Mailbag: Big mistakes put Elite XC down
The demise of Elite XC is sad, if not predictable. The company that began with such promise in 2007 folded more meekly than its biggest star in 2008, buried under an avalanche of bills.
There are myriad reasons for its demise, but two moves were particularly damaging.
First, its handling of Kimbo Slice drew television viewers by the millions while slicing its own credibility to shreds at the same time.
Elite XC built Kimbo Slice into a star attraction, but at the expense of turning the company into a quasi-pro-wrestling outfit. That greatly hurt its credibility, particularly given the outlandish efforts its executives allegedly used to make certain Slice won.
Slice was routinely matched against the poorest competition Elite XC officials could find. His last three scheduled opponents, Tank Abbott, James Thompson and Ken Shamrock, were a collective 4-20 in their fights prior to being slated to meet Slice. Shamrock was injured and never fought Slice, but it shows the type of opponents Elite XC was picking for him.
It would have been far better off to let Slice fight off-television fights and develop his mixed martial arts game rather than exploit him for a quick buck and, as it appears has happened, permanently ruin him. He only seems to have gimmick appeal now.
Second, as the company was beginning, Elite XC's parent company, ProElite, purchased a string of other promotional companies – including Cage Rage, ICON, Rumble on the Rock, King of the Cage and Spirit MC, which collectively cost tens of millions of dollars and delivered essentially nothing.
The UFC's purchase of PRIDE hasn't exactly been a boon for the industry leader, but at least it was able to land not only the contracts of a number of big-time fighters but also the valuable PRIDE fight library.
Elite XC got no fighters of note. It got a fight library that wasn't worth anything near what it spent. Given its television contract with Showtime, it should have eschewed these money-draining deals and spent the money on building its fighter roster. The only way any promotional company has any chance to compete with the UFC is to have a deep roster of talent.
Elite XC had a few quality fighters, but had no depth and was forced to have the same fighters constantly fight. Had it kept the money it spent on buying those companies – my esteemed colleague, Dave Meltzer, reported it is an astounding $18 million on Cage Rage alone – it could have landed a significant number of quality fighters whose contracts had expired.
Let's hope that the fighters who signed with Elite XC in good faith are able to land good jobs. One would presume that welterweight champion Jake Shields will be able to go wherever he wants. It's almost certain he'll wind up in the UFC.
There are fewer options for women's star Gina Carano, who is not only a superb fighter but a wonderful ambassador for the sport.
UFC president Dana White can't ignore her popularity. Carano has become as popular as any UFC fighter and is no gimmick. White should sign Carano to a UFC contract, because while he may not like women's fighting, he does like great fights and she delivers just about every time.
With that, let's move on to your questions and comments and my responses in this week's edition of the mailbag. My answers are in italics, as always.
EXC STARS' FUTURES
With Elite XC folding, there are a handful of decent fighters who just became free agents (Jake Shields, Nick Diaz, Eddie Alvarez, Robbie Lawler and one or two more). Obviously, there are multifaceted details as to where they end up, such as money, competition, relationships and more. But if you were a betting man, where do you see the top 10 Elite XC fighters ending up, as well as Carano and Slice?
Lance Young
Milwaukee
Lance, if I had to bet, I'd bet on Kimbo winding up in Japan. He's the kind of larger-than-life figure they love over there. As I mentioned above, I think Shields winds up in the UFC, where he'll get his chance to fight Georges St. Pierre. There will be spirited bidding on Alvarez among several promotions, and I'd bet the UFC will be interested. It will depend upon his interest and where he wants to go, but he'll be able to go where he wants. I'm not sure the UFC is going to be too interested at this stage in Diaz or Lawler, though if it is interested in one of them, it would definitely be Lawler. Gina is in a strange situation, but I really hope Dana White does the right thing and signs her.
WOMEN'S DIVISION
We've officially seen the end of Elite XC, and discussions are running of the positives and negatives the fold creates. The biggest loss I see, however, is the lack of a women's division and a stage for superstar Gina Carano. I know its unlikely that the UFC will create a women's division. However, I believe it would be in Zuffa's best interests to add a female division to the WEC. It differentiates the brand further from the UFC and Carano's star power would draw a brand-new audience to experience how exciting the WEC really is. From a business standpoint, I think this is a no-brainer. What do you think?
Stephen Green
St. John's, Newfoundland
Clearly, I'm an advocate of White signing Carano in some way. And given his well-known aversion to women's fighting, I say let's not push it. I have no problem with women's fighting and your concept is intriguing. However, I think signing Gina as an individual and then choosing matches for her as Elite XC did works. The UFC could start by putting her in with Cris "Cyborg" Santos in one of its upcoming shows. And Carano would also be terrific as a part of the UFC's broadcast team.
UFC ON CBS?
I had heard that the UFC was the first choice for CBS, but Dana wanted control of the broadcasts, so CBS went with their second choice of Elite XC instead. Even though EliteXC was a second-tier organization with second-tier talent, they saw some decent ratings but saw an organization that proved to be "lost" a lot of the time. Do you think CBS will return to negotiations with the UFC and now offer to give up control on the broadcasts, seeking even better ratings and now working with an organization that knows what it is doing?
Eric Reznor
Sidney, Ohio
Obviously, if you're network TV and you're going to broadcast a sporting event, you want to broadcast the best sporting event. And if you're a sporting event, you want to be on the biggest network you can be on. So it makes sense that CBS and the UFC would have interest in each other. That said, do I expect CBS and the UFC to reach a deal? No. I think it's more likely that Affliction will land the CBS dates, if CBS even decides to go ahead with MMA on network TV. That's no given.
BISPING-LEBEN RESULT
I must admit I am surprised by the reactions I have read to the Bisping-Leben fight. While I thought it perhaps could have been more dynamic, I thought both guys fought hard and exchanged some good shots. Everything I keep reading on the forums, however, seems to circle around how the UFC is protecting Bisping so that he can continue to be their poster child in the U.K. Personally, I think Chris Leben is a game opponent and can't imagine he wouldn't give his all in a fight just so Bisping could look good. Some angry fans, however, seem to think there was some kind of "Petruzelli-esque" setup, and many are arguing that Leben should have won the decision. I thought Bisping clearly won. What is your take?
Adam Nardini
Durham, N.C.
I'll preface by saying I was in Atlantic City, N.J., on Saturday covering a boxing match, so I didn't see the fight until Sunday when I got home and watched the replay. It's never as easy to score a fight from TV as it is from watching it live from ringside. That said, I thought Bisping won the fight. Here's the thing to remember: The UFC would do well in the U.K. if Bisping retired tomorrow. And a fight-fixing scandal would be much worse for the UFC than a Bisping loss. Dana White is well aware of that. He has a lot more to lose. It's a ridiculous notion and not worthy of one more word.
WHAT'S UP WITH VERA?
Brandon Vera seems lost to me. He looks timid in the octagon and looks like he's afraid to be hit. Do you think he's hurt? Will we ever see the old "Truth" again?
Thomas Hazelton
Pittsburgh
One would have expected Vera to have looked terrific by going to light heavyweight. But perhaps the weight cut took too much out of his body. It's a mystery, but he's definitely a nonfactor at this point. He's an off-TV fighter now and desperately needs a win soon to avoid being cut.
Can’t get enough of Kevin Iole’s mailbag? Then check out last week’s edition.
