Two long-awaited fights, Gina Carano (picture) vs. Cristiane "Cyborg" Santos and Gilbert Melendez vs. Josh Thomson, will happen at Strikeforce on August 15.

Strikeforce announced the fights during Saturday's "Lawler vs. Shields" broadcast on Showtime.

Fans have been asking for Carano (7-0) to meet Santos (7-1) since the two began to make their mark in women's MMA through the EliteXC promotion. Santos has won her last seven fights. Santos last victory was over Hitomi Akano in April, in a fight where she came in seven pounds overweight. Carano's fight was a unanimous decision over Kelly Kobald at EliteXC: Heat last October on CBS.

Josh Thomson (16-2) won the Strikeforce Lightweight Championship over Gilbert Melendez (14-2) but has yet to defend it due to injuries. They were scheduled to meet in April, but Thomson suffered a broken leg. Melendez won the interim title at the event and he'll receive his chance to unify the titles in August.

The Nassau Guardian recently caught up with street fighting sensation Kevin "Kimbo Slice" Ferguson, who touched on a number of subjects including Ken Shamrock getting injured before their May 31 fight, his current status in MMA and a possible transition to professional boxing. Kimbo Slice last fought in October 2008 at EliteXC: Heat, where he was defeated by replacement fighter Seth Petruzelli. Kimbo Slice's loss on EliteXC's October event was believed to be the nail in the coffin for the promotion, which has since drastically scaled back its operations.

Below are excerpts from the interview:

On Ken Shamrock getting injured before their fight:

"In some cases, if you are too far advanced in promoting a MMA fight, anything can happen to the fighter. A fighter can get an injury, causing him to pull out of the fight; like Shamrock [MMA fighter Ken Shamrock] getting a cut above his eye and backing out at the last minute. That left me having to fight an opponent who I knew nothing about. If the fight is called off then it would mean bad business for that promoter and that also affected me," said Ferguson.

On possible move to boxing:

"Boxing is really my first desire. I have a lot of love for it and believe I can do pretty well. [The sport of] MMA is somewhat of a project for me. Boxing is one dimensional while there are a lot of dimensions in MMA. I don't think it would be a hard transition from MMA to stand-up boxing because of my fighting style," noted Slice.

"Out of no disrespect to my country, seeing as I am there [United States] and already established a relationship in the fighting world, I would have to continue that until I get officially set up. Furthermore, I have two more MMA fights scheduled before this year is out. Every fighter and athlete knows that you should not switch camps in the middle of something. Also, I train in Florida. My MMA trainer will also be training me for stand up boxing. Finishing up my contract would allow me to be a free agent," he said.

On transition from MMA to boxing:

"Not taking anything away from boxing preparation, MMA training is extremely hard," said Ferguson. "When you consider martial arts training, you have to prepare for kicks to the head and legs, and opponents wanting to grapple and throwing you to the ground, pounding you with their knees and hands, whereas in boxing you just have to be prepared to weave and bob although the training can be just as intense. At this point in my career, I want to take that same drive and focus that I invested in MMA and put that into training for pro-boxing cards."

On current MMA status:

"The last two fights that I have left in MMA don't have set dates," he said. "Everything normally gets set up six to eight weeks prior to the fight. Nearer to that point I would be told the particulars like who my opponent is and where the fight would be. With boxing, you can have a fight on Monday and if you are well you can have another fight the following week. Before the month is out, you would have already fought on several cards. In MMA, whether you are well or not, there is a six-week waiting period before you can engage in any other battle."

"World's Most Dangerous Man" Ken Shamrock has apparently tested positive for three separate steroids following his February 13 victory over the 350-plus-pounder Ross Clifton at the WarGods-Ken Shamrock Productions "Valentine's Eve Massacre" event in Fresno, California. The California State Athletic Commission announced that the 45-year-old mixed martial artist tested positive for Norandrosterone, Noretiocholanolone and Stanozolol.

The former WWE wrestler has been suspended through February 1, 2010 and fined $2,500. Shamrock was to fight another former WWE superstar Bobby Lashley on March 21 at the "March Badness" MMA/boxing event headlined by Roy Jones Jr. vs. Omar Sheika.

Shamrock has the right to appeal but will not be able to in time for the fight.

That will be the second straight high-profile fight Shamrock has been forced out of. Last October at EliteXC "Heat", Shamrock pulled out the same day of the fight due to a cut suffered while warming up.

Shamrock was also looking forward to a fight against fellow UFC old schooler David "Tank" Abbott at the next WarGods-Ken Shamrock Productions event to take place in Reno, Nevada.

Meanwhile, Bobby Lashley will remain on "March Badness" card. The Square Ring Promotions will find a replacement for Shamrock against Lashley.

"The show will go on," Square Ring Promotions CEO John Wirt said. "Ken said he was taking over-the-counter products and has requested an expedited appeal. We're working with his group but, just in case, we are also looking for a possible replacement to fight Bobby Lashley. We have identified some great replacements for Shamrock and have been in contact with them. A press release will be issued very soon as to which direction we will be going."

Many sources reported that Brett "The Grim" Rogers has been contacted by Affliction regarding a possible bout with Josh "The Babyface Assassin" Barnett (picture) on January 24 "Day of Reckoning" card at the Honda Center in Anaheim, California.

Rogers is most known for his three impressive wins in the -- now bankrupt promotion -- EliteXC as well as calling out Kimbo Slice at a post-fight press conference.

Many believed that Rogers was next in line to fight Kimbo Slice if Slice had beaten Seth Petruzelli. Instead Rogers finds himself looking for another promotion to work with.

Barnett currently has no opponents for "Day of Reckoning" after being pulled out of the main event when Fedor Emelianenko returned to the card.

According to an SEC filing (a public companies' financial statement or other formal document submitted to the US Securities and Exchange Commission) by ProElite, Inc. on Thursday, the company is refusing to close its doors without a fight.

On October 31, the company received a notice from Showtime Networks announcing the sale of ProElite assets at a public auction. On November 4, the cable network made an SEC filing announcing the sale and placed ads on several MMA websites advertising it. Showtime's Senior Vice President of Sports and Event Programming, Ken Hershman, also sits on ProElite's board of directors.

In line with a recent letter to fighter managers promising a return in early 2009, ProElite said it would do everything in its power to stay off the auctioning block.

"The Company plans to take all appropriate measures to prevent the sale from occurring," the filing states. "Such measures may include raising additional financing, filing a lawsuit enjoining the sale, filing a bankruptcy petition or negotiating a settlement with Showtime. There can be no assurances that the company will be successful in any of these actions."

According to some sources, ProElite's first tactic may be to sue CBS Networks over gate revenue produced by its third show, "Heat". The embattled company could argue the network forced them into default on a one million dollar loan from Showtime by misrouting the funds from the Sunrise, Florida, show.

A condition of Showtime's loan, dated June 18, said ProElite's assets could be sold or taken over if it did not maintain $550,000 in cash reserves.

"CBS took the gate revenue directly from Miami, and it was contracted to go through ProElite first," a source said. "If that had happened at the time that (Showtime) called in the note, there would have been enough money that they couldn't have called in the note. So there's a legal argument there."

"ProElite's claim would be that they could have raised the money in that time, but once Showtime called in that note, publicly, it ruined any chances of raising money."

An SEC filing on December 9 detailed an agreement between CBS and ProElite where CBS would cover all costs associated with the show, and "receive" all revenue from the event, though details on how that would occur were not specified.

The question now is whether ProElite can afford to go to battle with CBS in a civil court.

Requests to CBS and ProElite representatives asking for comment were not immediately returned.

The auction, however, could possibly determine the futures of fighters like Kimbo Slice, Gina Carano, Jake Shields, Robbie Lawler, Frank Shamrock, Nick Diaz, Cristiane Santos, Yves Edwards, Wilson Reis and many others.

COUNT Urijah Faber among those disappointed to see EliteXC close its doors last week and join the list of mixed martial arts promotional companies that saw their dreams of riches crumble under a flood of financial losses.

Faber wasn't directly affected by EliteXC folding because he's aligned with the WEC, which is owned by Zuffa, LLC, the same company that owns the highly successful UFC.

There was a time not so long ago when EliteXC appeared to be a viable threat to the UFC's dominance of mixed martial arts. EliteXC had Kimbo Slice and a contract for primetime shows on CBS. Now that EliteXC has folded, the UFC's stranglehold on the sport is that much tighter.

That's not necessarily a good thing as far as Faber is concerned. He would like to see more promotional companies in play, breeding the kind of competition that would ultimately benefit fighters.

"Fortunately, I'm with the best team out there," Faber said during a quick visit to Manhattan Thursday. "But competition is important. It's important for our economy; it's important for fighting and it's important for the fighters themselves."

Faber, 29, is one of the superstars of mixed martial arts, the reigning WEC featherweight champion. Nicknamed "The California Kid," he'll take a 21-1 record into the cage Wednesday night when he defends his title against Mike Brown (19-4) at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Hollywood, Fla. Versus will televise live, hoping to attract the more than 1.5 million viewers who turned in to see Faber's victory last June over Jens "Li'l Evil" Pulver, who is on Wednesday's undercard.

If this were baseball or football or even boxing, Faber would be earning close to seven figures each time he steps into the cage. He's smart, personable and the ladies like his golden blond hair. But Zuffa dictates who fights who, and for how much. With the absence of any type of free agency among fighters, purses will remain limited as long as there is no real competition among promoters. Faber has earned about $40,000 for each of his past three fights.

"It's not that I would ever want to go fight there," Faber said of EliteXC, "but the more companies around, the better. It's like if you have one casino, a few people are going to show up. But if you have 20 casinos, you have a bunch of people there. It's kind of the same idea."

Faber isn't complaining though. He's making a living doing what he loves to do - fight - and he's the headliner for the WEC, which was founded in 2001 to highlight fighters in the smaller weight classes.

"The UFC has the best fighters and I would have stood out in the UFC as well," Faber said, "but they want to use me as a catalyst for the WEC. I feel like I'm really lucky to be where I am and I'm fortunate to be the guy being pushed. But I'm also winning on top of that."

A former collegiate wrestler at UC-Davis, Faber will carry a 13-fight winning steak into the cage against Brown, the No. 2 ranked 145-pounder in the world. The fight was originally set for September but had to be postponed because of a hurricane threat.

Brown is known as an aggressive fighter who likes to overpower his opponents. But Faber is deceptively strong and his wrestling skills are complemented by an improved stand-up attack, making him one of the more versatile fighters in the sport.

"He does a lot of things pretty well," Faber said. "But what he does pretty well, I'm going to do just a little bit better."

Taken from: http://www.nypost.com/seven/11012008/sports/boxing/fighters_like_faber_concerned_with_mma_f_136265.htm

The Sun Sentinel is reporting an interesting piece of information as they caught up with Kimbo Slice, who was at one of his kid's career days at school. Slice apparently is talking to his agent and considering fighting at K-1 Dynamite!! 2008 which will be held on December 31 at Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan. His opponent would be none other than Seth Petruzelli.

The October 4th main event between Kimbo Slice and Petruzelli would always be known as the final nail in the coffin for ProElite, but now Slice may get his only chance to avenge his 14 second loss to Petruzelli.

Here's what the Sun Sentinel is saying:
"He may fight on the DREAM K-1 New Year's Eve show in Japan, possibly a rematch with Petruzelli."

The organization, whose last show featured a 14-second fight, calls it quits after losing $55 million.

It looks like Elite XC, the upstart mixed martial arts organization featuring Kimbo Slice, is down for the count.

ProElite, Inc., Elite XC's Los Angeles-based parent company, plans to file for bankruptcy, said T. Jay Thompson, an Elite XC executive consultant, whose Hawaii-based MMA organization was purchased by ProElite last year.

Elite XC has also informed fighters, office staff and others of immediate layoffs and has canceled fight dates, including a Nov. 8 card in Reno, Thompson said.

In an SEC filing Tuesday, ProElite said that Showtime Networks said it was in violation of a debt covenant because the MMA firm doesn't have enough cash on hand. ProElite has reported $55 million in net losses since January 2007, according to SEC filings.

Several ProElite executives declined to comment Tuesday.

"If I had to point fingers why this thing went bad, I'd have trouble, because I only have two hands," said Thompson.

ProElite, which opened two years ago, appointed boxing promoter Gary Shaw as president and he designated his son, Jared Shaw -- known by the nickname "$kala" -- a key executive with matchmaking powers.

Gary Shaw, who saw his role change from president to consultant this year, said Tuesday he "wasn't even a consultant anymore. I have no comment. I don't know anything about it. I don't know if they're done."

In another SEC filing, Pro- Elite acknowledged significant deficiencies in how it was operated, including wasteful spending by management and a finding that contracts it entered into were not adequately reviewed.

Thompson said he believes the company's fate was sealed when Slice, its biggest star, was knocked out in 14 seconds of the main event of a CBS show Oct. 4.

Slice was supposed to fight MMA veteran Ken Shamrock. Instead, a late injury replacement, Seth Petruzelli, was put into the cage. Petruzelli alleged in a later radio interview that Elite XC promoters told him he'd earn extra money by fighting a stand-up style that favored Slice's strength as a street fighter. A Florida commission is now investigating that claim.

Meanwhile, instead of gaining an investment by Showtime Networks that ProElite officials had said was vital for its survival, Showtime sent ProElite a default notice for $6.3 million last week, according to an SEC filing. "ProElite officials have advised us that they will not be able to put on the EliteXC event scheduled for exhibition on Showtime on Nov. 8," Showtime spokesman Chris DiBlasio said in a statement. "In view of Showtime's leadership role in sports programming, including boxing and mixed martial arts, we intend to explore other opportunities."

Thompson railed at what he called a cycle of wasted money by ProElite officials. Pro Elite would over-staff its fight cards with employees, bringing in "35 people who were running around, quite comically" at shows, he said. "It was mind boggling."

Earlier this year, in San Jose, a Pro Elite card generated a live gate of $1.2 million. Thompson, with 15 years of fight-promotion experience, said he advised ProElite officials to bring only a few employees north to maximize profits. Instead, he said, 23 employees worked the event.

A few Elite XC fighters, including champion Jake Shields, Robbie Lawler and Nick Diaz, may land at the top MMA organization, Ultimate Fighting Championship.

But Elite XC stars Slice and female fighter Gina Carano probably will have to look for fights elsewhere.

UFC President Dana White was not available for comment. But White's spokeswoman said he has previously insisted he wasn't interested in adding Slice to his stable of fighters because he didn't want to diminish the sport as "a freak show."

Carano's publicist did not return messages left for her, but the unbeaten female fighter, who has also performed as "Crush" on NBC's "American Gladiators," appears headed for a second-tier organization if she continues in MMA.

UFC's White has said that there isn't enough of a talent pool to start a women's fight league.

From day one of Elite XC's existence, White predicted a doomed effort.

"No one in that business has a clue how to do MMA," he said in December 2006. "These guys don't know the difference between MMA and thumb wrestling."

Taken from: http://www.latimes.com/sports/printedition/la-sp-mma22-2008oct22,0,2976847.story

Brazilian female mixed martial artist Cristiane "Cyborg" Santos recently told Brazilian magazine "Tatame" that a deal is currently in the works to have the dangerous Muay Thai striker take on undefeated fighter Gina Carano at an EliteXC event in February next year. Both fighters are coming off of impressive victories at EliteXC: Heat on October 4th.

"I think it'll be in February, and it'll be cool. Everybody wants to see this fight, we both (fought) on the last event and won, and it'll be great," Santos told Tatame.

To keep things interesting and exciting, Santos expects it to be a stand-up war, "I'll stand with her, and I think she likes it too, so why not? It'll be a huge fight and someone is going down."

If the bout is put together, it is expected that the winner would be crowned the new and first EliteXC women's champion.

From MMANews.com:

After making a name for himself in the world of professional wrestling, Bobby Lashley is now ready to test himself in the confines of the MMA world. At 6'3" and 250 lbs, this monster of force brings a wrestling background with him that has seen him capture 3 national titles and also have the honor of being a four time All American.

With his first fight on the horizon, Lashley talks to Chris Howie about how his training has gone and where he wants to see himself in this sport in this MMANews.com exclusive interview.

Chris Howie with MMANews.com: How has your transition into the MMA world been working out for you?

Bobby Lashley: I'll tell you what man, it's been going very well. Things have been going very smoothly. I've been training at different place but most recently I've been at American Top Team and running the gauntlet down there. When I am home in Denver I have been training my jiu-jitsu with people here. I wrestled for several years so the transition wasn't too bad because I was familiar with that level of training. Things have been working out really well.

MMANews.com: How have you adapted to adding striking and jiu-jitsu to your arsenal?

Bobby Lashley: From my evaluation at ATT I think it showed I have adapted very well. Wrestling and jiu-jitsu, to me, kind of goes hand in hand. If you have a good wrestling background, going to jiu-jitsu is not the most difficult thing to do. There is a level of learning the submissions which I have been working on but I think it has come along well. I have been working on my striking for about 7 months now, so that is coming along very well also. I'm pretty comfortable with where I am at now but I know there is another level that I can go to. But right now I am comfortable with what I have learned and comfortable with where I am going.

MMANews.com: You have been training with ATT, which is one of the best teams in North America, how have things been going for you there?

Bobby Lashley: I love it down there man. The trainers are really hands on. Marcus "Conan" Silveira has kind of taken me under his wing down there and been like a personal mentor of mine. He really has been showing me a lot and working with me on every aspect of the game. He really wants to see me do well. He was one of the first people to evaluate me down there. He liked what he saw and seen a tremendous amount of potential so that is not a bad person to have as a mentor. It's a great place to be with a great group of guys. Everybody is rooting for you to do well down there.

MMANews.com: What are the plans for your first fight?

Bobby Lashley: It's looking like December 13th will be the date. We have the contract on hand right now and we are just working out all the details but December 13th will be the date.

MMANews.com: Which organization will it be with?

Bobby Lashley: I am originally signed with the AFL but as everyone knows they have been going through some troubles right now in getting everything together and I have been waiting and put on the back burner a little bit. It will be in Miami, FL with one of the bigger MMA promotions there. Not one of the real big organizations like the UFC, EXC, or Strikeforce but it will be held at the American Airlines Arena so I can tell you that if it is being held at a venue like that it will be a big show.

MMANews.com: Are there any opponents lined up for you yet?

Bobby Lashley: It is all in the works right now. I have the contract but am waiting for approval from the AFL. We should have the approval today and then we will sign the contract.

MMANews.com: With the AFL running into the problems that they have along the way, which has meant your MMA debut would be put on hold, did you find that situation disappointing or was it a blessing in disguise so that you could continue to train more and learn new skills?

Bobby Lashley: Yeah it was good to be able to work on things a little bit more. I have no ego coming into this sport and I am a student of the game. I have a wrestling background which is my martial art but I have so much that I can learn. Like Brock (Lesnar) who had a name from being in a different business, there will be a lot of people coming around to watch me fight, when I do fight, so it is going to be harder for me to work my way up. I'm going to be pushed harder and higher a little quicker than a normal person coming into MMA. Getting to train for six more months was a blessing.

MMANews.com: What are your thoughts on the crowd atmosphere you will experience? You have been in front of huge crowds during wrestling events like Wrestlemania but do you think the MMA crowd will be different than that of pro wrestling?

Bobby Lashley: I'm sure the crowds will be a little different. When I was in the WWE I loved being in front of the crowds, the bigger the better. At Wrestlemania I was in front of 85,000 people and at my first WWE match I was in front of 17,000 so I'm sure things will be different but being in front of the crowd isn’t something I will be nervous about.

MMANews.com: What does have you nervous going into your first fight?

Bobby Lashley: Just the competition. I wrestled for 18 years and there is a level of nerves that go into every match. My coaches always told me if you are not nervous you are not ready. So, I'm completely confident going into the fight but there are going to be some nerves. It will be my first MMA match and it's not going to be just wrestling it is going to be everything. There will be a lot of pressure on me as well because a lot of people will be watching saying "Oh this is Bobby Lashley, will he sink or will he swim?" So, that is in the back of my mind but I welcome all of this and I am really confident because of the training I am getting. So I will be a little nervous but after I get in there and throw a couple punches and get fired up a little bit and get some contact those nerves will be gone and I will be in the right mind frame.

MMANews.com: Does the pressure of having a name coming into a sport like MMA get to your head?

Bobby Lashley: Yeah I definitely think I have some pressure but that comes with the territory and I knew that coming into it. I knew that with the wrestling background a lot of the fans I had with the WWE are going to want to see what I can do and I know that the MMA fans are going to question me because I do have the pro wrestling background. I don't mind it. I am going into this as a MMA fighter so there will be wins and losses and I know that is going to happen. What I am going to do is prepare myself for this and I am going to be ready for every fight that I have.

MMANews.com: What is your amateur wrestling background?

Bobby Lashley: In High School I won the High School Championships. When I went to college I was a three time National Champion and a four time All-American. Afterwards I went to the Olympic Training Center and I trained there for a little while. I wrestled on the Army team and I was an Armed Forces Champion a couple times. I also went to the World Championships and won a silver medal there.

MMANews.com: So you got game..

Bobby Lashley: I am bringing a tremendous amount of thunder.

MMANews.com: What are your goals in MMA?

Bobby Lashley: I want to hold the title and be a champion. Everyone knows the UFC is the elite of MMA and if that is where I end up that is where I want to be a champion. I see myself with the athletic ability I have and the mind frame that I have and everything I else I bring to this sport I think that I am going to be there and I will be one of the top guys in the sport at heavyweight no matter what organization I am in.

MMANews.com: How big will you be coming into your fights?

Bobby Lashley: Well my weight has been fluctuating because of my training but right now I am around 255 lbs. The lightest I will come in at is 250 lbs and the heaviest will be around 260 lbs.

MMANews.com: So cutting weight will not be an issue for you?

Bobby Lashley: No not at all. That was one thing I did kind of think about when I started going in and training because my training has been really tough. I'm the type of person to over train. I do my boxing and kickboxing and my grappling and then I am doing my cardio and watching submission tournaments and MMA at the same time so I am always training. When I got into it I thought about making it down to 205 lbs because I used to wrestle at 211 lbs and that wasn't a hard cut for me. Right now I'm eating everything in site to stay at 250 lbs but I feel comfortable at heavyweight because I feel I am strong enough and I am quick enough for heavyweight. If weight does keep shedding off me than I may possibly look at 205 lbs.

MMANews.com: Do you feel that with the credentials you do have people should not be overlooking you because of your WWE background?

Bobby Lashley: Some of the hardcore MMA fans, and I don't want to bad mouth anyone but they can be kind of…I don't know, ignorant. Sure, I took my time and I went to the WWE but would I take that back? No because I made a lot of money and was able to do a lot of things for my family that I never thought I would be able to do. I think the MMA fans are not realizing what I did before that. I busted my ass for years in wrestling and have accomplished things that not a lot of people have accomplished in the sport of wrestling and they can't take that away from me. Some of the MMA fans go and take a jiu-jitsu class and they think they have more credibility than someone that spent there life around a sport like wrestling. I think with me going to ATT I am showing the dedication I have to this sport and when I start fighting I will show people that I am not just a WWE pro wrestler coming to this sport and that I am actually a student of the game trying to win titles.

MMANews.com: Is Brock Lesnar helping to change people's perception on a former WWE wrestler making the transition to MMA with a solid amateur wrestling background?

Bobby Lashley: I think Brock is just that kind of guy and you have to respect him for it. He came in there and knew he had the WWE stigma on his back but he took on tough competition right off the bat and I think people are starting to realize that. Yeah he is a big guy, but he is learning and doing really well and with this title fight against Randy Couture he has another chance to prove himself.

MMANews.com:Who do you see winning that fight?

Bobby Lashley: Brock is a big dude man. Randy is a really really great fighter but if he comes in at around 220 lbs you are looking at a 60 lbs different. That is hard to even out. It is going to be hard to beat Brock if you are that small. Brock is an athlete and he isn't a slouch. You are facing a 280 lbs athlete when you fight Brock.

MMANews.com: With a couple of solid victories on the independent shows, do you feel the UFC could come calling?

Bobby Lashley: The UFC won't come calling me, I will come for the UFC. I am going to prove myself and I am going to show them what I can do. If they want me that is where I will be going.

MMANews.com: Great Bobby, I appreciate you taking the time to speak with me today and I am looking forward to your MMA debut.

Bobby Lashley: Thank You.

The final chapter in the Shamrock family feud will be written next year as Frank Shamrock confirmed the fight between he and his brother Ken will take place in March or April 2009.

The fight has been dubbed "Blood Brothers" for some time now, but speculation has run rampant for the past few months if the bout would actually take place. Frank says it's signed, sealed and will be delivered.

"We are definitely going to see it happen; it's a done deal," Frank said of the fight. "I've just got to get his old ass into the cage now. Now he's so old he can't even get in the cage."

"We finally got it done and we're looking forward to March or April for kicking it off, try to get him a wheel chair so he can get himself into that cage next time."

With the negotiation to put the two brothers in a cage together over with, now Frank is focusing on which promotion will put the fight on and right now it appears EliteXC is the front runner, but others could join the show.

"Currently I don't," Frank said about what organization would promote the show. "We've got a real good relationship with Elite and Showtime and CBS, so I've got a feeling it's going to be those guys and I'm going to see if I can drag Affliction aboard here."

Of course with EliteXC comes the possibility of working with Showtime or CBS, but Frank feels the fight between he and his brother calls for a pay-per-view broadcast.

"I think if any fight ever were a pay-per-view match, this is the one," he commented. "I really feel like network television and cable television can really support this pay-per-view by showing other media properties that kind of tell the story of this sport and tell the story of the Shamrock family. That's my real focus right now, get these other networks to kind of drive some stories to help boost this fight."

One idea that Frank Shamrock is working on to help promote the show is a documentary style show, similar to HBO's popular "24/7" series, to help build the fight and tell the story of two brothers who will battle in out in the cage.

"I'm looking further than Showtime; I'm looking at primetime television," Frank said about where the documentary would air. "Imagine if the Klitschko brothers fought? There's rarely ever been two brothers who've been superstars in a sport, champions in a sport, in the same time period, and more over there's never been an opportunity for those two brothers to fight."

"I just think that an overall story can accomplish and bring everybody involved in the real meat of the story, which is the history of the sport, things that have happened with the family, with each other."

Frank is also hopeful to close a deal that will put the fight on in San Jose, California, but nothing has been negotiated for an arena yet.

As for Ken Shamrock, following a debacle that saw him removed from the main event of the recent EliteXC show against Kimbo Slice, a match-up against his brother Frank could be exactly the kind of huge show to put his name back on the map while putting on a historic event pitting brother against brother.

The life of an MMA fighter has changed dramatically since the sports' inception some years ago. From movie roles to commercials to photo shoots to interviews, the daily routine for a fighter is anything but routine these days and no one knows that better than EliteXC women's star, Gina Carano.

As a part of the first main stage women's fight during the EliteXC inaugural show, Carano proved that female fighting can be just as exciting and tough as what the men do.

She also opened up a giant door for more opportunities as soon after her fighting career took off, including her current 2nd job as "Crush" on American Gladiators.

Carano admits that her new found fame and lifestyle are a big switch, but when given the chance to reach out to new avenues in life, who wouldn't take the job?

"Anybody who gets a good opportunity would take it," said Carano. "I get a lot of flack from people who are like 'oh she's not serious about fighting' and that's not it at all. I'm just open minded. I'm not just a fighter, like I'm not just a female. I'm a bunch of things, I have a lot of interests."

The new job at American Gladiators, combined with interviews and other job opportunities have forced Carano to get the right people working on her behalf and staying focused on making it to the top of her chose sport of MMA.

"I'm really looking forward to after this fight just sticking to a routine and a program," commented Carano. "I'm just getting a handle on it, I think that's why I've slipped up in certain areas, missing weight, I've been all over the place, cause I didn't have any stability or anything."

The stability has come in the form of a full training camp, something she didn't have for her last fight in EliteXC against Kaitlin Young. Never one to make excuses, Carano is happy to have her focus back on fighting.

"I'm going to say that just in the last two months have I calmed down and started living normally and training normally," she stated. "I'm really liking just going in the gym, training for a fight. Cause I've been completely like chaos for the last year it seems like or even longer. I've been all over the place."

Having better people to surround her for business and promotion has freed Carano up to work solely on her fight skills while not missing a step on other projects either.

"I'm going to be a better fighter for it," Carano said of the recent changes in her professional life.

Ultimately, Carano can be whatever she wants to be because she is simply that talented, and she's enjoying the life she's led so far.

"I've been having a lot of fun with my life. I'm 26 years old and I've just had a good experience so far you know?"

We've been down this road before but maybe this time former World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) Champion Kurt Angle is serious. He recently spoke to SunSport saying, "I'm talking to several fight companies about doing MMA by the end of next year."

Even though he's in talks with several "fight companies", it's almost clear that he only wants to compete in the UFC.

"I've always wanted to do it. I'm the only Olympic gold medalist that will enter the Octagon and it feels right for me," Angle continued.

He did say that he's received offers from several promotions like Affliction and EliteXC, but those aren't the promotions that he has his eye on. "I can almost guarantee you're going to see me in the Octagon," he proclaimed.

So, if that's gonna be true, we will see Kurt Angle compete in the UFC in 2009.

California State Athletic Commission Assistant Executive Director Bill Douglas has confirmed that Affliction fighter Edwin Dewees (picture) and EliteXC fighter Antonio Silva have tested positive for performance enhancing drugs. On August 1, Douglas said that both cards were "not out of the woods" and positive tests were likely on both cards.

Dewees, 26 years old, tested positive for Nandrolone, a common illegal steroid, following his losing effort against Antonio Rogerio Nogueira at Affliction Banned on July 19. The level of drug in Dewees' system, 499ng/mL, far outstrips other high profile fighters who have been ensnared by the CSAC since it began drug testing in March of 2006.

"The level of drug in his system makes it very hard to explain," told Douglas.

Also hard to explain is Silva's positive test, which showed the presence of Boldenone, an anabolic steroid mainly veterinarian in nature. According to Douglas, the CSAC does not record the level of Boldenone in a fighter's system, as the drug's long half-life in the body make false positives extremely unlikely.

Both men have been suspended one year from the end of their respective bouts and have been fined $2,500.

Dewees declined comment saying he needed to check with his lawyer before making any statements.

Silva and his representatives were unavailable for comment.

Aside from Justin Levens, who has already been reported as testing positive for pain killers, all other EliteXC and Affliction fighters from the noted July events tested negative for any banned substances, whether recreational or performance enhancing.

Mixed martial artists Randy Couture (picture) and Gina Carano was among the names announced today by EA Sports for its upcoming "Command & Conquer: Red Alert 3" video game.

Here is the announcement:

The cast of Command & Conquer Red Alert 3 follows (in alphabetical order by last name): Gemma Atkinson (the UK's Hollyoaks), Tim Curry (Rocky Horror Picture Show, The Hunt for Red October), Andrew Divoff (LOST), Kelly Hu (X2, The Scorpion King), Jenny McCarthy (Scream 3, former Playboy Playmate of the Year), Ivana Milicevic (Casino Royale), Jonathan Pryce (Pirates of the Caribbean), J.K. Simmons (Spider-Man, Juno), Autumn Reeser (The OC), Peter Stormare (Prison Break, Armageddon), George Takei (Star Trek, Heroes), and two of the most recognizable names in competitive mixed martial arts Randy "The Natural" Couture (former UFC Heavyweight champion) and Gina "Conviction" Carano (Undefeated Elite XC fighter, American Gladiators).

"This is by far the most exciting cast we have in over 13 years of shooting live-action movies for Command & Conquer," said Chris Corry, executive producer at EALA. "The caliber of the performances we received, both individually and collectively, have really raised the storytelling bar for the franchise. We are really excited that we will be delivering such a high quality production that is on par with movies and television shows."

"Command & Conquer: Red Alert 3" is slated to hit the stores in the Fall for PC and Xbox.

Yves Edwards will get his chance to finally get a championship belt around his waist this Saturday night. Edwards, the former "uncrowned" UFC lightweight champion, has fought some of the best guys in the business and has beaten a good majority of them. He's known for his lethal hands, kicks, and knees as well as his excellent submission prowess. He'll get the opportunity to utilize all his skills at EliteXC's "Return of the King" on Saturday night when faces defending 160-pound champion KJ Noons.

The event will be taking place in Hawaii, which can be a gift and a curse for any athlete. As beautiful as Hawaii is, Edwards doesn't want to let the beauty distract him from his main focus. "I don't want to get distracted," he explained. "It's just another fight. I'm going to enjoy it after the fight."

The fight with Noons has a lot of potential for Edwards. After all, this will be the biggest fight up to this point in his career and he knows it. "It's big. I really appreciate it. I feel like it put me back on the map, you know? I got a lot of guys backing me. I have a really strong team. I'm really excited about this fight."

With the CBS deal in EliteXC's hands, a big win will surely propel Edwards to the top of list of fighters in the upcoming events for CBS. However, he is just as happy fighting on Showtime. "Showtime is a big network. There will be a lot of people watching the fight. I'm really excited to be fighting on a major network on cable. There are just so many opportunities right now and I plan on using them all."

EliteXC has established their weight classes differently than many of the other organizations. While this fight is at lightweight, the actual weight will be 160 pounds. Not that Edwards would ever have problem making weight, considering he once weighed in at a UFC event eating a cheeseburger. Due to the increased weight, he has tried to become a little bit larger than he was previously. "I've got a little bit bigger because the weight class is higher. I'm just focused on this fight right now."

An impressive part of Edwards' game is his versatility. He's as dangerous as they come at almost every position. "It's just like every other fight," he commented. "I'm not uncomfortable anywhere in a fight. You can't be one dimensional. That's the biggest part of me being at American Top Team."

Some of his versatility showed in his last fight when he had a highlight reel knockout over Edson Berto. Berto was working a single leg takedown when Edwards, seemingly out of nowhere, jumped with his pivot foot and kneed Berto right on the button to lay him out. "I've practiced that in the gym," he laughed. "There's a lot more where that came from. A whole lot more."

Noons is not an opponent to be taken lightly, which is why Edwards has watched all the fights he could on the champion. "I watched a lot of fights," said Edwards. "I see quite a few places I can capitalize on. The question is, 'will he be the same guy?' I am going to look for all the openings I've seen on tape. I saw a few things that may work out well for me."

Being that this fight is for the championship belt, Edwards is well prepared to go five rounds. "It's always a possibility so you've got to be prepared for it. I feel comfortable going to that distance. I want a finish for the fans. But, I'm going to take advantage of it, if not."

The main factor that Edwards will have on Noons will be his experience. Edwards has been in the cage with some of the best in the business. Having that experience can only help the challenger. However, he isn't expecting that to have any impact on the champion. "It's a possibility, but it's not something I game plan on. He's got fight experience and he has the desire to win. That's what I'm expecting to fight. Anyone less than that, they're going to get their ass whooped."

For Yves Edwards, this is a pivotal fight in his storied career. A win over Noons will propel him to the exposure and notoriety that many other EliteXC fighters such as Kimbo Slice, Joey Villasenor, and Gina Carano have experienced.

Edwards feel he is prepared to defeat Noons and take home another win. His prediction for the fight is simple: "Just to get in there and destroy whatever is in front of me. To walk out of that cage with a W, and my hand held high and a big smile on my face."

Kaitlin Young may have lost her fight to Gina Carano on EliteXC's debut show on CBS, CBS-EliteXC Saturday Night Fights, but she has nothing to be ashamed of. Once again, the women put on a fantastic show and again propelled women’s mixed martial arts to another level.

Gina Carano, who is widely seen as the face of women's MMA, had struggled to make weight again. She weighed in four and a half pounds over the contracted weight due to her lack of time to train because of prior obligations with "American Gladiators". Even though she may have struggled to make the weight, Young expected Carano to be as tough as she was.

"I wasn't surprised," explained Young in a current interview with MMAWeekly Radio. "She's been fighting for a while. The girl clearly knows where she needs to be for a fight. I have a hard time believing that she wouldn't come prepared to fight. I felt that way beforehand, so I wasn't really surprised.”

The one thing that did surprise Young a little bit was the effectiveness of Gina Carano's front kick. "I was a little surprised. I think she had said after, that she had fought a Thai boxer too, a girl built exactly like me. The foot jab doesn't hurt necessarily, it's really frustrating. I would over commit and then she would set up her shot."

Young held her own in the fight and even stung Carano a few times with some stiff punches. Unfortunately for Young, it didn't seem to really affect Carano too badly.

"It didn't really surprise me," she commented. "I'm not really known for my hands. But she's a tough chick."

During the second round, Young's face seemed to swell pretty badly under her eye. However, that wasn't caused by a punch.

"I do remember getting elbowed. I think that's what did the majority of the damage," she said.

After the conclusion of the second round, the controversy began. The doctor had stopped the fight, much to Young's displeasure. While her face did look swollen, the swelling was located under the eye. Typically, in most fights, as long as the cut or swelling doesn't impair the vision of the fighter, they are allowed to go on. This is what caused the controversy in the fight. Young explained to MMAWeekly what happened in the corner.

"I've talked about this so much. The first doctor was going to okay me. I could see fine. I answered all of her questions fine. I was obviously coherent because I was arguing about the stoppage as soon as I heard it was stopped,” said Young.

"I continued to argue the whole way back even though the female doctor was checking my face. I was like 'I'm fine. Leave me alone.' I just want that to be over. I've said it before, I'd say it again. I don't think they should have stopped the fight. I don't think the stoppage was necessary."

Even though she may have lost the fight, the fans were extremely supportive of her efforts in the fight.

"I do hate dealing with a loss. You kind of put your heart and soul into it. It is hard to deal with. I think it was good for the people to see. The exposure was really good and the fans have been outstanding. They were all really cool and really supportive."

EliteXC has been one of the few organizations to really push their women's division since its inception. Even though Gina Carano has been the face they have been pushing, Kaitlin Young will return to fight under the EliteXC banner for at least two more fights.

"I'll be out there again. I signed a three-fight deal with them. Hopefully October or November."

It's safe to say EliteXC will return for a second show on CBS.

The main event between Kimbo Slice and James Thompson, though highly criticized for its poor representation of mixed martial arts, drew in an average of 6.12 million viewers in the final 51 minutes of the program.

From 11:30-11:51pm ET/PT, the program peaked with 6.51 million viewers.

The Nielsen live plus same day ratings were updated today to include the final 51 minutes (11:00-11:51pm ET/PT) that went over the scheduled 2-hour slot (9:00-11:00pm ET/PT).

With the inclusion of the additional 51 minutes, the ratings for the CBS-EliteXC Saturday Night Fights event improved to a 3.0/06 rating with 4.85 million viewers. The first two hours gave CBS the lead when it came to the adults and males, and the runner-up spot in households and viewers.

Kevin Ferguson, better known as Kimbo Slice has emerged as one of mixed martial arts' highest profile athletes and most controversial figures. His quick rise to MMA stardom from street fighter to main event status has been received with varying results within the MMA community.

One of the biggest critics of marketing Kimbo Slice to a mainstream audience by having him headline an MMA event has been UFC President Dana White.

"To have CBS, a big network like that, move forward with a guy like Kimbo Slice headlining it, I mean there's no secret, that's what I tried to stay away from," said the outspoken UFC figurehead. "Kimbo Slice isn't a mixed martial artist. This guy was fighting in your backyard three months ago, and now he's going to be headlining on CBS. Personally I think it sucks."

Former UFC lightweight champion Sean Sherk shares White's opinion. "To be honest with you, I wasn't crazy about the idea," said the nine-year professional mixed martial artist.

"I think if you're going to headline a main event, a mainstream thing like that, you should have the credentials to follow it. You know? I would have liked to have seen a more established fighter, somebody who maybe would represent the sport a little better, because if you're tuning into CBS for the first time and you catch this street fighter guy on television, I think that's going to give us a bad name. And I think it sets us back a couple of steps."

But not everyone in the industry has the same opinion of Kimbo Slice as White and Sherk. UFC lightweight champion BJ Penn is a fan of Ferguson.

"I'm a street fighter. I love street fighters. You know what I mean? Me, I'm a Kimbo Slice fan," stated the Hawaiian fighter. "I'm a street fighter. That's where I draw my thing from. I don't draw my fights from athletics or from sports… I used to fight, so me, I'm a Kimbo Slice fan. I like fighting. For me, I'm a street fighter. I like that kind of stuff."

Former UFC heavyweight champion and Pride veteran Josh Barnett agrees with Penn. "I'm a fan. I like him. I think he's good for the sport, and I think he's got potential and shows it in every fight. I think he trains hard and wants to expand his repertoire of techniques and strategies, everything. I think he's really taking the routes to becoming a full-on pro fighter," Barnett told MMAWeekly Radio.

"He certainly has gameness, if anyone has seen his fights on YouTube. He's the kind of person to go out there, bare-knuckle against some totally unknown guy and be like, hey, let's scrap right here, right now. And that takes the right kind of mindset to get out there in front of everybody and fight.

"I can understand where hardcore people would get upset because it could present the image that a street fighter could just walk right on in and beat top level MMA guys," explained the Seattle born fighter. "Although, Tank (Abbott), I'm sure he wouldn't even disagree that his best years are behind him. Bo Cantrell was never a top fighter, and Ray Mercer was a boxer, but went out there, scrapped it up with him and got taken down. He ended up getting a front-choke of all things. That shows that he's thinking like an MMA guy, not just a street brawler or straight-up boxer.

"I think he's sort of an exception when it comes to street fighters. I don't think he's the kind of guy you pick off of like Felony Fights, or you see tussling with some frat boys at a bar," Barnett concluded. "This guy is big, powerful. He's clearly an athlete, and he's got the kind of training and experience that you just don't find in some street fighter. He beats up all the other street fighter guys pretty handily, and the one guy that beat him had a background in wrestling and MMA training... I don't think you can just casually treat it as if it's just some street fighter."

Former UFC light heavyweight titleholder Tito Ortiz publicly criticized Ferguson in the past, but retracted those previous statements to MMAWeekly.com. "When he first came in, I said some things about him. I said he wouldn't last with anybody because he hadn't put in the hard work and hard training. Now it seems like he's focused.

"I kind of have to take back a few things I've said about Kimbo," commented Ortiz. "He was a young guy coming in. I watched some of his street fights on Youtube. I saw him as strictly a street fight guy. He had no technique or anything. I'm going to take back a few of my words.

"I watched his last fight and he's starting to be a well-trained athlete. He's actually putting in the hard work it takes to be a fighter. The way he dismantled Tank Abbott, oh my God, I was like that is very impressive. His punches were crisp and looked sharp. He's actually putting in the hard work."

Love him or hate him, as the CBS-EliteXC Saturday Night Fights nears, everyone is talking about Kimbo Slice.

EliteXC has pulled Nick Diaz from competing against Katsuya Inoue at DREAM.3 on Sunday, reports Josh Gross of Sports Illustrated. Diaz's camp has also confirmed the report.

Diaz was given permission by EliteXC to take a fight against Marcelo Garcia on the DREAM.2 card on April 29, but his fight was moved to May 11 without EliteXC's knowledge.

Upon learning of the change on Saturday, EliteXC President Gary Shaw put the brakes on Diaz's return to Japan. Shaw didn't want to risk Diaz suffering an injury when he is scheduled to fight Muhsin Corbbrey on June 14 at an EliteXC on Showtime event in Hawaii.

DREAM has not yet found a replacement for Inoue. DREAM had planned for the winner of Diaz VS Inoue to face Hayato "Mach" Sakurai to crown the promotion's first welterweight champion.