From CBS Sportsline
Reports: EliteXC files bankruptcy, closes doors
Posted on: October 21, 2008 10:27 am
EliteXC and Pro Elite appear to be finished, according to multiple reports that surfaced beginning on Monday evening.
Loretta Hunt of Sherdog.com reported that EliteXC fighter Joey Villasenor was notified Monday that his middleweight title bout against Robbie Lawler slated for Nov. 8 on Showtime was off, due to the event being cancelled. Hunt further reported that Icon Sport and Pro Elite executive TJ Thompson said he learned on Monday morning that the company had already filed bankruptcy paperwork and would cease operations entirely by the end of this week.
EliteXC fighter, color commentator and shareholder Frank Shamrock was quote by Dave Meltzer of Yahoo! Sports as saying he'd also heard the news.
“I got a call earlier (Monday) telling me they were shutting down,” Shamrock said. Meltzer added that the representatives of numerous EliteXC fighters had already been in contact with the UFC on Monday in hopes of finding a place for those fighters in that promotion.
EliteXC/Pro Elite has yet to comment publicly on the reports. Neither CBS -- which broadcast three EliteXC events, most recently the Kimbo Slice vs. Seth Petruzelli upset on Oct. 4 -- nor Showtime, which had a show scheduled for Nov. 8 entitled "Night of Champions," have made a public statement.