Tag: EliteXC

On This Day in MMA History…June 27

Strikeforce: Melendez vs. Thomson went down 3 years ago.

Why it matters:

• Bobby Southworth retained his Strikeforce light heavyweight strap by defeating Anthony Ruiz via unanimous decision. Ruiz beat B-South in their previous bout the previous november, but it wasn’t a title fight. Neither was Southworth’s fight that September against Bill Mahood at the Playboy mansion. It didn’t matter though since he won that fight by verbal submission when Mahood (who later tested positive for steroids) injured his ribs. Southworth, who held the strap longer than any other fighter would lose the belt in his next fight with Renato Sobral. Since then, it has changed hands four times.

• Strikeforce lightweight champion Gilbert Melendez (who won the title by defeating then-champion Clay Guida) lost his title to Strikeforce U.S. lightweight champion Josh Thompson in his second title defense via unanimous decision. After defending the newly-unified title once, Thomson would lose the belt in the rematch the following April. Melendez hasn’t lost since.

• Strikeforce women’s welterweight tournament winner Miesha Tate made her promotional debut.

Strikeforce: Melendez vs. Thomson went down 3 years ago.

Why it matters:

• Bobby Southworth retained his Strikeforce light heavyweight strap by defeating Anthony Ruiz via unanimous decision. Ruiz beat B-South in their previous bout the previous november, but it wasn’t a title fight. Neither was Southworth’s fight that September against Bill Mahood at the Playboy mansion. It didn’t matter though since he won that fight by verbal submission when Mahood (who later tested positive for steroids) injured his ribs. Southworth, who held the strap longer than any other fighter would lose the belt in his next fight with Renato Sobral. Since then, it has changed hands four times.

• Strikeforce lightweight champion Gilbert Melendez (who won the title by defeating then-champion Clay Guida) lost his title to Strikeforce U.S. lightweight champion Josh Thompson in his second title defense via unanimous decision. After defending the newly-unified title once, Thomson would lose the belt in the rematch the following April. Melendez hasn’t lost since.

• Strikeforce women’s welterweight tournament winner Miesha Tate made her promotional debut.

Strikeforce: Melendez vs. Thomson
June 27, 2008
HP Pavilion
San Jose, California

Preliminary Card

Alexander Trivino defeated Eric Jacob via Submission (Armbar) at 0:37 of round 1.

Jorge Interiano defeated Travis Johnson via TKO (Doctor stoppage) at 3:00 of round 2.

Cyrillo Padilha def. Jesse Jones via Unanimous Decision.

Bryan Caraway def. Alvin Cacdac via Submission (Rear-naked choke) at 1:39 of round 1.

Bobby Stack defeated Jose Palacios via Unanimous Decision.

Chris Cariaso def. Anthony Figueroa via Submission (Rear-naked choke) at 4:34 of round 2.

Jeremiah Metcalf defeated Raymond Daniels via Submission (Rear-naked choke) at 0:59 of round 2.

Main Card

Miesha Tate def. Elaina Maxwell via Unanimous Decision.

Bobby Southworth defeated Anthony Ruiz via Unanimous Decision to retain the Strikeforce Light Heavyweight Championship

Billy Evangelista def. Nam Phan via Split Decision.

Josh Thomson defeated Gilbert Melendez via Unanimous Decision to win the Strikeforce Lightweight Championship

Eric Lawson defeated Jesse Gillespie via Submission (Rear-naked choke) at 1:03 of round 1. This fight was delayed until after the main event.

EliteXC put its first foot in the grave 3 years ago.

Why it matters:

An EliteXC planned ShoXC event scheduled for this day in 2008 was inexplicably postponed, signalling that the promotion was possibly in trouble. Although they didn’t give a reaon for the cancellation of the show less than three weeks out, it was reported that they had problems securing the Sycuan Casino and Resort in San Diego, California.

It’s too bad that the show didn’t happen. If it had, we may at least one decent match-up with a fighter that could eventually bolster Strikeforce’s roster.

Hector Lombard was supposed to be on the card, but when the show was scrapped, the up-and-coming Cuban Judoka chose not to fight for the struggling promotion and instead went back to Australia to defend his Cage Fighting Championship middleweight strap in May and September of that year.

A few weeks after the event was put on ice, EliteXC announced during a conference call for its July 26 CBS show that it had downgraded president Gary Shaw’s role to basically that of a consultant with the company.

ProElite Executive Chairman Doug DeLuca put his PR skills to good use when describing the demotion.

“Gary is still very involved with ProElite. Gary and our team from Day One at ProElite basically took MMA at our company from ground zero to a huge network success. So, Gary’s got a lot to be proud of in the MMA world. In the process of doing it, as you can imagine, Gary being from the East Coast and we being a West Coast company, took a lot of time from Gary. He was traveling nonstop. It took a toll on his boxing business, which is very successful, and it took a toll on his family. To some degree, it took a toll on his health.We collectively made the decision that Gary was going to back off a little bit, kind of take a little bit of a relaxed role as far as being involved front and center, which is a good thing for all those three things, for his health, for his boxing business, and for his family,” Deluca explained…sort of. “But Gary is still very much involved, and I still talk to him almost every day. He’s still there. Gary’s interest still lies in EliteXC and ProElite, making it a top organization in the world. That’s the status with Gary.I would say he’s more or less consulting in terms of all his promoter abilities, all his contacts and everything Gary does. So Gary is kind of behind the scenes with us, kind of shaping the direction of the company, the way it’s going, pulling the strings in terms of how we’re going to promote, what we’re going to do. Again, his involvement is very much similar to what it’s always been. The difference is, he’s not going to be front and center, doing all the time consuming stuff that he’s done in the past.”

What a shame…

Ultimate Chaos: Lashley vs. Sapp went down two years ago.

Why it matters:

The event, that was promoted by Prize Fight MMA and Fight Force International, took place in Biloxi, Mississippi at the Mississippi Gulf Coast Coliseum and featured a number of notables including Bobby Lashley, Bob Sapp, Chris Horodecki, William Sriyapai, Gilbert Yvel, Pedro Rizzo and Affliction Clothing CEO, Tom Atencio.

• Sriyapai has not fought since being defeated byfirst-round rear naked choke to Horodecki.

• Rizzo hasn’t lost since being knocked out in the opening frame by Yvel. He is riding a three-fight win streak with “Ws” over Jeff Monson, Gary Goodridge and Ken Shamrock.

• Yvel hasn’t won since beating Rizzo and will now fight under PRIDE rules at Colosseo Fighting Championships July 23 event against Tony Lopez.

Ultimate Chaos: Lashley vs. Sapp
June 27, 2009
Mississippi Gulf Coast Coliseum
Biloxi, Mississippi

Main Card

Bobby Lashley def. Bob Sapp via TKO (punches) at 3:17 of round 1.

Gilbert Yvel def. Pedro Rizzo via KO (punches) at 2:10 of round 1.

Javier Vasquez def. Mark Kergosien via submission (guillotine choke) at 0:59 of round 1.

Chris Horodecki def. William Sriyapai via submission (rear naked choke) at 4:02 of round 1.

Wachiim Spiritwolf def. Brett Cooper via KO at 3:41 of round 1.

Tom Atencio def. Randy Hederick via TKO (stoppage) at 5:00 of round 2.

Brandon Harder defeated John Harris via submission (arm triangle) at 4:31 of round 2.

James Orso defeated Danny Abbadi via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28).

Preliminary Card

Eric Bradley def. Kelly Leo by TKO (punches) at 0:11 of round 2

Colin O’ Hanlon def. Lance Thompson by Submission (Strikes) at 4:16 of Round 1.

Drew Wallace def. Eric Graham by TKO (Strikes) at 4:02 of Round 2.

Rocky Overstreet def. Greg Maher by Submission (Kimura) at 2:08 of Round 1.

Jonathan Mackles def. Shiloh Pisarich by Submission (Rear-Naked Choke) at 2:29 of Round 2.

On This Day in MMA History…June 22

(Video courtesy of YouTube/Stemerm1)

Strikeforce: Shamrock vs. Baroni went down 4 years ago.

Why it matters:

• Frank Shamrock became Strikeforce’s inaugural middleweight champion after he defeated Phil Baroni at the EliteXC co-promoted event held at the HP Pavilion in San Jose, California by choking “The New York Badass” unconscious with a rear-naked choke. Shamrock was criticized for “kicking” Baroni off of him after the bout. He explained the incident at the post-fight press conference. “He was heavy on top of me… he was squishing the life out of me… he was laying on my leg and on my chest… that’s it. And I thought it looked better on camera.” Shamrock would lose the strap one fight later to Cung Le.

• Following the bout California State Athletic Commission test results revealed that Baroni tested positive for Boldenone and Stanozolol steroid metabolites. He was fined $2,500 and suspended for a year from competing in California — a suspension that would be observed by every member agency in the Association of Boxing Commissions. Baroni denied any wrongdoing and appealed the decision and on October 31, 2007 Baroni’s suspension was reduced to 6 months without a even a shred of evidence presented that exonerated him.

• Murilo Rua defeated Joey Vilasenor to become the first EliteXC middleweight champion. He would lose it in his next fight with Robbie Lawler.

• Carter Williams was found by the CSAC to have tested positive for cocaine. As a result he was fined $1,000 and suspended for six months.


(Video courtesy of YouTube/Stemerm1)

Strikeforce: Shamrock vs. Baroni went down 4 years ago.

Why it matters:

• Frank Shamrock became Strikeforce’s inaugural middleweight champion after he defeated Phil Baroni at the EliteXC co-promoted event held at the HP Pavilion in San Jose, California by choking “The New York Badass” unconscious with a rear-naked choke. Shamrock was criticized for “kicking” Baroni off of him after the bout. He explained the incident at the post-fight press conference. “He was heavy on top of me… he was squishing the life out of me… he was laying on my leg and on my chest… that’s it. And I thought it looked better on camera.” Shamrock would lose the strap one fight later to Cung Le.

• Following the bout California State Athletic Commission test results revealed that Baroni tested positive for Boldenone and Stanozolol steroid metabolites. He was fined $2,500 and suspended for a year from competing in California — a suspension that would be observed by every member agency in the Association of Boxing Commissions. Baroni denied any wrongdoing and appealed the decision and on October 31, 2007 Baroni’s suspension was reduced to 6 months without a even a shred of evidence presented that exonerated him.

• Murilo Rua defeated Joey Vilasenor to become the first EliteXC middleweight champion. He would lose it in his next fight with Robbie Lawler.

• Carter Williams was found by the CSAC to have tested positive for cocaine. As a result he was fined $1,000 and suspended for six months.

Brian Bowles was born 31 years ago.

Why he matters:

• Bowles is the former WEC bantamweight champion

• He holds wins over Charlie Valencia, Miguel Torres and Damacio Page.

• All nine of his wins came by KO, TKO or submission giving him a 90% finish rate — one of the best in the UFC.

Randy Couture was born 48 years ago.
(Video courtesy of YouTube/UFCEdit)

Why he matters:

If you don’t know, you’re on the wrong website.

What Captain America has accomplished in his storied MMA career will likely never be duplicated.

• The three-time All-American Greco-Roman wrestler from at Oklahoma State University is the only UFC fighter to win both the heavyweight and light heavyweight straps. Couture won both belts twice and the interim light heavyweight belt once.

• He successfully defended the heavyweight belt three times, but never defended the light heavyweight belt.

• Although his 19-11 record betrays what just how much he accomplished in his career, the majority of his losses came against current, future or former champions including Chuck Liddell (x2), Vitor Belfort, Ricco Rodriguez, Josh Barnett, Lyoto Machida and Brock Lesnar.

• His trilogy of fights with Chuck Liddell are three of the best selling cards in UFC history.

• It’s unlikely any other fighter will fight until they are 47 with the rate of success that Couture had.

Father’s Day Tribute: Five MMA Father-Son Moments That Make Your Relationship With Dad Look Great

Yeah, if you’re looking for warm fuzzies, you can stop reading now. These two aren’t on the list. (Pic: MMAConvert.com)

Being a father must be one of the most thankless jobs on Earth. I say this not as a dad, but as a son who can only imagine what I put my father through. Sure, there are probably some happy times, like watching your son get his first hit on the baseball court, but largely it’s a never ending torrent of putting up with your son’s immature bullshit, and for that you get thought of one day a year at which time you’re rewarded with an ugly ass tie and a “Free Oil Change” coupon for the truck your son smashed up.

On this special occasion, take a few minutes to grab your old man, have a seat, and enjoy some good old fashioned shadenfreude with some of our sport’s less celebrated father-son moments. You may laugh, you may cry, but hopefully you’ll both realize that things could be a lot worse. Who knows, after a beer or two you may even decide to celebrate your strengthened bond by taking a class together.

To all the dads out there, keep fighting the good fight.

Yeah, if you’re looking for warm fuzzies, you can stop reading now. These two aren’t on the list. (Pic: MMAConvert.com)

Being a father must be one of the most thankless jobs on Earth. I say this not as a dad, but as a son who can only imagine what I put my father through. Sure, there are probably some happy times, like watching your son get his first hit on the baseball court, but largely it’s a never ending torrent of putting up with your son’s immature bullshit, and for that you get thought of one day a year at which time you’re rewarded with an ugly ass tie and a “Free Oil Change” coupon for the truck your son smashed up.

On this special occasion, take a few minutes to grab your old man, have a seat, and enjoy some good old fashioned shadenfreude with some of our sport’s less celebrated father-son moments. You may laugh, you may cry, but hopefully you’ll both realize that things could be a lot worse. Who knows, after a beer or two you may even decide to celebrate your strengthened bond by taking a class together.

To all the dads out there, keep fighting the good fight.

Chris Leben’s Breakdown On TUF Season 1

Maybe it’s just all the topless drunk dudes in acid wash jeans hanging around the pool, but in retrospect doesn’t TUF 1 look a little…you know… (original TUF footage)

After thirteen seasons of The Ultimate Fighter, it’s hard to believe that there was a time when fighters getting drunk in a house and smashing things was considered fresh and innovative television. Practically everyone has been calling for the show to be revamped, but long before the in-house antics grew stale there were brave pioneers like Chis Leben who broke down doors in the entertainment industry by breaking down doors in the TUF house.

Leben has his fair share of personal demons burning within, and adding alcohol to the mix serves only to fan the flames. During his stint on the show, “The Crippler” summoned the courage to confide in his TUF housemates that he had been abandoned by his father as a young child, which later served as ammunition for Bobby Southworth during a drunken argument. After calling Leben a “fatherless bastard” and telling him that he was so worthless that he was left in a garbage can, Southworth half-heartedly apologized, but he and Koscheck were only warming up. When Leben retreated to avoid confrontation and sleep it off outside, the two decided to turn a water hose on him. Pushed to his emotional breaking point, Leben lashed out at any object standing between him and his tormentors. And the rest, as they say, is reality tv history.

Gus Johnson’s Contract Up at CBS

Filed under: EliteXC, MMA Media Watch, StrikeforceGus Johnson, the lead mixed martial arts play-by-play man for CBS who has called many of the most-watched fights in the sport’s history, is reportedly leaving the network.

Richard Deitsch of Sports Ill…

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Gus Johnson, the lead mixed martial arts play-by-play man for CBS who has called many of the most-watched fights in the sport’s history, is reportedly leaving the network.

Richard Deitsch of Sports Illustrated reports that Johnson, who’s best known for calling college football and the NFL, is leaving after failing to come to terms on a new contract with the network. UPDATE: The New York Daily News reports that while Johnson’s contract with CBS has expired, it’s still possible he could reach a new deal.

It’s not clear whether Johnson is also out at Showtime, where he has been both a boxing and MMA play-by-play voice. Johnson will still be part of Saturday night’s Manny Pacquiao vs. Shane Mosley pay-per-view broadcast, but it seems unlikely that Johnson would stick around at Showtime, which a division of the CBS Corporation, for long.

Gary Shaw Details Collapse of Kimbo Slice’s Boxing Career; Offers to Promote Nick Diaz

(Video courtesy of YouTube/FightHubTV.com)

Fight Hub TV’s Marcos Villegas caught up with Gary Shaw over the weekend and spoke to the former head of EliteXC about Nick Diaz’s boxing aspirations and why Kimbo Slice’s boxing debut never happened.


(Video courtesy of YouTube/FightHubTV.com)

Fight Hub TV’s Marcos Villegas caught up with Gary Shaw over the weekend and spoke to the former head of EliteXC about Nick Diaz’s boxing aspirations and why Kimbo Slice’s boxing debut never happened.

According to Shaw, he doesn’t feel that it would be worth it for Diaz to square off against a cold commodity like Fernando Vargas or Jeff Lacy because there wouldn’t be a lot of interest from the networks in putting on a b-level bout, especially as a main event.

“I love Nick Diaz, first of all. I think he’s as exciting as can be. I’ve not reached out for him. If he wants to box, he knows my number. They know the name of my company. But if he’s going to box then he’s got to box relevant fighters,” Shaw pointed out. “Fernando Vargas is not a relevant fighter, Jeff Lacy is not a relevant fighter. So what are you proving? That’s just a waste of time. Television’s not going to buy it, so if he wants to really fight, they’ll contact me and then they’ll really want to fight then we’ll do something on Showtime or HBO or ESPN.”

Although Shaw believes that Diaz has star power and says he could do well in the sport, he cautions the Stockton native to think long and hard about competing in The Sweet Science as it is a different animal than MMA-style boxing.

“He’s a good fighter. He’s a very good fighter, but boxing is a lot different than MMA, so… The techniques are different,” Shaw said. “You can knock guys out in MMA, but you’re not knocking out boxers. You’re knocking out other MMA fighters. So he might find it a little more difficult than he believes.”

When asked about what’s up with Slice’s delayed foray into boxing, Shaw said that it isn’t likely that we’ll see Kimbo donning 10-ounce gloves any time soon.

“He realized how hard it is to be a boxer. I had him in training camp in California, but he wasn’t committed…as committed as he had to be. I still love Kimbo. I still think he’s the single biggest attraction in our sports,” Shaw explained incredulously, demonstrating why EliteXC failed. “I’d love to still put him in a boxing ring, but you gotta be really committed. He made a lotta money in mixed martial arts and maybe he just didn’t need the money bad enough at that time.”

Frank Shamrock: I Did Not Offer to Take a Dive Against Kimbo Slice

Filed under: EliteXC, NewsFrank Shamrock says former EliteXC matchmaker Jared Shaw’s recent claim of Shamrock offering to take a dive against Kimbo Slice in the main event of EliteXC-CBS on Oct. 4, 2008 was fabricated.

“No, absolutely not,” Shamrock s…

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Frank Shamrock says former EliteXC matchmaker Jared Shaw’s recent claim of Shamrock offering to take a dive against Kimbo Slice in the main event of EliteXC-CBS on Oct. 4, 2008 was fabricated.

“No, absolutely not,” Shamrock said Monday on The MMA Hour, when asked by host Ariel Helwani about Shaw’s claim. “That’s some movie b.s. right there.”