s been fined $25,000 in essence. All because a guy called him a mother fucker?

- According to MMAjunkie.com, Jake O’Brien, who underwent what what considered at the time to be possible career-ending back surgery, will resume training next year.

Renowned kickboxing coach and Los Angeles Anacondas head coach Shawn Tompkins has decided to leave California and move his operations to Las Vegas in order to work with Xtreme Couture on a full-time basis.

Tompkins will also move both operations for the IFL’s Anacondas and Team Tompkins to Vegas.

You can read the post announcing his arrival at Xtreme Couture on their official blog by clicking here.