Tag: ProElite

PRO Elite: 2nd-Generation Hawaiian Fighter Raquel Pa’aluhi Keeping It In The Family

Tweet Press Release – As mixed martial arts gets closer and closer to its twentieth year of existence as an official sport, fans are starting to see second-generation competitors pop up on local and national fight cards. Hawaii is no different in that regard. The Pa’aluhi name is well-known and well-respected throughout the Islands, as […]

Press Release – As mixed martial arts gets closer and closer to its twentieth year of existence as an official sport, fans are starting to see second-generation competitors pop up on local and national fight cards. Hawaii is no different in that regard. The Pa’aluhi name is well-known and well-respected throughout the Islands, as the patriarch of the family was part of the beginnings of MMA in Hawaii. Now, Raquel Pa’aluhi will carry on the family name as she is slated to compete at Pro Elite: “Arlovski vs. Lopez” this Saturday night. Suffice to say that it’s a pressure-packed situation. But she is up for the challenge.

Raquel Pa’aluhi (3-1) is one of the best female fighters from Hawaii…there’s no question about that. A pro since 2009, she has developed a reputation for stealing the show on the fight cards she appears on. And her athletic abilities have been passed down to her. Pa’aluhi’s father was an outstanding football player and state champion wrestler in high school, and eventually competed on the early Superbrawl events, which were promoted by Pro Elite head T.Jay Thompson. In addition, Raquel’s big brother is well-known for his time playing football for Oregon State. To put it lightly, sports runs through her veins. “Sports are a big part of my family’s being. It’s always been something that brought everyone together. We even have a dog club in our family. Every time you accomplish something big, sports-wise, you get promoted to a better dog. It sounds silly but it keeps us going!”

At this weekend’s event, Pa’aluhi will face Sarah McMann in a highly-anticipated encounter. McMann (3-0) is an undefeated competitor with a strong ground game who is coming off a victory over well-known female fighter Tonya Evinger. “I know she’s a great wrestler. She’s very strong and she’s a bully in the cage,” explains Pa’aluhi. But the Hawaiian scrapper isn’t selling herself short, either. “I feel like I evolve every fight and I still have so much room to grow. And I am not specifically good at one thing. When people ask me what kind of fighter I am, I usually say I’m a freestyle fighter because I’m constantly trying to get better at everything. I am able to go wherever the fight takes me.” Those skills will serve Pa’aluhi well at this weekend’s tilt.
In MMA, everyone knows that nothing is guaranteed. The sport experiences upsets on a seemingly regular basis. So while the Hawaiian crowd will surely be in her corner for the fight, Pa’aluhi knows that she has to take the bout very, very seriously. But if she does get in trouble in the cage, she will be prepared to deal with it by using her greatest strength. “It’s my heart. It’s always been the best thing about me. And when the fight gets tough it always pulls me through. I’m very mentally tough as well. And I can thank my Dad for that.”

No matter what the end of her fight brings on Saturday, the Hawaiian competitor has fireworks in store for the Pro Elite fans this weekend. “I plan to show the world that this is what I was made to do, and that Raquel Pa’aluhi is here to stay.”

If Raquel is any indication, the future of MMA both in Hawaii and abroad is incredibly bright.

Ray Lopez Excited To Show The World What He Can Do Against Andrei Arlovski On Aug. 27

Tweet It’s time to show the entire world who Ray Lopez (5-1) is on August 27 according to the 24-year old fighter. A three-time King of the Cage fighter, Lopez is set to meet former UFC heavyweight champ Andrei Arlovski on August 27 i the main event bout of Pro Elite’s return event. This match […]

It’s time to show the entire world who Ray Lopez (5-1) is on August 27 according to the 24-year old fighter.

A three-time King of the Cage fighter, Lopez is set to meet former UFC heavyweight champ Andrei Arlovski on August 27 i the main event bout of Pro Elite’s return event.

This match is the biggest of his career and offers him a great opportunity to show the world what he can do.

“I never got into fighting to be famous,” explains Lopez. “I’m not trying to get rich off it. I just do it because I like hitting, and I like getting hit.”

“To beat Arlovski, for me, it would mean a lot to me, just because of who he is. He’s one of my idols, and watching him fight helped get me started in MMA. I have a lot of respect for him. I never would have expected an opportunity like this, but whether or not I’m ready, it’s time to show the world who Ray Lopez is.”

“Every time that I think an opponent is going to try to take me down, he doesn’t, even if he’s a wrestler. With Arlovski, he’s got a background in standup and ground, so, really, it can go anywhere. So I’m ready for a war. I’m just going to be ready for my opportunity to strike.”

The Pro Elite show will take place on August 27 at the Neal S. Blaisdell Center in Honolulu, Hawaii with a six bout main card, which will air via the web at Sherdog.com following the live UFC 134 pay-per-view.

Video: Former EliteXC Live Events President Gary Shaw Calls ProElite 2.0 ‘a Joke’

(Video courtesy of TheFightNerd)

Our friends over at The Fight Nerd caught up with Gary Shaw recently and they asked the former EliteXC live events president what he thought about the latest incarnation of ProElite. Not surprisingly, Shaw didn’t hold back when describing the promotion’s chances in the current MMA landscape dominated by the UFC.

“I think it’s laughable. The people running it are  jokes. It’s not real and the only game in town is the UFC. I wouldn’t have been [interested in being involved with ProElite again]. All of my time is with boxing. Like I said, the only game in town is the UFC. You can’t beat them any longer. They are too entrenched,” Shaw explained. “They bought the next best thing, which was Strikeforce. Fedor’ s gone from the scene. So, right now it’s only the UFC. They’re miles ahead of everyone right now. It’s like us coming up with some fast food franchise and beating McDonald’s and Burger King. It’s not gonna happen.”


(Video courtesy of TheFightNerd)

Our friends over at The Fight Nerd caught up with Gary Shaw recently and they asked the former EliteXC live events president what he thought about the latest incarnation of ProElite. Not surprisingly, Shaw didn’t hold back when describing the promotion’s chances in the current MMA landscape dominated by the UFC.

“I think it’s laughable. The people running it are  jokes. It’s not real and the only game in town is the UFC. I wouldn’t have been [interested in being involved with ProElite again]. All of my time is with boxing. Like I said, the only game in town is the UFC. You can’t beat them any longer. They are too entrenched,” Shaw explained. “They bought the next best thing, which was Strikeforce. Fedor’ s gone from the scene. So, right now it’s only the UFC. They’re miles ahead of everyone right now. It’s like us coming up with some fast food franchise and beating McDonald’s and Burger King. It’s not gonna happen.”

Needless to say, Shaw isn’t a fan of new ProElite president T.Jay Thompson, who became a five-year executive consultant with the company after it purchased his Icon Sport promotion back in 2007 for $350,000 U.S. and “hundreds of thousands” of PELE shares, and for good reason. Thompson, whose role in the promotion was downgraded after Shaw stepped down from the organization, has openly criticized both Shaw and his son Jared for mismanaging EliteXC and was the individual who first made mention of Shaw paying Seth Petruzelli to not take Kimbo Slice down. The accusations led to an investigation by the Florida Athletic Commission and some say prompted CBS to sever ties with the struggling organization.

Now Thompson is denying our report that ProElite is close to signing a deal with CBS and Showtime, which comes as no surprise considering that with the amount of shares he owns, he wouldn’t be able to admit it even if the deal was close as he could be accused of insider trading.

 

 

ProElite Pursuing Veteran Manager and Promoter Monte Cox as Consultant

Filed under: MMA Fighting Exclusive, News, ProEliteVeteran MMA manager and promoter Monte Cox is in talks with ProElite to become a consultant for the upstart organization.

Both ProElite’s Vice President of Operations T. Jay Thompson and Cox confirmed…

Filed under: , ,

Veteran MMA manager and promoter Monte Cox is in talks with ProElite to become a consultant for the upstart organization.

Both ProElite’s Vice President of Operations T. Jay Thompson and Cox confirmed with MMA Fighting that talks are ongoing but no deal has been struck just yet.

“I’m excited about the prospect of working with T. Jay and ProElite,” Cox wrote via text message. “We’ve been friends for a long, long time and think we work well together. It would be fun to get in on the ground floor and help build something.”

Cox has managed some of the biggest names in MMA, including Rich Franklin and Tim Sylvia. He entered the sport in 1995 and has also promoted close to 600 local shows.


The role being offered to Cox is simply that of a consultant. Should he accept, he would not have to quit his manager or promoter jobs and would not be involved in ProElite’s matchmaking process.

“Monte and I have worked together on many projects through the years,” Thompson said. “I would love to have him on board. He would be an incredible asset to the company

“He’ll be in Hawaii for the ProElite show and maybe after taking his money on the golf course, if he’s not too grumpy, we’ll come to an agreement.”

Cox was famously named CEO of M-1 Global in 2007 but left the organization in 2008.

ProElite: Arlovski vs. Lopez is scheduled for Aug. 27 in Hawaii.

 

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

ProElite Notebook: TV Deal, Heavyweight Grand Prix and More

Filed under: MMA Fighting Exclusive, News, ProEliteProElite 2.0, as Vice President of Fight Operations T. Jay Thompson likes to call it, is set to get back on track on Aug. 27 in Hawaii. The organization is looking to reinvent itself after crumbling in…

Filed under: , ,

ProElite 2.0, as Vice President of Fight Operations T. Jay Thompson likes to call it, is set to get back on track on Aug. 27 in Hawaii. The organization is looking to reinvent itself after crumbling in 2008 following Kimbo Slice’s loss to Seth Petruzelli in Florida.

So with its first show in almost three years less than three weeks away, here are some news and notes about MMA’s newest — or not so new depending on how you view them — kid on the block.

* Thompson vehemently denied a Cage Potato report that the organization was close to signing a TV deal with Viacom to broadcast its events on CBS and Showtime in the near future.

“There is absolutely no truth to the report that we are close to a deal with CBS and Showtime,” he said.

Thompson said they are talking to “everyone” in the TV world but stopped short at saying who was the frontrunner. The organization’s Aug. 27 show will stream live on Sherdog.com, but Thompson hopes he will have a TV deal in place by the promotion’s second show.

* Speaking of its second show, Thompson said “early November” in Atlantic City, N.J., is when ProElite’s sophomore event will take place. No specific date or location has been finalized yet.

* One of the main attractions scheduled for the event will be the start of a heavyweight grand prix. But before you roll your eyes at the idea of another heavyweight GP, Thompson says this one will feature mostly “unknown” big men from around the world. Andrei Arlovski and Mark Ellis, who are scheduled to fight in different bouts in Hawaii, could be a part of it if they win their debut fights.

“It will outperform whatever people are expecting,” he said. “I’m very excited about that.”

* Ticket sales for the Aug. 27 event at the Neal S. Blaisdell Center in Honolulu, HI, have been “strong,” according to Thompson. The long-time promoter says he expects to sell at least 5,000 tickets to the event. A sellout would be approximately 7,800 fans.

* When asked about the recent Golden Glory free agents, Thompson said he was “very interested” in having Marloes Coenen fight on the November show. And while he admitted that Alistair Overeem is probably out of his price range, he said Jon Olav Einemo could be the perfect fit for the aforementioned GP. According to Thompson, the lines of communication between himself and Golden Glory head trainer Martijn de Jong, who fought for Thompson in 2002, have just been opened. He sounded very excited at the prospect of signing Coenen.

* Don’t expect any title fights in ProElite any time soon.

“I hate when events do world championship fights with no world championship fighters,” he said.

That’s not to say Thompson is down on the quality of his fighters, but he explained that he needs to build the fighters first before putting them in title fights. And if you followed Thompson back when he was promoting SuperBrawl and ICON Sport, you’ll recall that title fights in those promotions were scarce.

Check out the full lineup for ProElite: Arlovski vs. Lopez and the organization’s new Web site here. A promo for the Aug. 27 can be seen below.

 

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Wednesday Morning MMA Link Club

(M-Bone is Dougie’ing in his grave right now. Props: Ariel Helwani)

Some selected highlights from our friends around the MMA blogosphere. E-mail [email protected] for details on how your site can join the MMA Link Club…

– Team Gina Carano Updates Strikeforce on Health Condition via Vague Email (5thRound)

– Pete Sell Returns to Competition After Two-Year Absence, Wins Ring of Combat Welterweight Title (TheFightNerd)

– The New CEO of ProElite Explains to Us How the Company Plans to Be the Number Two MMA Organization in the World (MiddleEasy)

– Werdum and Gloom: The Politics of Pulling Guard (NBC Sports MMA)

– Chad Griggs vs. Daniel Cormier Could Be ‘Logical Next Step’ for Strikeforce (MMA Fighting)

– Ring Girls Round-Up: Ashleigh Marley (LowKick)

– 28 Reasons We’d Love to Have Dana White’s Job (BleacherReport.com/MMA)

– ‘UFC 132: Cruz vs. Faber 2’ Conference Call Highlights (Five Ounces of Pain)

– UFC 133: Jorge Rivera Is Too Old to Keep Getting Punched in the Head (MMA Mania)

– Fedor Emelianenko: ‘Two Mistakes In A Row Cannot Be Coincidence’ (MMA Convert)


(M-Bone is Dougie’ing in his grave right now. Props: Ariel Helwani)

Some selected highlights from our friends around the MMA blogosphere. E-mail [email protected] for details on how your site can join the MMA Link Club…

– Team Gina Carano Updates Strikeforce on Health Condition via Vague Email (5thRound)

– Pete Sell Returns to Competition After Two-Year Absence, Wins Ring of Combat Welterweight Title (TheFightNerd)

– The New CEO of ProElite Explains to Us How the Company Plans to Be the Number Two MMA Organization in the World (MiddleEasy)

– Werdum and Gloom: The Politics of Pulling Guard (NBC Sports MMA)

– Chad Griggs vs. Daniel Cormier Could Be ‘Logical Next Step’ for Strikeforce (MMA Fighting)

– Ring Girls Round-Up: Ashleigh Marley (LowKick)

– 28 Reasons We’d Love to Have Dana White’s Job (BleacherReport.com/MMA)

– ‘UFC 132: Cruz vs. Faber 2′ Conference Call Highlights (Five Ounces of Pain)

– UFC 133: Jorge Rivera Is Too Old to Keep Getting Punched in the Head (MMA Mania)

– Fedor Emelianenko: ‘Two Mistakes In A Row Cannot Be Coincidence’ (MMA Convert)