Elite Xtreme Combat

Infobox Company
company_name=Elite Xtreme Combat
company_logo=
company_type=Private
foundation=2006
founder=Showtime Networks Inc., ProElite, Inc.
location_city=flagicon|USA Los Angeles, California
location_country=United States
key_people=David Marshall, Chairman
Douglas DeLuca, CEO
Kelly Perdew, President of ProElite.com
Gary Shaw Director/President of Live Events
industry=Mixed martial arts promotion
parent=ProElite, Inc.
company_slogan=
homepage= [http://www.elitexc.com/ http://www.elitexc.com/]

Elite Xtreme Combat, also known as EliteXC, is a U.S.-based mixed martial arts (MMA) organization and is the second biggest of its kind in the world, the first being the UFC. It was founded as a partnership between Showtime Networks Inc. and ProElite, Inc. and officially announced on December 14, 2006. [ [http://www.elitexc.com/assets/pdf/EliteXC_PressRelease_14Dec06.pdf Press Release, PRO ELITE LAUNCHES ELITE XTREME COMBAT ON SHOWTIME] , EliteXC. [Last retrieved January 7, 2007] ] It is headquartered in Los Angeles, California.

The partnership to form EliteXC was announced on November 13th, 2006. [ [http://www.sherdog.com/news/pr.asp?n_id=6124 SHOWTIME to Televise MMA, Sherdog.com. [Last retrieved January 7, 2007] ] The first major event occurred February 10, 2007 at the DeSoto Civic Center in Southaven, Mississippi. Fighters Frank Shamrock and Renzo Gracie fought in the main event.

On February 27, 2008, it was reported that EliteXC had reached an agreement with CBS to broadcast EliteXC shows on prime time. If successful, it is thought that CBS will broadcast EliteXC specials every other month on Saturday nights.cite web|url=http://mmajunkie.com/2008/02/27/elitexc-expected-to-announce-deal-with-cbs/|title=EliteXC expected to announce deal with CBS|accessdate=2008-02-27|date=2008-02-27|publisher=MMA Junkie] CBS aired EliteXC: Primetime on May 31st, 2008 making EliteXC the first primetime MMA program on American network television.

EliteXC events

This is a list of events held and scheduled by Elite Xtreme Combat (EliteXC), a mixed martial arts organization based in the United States. The first event took place in February 2007. The list includes three events that EliteXC co-promoted (Dynamite!! USA, Strikeforce Shamrock vs. Baroni, and ) with other MMA organizations. Two events were shown initially on pay-per-view, while the others have debuted on the Showtime cable network or CBS.

hoXC

On July 11, 2007, it was announced that Proelite.com and Showtime would produce a new series titled ShoXC. [ [http://www.thefightnetwork.com/news_detail.php?nid=4272 The Fight Network :: ALL FIGHTS ALL THE TIME :: Get it on! ] ] The monthly shows will highlight up-and-coming MMA talent, similar to Showtime's boxing events. The first took place on July 27, 2007. The first event was co-promoted with King of the Cage and was also known as KOTC: Undisputed. Gary Shaw stated that there will be 4 ShoXC events in 2007 and 8 in 2008.

For more information on these events, see the article ShoXC.

Partnership with Cage Rage

On September 7, 2007, ProElite, Inc. announced that they had officially accquired British MMA organization Cage Rage Championships. EliteXC and Cage Rage Championships will begin numerous joint ventures together, beginning with Cage Rage 23. That event will be the first Cage Rage event to be presented under the new EliteXC banner and will air live on elitexc.com. [ [http://www.mmaweekly.com/absolutenm/templates/dailynews.asp?articleid=4647&zoneid=13 MMA WEEKLY - Your #1 Source for Daily MMA News, Interviews, Multimedia, and More: - PRO ELITE ACQUIRES CAGE RAGE CHAMPIONSHIPS ] ]

Partnership with DREAM

On May 10th, 2008 EliteXC announced a working partnership with Japanese promotion DREAM. The two groups intend to share fighters (Eddie Alvarez, Jason Miller and Nick Diaz have already participated in DREAM events) and eventually co-promote shows.cite web
url=http://www.mmaweekly.com/absolutenm/templates/dailynews.asp?articleid=6248&zoneid=13
title=PRO ELITE & DREAM ANNOUNCE PARTNERSHIP
year=2008
accessdate=2008-06-11
publisher=MMAWeekly]

Co-promoting with Affliction

On September 24th, 2008 EliteXC announced a working partnership with rival US promotion Affliction. Affliction offered Andrei Arlovski vs. Roy Nelson for the card on CBS.cite web
url=http://mmaweekly.com/absolutenm/templates/dailynews.asp?articleid=7194&zoneid=2
title=ANDREI ARLOVSKI VS ROY NELSON AT ELITE XC ON CBS
year=2008
accessdate=2008-10-06
publisher=MMAWeekly] In addition, Affliction heavily promoted their line through commercials on the show. It is expected that the two companies will co-promote fights again in the future.

EliteXC champions

=Bantamweight championship=

:"Up to 140lb (64 kg)"

=Middleweight championship =

:"171 to 185 lb (77 to 84 kg)"

=Heavyweight championship=

:"Up to 265 lb (120 kg)"

Women's Division

* Cristiane "Cyborg" Santos
* Debi Purcell
* Gina Carano
* Kaitlin Young
* Marloes Coenen
* Sarah Kaufman
* Shayna Baszler
* Takayo Hashi
* Tonya Evinger

Notable personalities (non-fighters)

* David Marshall - Chairman (2006-Present) [ [http://www.sherdog.com/news/pr.asp?n_id=6124 SHOWTIME to Televise MMA, Sherdog.com. [Last retrieved January 7, 2007] ]
* Douglas DeLuca - Chief Executive Officer (2006-Present)
* Kelly Perdew - President of ProElite.com (2006-Present) and the winner of the second season of "The Apprentice".
* Gary Shaw - Director and President of Live Events (2006-Present)
* Mauro Ranallo - Play-by-Play Commentator (2007-Present). Canadian combat sports commentator formerly of Pride Fighting Championships.
* Stephen Quadros - Color Commentator (2007-Present). American combat sports commentator formerly of Pride Fighting Championships.
* Jay Glazer - Commentator (2007-Present). Formerly of Pride Fighting Championships.
* Bill Goldberg - Color Commentator (2007-Present). Goldberg is best known as a professional wrestler and actor, but now lends himself to the EliteXC as an announcer. [ [http://www.elitexc.com/?page=announcers EliteXC Announcers, EliteXC.com. [Last retrieved January 7, 2007] ] .
* Karyn Bryant - Roving Reporter (2008-Present). Member of the Showtime Championship Boxing announcer team since 2006.
* Stephanie Stokes - Undercard Announcer- First Licensed Female MMA & Boxing Announcer. NJSACB 2002 Professional Stuntwoman in Film & TV. Never Quit Stunts. Stokes has also been getting in the cage to do post fight interviews in other state sanctioned cards. Current TV Host of Concert Scene.

ee also

*Mixed Martial Arts
*List of EliteXC events
*List of EliteXC Champions

Footnotes

External links

* [http://www.elitexc.com/ Official EliteXC Site]
* [http://www.sho.com Official Showtime Networks, Inc. Site]