The future of EliteXC is on the line Saturday night.
On Saturday night, all the chips will be on the table for EliteXC, as they will be going "all in" with the cards they have dealt themselves, in hopes to win a huge jackpot.
The company is currently over $50 million dollars in the red and is hoping the mercy of the MMA gods will somehow pull them through what looks to be an all but inevitable trip to the MMA graveyard. This virtual location is filling up quicker than the bank accounts of some oil companies, and already has the tombstones of the IFL, BodogFight and Pride FC. EliteXC is hoping a few miracles come to fruition, 'cause if they don't, the MMA's "Grim Reaper" will be knocking on their door.
EliteXC is banking on victories by Kimbo Slice, Gina Carano, perhaps even Jake Shields and of course a huge ratings success on Saturday night. If the latter is even remotely considered a failure, EliteXC will be finished.
In regards to Slice, a loss to Shamrock would be devastating for not only himself, but especially the organization. Their poster child, the man they built their promotion around, losing to a fighter considered over the hill and who hasn't won a fight in four years would be a sheer catastrophe. With that being said, even if Kimbo wins, it doesn't say much, other than the fact they can use and promote him again in the future… if they even have another show.
In Carano, they have done a masterful job in aiding the promotional buildup of "the face of women's MMA." Carano not only showcases physical beauty, but also an internal appeal and spirit that has made an elite ambassador for not just women's MMA, but also the whole sport in general. On Saturday night, should Carano lose to Kelly Kobold, it would deal a powerful blow to EliteXC.
With Jake Shields, they have an American welterweight champion that has been under utilized and in my opinion, a big mistake. This is a guy who is in the top 10, even top 5, on many lists and a serious contender to Georges St. Pierre's UFC title if they would ever meet in a cage. He's got the skills, the looks and would be more than happy to prove that he is the best welterweight on the planet, all the while calling out GSP in the process. EliteXC's saving grace is that the mainstream fan knows little about him, so a loss on Saturday night to Paul Daley would pale in comparison to the aforementioned Kimbo and Carano.
Even if all three fighters win on Saturday night, the coffin can still close if their ratings on Saturday night are abysmal. Saturday's ratings need to be a huge hit, a validation statement to the corporate and sponsorship executives that their product is worth keeping on the air. If the ratings are a flop, cue the fat lady.
They are in big trouble to say the least, but if they survive, their future matchmaking can save them. That is, if they finally begin to put on real fights and not fabrications of what they feel are fights that are sellable.
Kimbo Slice needs tougher competition. Is it too early for him to fight Brett Rogers? Maybe, but at least bring in somebody on par, or slightly higher than his past opponent, James Thompson; ie, not Ken Shamrock. For Carano, a fight against Cristiane (Cyborg) Santos is a must. Cyborg is on the undercard and is the one fight that will make it to TV if all the other fights end quickly. There is also the recently announced 160-pound title fight between Nick Diaz and top-5 lightweight Eddie Alvarez, who by the way would wreak havoc in the UFC's 155-pound weight class.
The cloudy future could also clear up regarding EliteXC's relationship with Affliction and where it goes from here. If EliteXC wants assets, Affliction's got them (see Fedor, Arlovski, Barnett, Belfort, Horodecki, Hominick, etc). If Affliction wants major TV coverage, EliteXC currently has it. Oscar De La Hoya's Golden Boy Promotions and Showtime are also in the mix, so there is still a light at the end of the tunnel for EliteXC.
The question is which tunnel will they be traveling through post-Saturday night?
