Another MMA league has just got KO’d by the Ultimate Fighting Championship, as Elite XC will be closing for business at the end of the week.
Elite XC’s two biggest attractions, Slice and Carano, are unlikely to be moving to the sport’s highest-profile group. UFC president Dana White has repeatedly said he won’t use Slice, who made his reputation as a backyard streetfighter on YouTube videos but is not the caliber of even a mid-level MMA pro. White also has said he’s not interested in promoting women’s fighting, although Carano’s success as a draw may cause him to reconsider. Her match with Kelly Kobold two weeks ago ended up adding more new viewers than any MMA match on television in the U.S.
It had been widely known that due to the losses, and the inability to raise new capital, that the Elite XC would either be sold to Showtime or be forced to fold by the end of the year. Others within the company said bankruptcy papers would be filed.
Well, I guess it’s back to fighting hobos for $20 on the street for Kimbo Slice. Only in America can you fight homeless people on YouTube and become a television star. Good for White for turning down the opportunity to represent a cartoon character just to get some publicity.
