Elite Xtreme Combat

Elite Xtreme Combat, also known as EliteXC, was a U.S.-based mixed martial arts (MMA) organization owned and operated by ProElite. It was founded as a partnership between Showtime Networks and ProElite and officially announced on December 14, 2006. It was headquartered in Los Angeles, California.

The partnership to form EliteXC was announced on November 13, 2006. 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. Also debuting on this card was Charles Bennett, KJ Noons, Mike Pyle and Antônio Silva.

In early 2008, EliteXC had reached an agreement with CBS to broadcast EliteXC shows on prime time. The arrangement was that CBS would broadcast EliteXC specials every other month on Saturday nights. CBS aired only three events in 2008, on May 31, July 26, and October 4.

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 Strikeforce: Shamrock vs. Le) with other MMA organizations. Two events were shown initially on pay-per-view, while the others aired on the Showtime cable network or on CBS.

Kimbo Slice

Kevin Ferguson (born February 8, 1974), better known as Kimbo Slice, is a Bahamian-born American boxer, mixed martial artist, and occasional actor. He became famous for mutual combat street fights which were spread across the Internet, leading Rolling Stone to call him "The King of the Web Brawlers".

Slice left the underground fighting scene and signed a professional contract with EliteXC in 2007. Slice competed in The Ultimate Fighter: Heavyweights, where he lost in his first fight to series winner Roy Nelson. In his UFC debut, Slice defeated Houston Alexander in the The Ultimate Fighter: Heavyweights finale. As of January 15, 2015, Slice has been under contract to Bellator MMA.

Early life

Ferguson was born in Nassau, Bahamas, but moved to the United States as a child, growing up in Cutler Ridge, Florida. Ferguson was raised with his two brothers by mother Rosemary Clarke. He went to Bel-Air Elementary School, where Ferguson was reportedly involved in his first fight at 13 as he tried to defend a friend. He continued his studies with Cutler Ridge Middle School and later with Richmond Heights Middle School. He attended Miami Palmetto High School, where he was the star middle linebacker. In 1992, his house in Perrine, Florida was destroyed by Hurricane Andrew, forcing him to live in his 1987 Nissan Pathfinder for a month.

Nick Diaz

Nickolas Robert "Nick" Diaz (born August 2, 1983) is an American mixed martial artist who is currently signed with the Ultimate Fighting Championship. A two-time world champion, Diaz has been a professional competitor since 2001. In addition to the UFC, he has competed for PRIDE, Strikeforce, EliteXC, the WEC, DREAM, and Shooto. He is a former Strikeforce Welterweight Champion and a former WEC Welterweight Champion.

Background

Diaz was born and raised in Stockton, California, and is of Mexican-American heritage. He is the older brother of UFC fighter Nate Diaz, and attended Tokay High School in Lodi, California, for a year before dropping out. While a freshman, he was a member of the swim team. Diaz began training in karate and aikido from a young age and also participated in wrestling tournaments during his teenage years. He started training in Sambo at the age of 16 under Bulgarian National Sambo Champion Valeri Ignatov and still trains with Ignatov. He was promoted to black belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu by Cesar Gracie on May 8, 2007. Diaz currently teaches Brazilian jiu-jitsu at his and brother Nathan's school in Lodi, California, and trains with Nico Lipari.

Dana White

Dana Frederick White, Jr. (born July 28, 1969) is an American businessman and philanthropist. He is the President of the mixed martial arts organization Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC).

Early life

Dana Frederick White, Jr. was born to Dana White, Sr. and June White on July 28, 1969 in Manchester, Connecticut. White and his sister Kelly were raised by his mother and her family the majority of his childhood. Dana is Irish-American. He began boxing at age 17 and graduated from Hermon High School in Maine in 1987.

Career

Ultimate Fighting Championship (2001–present)

While working as a manager for Tito Ortiz and Chuck Liddell, White learned that Semaphore Entertainment Group, the parent company of the UFC, was looking for a buyer for the UFC. White contacted childhood friend Lorenzo Fertitta, an executive at Station Casinos and a former commissioner of the Nevada State Athletic Commission. Within a month, in January of 2001, Lorenzo and his older brother Frank bought the UFC with White installed as its president. White owns 9% of Zuffa, LLC, the entity the Fertitta brothers created to own and manage the UFC.

K.J. Noons

Karl James "K.J." Noons (born December 7, 1982) is an American professional mixed martial artist, as well as a former professional boxer and kickboxer, currently competing in the lightweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship. A professional MMA competitor since 2000, Noons has also formerly competed for Strikeforce, DREAM, EliteXC, and is the former EliteXC Lightweight Champion.

Background

KJ Noons is hapa kanaka, hapa haole—mixed ethnicity of native Hawaiian (from his mother's side) and European-American (from his father's side). Born and raised in Kailua-Kona, Hawaii, Noons comes from a family history of fighting. His father Karl was a professional kickboxer and was a top contender during the time he fought. Karl's passion for fighting and competing in combat sports influenced him to introduce his son to martial arts at a young age. At the age of five, Noons started training in Kenpō Karate. Often getting disqualified for fighting too hard in karate tournaments, Noons eventually started training in boxing and Muay Thai at the age of eight out of interest for full contact fighting. Noons competed as an amateur fighter and became the first student in the state of Hawaii to earn a junior black belt under Ed Parker at the age of 11. During his high school years, Noons moved to Houston, Texas due to the location of his father's job. While continuing to compete as a fighter, he also started playing football at Clements High School. At age 17, Noons won the ISKA Super Middleweight International Championship as an amateur in Sanshou. After winning the title and graduating from Clements High School, K.J. decided to pursue a career in combat sports, rather than go to college and continue with football.