MMA Cult (Fighter Apparel)

CBS ELITEXC SATURDAY NIGHT FIGHTS PACKS RATINGS PUNCH

 SATURDAY’S #1 PROGRAM ON BOTH BROADCAST AND CABLE IN ADULTS 18-34, MEN 18-34 AND MEN 18-49

MMA Event Tops All Entertainment and Sports Programming – Including College Football and Major League Baseball Playoffs –  in Key  Young Male Demos

The Third “CBS EliteXC Saturday Night Fights” Event Posts Huge Increases Over its Prior Edition in Viewers and All Key Demographics

             The third CBS ELITEXC SATURDAY NIGHT FIGHTS mixed martial arts event was Saturday’s #1 program on both broadcast and cable in adults 18-34, men 18-34 and men 18-49 (tie), according to Nielsen live plus same day ratings for Oct. 4.

             For the night, the prime time mixed martial arts event placed first in adults 18-34, men 18-34 and men 18-49 (tie) against such other sporting events as the Major League Baseball playoffs (cable), college football (cable and broadcast) and a competing mixed martial arts cable telecast.

             CBS ELITEXC SATURDAY NIGHT FIGHTS (S) (9:00-11:20PM) posted a 2.7/05 with 4.56m viewers,  2.7/10 in men 18-34, 2.7/08 in men 18-49, 2.9/08 in men 25-54, 2.0/07 in adults 18-34, 2.0/06 in adults 18-49 and 2.1/06 in adults 25-54. 

             Compared to the last CBS ELITEXC SATURDAY NIGHT FIGHTS (July 26, 2008), CBS was up +59% in households (from 1.7/04), +75% in adults 25-54 (from 1.2/04), +100% in adults 18-49 (from 1.0/04), +150% in adults 18-34 (from 0.8/04), +93% in men 25-54 (from 1.5/05),  +108% in men 18-49 (from 1.3/05), +170% in men 18-34 (from 1.0/05) and added +1.99m viewers (from 2.57m, +77%). 

THURSDAY, OCT. 2

KIMBO LOOK-A-LIKE CONTEST

Time: 6 a.m.-9 a.m.

Location: Radio Station BIG 105.9
(in the parking lot of Clear Channel Radio Group)

7601 Riviera Blvd., Miramar, Florida, 33023

Contact: Toast (954) 734-0921

FRIDAY, OCT. 3

WEIGH-IN (OPEN TO PUBLIC)

Time: 4 p.m.

Location: Bank Atlantic Center (Chairman’s Club)

SATURDAY, OCT. 4

PRE-FIGHT (Fans Only)

Time: 3-6:30 p.m. Location: BankAtlantic Center Funway

Fans get a chance to experience the thrill of stepping into the cage! FreeStyle Fighting Academy is providing a cage set up outside the North side main entrance.  Fans can step inside the cage, have their photos taken and learn a technique from a fighter.

FIGHT NIGHT (Fighters Only)

Live Event begins at 6 p.m.; CBS Broadcast starts at 9. Location: BankAtlantic Center

 

Tickets start at $30 and are available at all Ticketmaster outlets, by phone at (954) 523-3309 in Broward County, (305) 358-5885 in Dade County and (561) 966-3309 in Palm Beach County, online at www.ticketmaster.com and at the BankAtlantic Center box offices (954) 835-7825.

The BankAtlantic Center box offices’ normal business hours are 10 a.m.-6 p.m., Monday-Friday. The box office will be open the day of the event at 10 a.m. 

OFFICIAL ELITEXC AFTER PARTY (Fans get in free with ticket stub from fight)

Location: Spirits Nightclub inside the Hard Rock Casino at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino, 1 Seminole Way, Hollywood, Florida, 33314. Contact:  Ruth (954) 327-9094

MARQUEE HEAVYWEIGHT FIGHT BETWEEN TWO FORMER MMA CHAMPIONS — ANDREI ARLOVSKI AND ROY NELSON — HAS BEEN ADDED TO THE “CBS ELITEXC SATURDAY NIGHT FIGHTS”

PRIMETIME EVENT ON OCT. 4

 

 

            LOS ANGELES, Sept. 24 — CBS, EliteXC, and Trump’s Affliction Entertainment jointly announced today that a fifth fight has been added to the lineup for CBS ELITEXC SATURDAY NIGHT FIGHTS on Saturday, Oct. 4 featuring top-ranked MMA heavyweights Andrei Arlovski against the last reigning IFL heavyweight champion Roy “Big Country” Nelson. 

 

Arlovski, who was originally slated to fight in the main event of the Oct. 11 Affliction card, is the No. 4 ranked heavyweight in the world, according to MMAWEEKLY.com.  A native of Belarus , Arlovski was last seen ending Ben Rothwell’s 13-fight winning streak during the inaugural “Affliction Banned” show, which was held on July 19, 2008.  Arlovski is a former UFC heavyweight champion and currently has a record of 13-5.    

 

Roy “Big Country” Nelson has made a name for himself with impressive knock outs, a remarkable ground game and stellar submissions.  He was the IFL’s last reigning heavyweight champion and currently holds an impressive record of 13-2.   Training with Ken Shamrock’s legendary fight camp, the Lion’s Den, Nelson stands at 6′0″ and weighs approximately 250 pounds.  

 

“This is yet another testament to EliteXC’s willingness to work with other MMA promotions to bring the best possible fights to the broadest possible audience,” said Jeremy Lappen, head of the Live Fight Division of EliteXC.  ”Special thanks to the hard working team at Affliction and of course our partners at CBS and Showtime.”

 

Michael Cohen, Executive Vice President of The Trump Organization and Chief Operating Officer of Affliction Entertainment, added, “Mr. Trump and the Affliction Entertainment group are honored to be working alongside CBS, Showtime and EliteXC.  It is without question that this event will exceed everyone’s expectations and will continue to uphold Affliction’s promise to promote the best fights for the benefit of the fans.”

 

The third installment of CBS’s primetime MMA event, CBS ELITEXC SATURDAY NIGHT FIGHTS, will be broadcast live from the BankAtlantic Center in Sunrise, Fla. on Saturday, Oct. 4 (9:00-11:00 PM, ET/PT) on the CBS Television Network.

 

EliteXC and Affliction have teamed up to deliver one of the strongest MMA cards, top to bottom, of the year. The following is the confirmed lineup for the Oct. 4 CBS ELITEXC SATURDAY NIGHT FIGHTS:

 

• Kimbo Slice vs. Ken Shamrock (Heavyweights)
• Jake Shields vs. Paul Daley (for EliteXC Welterweight title)  
• Andrei Arlovski vs. Roy “Big Country” Nelson (Heavyweights)
• Gina Carano vs. Kelly Kobold (Women’s 140-Pound Weight Class) 
• Murilo “Ninja” Rua vs. Benji Radach (Middleweights)

 

CBS ELITEXC SATURDAY NIGHT FIGHTS will be produced by SHOWTIME Sports.  The executive producer is David Dinkins, Jr.

 

For more information on CBS ELITEXC SATURDAY NIGHT FIGHTS, visit cbssports.com or www.proelite.com.

TICKETS AVAILABLE IN ALL PRICE RANGES
FOR SPECTACULAR ELITEXC MMA EVENT
FEATURING KIMBO SLICE, KEN SHAMROCK, GINA CARANO
 SATURDAY, OCT. 4, AT THE BANKATLANTIC CENTER

LOS ANGELES (Aug. 27, 2008) – Incredibly popular hometown hero Kimbo Slice returns to 305 to face legendary Hall Of Famer Ken Shamrock in a featured fight on a stellar, star-studded mixed martial arts card that includes women’s superstar Gina “Conviction” Carano and MMA standouts Jake Shields, Paul Daley and Murilo “Ninja” Rua Saturday, Oct. 4, at the BankAtlantic Center in Fort Lauderdale, Fla.

Tickets start at $30 and are available at all Ticketmaster outlets, by phone at (954) 523-3309 in Broward County, (305) 358-5885 in Dade County and (561) 966-3309 in Palm Beach County, online at www.ticketmaster.com and at the BankAtlantic Center box offices (954) 835-7825.

The BankAtlantic Center box offices are located on both the North and South sides of the main entrance. Their normal business hours are 10 a.m.-6 p.m., Monday through Friday. The box office will be open the day of the event beginning at 10 a.m. The first live fight begins at 6 p.m. ET. The event is presented by Los Angeles-based ProElite, Inc .’s live fight division, EliteXC.

Besides Kimbo-Shamrock, other finalized fights include: a title defense by EliteXC lightweight champion Jake Shields against Paul Daley, Carano collides with Kelly Kabold in a 140-pound bout and Rua, a former EliteXC middleweight beltholder, faces Benji Radach, at 185 pounds.

Cristiane “Cyborg’’ Santos meets Yoko Takahashi and Florida-based Edson Berto faces Hawaii’s Mike Aina at 170 in top undercard fights. The undercard also will feature Florida favorites Crafton Wallace and Seth Petruzelli, who will face foes to be announced. Wallace has won four straight and six of seven. Petruzelli, a former cast member of the Ultimate Fighter, has won eight of his last 10 fights.

A major MMA attraction, the undefeated Kimbo, of Perrine, Fla., near Miami, is trained by respected legendary fighter and trainer, the no-nonsense Bas Rutten. Kimbo is coming off an exciting third-round TKO over James “Colossus” Thompson on May 31.

Before turning pro, the hard-hitting Kimbo grew up in and around Perrine. He made a name for himself on the Internet where videos of the bald, bearded, menacing-looking former underground bare-knuckle street fighter have been downloaded literally millions of times on YouTube.

 Kimbo’s first two MMA fights lasted 62 seconds. In a devastating, memorable performance, Kimbo blew up Tank Abbott in 43 seconds last Feb. 16 in Miami.

Shamrock, of Reno, Nev., is a true MMA legend and one of the biggest draws in any sport. Known as “The World’s Most Dangerous Man,’’ 22 of his 26 wins have come via submission.

One of the sport’s most recognizable and popular figures, Shamrock has fought in some of the biggest and most important fights in MMA history. He has defeated the likes of Rutten, Maurice Smith, Dan “The Beast” Severn and Kimo Leopoldo in an illustrious career.

Shields, of San Francisco, is a life-long vegetarian who was raised in a remote area in the Sierra Nevada Mountains of Northern California. Undefeated for nearly five years and a winner of 10 straight, including six inside the distance, Shields is considered one of the best in the world at 170 pounds.

On July 26 in Stockton, Calif., Shields captured the EliteXC belt with a 1:03, first-round submission over highly regarded Nick Thompson. A Cesar Gracie Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Black Belt, Shields’ last five fights have ended in the first round.

Daley, of Nottingham, England, is a confident, dangerous Muay Thai specialist whose style has been described as an aggressive mix of striking, striking and more striking. Extremely popular in England, he has won his last six fights, five by KO. Thirteen of Daley’s 18 wins have come by stoppage.

Nicknamed “Semtex” after an explosive that British armed forces use to demolish large structures, Daley stopped previously unbeaten Bojan Kosednar in the first round in his last start on July 12 in the UK. When he’s not fighting, Daley has been involved in a project with Mothers Against Guns in London.

Carano, aka “Crush” on American Gladiators, resides in Las Vegas. She’ll be making her first start since registering an entertaining, crowd-pleasing second-round TKO over Kaitlin Young on May 31.

The most recognizable female MMA fighter in the world, Carano is a skilled Muay Thai specialist with model looks and world-class ability. She has mostly dominated her opposition.

Kobald, of Minneapolis, began her career 16-0-1. A tough talker who has predicted an early- round knockout, Kobald holds a second round TKO victory over the respected Shayna Baszler.

 Rua, of Curitiba, Brazil, is a classy Jiu-Jitsu and Muay Thai black belt whose aggressive style makes for scintillating scraps. A former EliteXC 185-pound champ and the brother of Mauricio “Shogun” Rua, “Ninja’’ has won five of his last six, including a first-round TKO over Tony Bonello last June 14.

 Radach, of Castle Rock, Wash., has been on a roll. The heavy-handed veteran has won five of his last six fights. Regarded as a top young prospect until an injury sidelined him for three years, Radach owns several notable triumphs in a career that began in March 2001.

 Santos, a talented, aggressive-minded Brazilian, stormed onto the women’s scene in spectacular fashion in her United States debut on July 26 in Stockton. In an overwhelming performance that lasted just under six minutes, she overpowered Baszler en route to winning by impressive second-round TKO.

A product of the world-famous Chute Boxe Academy in Curitiba, Brazil, Santos is trained by her husband and fellow fighter, Evangelista “Cyborg” Santos.

The more experienced Takahashi, of Japan, has won two of her last three.

Berto lives in Orlando and will be making his fifth start for EliteXC. Aina, who lost a controversial decision to world-class Nick Diaz in September 2007, is coming off a win over Strikeforce lightweight champion Kaleo Kwan last June 14.

EliteXC will be back in action on CBS on October 4th in Sunrise, Florida. The BankAtlantic Center will witness the return of Kimbo Slice and Gina Carano.

CBS TELEVISION NETWORK

 

Moderator: Mitch Graham

July 15, 2008

 

 

 

Operator:  Good day and welcome to the press conference call for CBS EliteXC Saturday Night Fights. Today’s conference is being recorded (replay info at bottom of transcript).

 

At this time, I’d like to turn the conference over to Mr. Mitch Graham.  Please go ahead, sir.

 

Mitch Graham:  Good morning, everyone.  Welcome to today’s conference call for CBS EliteXC Saturday Night Fights. 

 

We will have to two members from our announce team on the call today, Gus Johnson is on the call and Frank Shamrock is currently receiving a bone scan but will be joining us here on the call. 

 

Just a couple of things. As you guys know, our second primetime MMA broadcast on CBS is happening on Saturday July 26th live from the Stockton Arena in Stockton , California .  We have a – as I’m sure most of you have seen we have a little bit of a unique programming model for this – second broadcast.  SHOWTIME’s going to kick off the night from 8-9 p.m. (ET/PT) with three fights and then followed by the primetime CBS broadcast with four fights from 9-11 p.m. (ET/PT) so it should be a fun, very exciting evening on both SHOWTIME and CBS.  The four fights to CBS broadcast obviously going to be highlighted by the rematch between “Ruthless” Robbie Lawler and Scott “Hands of Steel” Smith, again, for the EliteXC middleweight title.  

 

At this point, I’d like to turn it over to our Executive Chairman of ProElite, Mr. Doug DeLuca.

 

Doug DeLuca:  Great.  Thank you very much, Mitch.  I appreciate it. And thanks, everyone, for coming on to the call.  I want to thank the ladies and gentlemen of the press.  As always, we appreciate your interest and we appreciate you writing about us.  So thank you. 

 

As Mitch said, we’re very excited to be doing our second installment of CBS EliteXC Saturday Night Fights (coming) on the heels of what we feel was a very, very successful first outing. We wanted to follow it up with just as much jam-packed action and a world-class fight card and we just wanted to keep the momentum going.  As most of you know, the event on May 31st on CBS that we did was the first primetime event ever (and) was the most highly rated MMA television show in the U.S. We’re just very excited about that and what was done there. 

 

One of the things that’s exciting to us is the fact that we gained – we think – in addition to the hardcore fans that came out to watch that night, a lot of new fans to the sport . This is a great sport, mixed  martial arts, for those who sometimes get confused, but we think we gained a lot of new fans and the good part was they stuck around and they watched. I give kudos to the NFL.  The NFL did a great job of teaching people how to watch football and that was important because it drew people in, it helped people understand what’s going on. (I think we did a great job of educating the newer fans the first show.)

 

Mixed martial arts is that kind of sport.  It’s the kind of sport that anyone who has taken the time to actually watch it and accept it has immediately become a fan, (has) immediately been drawn into it and a lot of that comes with understanding what’s going on and it’s not just about two athletes in there kind of slugging it out —  it’s about athletes that are very calculated, very disciplined — world-class athletes that are maneuvering and playing a big game of chess, one big  beautiful dance, as Frank Shamrock likes to say, trying to get position and trying to beat their opponent. (MMA fighters are) true warriors. 

 

It is important people understand what’s going on. The more they understand, the more into it they become and the better fan they become, and that starts and kind of ends with the announce team. Among the many things that we were thrilled with — and probably high up on the list — was the announce team that we put together with CBS and SHOWTIME for the May 31st event. 

 

Gus Johnson, Frank Shamrock, Mauro Ranallo and Karyn Bryant were a fabulous mix of people and various experiences from various walks of life. They made an amazing announce team. And for the first time out of the gate, all you guys know – I mean the press — you guys attention to all different announcers and all different events — it’s tough for a team that’s working together for the first time to come out and be a cohesive unit. (But) these guys came out of the box and they just knocked it out of the park.   

 

I was sitting ringside, but I was listening to the announcers. It was a pleasure; Frank being a legend, Gus being a world-class broadcaster, Karen being a premiere entertainment reporter and Mauro Ranallo just being an amazing fan and amazing book of knowledge of the sport of mixed martial arts. They all have a knack for speaking to everyone. They speak to the hardcore fan, they also speak very openly and very understandably to the new fan, and they’re very cognizant of it, they’re very, very good at it, the flow was amazing and I’m just thrilled to have them part of No. 2.  We’re excited. We’re ready for July 26^th (with a great card that includes) three title fights. 

 

(The show is) 9-11 p.m. on CBS, 8-9 p.m. on SHOWTIME.  That’s a first; the first time mixed martial arts starts on premium television, premium cable, and then moves to a broadcast network in primetime.  So we’re really excited about that.  We have a great fight card.  We came back with a strong world-class fight card and we’re going to Stockton, Calif., which is a great MMA town, at the beautiful new Stockton arena and we couldn’t be more thrilled. 

 

Once again, I want to thank you all for coming today.

 

Operator:  Today’s question-and-answer session will be conducted electronically.  We’ll go first to Neil Best with “Newsday”.

 

Neil Best:  Gus, do you think in some ways this telecast will be even more important (than the last) and only because it’ll be an opportunity to kind of see who you’ve retained and what kind of audience you can build in the long term for this type of event?

 

Gus Johnson:  Well, I think you may say that.  I think this is going to be a show that really caters to the hardcore MMA fan because you’re going to see a lot of great jui-jitsu — you’re going to see Jake Shields and Jake is a black belt in Brazilian jui-jitsu and he is on a roll, won nine in a row.  Nick Diaz, he’s another great Brazilian jui-jitsu guy.

 

On the SHOWTIME show, you’re going to see Antonio “Big Foot” Silva, who’s also a world-class jui-jitsu fighter. So we’re going to get an opportunity to see if people stick around. I think they will and I think they’re going to see a different kind of show, All in all, once Robbie Lawler and Scott Smith enter the cage, I think it’s going to be an opportunity for the world once again to see mixed martial arts at a very high level or the highest level and I really think it’s going to be exciting.

 

Operator:  We’ll go next to Doug Jeffrey with “Ultimate Grappling”.

 

Doug Jeffrey:  Gus, are you feeling any pressure as an announcer to present the sport to the mass group of viewers?

 

Gus Johnson:  I think I feel the same pressure that I feel whenever I step in front of a microphone, whether it be pro football or college basketball or pro basketball.  My job is to go out there and to try to know as much as I can about the great athletes that are performing and try to tell their stories and try to make a connection with the fans that are tuning in.

 

I think mixed martial arts is a great sport.  What I’m excited about from a personal standpoint more than anything is  that it’s new to network television and I’m getting an opportunity to introduce it to people that normally don’t watch mixed  martial arts. I want to do my best and I want to make sure that  I can scratch the surface as much as possible and that’s why in my preparation I just try to make sure that I’m doing everything that I can do to be able to tell the best stories regarding these incredible warriors.

 

Doug Jeffrey:  Can you compare mixed martial arts to the other sports you announce?  Is it harder to announce, is it easier, or is it not even a fair comparison?

 

Gus Johnson:  No, you can compare.  For me, I grew up playing football, I grew up playing basketball, I grew up playing baseball, and hockey, and all those different sports. I was a wrestler as a kid.  The difference though with mixed martial arts is you’re combining five different styles: boxing, traditional western boxing, submission wrestling, jui-jitsu and Kung Fu. When you go out there and you watch one of these events you’re going to see guys that have different disciplines and they’re using these different disciplines so the challenge is to be able to explain what’s going on. 

 

And especially from the jui-jitsu side; I think the jui-jitsu side is what makes it really, really wonderful.  I also love the Muay Thai side as well with the cut kicks and the front kicks and the roundhouses and the spinning back fists and the elbows and all those kind of things. 

 

And then you have clinch fighting and that’s a whole different dynamic as well. So it’s different for me. It’s challenging because the jui-jitsu side, the Muay Tai side, are new sports for me or new art forms for me that I’m trying to learn as I go on, but I think that in time, not only with me but with the people that watch on a regular basis and with the people that are new fans to mixed martial arts this is – these are going to be household terms and slogans. Watching a mixed martial arts fight is going it be a norm I believe in the upcoming future. 

 

Doug Jeffrey:  Gus, your bio indicates you’re now studying some of the ground fighting.  Does that give you a greater appreciation of what those guys do inside the ring?

 

Gus Johnson:  Oh, my goodness, I can’t even tell you. You’re absolutely . .  .

 

Doug Jeffrey:  Yes.

 

Gus Johnson:  … right.  I go to class Monday, Wednesday, and Friday at the Renzo Gracie Academy in Manhattan. My teacher is a black belt in Brazilian jui-jitsu  and – like, for example, yesterday we were working on escaping rear naked chokes and also applying rear naked chokes. We’re also working on our backs and trying to escape side position, but at the same time when we have side position trying to establish the leverage to either get your knee on top of your opponent’s chest by grabbing his belt and grabbing the back of his (gi) and then getting your knee on his chest and either choking him out or setting him up for an arm bar.

 

 So I really have a great appreciation for this art form. It’s the kind of art form that takes a lot of practice.  I’m getting in incredible shape – better shape than I’ve probably been in my life and I’m going to be 41 years old on Aug. 10. It’s a wonderful sport and I would encourage all moms and dads to get their kids involved in jui-jitsu and in martial arts in general. This is a wonderful time for me in my career.

 

Doug Jeffrey:  Now having done this, would you – could you – if you could go back in time, desire to participate in mixed martial arts because you have that sports background?

 

Gus Johnson:   That’s very interesting.  I wanted to box when I was a young – I was a wrestler as a kid among other sports. Mixed martial arts – to say whether or not I would like to compete, that’s a whole different mentality. I’ve never had that kind of warrior mentality from a professional standpoint. I don’t know. I mean, it’s a very interesting question because what I’m finding in terms of the jui-jitsu side, I’m good and I’m going to be much better.  But would I want to go out there and risk my life or risk really getting hurt, I don’t know, but what I can say is I have a great appreciation for any man or woman that walks in that cage. 

 

Operator:  We’ll go next to Tom Hoffarth with “Los Angeles Daily News.”

 

Tom Hoffarth:  Gus, from the feedback that you got from the first telecast did you get a feeling the average viewer figured out what was going on as well as the hardcore fan and if there was any negative feedback  like, oh, this was too barbaric, I couldn’t watch, were you able to understand that and sort of tell the person just give it a little more time and you’ll get into it?

 

Gus Johnson:  Oh, I got great feedback.  A lot of people came to me and said they watched. I had guys come to me and say ‘I didn’t like that mixed  martial arts stuff but I sat there not only by myself but I sat there with my entire family and we watched the entire show from the very beginning until the very end and it was barbaric, it was bloody, but for some reason, we all liked it.  We saw the brilliance and the genius in it on a number of different levels.’ 

 

I mean, everybody’s talking about James “Colossus’’ Thompson and how Kimbo hit him in that ear and that’s probably one of the most passed around or downloaded pieces of video on YouTube. So the criticism was that it was too barbaric, that it was too violent, but at the same time, I think people understand that mixed martial arts — because it combines so many different styles — is a simulation.  As a matter of fact, the New York Times after the show had an article about how the United States Army is starting to conduct mixed martial arts’ demonstrations and starting to allow their soldiers to train in mixed  martial arts for combat purposes. 

So this is a very important sport for us especially where we are right now in our country, and I think that mixed martial arts is a necessity. It’s important for us to see how men fight on the ground, how men not only use their hands but how they can use their legs, their knees, their elbows, So I think that the people watching it appreciate it. I think we got more positive responses – as a matter of fact, I know we got more positive responses. People said they actually had fun watching it. When the girls got in there, it showed the warrior spirit of the ladies as well with Gina Carano. All in all, I would say 80/20 thought that it was a great experience.

 

Operator:  We’ll go next to Eddie Constantine with “Pro MMA”.

 

Eddie Constantine:  Doug, what is EliteXC’s timeframe for implementing the new weight classes set forth by the ABC?

 

Doug DeLuca:  We’re discussing it right now. We are happy with our weight classes at the moment, but yet, we, ProElite, understand the need for kind of a unified system. From day one, we’ve shown that we are about working with other organizations and we’re committed to creating a true world championship system. So, we know the only way to do that is to  work together with everyone.  We haven’t really made a final decision, but we expect to do so in the near future here.

 

Operator:  We’ll go next to Nick Solomon with JabsNGrabs.com

 

Nick Solomon:  How long have you been studying jui-jitsu?

 

Gus Johnson:  I’ve been studying jui-jitsu probably since I got this assignment so I think it’s in the three-month range. I also studied Kung Fu.  I’ve been doing that.  I’m in my third year and I’ve been a western boxer for about seven years. 

 

Nick Solomon:  What motivated you to study each one of these disciplines?

 

Gus Johnson:  Well, as a kid, as I said, I was a wrestler and a very good wrestler, a eastern conference second place which was one of the championships in AAU as a kid and had a chance to wrestle in the Junior Olympics in Omaha, Nebraska, but back then, my dad couldn’t get off from work to make the drive from Michigan.  So I’ve always been interested in combat sports. 

 

And as I got older after  playing baseball in college  I came to New York and I wanted to make sure that I stayed fit and  I started boxing prior to that. I’d studied Aikido in Washington, D.C. and Tai Kwan Do. After boxing for a certain amount of years, I wanted another challenge so I started participating in Xingyi, which is one of the Chinese martial arts of Xingyi Kung Fu; Xingyi, Bagua, Tai Chi being the three internal martial arts.  And then I received this assignment to participate in MMA through CBS and with ProElite and when I started watching the tapes I realized that there was no way in the world that I could give an accurate depiction of what was going on if I didn’t really understand what was going on from a fighter’s perspective — when the fight hit the ground.  I literally live eight blocks away from the Renzo Gracie Academy which is one of the top Brazilian jui-jitsu academies in the world so I figured that  for me personally because of the way I like to approach it that it would behoove me to go out there and start participating, and lo and behold, I didn’t realize how difficult it was, but at the same time, I didn’t realize how addictive it can become as well.  So that’s kind of how I ended up here.

 

Nick Solomon:  Doug, the last time with the CBS show it kind of ran over and some people that did not set their DDR or TiVo properly were not able to watch the show (in its entirety). What preparation have you or CBS taken to ensure that something like that won’t happen with this

 

Doug DeLuca: I’ll tell you a quick, funny story and then I’ll give you the real answer. Right after the fight I was talking to my friend, Adam Carolla, the radio talk show host. Adam’s an avid sports fan and Adam watched the fights and he felt very vindicated that he was able to TiVo the whole thing, and the lesson he imparted to me was that he didn’t understand why avid sports fans don’t realize that sporting events can go over, So when you TiVo a sporting event, TiVo the next program and maybe even the second program after that because then you’re going to be sure to get the whole program. So I thought those were very wise words for sport fans watching live events.

 

But on a serious note, look we know we went over and we were I think prepared to go a little bit over, but it did go excessively over and it’s not going to happen again. I mean, the one thing that I think we — CBS and the SHOWTIME production team and ProElite — did when we walked away from that is that we listened to what all the fans were saying, the hardcore and the casual and the new fan. And the main complaint I believe was the pacing. 

 

I mean, everyone thought it could have moved much quicker, everyone wanted to get down to the business and get down to the fights much quicker, and that’s something that we’re just very, very cognizant of going into this one.  So  we put together again a world-class card, two title fights on the CBS show, one title fight on SHOWTIME show, and  we’re just very, very aware of the pacing and you’re going to see a lot more action and a lot quicker..

 

Operator:  Thank you.  We’ll go next to Dann Stupp with MMAjunkie.com.

 

Dann Stupp:  Doug, how are ticket sales and do you expect this event to be a sellout?

 

Doug DeLuca:  Yes, for sure.  I mean, look, we went to Stockton for a number of important reasons, but one important reason is, Stockton’s a great MMA town and turns out great fighters from that area and from close by. On this card alone, you have three somewhat local favorites. You have Nick Diaz, who is almost legendary status in Stockton, and he’s from Stockton and he trains in Stockton; you have Jake Shields, of San Francisco, who’s also one of the best in the world in his weight class and trains with Jake in Stockton at times; and you have Scott Smith, who’s right around the corner from Elk Grove, near Sacramento, and another world-class fighter fighting in the main event of the evening for a belt. So you have three very, very strong local draws, . 

 

You (also) have the power of the EliteXC brand that is gaining a lot of notoriety in the MMA space thanks to our last event and to all the events we do on SHOWTIME and around the world. So we expect it to be a sellout. It will be a sellout. That stadium will be full. It seats 10,000 people. We’ll probably have it scaled somewhere between 8,000 and 9,000 but it will be full and the ticket sales are going great.  I mean, they’re right on track.  We have a meeting about it today to get a report.

 

After the last two weekends ago, (right before the) holiday weekend, things were going as planned but not gangbusters and then right after the holiday weekend things picked up amazingly. So we’re really excited, and like I said, that stadium will be full and will be rocking.

 

Dann Stupp:  Kind of given the fact that you do have so much talent and the sales apparently are going to well, could we see you guys returning (to Stockton), or are you ready to find new places to go to?

 

Doug DeLuca:  I think it’s the mixture of both.  I mean, if you go somewhere and it’s a successful event for you, you definitely want to go back. We do enough events. I mean, we do a minimum of one big TV event a month. With all the brands we own, King in the Cage, Cage Rage in London, SpiritMC in Korea, Icon Sport and Rumble on the Rock, in addition to EliteXC, so our organization does over 80 events a year. So that’s a lot of ground that we can cover. And with at least one, sometimes two, televised events a month  if a – if a city is good to us, we will definitely go back to that city in the course of the following year, maybe twice in the course of that year. 

 

But to your point, you want to spread it around, you want to grow the brand in different markets, you want to go to places that have only been able to watch the great sport of MMA on TV and want to witness it  at a high, premium level in person. So you want to go to those different cities.  So, we’ll see how Stockton does.  I think it’s going to be great for us. 

 

But Sacramento’s a great city. San Jose, which we’ve been to twice and practically sold out  the HP Pavilion, has been a great city. So we’ll always go back and support cities that are good to us and we’ll also continue to add events and spread it around. That’s where our head’s at.

 

Operator:  We’ll go next to Jack Bradcher with Promma.info.

 

Jack Bradcher:  Can you give us an update on Kimbo? Is he in training right now and will he be on the next CBS Saturday Night fight against Brett Rogers?  Has that fight been (set) yet?

 

Doug DeLuca:  You asked a couple of questions, so, first, an update on Kimbo. He’s training hard. Kimbo is flying back and forth between Miami and California; he’s training with his team. The thing I will say about Kimbo is that I really don’t understand likes to give him a hard time. Why can’t somebody find the sport of MMA sort of like Gus did  a few months ago. 

 

In Kimbo’s case, it was a year or so ago, but he found the sport, he’s committed and he’s a natural, a great fighter, who, unlike other guys you see come up off the streets that don’t have the discipline and the focus, this guy is one of the most disciplined and focused guys I’ve ever seen.

 

So, to his credit, after that fight with James Thompson, Kimbo said (at the press conference), ‘I’m a baby in this sport and I know that.’  He said ‘I’m standing up here on this dais with world-class athletes that have been at this much longer than I have been.’ And he said, ‘I know I need to up my game in various places and at various levels and I will do that.’ Kimbo’s been committed and he’s doing that and he’s training real hard. You are going to see Kimbo fight again probably in late September, early to mid-October.

 

I definitely cannot confirm that he will be fighting Brett Rogers because we’re not sure that that’s the next fight for Kimbo, but we will keep you guys posted and you guys will be the first to know when we’ve figured out  who Kimbo’s going to fight.

 

Operator:  We’ll go next to John Navarro with Knockout TV.

 

John Navarro:  Doug, CBS seems to be a company of firsts — the first company to start off on broadcast TV and now you guys are going to be on broadcast TV and (premium) TV. How do you see that developing your marketplace within this industry?  Is that going to take you to a new level? 

 

Doug DeLuca: CBS has been a great partner from day one. CBS owns SHOWTIME and SHOWTIME has been (with us since) when we first got into the game a little over two years ago. We made a strategic partnership with SHOWTIME and CBS, and they’ve been just perfect partners  and  this sport, as in any mainstream sport, is built around  broadcast TV. That’s how people get to see it, that’s how people get to enjoy it, that’s how it grows it fan base and that’s how the sport just gets bigger and bigger. So from the standpoint of a partner and from a standpoint of what SHOWTIME and CBS are doing for the sport and doing for EliteXC, it is, I can’t even – I can’t speak enough about how great they have been for us. It’s been great and it’ll continue to grow. When you think about  a May 31st show where at one point  6.5 or 6.7 million viewers were watching EliteXC and watching mixed  martial arts, I mean, that’s pretty impressive. That’s a lot of eyeballs.

 

And then when you think of all the people that were grouped up making a Saturday night of it,   with their friends and family and watching the fights, I mean, it’s phenomenal. They’re helping create a phenomenon. So it’s exciting and they will continue to help the sport grow. They have a lot of vision. They have a lot of guts to take the first step of all the networks. Everyone else wanted to do it but nobody stepped up. CBS did and I think it’s paying off for everybody.  So we’re happy to be partners with them.

 

John Navarro:  What’s the next big step we’re going to see from CBS and SHOWTIME?

 

Doug DeLuca:  Well, look, I don’t think everything has to be a big step. Things can be baby steps as long as you are making forward progress and I think the big thing from CBS and SHOWTIME is that they are committed to the sport of mixed martial arts. SHOWTIME was the first premium cable channel to ever do mixed martial arts. And if you look at SHOWTIME and what they did in the boxing world — I mean, they are a much smaller organization than HBO yet they compete head-to-head with them and they are synonymous with great boxing. And they saw the opportunity in martial arts so they wanted to be the first and they jumped in and now they’re very supportive of that. I think CBS takes the same approach, They saw the opportunity, They believed in the sport and they said we’re going to be first and we’re going to do it right and we’re going to continue to improve. I don’t know what the next big thing will be, but I know  we will continue to build on what we’ve started already and it’ll just be great for the sport,  the fans and the athletes.

 

John Navarro:  When do you anticipate seeing a rematch between Cung Le and Frank Shamrock?

 

Doug DeLuca: Well, Frank … I don’t even know if Frank’s joined yet and if he …

 

Frank Shamrock:  I’m here.

 

Doug DeLuca:  Hey, Frank.  How are you?

 

Frank Shamrock:  I’m good, fantastic, very excited. I’m sorry I’m late, everybody, and I apologize for stepping on your question, but I want to thank everyone for coming out. I was at the hospital getting my bone density scans for my arm, and I’ll let everybody here be the first to know I’m cleared for combat so Cung Le or Scott Smith or whoever comes out as the victor,  or Kimbo Slice, or whoever’s been eating their Wheaties, they better keep eating them.

 

Doug DeLuca:  So there you have it.  I mean, in answer to your question. There will definitely be a Frank Shamrock-Cung Le rematch. I think we have to sit down with Frank.  This is great news that we just got now and we’ll have to figure out when that might be.

 

John Navarro:  Frank, after watching that last battle between Scott Smith and Robbie Lawler, how do you expect this one to come out?

 

Frank Shamrock:  I think Lawler really has Smith’s number when it comes to the standup game and when it comes to dictating pressure and positioning in the game. I think it’s going to be a similar fight. I really think Lawler can control that striking game to do the most amount of power punching and damage. I see him coming out on this, and yes, I just think he’s too strong, too big, and too in his zone with his new standup skills and his wrestling combination.  He’s got a flow about him that’s really going to be tough to beat for a while.

 

John Navarro:  And how do you see the Jake Shields’ match with ‘The Goat’?

 

Frank Shamrock: I don’t know. That’s a tricky fight to call. Shields has so much skill and I think he’s just really underrated and, underappreciated as a technician.  I think that is going to be a very intense technical battle, but I think it can go either way.

 

John Navarro:  What can you tell us Antonio ‘Big Foot’ Silva?

 

Frank Shamrock: All I know is he’s a giant and his technique improves every single time. His new game is standup with flying knees, and for a man of this size to be throwing flying knees and head kicks  it’s very exciting and very damaging. I just think he’s a  young man in the sport with a lot of potential and I think he’s going to  knock some fools out.

 

Operator:  We’ll go next to Greg Delong with 1450 FOX Sports Radio.

 

Greg Delong: Doug, was CBS able to increase the price of advertising for this show because of the success of the first one?

 

Doug DeLuca: I think they definitely could have. I think the name of the game again is slow and steady. We want long-term partners. Nobody’s looking to make a quick hit. I don’t know for sure, but from what I’ve been told in the discussions I’ve had, the advertising went as well as it did the first time and we’re going to be full slate. The advertisers all came back, and  everyone was very, very happy with the first event. I don’t believe prices were raised, but  I don’t know for sure.

 

 But I think that, again, it’s about bringing in — we knew that the hurdle with the advertisers was breaking in to the mainstream realm for this sport. And  we did a great job and we’re pleased with what happened on the 31st and I think the advertisers were pleased so now let’s continue to do good by them, let’s grow their loyalty, and let’s expand the business.  I mean, that’s what we’re working on.

 

Greg Delong: (With your different brands and fact you promote about 80 shows a year, do you see a time that MMA could be like it was back in the day of boxing when you could see Muhammad Ali and Ken Norton fight on free TV on something like a weekly, one- or two-hour-mixed  martial arts show?) Have there been any discussions with anything like that or is that too far down the road?

 

Doug DeLuca: No, no, not at all. You’re actually a visionary. I can’t talk too much about it now, but we’re probably going to announce another broadcast deal pretty soon with a cable network that will do similar to what you’re saying — where you’ll see all our brands in action. Our exclusive partner in reality TV, Mark Burnett, a reality show guru, and ProElite are constantly working and developing reality shows  around the sport. 

 

We’re actually working with Frank on some stuff as well. Frank’s got a great, brilliant mind for MMA and for reality TV so we’re constantly working on that and weekly shows that bring great MMA from around the world and around the country to fans  and just grow the sport, the fan base, and  keep a great venue for the fighters. That’s what we’re doing constantly. It’s what we do at ProElite.

 

Operator:  We’ll go next to Randy Harrison with Nokaut.com.

 

Randy Harrison:  Doug, you spoke about the pacing of the first CBS show. There are going to be only four fights (on CBS this time). Was that a plan even before the second show had been announced with SHOWTIME and CBS, or did that come about more with the pacing issues of the first show?

 

Doug DeLuca: It’s just simple mathematics, right.  I mean, you just have a two-hour time block.  But then you have a number of commercial  spots that eat up time from that two hours. You look at the fights and with two title fights, right, you’ve got five rounds of five minutes each. And then you have the female fight at three threes, and you have Diaz and Denny at three fives. So if you just do the math — four fights with some commentating and announcing in-between — you’re hitting the brink, right? (And) you have to really plan for all them going the distance. We all know that’s not the norm in MMA, but it certainly could happen.  So, it wasn’t planned that way. It was just  (with two title fights), we said that this is what we have to do to be safe.

 

Now, what you may see, and this is undecided as of yet, is a swing bout, which means there may be another great fight that night just in case all the fights go short. So you may see five, but right now four is what we’re going with. We have a great, strong card on CBS and on SHOWTIME. 

 

Randy Harrison:  Gus, with your experience in combat sports, when you heard about the opportunity for CBS and EliteXC, did you lobby for it or was it assigned to you as a luck-of-the-raw kind of thing?

 

Gus Johnson:  I think it was a combination of both. I’ve been calling basketball and football and college basketball and pro basketball and a lot of the traditional sports for a long time and I was looking for something different. I needed something new, fresh. See, the great thing about mixed martial arts that you have to understand — and I think it’s a fascinating aspect of this sport —  is that these athletes, they are literally assassins in a certain way. They can do with their bodies things that other human beings can’t do, but at the same time, they’re the nicest, sweetest, kindest, gentlest and humblest people that you’re going to see when it comes to professional athletics. . 

 

They came to me, and once they came to me and felt that I was the person for the job, it’s like a kid being in the back of the room sprinting to the chalkboard to do the assignment. It’s something I wanted to do, something that I want to continue to do and it’s something that I want to be a part of for the rest of my career, not only as a broadcaster but, as you see, also as a person that trains in the various disciplines.  So it’s wonderful.

 

I mean, really, I can’t tell you how excited I am and how fortunate I feel to be able to be chosen by CBS and ProElite and SHOWTIME to have an opportunity to serve as a play-by-play man or the blow-by-blow man or the submission-by-submission man of mixed martial Arts.

 

Doug DeLuca: If I can just add a quick, funny anecdote to that. When we got into this and we wanted to do this with CBS,  I was the one I think that brought up Gus Johnson to everybody because  I had known Gus’ work from his other sports, but the funny thing is, a friend of mine, Bill Simmons, who writes for ESPN and who I know through Jimmy Kimmel Live, the television show, had always been talking Gus in MMA, that Gus is the type of person and announcer who could bring the energy and the knowledge  and the professionalism to the sport and Bill was just a huge proponent of Gus, and he even wrote I think a blog about it or he might have written about Gus in one of his articles. So  Bill really turned me on to the fact that Gus would be great for MMA, and I looked at him and from that standpoint after Bill just hammered me on it and here we are and happy to have Gus onboard.

 

Operator:  We’ll now take a follow-up from Eddie Constantine with Pro MMA. 

 

Eddie Constantine: Doug, (do you foresee Nick Diaz having problems getting licensed to fight in California and have you spoken to the commission about him)?

 

Doug DeLuca:  Absolutely, we have. It was the first of two things we did when we put Nick on the card. First, we sat down and talked to Nick. I think Nick kind of got the short end of the stick last time.  He was scheduled to fight for us in San Jose (but) he was unable to. So a couple of things happened there that were not very fair to Nick and he was disappointed that he didn’t get the fight. So what we made sure we did with this one is that we – the EliteXC fight team, Jeremy Lappen and our Chief Executive Officer, Chuck Champion, reached out to Armando (Garcia), went and talked to him and made sure that we were all on the right page and that we were going to do everything by the book and make sure that everyone’s happy.

 

But we’re all really working with Nick and with ProElite and with the Commission to make sure that it goes without a hitch. I mean, there are a number of fans out there that love Nick. (But) love Nick or hate Nick, everybody out there likes to watch Nick fight and people shouldn’t be deprived of that. So we’re going to make sure that the fight comes off and that we’re starting a turnover-a-new-leaf for everybody, so to speak.

 

Eddie Constantine:  (Would a Frank Shamrock-Cung Le rematch) be a joint promotion with Strikeforce or would that be an EliteXC solo project?

 

Doug DeLuca:  We work well with those guys. I like Scott Coker a great deal and they are very, very strong in the San Jose market and  Frank Shamrock owns the town of San Jose and Cung is from San Jose so if we’re going to do a rematch, it’s going to be in San Jose and it’s going to be  with Strikeforce.  So yes, we would definitely do that as a co-promote.

 

Eddie Constantine:  Doug, is there any truth to the rumor about the IFL acquisition?

 

Doug DeLuca:  No, no truth to the rumor at the moment.

 

Operator:  We’ll go next to a follow-up with Nick Solomon with JabsNGrabs.com.

 

Nick Solomon:  Doug, are there any plans for shows featuring King of the Cage, or Icon or Cage Rage because earlier this year Cage Rage had a show on SHOWTIME and we haven’t seen or really heard much about any of them on TV?

 

Doug DeLuca:  Yes. Like I said, we are working and focusing on different brands all the time. Take Icon, for instance. Icon is a Hawaii-based promotion, remains very strong in Hawaii and has had some great fighters, legends of the sport kind of run through that promotion. So Icon continues to operate in Hawaii, but when we go to Hawaii, we do an EliteXC show on SHOWTIME like we did  last month.  But it’s really sort of an Icon promotion. I mean, TJ Thompson’s front and center.  He’s helping us put that together and we’re working that angle from there.  So I know that isn’t really the answer to your question.

 

(But) to specifically answer your question, yes, we are working on TV deals for various fight promotions and I think you will see those fight promotions in the near future on TV. 

 

Nick Solomon:  Frank, are you still looking at the possibility of a fight with your (half-) brother, (Ken)?

 

Frank Shamrock:  Oh, yes, most definitely.

 

Nick Solomon:  Would you want to fight Ken first, or Cung le?

 

Frank Shamrock:  Well, I think the Ken fight is really important to get done  as soon as possible not only because we’re both getting older,  but I think now is the time to tell the story of the sport and  the families and the brothers and stuff that were involved at the beginning of the sport and how it came to be what it is.  I think it’s an educational opportunity and it’s great television so I’d love to get that fight in first. And Cung’s a great martial artist and we do really well here in San Jose. But  I want the world to see that fight and a promotion like “Blood Brothers” would really kick that  fight to the next level. 

 

But yes, I mean, that’s kind of my general plan. I would like to get a fight in at the end of this year just because my hand feels better and I’ve got to keep fighting. So we might try to sneak that in, but haven’t really figured out the logistics of it because, of course, I just found out about an hour ago.

 

Nick Solomon:  Doug, what is your response to what Frank said about the fight between him and Ken? 

 

Doug DeLuca:  Absolutely. It’s something Frank and I have been talking about for quite some time. I agree with Frank wholeheartedly. It’s an important fight, one the two brothers will want to have and have wanted to have for a long time. It just hasn’t been the right time to put it together, but I think now is the time to put it together. Frank and I are still kind of working on some of the details, but I think it’s a fight that the MMA community definitely wants to see. 

 

With both of their very rich backgrounds in the sport  and because of their personalities and their characters, I mean, you have two legions of the sport  and guys that have been there from the very beginning and have kind of grown up with the sport and are now both successful in  different ways in the sport. It’s a compelling story and stories are what is going to make the mainstream public watch as well. So  I think it’s an interesting fight that new fans, old fans,  casual fans, any fan of a combat sport will want to see. So , we’re excited to make it happen and we’re going to work towards that with Frank and Ken. 

 

Nick Solomon:  Doug, so which of the options are you looking at more closely? Putting Ken first for Frank? Or Cung Le?

 

Doug DeLuca:”It’s an interesting question and I don’t have an answer for it at this point in time. Frank and I have gone back and forth with it a number of times. I kind of lean towards Frank. I mean, maybe it’s the Ken fight first, but, in promoting, everything is timing and it’s about where, when, what the platform for promoting it is … so , we have a lot of unanswered questions, but we’re trying to answer them real quickly.

 

Frank Shamrock:  Yes, Doug, if I could interject there. What’s unique about ProElite, CBS, SHOWTIME relationship is they’re thinking on long term. They’re not thinking to the next fight. I’d love to say, yes, I’m going to fight that guy next, but what has made good entertainment good entertainment is that the stories intertwine and they last for a long time. 

 

Those are the type of compelling stories and talent we’re trying to generate through ProElite and the CBS and SHOWTIME concept is (that) stories drive the sport and we’re only going to get one shot at two brothers who are legends in one sport that’s brand new fighting each other. It’s got to be done right. 

 

And like Doug said, the timing’s got to be right, the platform has got to be right. We think it’s right  very soon but  the public will tell at the end of the day what they want. The fans will tell us what they want and, of course, we’ll give it to them. 

 

Operator:  We’ll take another follow-up from Doug Jeffrey with Ultimate Grappling.

 

Doug Jeffrey:  Frank, do guys are on a pretty big stage.  Do you feel any pressure being part of the announcing team?

 

Frank Shamrock: I do, personally. The pressure I feel truthfully is from within.  I feel a huge burden to present mixed martial arts, MMA in its modern format as a martial art. I feel I have a duty to kind of educate and support the values and principles of the martial arts. I really think that’s why it’s important.  The funny thing is, it’s cool and all that but I really think that’s what’s important.  So I feel a responsibility to do that. 

 

I also feel a professional responsibility to be as good as I can at my job.  We went to primetime. It was totally untested water. I mean, this was as monumental as we could make it and we nailed it. That was a lot of stress, but I certainly feel better going into the second event. But I still 100 percent feel the responsibility to educate and involve the community in martial arts and then to call it like I see it.

 

Doug Jeffrey:  Frank, when the idea to fight Ken was first presented to you, what crossed your mind?

 

Frank Shamrock:  Well, I mean, it was my idea so for me, it came from a negative place. Ken and I were in a bad way, we’ve had a challenging relationship, and for me the first thought was, boy, I’d love to just kick the crap out Ken. It evolved into a much more mature idea. For me, it’s about paying penance to the – to my mentor who brought me up, who is my brother, for bringing our family back together and for standing for something that’s really, really important, whether he believes or I believe it or whatever it is. That’s why I think the fight was so important and that’s what it’s turned into.  Before, I just wanted to kick his butt because he was mean to me and he’s a bully. 

 

Doug Jeffrey: Doug, if  the UFC is able to get a network television deal, how does that impact MMA and your role with CBS?

 

Doug DeLuca: I mean, it’s great for the sport. It just gives a bigger platform for more fighters and for more MMA to be seen around the country. Look at the sport of professional football — it’s on what, five different networks? You can see it in various places. ProElite is behind what’s good for the sport, what’s good for the fighters, and ultimately what’s good for the fans. So, I think that’s fine. It’s competition. I welcome competition. Like in a sport or in business, competition is good. We’re not going anywhere, they’re not going anywhere, and, again, as long as it’s good for the sport I think it’s great.

 

Operator:  We’ll go next to Scott Linesburgh with the “Stockton Record”.

 

Scott Linesburgh:  Frank, you and Ken grew up pretty close to Stockton, right?

 

Frank Shamrock:  Yes, yes.  We actually lived in Lockeford for several years.  I actually began my fighting career in Lockeford, Calif., which is right next to Lodi, which of course is right outside of Stockton.  We’d go to Stockton all the time.  It was kind of the big city next to our little city.  But I grew up all in northern California from 12 years old on.

 

Scott Linesburgh:  When did you stop living in the Lockeford area?

 

Frank Shamrock:  Well, let me see, I lived there from about 20 till I was 24, I want to say.  That was kind of my Stockton , Lodi time.

 

Scott Linesburgh:  Did you start to fight then, or were you already fighting at that time?

 

Frank Shamrock:  No, no. I was dropping out of college and Bob Shamrock, my adoptive father and Ken’s father – I wanted to move back and he said I could if I got a job or did the wrestling thing my brother was doing.  So I literally walked into the gym one day and had never done any  combative sports or martial art, anything. I fought Ken for 20 minutes and learned about martial arts.

 

Scott Linesburgh:  What years did you live around Stockton?

 

Frank Shamrock: I would have been there from ‘93 till I moved to San Jose in 1997.

 

Scott Linesburgh:  Do you think the Stockton area is built for this sport?

 

Frank Shamrock:  It’s built for it. This sport is a community type social activity. It takes a lot of people.  You need a good group, you need partners. It takes a community to do this and support one person or two people or three people. So the more rural your area or the more community-based your area the faster this catches on because it’s something where my daughter’s going to go do MMA. She’s only three months old, but  all my kids – all my friends’ kids — everybody does it because that’s our lifestyle. And when you get a nice, settled rural community or a slower community  that stuff multiplies quickly.

 

Scott Linesburgh:  If you did fight Ken, would it have to be in northern California, like San Jose, Stockton?  Would that be the place to do it?  Or do you not have a preference?

 

Frank Shamrock: Well, there’s certainly a preference there just for locals, but I really think this is a story that is bigger than any region, and I really think, like Doug, this is a television-based product and  once you get to that level it doesn’t really matter so much where you go as long as a lot people are watching it.

 

Scott Linesburgh: Frank, what do you think of the Diaz-Denny fight?

 

Frank Shamrock:  It’s compelling. I know Diaz . Denny’s a kind of wild card – he’s a wild man. I definitely think Nick’s probably picked to come through that fight.  But Denny he could change a fight in two seconds and he’s got a lot of experience.

 

My concern is that he gets into a tie up match and somebody’s bleeding and it’s not a pretty fight.  But when it comes to technique, they’re both good technicians.  It should be a good technical fight.  I just hope it’s a pretty one.

 

Scott Linesburgh:  Doug, what does someone like Frank bring to your shows as kind of a color guy?

 

Doug DeLuca: He brings a lot. As I said before, we’re just thrilled to have the team that we have. With Frank, in particular, and not just because he’s a legend in the sport, a good-looking guy on camera — and I’m not hitting on you, Frank – but because he is so good on camera. If you’ve ever had the pleasure of sitting and talking with Frank as I’ve done on a number of occasions — we’ve sat around and talked and strategized and talked about the sport – you’ll find that this is a guy that has — and this is kind of an odd way to say it – college professor knowledge of MMA. 

 

I mean, a philosopher’s knowledge of MMA and when you hear Frank talk about the sport, and the passion and the love he has for it and the understanding of it, I mean, Frank’s understanding of the sport goes far deeper than the moves and what’s going on in the cage. It goes to the core and to the psyche of the fighter and why the sport is important to the United States and to the community and to the world.  And, I mean, (it is) really just eloquent stuff when Frank talks about mixed martial arts. He’s really great at it, but imparting that kind of knowledge and passion and understanding of a sport to a fan  or to new fans or to growing fans, I mean, it’s just – you just can’t come close to that.  That’s what Frank brings. I’m thrilled that Frank is part of the team.

 

Scott Linesburgh:  Thank you very much.

 

Operator:  That is all the questions that we have in the queue today.  I’ll go ahead and turn the call back over to Mitch Graham for any additional or closing remarks. 

 

Mitch Graham:  Thank you, everyone.  Thanks to all the press for the great questions.  Thank you to our participants, Gus and Frank and Doug. 

 

So thanks, everyone.  Appreciate all the questions and see you on July 26th.

EliteXC’s Kimbo Slice will be back in action this fall against an unnamed opponent. Brett Rogers has been rumored but nothing has been signed.

Source: MMAjunkie 

OPEN MEDIA WORKOUT QUOTES

ROBBIE LAWLER & SCOTT SMITH,

JAKE SHIELDS & DOUGLAS DELUCA

‘

Tuesday, July 8, 2008,

Ultimate Training Center, Roseville, Calif.

 

“Ruthless” Robbie Lawler of St. Louis will defend the EliteXC middleweight title against Scott “Hands of Steel” Smith of Sacramento in the main event on the second primetime broadcast of CBS ELITEXC SATURDAY NIGHT FIGHTS on Saturday, July 26, (9 p.m.-11 p.m. ET/PT).

 

In a second world title fight, Jake Shields of San Francisco and Nick “The Goat” Thompson of Minneapolis will collide for the vacant EliteXC 170-pound belt. 

 

Stockton’s Nick Diaz will face Thomas “Wildman’’ Denny of Victorville, Calif., in a lightweight match and Shayna “The Queen Of Spades” Baszler of Sioux Falls, S.D., will take on Brazil’s undefeated Cristiane Cyborg  in a women’s fight at 140 pounds at the Stockton  Arena in Stockton, Calif.

 

Tickets start at $35 and can be purchased at the Stockton Arena Box Office (Tuesday-Friday, 10 a.m.-6 p.m.) and Saturday (noon-4 p.m.), by phone at (209) 373-1700 and (866) 373-7088 (toll free) or online at www.stocktontickets.com.

 

The event is presented by Los Angeles-based ProElite, Inc .’s live fight division, EliteXC. Doors open at 2:30 p.m. PT. The first live fight is at 3:15.

 

Preceding the two-hour, four-fight broadcast on the CBS Television Network will be a three-fight, one-hour telecast live on SHOWTIME (8 p.m. ET/PT).

 

In the main event, Antonio “Big Foot” Silva will face Justin Eilers for the EliteXC heavyweight crown. In other SHOWTIME fights, promising Wilson Reis will meet Brian Caraway at 140 pounds and talented Rafael Feijao will be opposed by an opponent to be determined in a light heavyweight fight.

 

DOUGLAS DELUCA, EXECUTIVE CHAIRMAN, PROELITE, INC.

 

“No doubt about it: Stockton is a great MMA city.  In Scott Smith, Jake Shields and, of course, Nick Diaz, we have three local world-class fighters on the card.  The Stockton Arena is virtually brand new.

So, picking the city of Stockton for our next CBS show was virtually a no-brainer. 

 

“Everybody is truly excited about July 26. This will be an unbelievably great night of MMA action – on two networks, SHOWTIME and CBS. I think we did a good job of introducing newer fans to the sport of mixed martial arts on May 31 on CBS.

 

“But I think those in attendance and viewers watching on television are going to maybe get a different side of mixed martial arts this time around. We were pleased with our first CBS venture on May 31 and all of us are ready for round two.”

 

ROBBIE LAWLER

 

“Everybody that knows me knows that I take each fight one at a time.  This is just another fight for me.

 

“I watched our first fight one time right after I got back home from New Jersey, but I haven’t watched it since.  This is going to be another great fight.  We both go out and give our best.  My game plan is to adapt.  I don’t try to picture what is going to happen inside the cage.

 

“The fact we have fought each other won’t lend any advantages to either of us.  I love to fight and I am looking forward to fighting and defending the title on July 26 in Stockton on CBS.”

 

SCOTT SMITH

 

“It’s really exciting to be fighting so close to home. I have friends and family that will be coming in four greyhound buses. It was set up by a bar in Elk Grove. It costs $20 round trip to watch me fight

 

“I always have a core of friends at my fights.  I had 16 in New Jersey and 12 in Miami, but never anything like this.

 

“I am really looking forward to fighting Lawler again.  I look back at our first fight and all the things I did wrong and that alone has given me more confidence. I know I can fight better than I did last time. My head movement was terrible and I got hit way too much. 

 

“I expected Lawler to come out more aggressively but he fought a very intelligent fight. I’m known as a slow starter and he wound up taking me apart in the first round. I had a bad game plan and he took advantage.

 

“Each fight gets more and more exciting for me. The fact that I am on CBS again is totally awesome. I learned a lot in my first fight and I am very confident I will win.  Then, maybe we can fight a third time.

 

“Health wise, I am 100 percent. There’s no question in my mind that I could have continued our first fight.’’

 

JAKE SHIELDS

 

“I feel really good and have been working very hard for a long time. The fact that my title shot is finally here is as good as it can get for me. Being on CBS only makes it that much more exciting.  This fight card will give all of us a lot of exposure. 

 

“I respect Nick. He is definitely a tough fighter, but I have fought a lot of tough guys throughout my career.  We’re both on nice winning streaks, but one has to end and I don’t plan on it being my mine.

 

“This is my first fight in nine months, which is the second longest layoff in my career. (But) I am totally healthy.  The lower back injury that kept my out of training for three months is fine.  I am raring to go.

 

“The Stockton Arena is a great place for fights and it will be exciting for me to fight in front of so many friends and family, who will be making the trip down from San Francisco.”

From fiveouncesofpain.com 

Antonio Silva is set to fight former UFC heavyweight title challenger Justin Eilers during EliteXC’s CBS telecast on July 26