MMA Crunch

October 4th is the next time EliteXC will put on another national television event. That means it will have plenty of time to figure out how to improve on the deplorable ratings it received this past Saturday night. The Kimbo Slice factor will help boost the ratings as people are still curious. However, the EliteXC may be better off finding a quality opponent this time around.

Some one with name recognition and credibility will either put Kimbo down once and for all or legitimize his claim in the mma world. Either way, viewers will tune in to watch Slice’s rise or subsequent fall.

EliteXC should also do everything in its power to promote a Gina Carano vs. Chrstianne Cyborg bout. The two women are at the top of the women’s circuit in EliteXC and figure to put on another riveting perfromance. The EliteXC would be wise to invest some time in marketing that fight.

Lastly, the Nick Diaz vs. KJ Noons feud needs to be settled. They are two of the top fighters in the organization and each have a general dislike of one another. The bad blood should enhance some of the allure surrounding that fight as well.

Those three possibilities should be seriously considered if the EliteXC has any hopes of maintaining a network television spot. It’s time to pull out all the stops because a repeat of Saturday night’s ratings just won’t do. And with all the other mma organizations gaining steam, it’s time for the EliteXC to use every bit of power it has.

EliteXC Christianne Cyborg, Gina Carano, Kimbo Slice, KJ Noons, Nick Diaz

EliteXC didn’t exactly demand a widespread television audience this past weekend. Let’s put it this way, more people watched a re-run of Law and order than EliteXC’s Saturday night fights. The event lacked a lot of the luster that preceded its first network broadcast and was without the novelty of a certain internet fighter.

The EliteXC may have hurt itself irreparably after the Kimbo Slice spectacle that took place almost two months ago. Ratings were down a reported 43 percent from that inaugural show. People just aren’t interested.

So how does EliteXC ensure that more people will watch its program over America’s Most Wanted on October 4th? The first answer is bring back Kimbo Slice. Another answer has come in the form of female fighter Gina Carano. Those answers may not get the ratings back up to where they were, but at least it might be able to beat out the other programs airing int the time slot. Stay tuned for more answers in the future, or perhaps you could just change the channel as most people did on Saturday night.

EliteXC Gina Carano, Kimbo Slice

Gina Carano was on hand last night at EliteXC’s Unfinished Business perhaps to catch a glimpse of one of her future opponents. The camera surely noticed Carano more than a few times as she is the most prized fighter in the women’s circuit. In this interview, Carano sits down and does some quick Q and A. It seems that Carano can’t get away from the camera and rightfully so.

EliteXC, Videos Gina Carano

The women impressed yet again at last night’s EliteXC presentation of Unfinished Business. Christiane Cyborg returned to the mma circuit after a two year lay-off, but proved that she had remained busy in the interim. Cyborg came out and immediately went right after the favored Shayna Baszler. Baszler hung on and showed a game effort, but Cyborg was just too much.

Built like a tank, Cyborg took the action right to Baszler and brought the crowd to its feet. She disposed of Baszler via a knockout that came as the second round was winding down. This is the second time in a row that a women’s bout has been a smashing success at an EliteXC event. The most recognizable face in women’s mma, Gina Carano, was on hand to take in the action and stated that she is ready to challenge Cyborg in the future.

A Cyborg-Carano affair would build on the momentum quickly being built by the women in EliteXC. It is not merely a novelty anymore, but rather a compelling and throughly entertaining part of mma. Even though Baszler was overpowered, she reverted to her excellent ground game aand continually tried to hook in a submission.

It was an excellent fight and should pave the way for a future clash between Carano and Cyborg. These female fighters are exciting to watch and, with the addition of quality fighters like Cyborg, the field should only get stronger.

EliteXC, Recent News, Uncategorized Christiane Cyborg, Gina Carano, Shayna Baszler

In an effort to promote its upcoming event, Elite XC will feature Kimbo Slice and Gina Corano on Friday, sort of. The two will be on hand to sign autographs before the official weigh-ins begin. Slice and Carano are two of the biggest names in the EliteXC. After last Saturday’s hard hitting Affliction vs. UFC showdown, the people over at EliteXC have a lot of ground to make up.

The EliteXC will have a national television audience and no competition from mma’s other top organizations. Still, the memory of last week’s action is still fresh in the mind of fight fans. That could significantly hurt the EliteXC if it turns in a sub-par performance.

Even though EliteXC will have the Saturday night spotlight to itself, last weekend’s events could still cast a major blow to the organization. MMAjunkie.com has more on the EliteXC events that will lead up to the actual fight itself.

EliteXC EliteXC, Gina Carano, Kimbo Slice

More and more during the modern era, women are stepping onto stages once dominated by men. The world of sports is no exception. A few extraordinary women have made recent footprints through sporting world. Those footprints have not only brought these female athletes to the forefront, but they have also paved the way for the female athletes of tomorrow. Mixed martial arts is just the latest sport to experience the revolution of the female athlete.

That revolutionary experience was hoisted up on center stage during EliteXC’s recent fight card seen on national television. Gina Carano put on an explosive performance when she defeated Kaitlin Young in a May 31st bout that the referee called after the second round. It was arguably the most exciting bout of the night. Where the male fighters failed to deliver, the women picked up the slack.

However, EliteXC will not be able to follow up with another exciting women’s match-up on its next fight card which will take place on June 14th. Carina Damm was scheduled to fight Debi Purcell, but was suspended for a year after testing positive for steroids. EliteXC never replaced Damm, opting to go with an all male fight card.

Now that Purcell is left without a fight, the possibilities of a future opponent are rather entertaining. An upcoming Purcell-Carano bout could prove to be a huge draw. It may not be a main event, but would definitely garner a significant amount of interest. Only five pounds separate the two fighters, but a common ground could surely be reached. While Carano may have the advantage of youth, Purcell is relentless. The two could prove to set a torrid pace that could dazzle spectators. Plenty of male fighters have come out and set similar paces in knock-down, drag-out dogfights. Yet, there is something special about watching a woman perfect a rear naked choke, no pun intended.

That doesn’t imply that women’s mixed martial arts is simply a novelty. It has just yet to be promoted anywhere near a high level. It is quite possible that Carano could be the one who brings women’s MMA into the limelight. Danica Patrick has sent the racing world into a frenzy with her recent success. When Patrick first came onto the scene, many focused on her vanity as opposed to her ability to handle a race car. But the focus shifted with the more success that came her way. The attractive Carano could very well find herself speeding down the same path as Patrick. Not only is she easy on the eyes, she is quite capable of handling herself in the cage.

Carano could wind up being one of the main draws in the EliteXC as female mixed martial arts has yet to make its way into the UFC or the WEC. Both are the top two avenues for mixed martial arts and yet only testosterone emanates from both the cage and the octagon. The WEC does have their own girls, however their lone job is to hold up cards with the number of the round written on it. Both organizations still manage to produce quality fights and each fight card has its share of diversity. Different styles of fighting and various weight classes offer a tremendous amount of variety. Adding women to the fight card would only enhance that diversity.

The next televised women’s MMA fight will take place on June 20th when UK Thai Boxing Champion Julie Kitchen takes on WIKBA World Muay Thai champion and number one female Muay Thai fighter, Germaine de Randamie of Holland. The event has been dubbed The International Muay Thai Champion of Champions Fight Night and it will take place in Montego Bay, Jamaica. All the action will be able to be seen live on-line via pay per view. That is hardly a stage as widely recognized than the UFC or even the WEC for that matter. And each woman is far from being a household name.

The Elite XC has made its share of mistakes in its attempt to bring mixed martial arts to the masses. Nevertheless, it cannot be criticized for its revolutionary use of women in the sport. Women are proving all over the sports world that they can compete with men. Even before Patrick made headlines for her performance on the race track, Annika Sorenstam teed up against the men on the PGA tour. Women are constantly revolutionizing sports and now it may be up to another female to bring that revolution to the world of MMA.

As of now, it looks as though Carano may be the most viable candidate to take over that role. But before women can establish themselves in the world of MMA, there must first be some consistency. That leaves fight promoters with the task of providing quality opponents. In the ever blossoming world of mixed martial arts, new fight venues and events are popping up by the day. The talent is out there, it just needs to be brought to the forefront.

So while a Carano-Purcell match up may just be speculation, it is an example of what could be. In the future, there could be a lot more candidates to throw into the mix. And while women may not be ready to headline an major MMA event, they are definitely ready to make it worthwhile. Just ask the EliteXC and their internet street fighter who recently made a mockery of the sport.

EliteXC, Recent News Debi Purcell, EliteXC, EliteXC women, Gina Carano, Kaitlin Young, women's MMA