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« | Home | »

Big news day for Pro Elite: Kimbo gets his bread and celebrity MMA TV

By Jeff Comstock | October 11, 2007

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By Jeff Comstock

Breaking News from the Fight Network: COUTURE QUITS UFC

Back to the title story:

ProElite.com has confirmed that legendary street fighter Kimbo Slice has signed a long term deal with Elite XC. This announcement follows the news that Nick Diaz has signed a 2 year extension with the company.

Sam Caplan’s Five Ounces Of Pain blog reveals that Kimbo’s Elite XC debut for the promotion, will take place on a November 10th card in Corpus Christi, Texas. Nick Diaz is expected to fight on that card as well, along with a rumored bout between Jake Shields vs. Mike Pyle.

If that’s not enough Pro Elite news, there are finally some details on exactly what Pro Elite’s reality TV series will be.

Forbes.com published a Business Wire press release about the Mark Burnett produced, celebrity MMA, reality television show with Pro Elite.

The currently untitled initial series centers on former football and baseball stars, Herschel Walker and Jose Canseco, respectively, who together with a group of other former pros, train as a team to cross over into the sport of mixed martial arts. These athletes will fight with select EliteXC fighters in each episode with the series finale featuring a famous celebrity athlete match up. Additionally, episode highlights and interactive features for the shows produced will reside on ProElite.com. The show is co-created by Herschel Walker and Prem Akkaraju, who will also serve as a co-executive producer.

Overall I’d say that the future is looking bright for Pro Elite. In Kimbo and Diaz they’ve secured two fighters who will generate interest for their shows. Nick Diaz is one of the most exciting fighters in MMA history and in Kimbo Slice they have a potential star in the making.

The reality TV show sounds like it will appeal to the casual sports fan and hopefully draw in new MMA fans with the curiosity factor of seeing former football and baseball stars throwing down in the cage. With that said, if images of Johnny Morton are not flashing through your head, you have not seen that train wreck from the Pro Elite/K-1 Dynamite show.

Topics: Jeff Comstock, Press Releases, Pro Elite | 79 Comments » | Permalink | Trackback |

79 Responses to “Big news day for Pro Elite: Kimbo gets his bread and celebrity MMA TV”

  1. Euthyphro says:

    I got your back, LP

  2. Preach says:

    Even nine months is a looooooooot of time for an athlete in his mid-40s.

    Like i said before, i’m not sure he’d be able to overcome such a long layoff, especially not when he’s comitting himself to acting. You just can’t keep on a strict training regimen and healthy nutrition when you’re working on a film. Even when you’re only having a small role with just a few days of shooting, you literally hang on the set the whole day, waiting for your call to step in front of the camera. Catering (especially on small films) consists to a very big part of burgers, sausages and sweets. Only the name actors have their own catering, based upon their own diet (And Randy’s definetely no name actor). So you hang around, eat, and wait. That’s it. So it’d be very hard for him to keep his physique, to keep in shape while working the movie circuit. It’s hard as fuck to keep muscle mass at his age already, and i just don’t see him being able to do that (at least not without “performance enhancers”).

  3. Preach, when you read this please drop me a line at . I’ve been trying to get in contact with you, but couldn’t figure out a way how.

  4. Should have read: Drop me a line at [email protected].

  5. 45 Huddle says:

    I am extremely sad today. And it’s not because of Fedor not fighting in the UFC. I have never been a fan of his anyways. And it’s not because Couture won’t be fighting for another 9 months…. because I have seen him fight enough.

    I am sad because I have come to the realization that MMA has turned into boxing. Where a guy who has signed a contract for a stated amount is now complaining to get more and wants out of that contract because of it. Where a guy who probably made less then $30,000 a year looking for a dream of being Olympic Champion is now complaining that $1.5 Million a fight after PPV Revenues is too little.

    I am sad because the UFC was starting to resemble what MLB is to baseball. What the PGA is to Golf. One place for all of the best in that sport. That is becoming a dimmer hope.

    I am sad because there are just too much politics in fighting. Whether it be MMA or Boxing. I enjoy baseball because I don’t have to worry about the politics. Just get to watch the game and enjoy.

    I am sad because when a guy like Bernie Williams was no longer wanted by the New York Yankees…. He did not go to the press and cry. He did not make a big public issue about it. He went home, played the guitar and got on with life.

    I am sad because when Alex Rodriguez was asked during the season what he would do for his contract next year, he refused to discuss it and just WANTED TO PLAY THE GAME. And now, he lets his agent speak and he is relaxing.

    I am sad because fighters in general are a bunch of F’N cry babies. They cry about money more then any other athlete. This is never going to change. Athletes in other sports complain but not even a 10th that fighters do. They are never happy. They always bring up money. Part of it is because fighters in general are less educated. Heck, how smart can you be to want to get hit in the face for a living. The rest must be in their DNA.

    Either way, I think this is a sad day for the sport of MMA, at least from a fans point of view. I think I have finally realized that MMA will just always be like boxing… Constant bickering… Constant Complaining… 5 World Champions, 15 Weights Classes (Rogan has already started asking & EliteXC is even implementing it), and then just a bunch of politics as the icing on the cake.

    Perhaps I should just stick to baseball. Where their biggest issue is steroids, not whiney fighters complaining about money from a contract that they signed.

  6. MMA Game says:

    I would imagine that legally he’s not allowed to discuss contracts with other orgs until the end of that 9 months and whilst obviously he will behind closed doors, it means he won’t be able to promote anything until 9 months from now, so you’re probably looking at next new year’s eve for a fight.

  7. D. Capitated says:

    Complaining that athletes who literally put their lives on the line in hand to hand combat for your entertainment want their market value is bizarre. If you want to watch fights between total amateurs who likely aren’t doing it for big money, but a Ghetto Fights compilation.

  8. […] UFC supporter: Saddened that MMA is turning into boxing and that fighters are crybabies […]

  9. Body_Shots says:

    Nobody has died in sactioned MMA event, so lets save the “put their lives on the line” statement for people who really do – like soldiers. This is purely about money.

  10. Rollo the Cat says:

    “Even nine months is a looooooooot of time for an athlete in his mid-40s.”

    And it isn’t just about physical condition, it is also about nine months without being promoted. How will he promote himself during those nine months? He probably can’t sin or ally himslef with any org until the contract expires. Then add a few months on to the nine for promoting the fight and you have a full year of Randy on the sidelines.

  11. Tomer Chen says:

    Nobody has died in sactioned MMA event, so lets save the “put their lives on the line” statement for people who really do – like soldiers. This is purely about money.

    You don’t think any fighter will likely suffer for any physical damage they accrue during their fighting years later in life?

  12. Adam Morgan says:

    Cry me a river. Dana fucked up. Period.

  13. Body_Shots says:

    You don’t think any fighter will likely suffer for any physical damage they accrue during their fighting years later in life?

    No doubt, it’s the same with a lot of sports. But relating professional athletics to life death situations is a bit much, especially when they are people who are really “putting their lives on the line” out there.

  14. Blocker says:

    This isnt all that bad for UFC. Fighters move on and I doubt Couture had 3 fights left in him. And what if they had signed Fedor for huge money and he had got KTFO in his first couple of fights? It would have been risky to pay megabucks for fedor and riskier still to pay the same megabucks for Couture who wont be fighting past 2008. Its time to see some new heavyweights on the scene, and cut the weight limit of 265, make it open weight, sign Hunt, Junior, Bobish and Pele and lets see a REAL Heavyweight division.

  15. Blocker says:

    …And Lesnar and Slice…

  16. The Gaijin says:

    I don’t believe the UFC is in charge of creating the weight division limits.

    I’m certain the Athletic Commissions are the ones who you’d have to go to to ask for opening up the ceiling on the HW division.

  17. D. Capitated says:

    Nobody has died in sactioned MMA event, so lets save the “put their lives on the line” statement for people who really do – like soldiers. This is purely about money.

    People are getting punched and kicked in the head. They are having their carotid artery closed off to gain victory via incapacitation. This is to say nothing of the fighters who have used substances to get ahead of the pack and will likely pay the price in their mid 40s. All this is done to entertain you. Not only that, I find it really messed up that because no one has died yet in the short history of MMA that you believe it is impossible to occur in a sanctioned event. That speaks volumes.

  18. Body_Shots says:

    They are having their carotid artery closed off to gain victory via incapacitation.

    Via incapcitation? Really, I thought you could gain victory via tap waaaay before incapcitation, guess not. Sounds like something that needs to be banned, it’s certainly not the MMA I’ve been watching.

    Not only that, I find it really messed up that because no one has died yet in the short history of MMA that you believe it is impossible to occur in a sanctioned event. That speaks volumes.

    Please…and don’t try to put words in my mouth because I won’t go along with your overdramatic portrayal of the sport. I bet you’re one of the first people to criticize ignorant journalists for their sensational articles, yet you sound no different from them right now.

    Sorry bud, can’t have it both ways. MMA isn’t life or death and people aren’t putting their lives on the line, no need to go over-the-top to make an argument.

  19. Zack says:

    If MMA depresses you so much, its time to look for other things in your life that make you happy. I like looking at the websites and chatting while I’m at work, but it doesn’t consume me or affect my moods (except when I lose big betting $$$.)

  20. Ivan Trembow says:

    If Pro Elite decides to use Kimbo’s street-fight footage to promote him in EliteXC, that would be absolute garbage. They haven’t done that yet, but if they do, they would lose a lot of credibility.

  21. Adam Morgan says:

    I doubt they will promote him with the street fight footage. They WILL promote him as “internet street fight legend, Kimbo Slice” however.

  22. Blocker says:

    Nah it is the UFC otherwise we would see a ceiling on the top weight limit in boxing as well.

  23. The Gaijin says:

    Blocker – please see below:

    Weight classes under the Unified Rules

    The Nevada State Athletic Commission has designated limits for nine different weight classes in mixed martial arts. Fighters must be weighed in lbs:

    Weight class name Upper limit in lbs Equivalent in kg
    Flyweight 125 lb 57 kg
    Bantamweight 135 lb 61 kg
    Featherweight 145 lb 66 kg
    Lightweight 155 lb 70 kg
    Welterweight 170 lb 77 kg
    Middleweight 185 lb 84 kg
    Light Heavyweight 205 lb 93 kg
    Heavyweight 265 lb 120 kg
    Super Heavyweight No upper weight limit

    Prior to state sanctioning, weight classes were not mandatory since the competitions were held without the approval of the athletic commissions. For instance, the Ultimate Fighting Championship introduced two weight classes at UFC 12: heavyweight, which grouped competitors above 200 lb (91 kg), and lightweight, which grouped competitors under 200 lb.

    Weight divisions would undergo many changes in the coming years, but the ability of promotions to autonomously decide their own weight classes would eventually disappear after athletic commissions began supervising mixed martial arts.

  24. Blocker says:

    So why the difference with boxing where there is no upper limit for heavyweight?

  25. shibuya says:

    Saying that fighters complain 10x more than any other athletes is idiotic.
    NFL players holdout all the time and skip training camp all together and sometines 1/4 of the season.Terell Owens signed a huge deal with the Eagles and then demanded more money. Joey Galloway held out till week 10 and the 8-2 seahawks missed the playoffs because they couldn’t win after he signed. From what I understand mma fighters don’t get health insurance while other athletes do (apparently Mark Cuban wants to change that). If you hurt yourself training you’re screwed.Couture was fighting when UFC fighters were making peanuts. He’s the face of the organization so he deserves to get paid accordingly.
    Maybe things are not as rosy in UFC land as they would have us believe.

  26. Ian Dean says:

    some of those weights in kg are a little out

  27. D.Capitated says:

    Via incapcitation? Really, I thought you could gain victory via tap waaaay before incapcitation, guess not. Sounds like something that needs to be banned, it’s certainly not the MMA I’ve been watching.

    If fighters don’t tap, what do you think happens?

    Please…and don’t try to put words in my mouth because I won’t go along with your overdramatic portrayal of the sport. I bet you’re one of the first people to criticize ignorant journalists for their sensational articles, yet you sound no different from them right now.

    Its a violent sport based around hand to hand combat. You don’t think fighters are putting their bodies and persons on the line because no one has died in a sanctioned event *yet*, less than two decades into MMA’s existence in the world at a time when they run probably a 1/4 the number of shows on a weekly basis that boxing does. Hell, there will probably be more boxing events at Koraken Hall this week than MMA events this month.

    Sorry bud, can’t have it both ways. MMA isn’t life or death and people aren’t putting their lives on the line, no need to go over-the-top to make an argument.

    What about boxers? They only die once in awhile and the majority end up with lasting effects from concussions. Is MMA different in that since they haven’t had the number of deaths compared to boxing, their athletes shouldn’t be compensated the same when producing similar revenue for their parent promotional companies?

  28. D.Capitated says:

    So why the difference with boxing where there is no upper limit for heavyweight?

    I believe it was based on amateur wrestling.

  29. klown says:

    45 Huddle is the most consistently anti-fighter commentator on FightOpinion.

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