The bout would be a rematch from their controversial “street fight” several years ago in which Gannon won despite uncertainty of the ground rules for the fight that were raised while the fight was taking place.

While it is uncertain whether Gannon was ever truly under consideration as an opponent for Slice on Oct. 4, EliteXC Vice President Jared Shaw ruled out any possibility of the bout taking place while speaking exclusively with FiveOuncesOfPain.com.

“No, Sean Gannon will not be the opponent on Oct. 4,” Shaw stated succintly.

Five Ounces of Pain had spoken to EliteXC officials in the past about the possibility of a Slice vs. Gannon rematch and while the fight was never ruled out, skepticism of the bout ever happening was raised due to Gannon’s significant financial demands.

With Gannon not being looked at as an option, it is believed that the leading candidates to face Slice in his hometown of Miami-Ft. Lauderdale are Brett Rogers and UFC Hall of Famer Ken Shamrock.

Three names keep popping up as the next opponent for Kimbo Slice on Oct. 4: Brett Rogers, Ken Shamrock and … wait for it … Sean Gannon.

The feeling among Elite XC execs, however, is that it’s better to hold off on a Rogers-Slice showdown for fear that its cash cow, Kimbo, would lose, and thereby extinguish his marketability and the organization’s potential pay-per-view debut.

Shamrock would fit nicely — he hasn’t made it out of the opening round since 2005 — but it appears Elite XC is having trouble getting the deal worked out.

And so, that leaves Gannon, a Boston police officer who defeated Slice in the most famous of the Miami street brawler’s underground fight videos.

Well, folks, you knew this was coming. I mean, really, who didn’t see this coming? Rogers vs. Slice is a matchup that doesn’t make any sense for EliteXC right now. If he loses to Rogers, a relative unknown to casuals, then Kimbo’s mystique is all but dead. And at this point, it’s very likely that Rogers would take Kimbo to school in that fight. It’s obvious what kind of plan EliteXC has for Kimbo and that’s to build him up against people that they feel he can beat.

Gannon makes perfect sense in that role. He’s the only guy who has beaten Kimbo in a street fight and the fight has been seen by millions of people on YouTube and other video sharing sites. It doesn’t matter to EliteXC if Gannon is not even a legitimate MMA fighter as long as he presents A) an opponent that Kimbo can beat and B) a marketable story. Gannon fits the description for both of those requirements.

So for those, like myself, who are still waiting to see what Kimbo does against a legitimate MMA fighter it looks like we may have to wait even longer. Eventually EliteXC is going to have to put Kimbo in against a real fighter because at some point people are going to get tired of watching him beat up on lesser fighters.

Update: MMAWeekly.com is quoting EliteXC Vice President Jared Shaw as saying the promotion is considering several options for Slice’s option on Oct. 4 but that Gannon is not one of them.

Speculation within the MMA industry suggests that Gary Shaw’s days at ProElite may be numbered. Rumors suggest that Shaw may be out by the end of the summer, possibly soon after the July 26 CBS event. Multiple sources have told MMAPayout.com that the expected move is another example of CBS’s growing influence on the company. Santa Monica Capital Partners, the largest shareholder in the company, is also believed to have taken a more active role in the company of late.

As more news develops, Five Ounces of Pain will be on top of it. Special thanks to MMA Mania for the assist.

The best interview was when Mayhem interview Nick Diaz and Diaz went on a rant. Mayhem’s facial expressions were priceless. Just seeing the two together in the same room at the same time is quite interesting.

You can check out the video by clicking here.

After watching the video I think two things need to happen.

First, Showtime should hire Mayhem to do the in the cage post-fight interviews for EliteXC events.

Second, Diaz and Mayhem should have their own daily talk show together. It would be simply amazing.

LOS ANGELES (Sept. 13, 2007) – ProElite, Inc. [PELE.PK], a sports entertainment and media company dedicated to producing world-class mixed martial arts (MMA) events, today announced the acquisition of King of the Cage, Inc. (KOTC), a prolific MMA promoter with an established stable of world-class fighters and global brand equity.

As part of the agreement, KOTC will promote events in conjunction with Los Angeles-based ProElite’s respected and highly acclaimed live events division, EliteXC, which broadcasts MMA events on Showtime Networks. KOTC will also provide live-streaming video content through ProElite.com.

Financial terms of the transaction were not disclosed.

“We are extremely pleased that KOTC is joining the ProElite family, a natural extension of our brand as we continue to move forward with our global growth strategy,” said Douglas Deluca, CEO of ProElite, Inc. “Pound for pound, KOTC is the best brand out there and brings a deep breadth of industry experience to ProElite, providing a built-in infrastructure that will strengthen the impact of our organization on the world of MMA.”

Founded in 1999 by renowned MMA promoter Terry Trebilcock, the Fontana, Calif.-based KOTC is widely regarded as a pioneer in the sport having discovered and showcased some of the world’s premier fighters including Light Heavyweight Champion Quinton “Rampage” Jackson, Diego Sanchez, Rashard Evans, Joe Stevenson, Rico Rodriguez, Urijah Faber and more.

KOTC annually promotes more than 35 shows, 13 of which are pay-per-view events, and prior to 2007 drew the largest cumulative live audiences per annum of any MMA organization in North America. To date, KOTC has sold more than 1.5 million DVDs and continues to promote MMA events on four continents, including Australia, Asia, Europe and North America.

“Terry and KOTC have captured audiences’ attention around the globe, consistently discovering and showcasing some of the best fighters in MMA,” said Gary Shaw, EliteXC Live Events President. “There is no question that this acquisition will bolster EliteXC’s exposure domestically and abroad, serving as an entrée to fans and fighters who look to EliteXC as a destination for the finest entertainment that the MMA industry has to offer.”

Said Trebilcock, CEO of KOTC: ““ProElite’s EliteXC is an ideal fit for KOTC, and we are honored to join such a talented team of dedicated professionals. ProElite is unmatched in its commitment to the sport, its fans and fighters, and we are thrilled to grow in lockstep with the company.”

London (Sept. 6, 2007) – Sensational news for Mixed Martial Arts fans in the United Kingdom. Cage Rage, Britain’s original MMA brand and leader since 2002, is about to get bigger – and better.

ProElite, Inc. [PELE.PK], an entertainment and media company dedicated to producing world-class MMA events, today announced the acquisition of Cage Rage Championships (CRC), Britain’s premier MMA organization.

 The formal announcement of the new partnership was made by Gary Shaw, President of EliteXC, the respected live fight division of Los Angeles, Calif.-based ProElite.

“This is an exciting day for all of our organizations, but the biggest winners will be fans in the U.K.,’’ Shaw said. “In a short span of eight months, EliteXC has already got the well-deserved reputation for staging sensational fights with the world’s top fighters.

“With the acquisition of Cage Rage Championships, ProElite and EliteXC  continues to establish itself as the fast-growing, premier MMA organization in the world.

“I look forward to developing young English fighters and turning them into true world champions, ala Ricky Hatton in boxing.’’

ProElite’s partnership will help secure CRC’s foothold as the UK’s No. 1 MMA organization, as well as provide the resources needed to expand the company’s operations into an international fight brand.

 Under the expert leadership of Shaw, who also is a world renowned boxing promoter – he staged Lennox Lewis vs. Mike Tyson, Joe Calzaghe vs., Jeff Lacy and many other major prizefights around the world – EliteXC’s brand will adopt CRC into it’s global strategy and feature British talent in what is purported to be the fastest growing sport in the world.

 “Cage Rage is king in the U.K., and this deal will help ensure the organization attains its true potential,” said Irishman William Kelly, Chief Operating Officer of ProElite.  “Britain excels in MMA, and we are truly excited by the way Cage Rage has gained popularity and mesmerized the imaginations of fight fans around the world.  The British bull dog spirit is alive and well – and we will help Cage Rage bark even louder across Britain and Europe.

“ProElite’s involvement is an important step in our company’s growth and development, as we emerge as the premium MMA organization in Britain,” added Andy Geer, co-founder and promoter of five year old Cage Rage.  “The EliteXC brand is held in the highest esteem in fighting echelons, and we are honored by their support.

“This partnership will help us achieve our goals, and the world will be watching as we give audiences the premier experience in MMA. As we move forward, the national brand of Cage Rage will continue to back British talent to the hilt and pitch it against the very elite of international fighters in our own inimitable style.”

Offered Dave O’Donnell, co-founder and promoter of Cage Rage, who introduced MMA to Britain with Geer in 2002:  “Our fight nights will reap the benefit of ProElite’s support, as we continue to show audiences the breadth of athleticism and excitement this sport embodies. Our goal is to help MMA shake off its ‘underground’ image and showcase the true skills and commitment required to reach the top in this fight format, which combines no less than four Olympic combat disciplines.”

Cage Rage returns to Wembley Arena on Saturday, Sept. 22, when EliteXC presents Cage Rage 23 before what is expected to be another sell-out crowd

Media powerhouse and broadcaster British Sky Broadcasting Ltd. brought MMA into the mainstream of British sports when it started broadcasting live televised Cage Rage events on its primetime Saturday night schedule. All Cage Rage Championship events are broadcast live on Sky Sport 3.

ProElite’s CEO, Douglas DeLuca, took notice and immediately pursued CRC as a television-friendly brand.

 “I’ve produced hundreds of TV shows over the years and instantly recognized the character in Dave and Andy’s presentation of the sport.  In our efforts to build a world media presence, CRC was a natural choice,’’ DeLuca said.

International interest has never been higher with the promotion being beamed to fight fans in the USA, Canada, Brazil, Korea, Japan and other fight savvy territories.

Said Kelly Perdew, President of social networking division ProElite.com, “Cage Rage is one of the most exciting MMA events we have streamed on www.ProElite.com. We are looking forward to bringing more of the same live interactive action to fans worldwide. Watch the live stream on Sept. 22 on proelite.com.