Going Once, Going Twice…EliteXC Fighters Set To Be eBay’d

And now we have the final grim chapter in the saga of failed MMA promotion EliteXC. Once seen as a possible strong competitor to the dominant UFC franchise, Showtime has announced that its remaining contracts will be sold at a public auction.
Kimbo Slice, available to the highest bidder. We thought slavery was outlawed years ago. Though we may still want to place a bid on Gina Carano.

Technically, the pay network is selling the assets of EliteXC’s parent ProElite. Showtime’s owner CBS Corp. made an initial $5 million investment in the company in early 2007. But the publicly traded ProElite suffered an operating loss of $24.3 million over the first six months of this year.

UFC would seem to be a candidate to participate in the coming EliteXC auction, where the contracts of at least 14 fighters, including Kimbo Slice, are up for bid. Also for sale are several brand names in addition to EliteXC, and a video library.

UFC did not immediately respond to a call or an e-mail seeking comment.

A public notice of the ProElite sale has it taking place on the morning of Nov. 17 at the Hughes Hubbard & Reed office in Los Angeles. Showtime can pull the plug at any time, however.

UFC is mentioned as a buyer, but it’s hard to see them having any interest in Slice and Carano, both of whom served as EliteXC’s premiere draws. UFC head honcho Dana White has made it abundantly clear that he considers Slice to be garbage, and would never bring him to UFC. As for Carano, White does think she’s talented, but does not feel there are enough quality female fighters to build an entire division around. Hence, no interest. We wonder if the WWE might jump in save these two careers, and if either fighter would be interested.
In other EliteXC death news, company champ Jake Shields has let it be known that the welterweight title will die with him. Since he had the EliteXC belts in his possession when the company died, he’s just gonna keep them.

“I have my belt,” Shields joked. “I have two of them. They tried not giving me my second one, but I ran off with it. So I have two of them sitting in my house.

“They’re not buying those back.”

Holding the belt from one league while competing in another? We immediately thought of the most appropriate historical correlation.

WOO!
Showtime To Sell EliteXC In Public Auction [Media Post]
“Inside MMA” preview: Jake Shields not giving up EliteXC championship belts [MMAJunkie]
Image[Female Mixed Martial Artists]