ELITEXC SIGNS NICK DIAZTO LONG-TERM EXTENSION
MMA Superstar Backed By ProElite Family
LOS ANGELES (Oct. 11, 2007) – Los Angeles-based ProElite, Inc., which celebrated its first birthday recently, received a belated present from Nick Diaz when the exciting, popular fan favorite and Mixed Martial Arts superstar signed an exclusive, long-term contract extension with the company’s Live Event’s Division, EliteXC.
Terms and length of the deal were not disclosed.
“Nick is a tremendously talented young fighter and we are extremely thrilled to have him join our family,” said EliteXC Live Events President, Gary Shaw, who made the announcement Thursday. “He is a very humble young man and dedicated athlete with an enormous wealth of talent.’’
Diaz (nickdiaz.proelite.com), who is 15-6, will make his next start for EliteXC when he collides with hard-hitting KJ Noons (kjnoons.proelite.com), who is 5-2, for the EliteXC world title in a brand new weight division – 160-pounds – in the main event of “Renegade” on Saturday, Nov. 10, in Corpus Christi, Texas, on SHOWTIME.
Adds Shaw: “This contract extension, while continuing to validate that EliteXC is a major player in the MMA market, also means that Nick will be surrounded by a loving fight family and have a home for good. Nick is going to be a major star and is quickly becoming a household name not only in MMA but in the world of sports.’’
Diaz, 24, of Stockton, Calif., is already one of the most recognizable and popular figures in MMA. A Brazilian black belt who is a member of Team Gracie, the confident southpaw has fought some of the sport’s biggest names in his illustrious six-year career.
In a career-best performance in which he rallied from the brink of defeat, a battered, bruised and bloodied Diaz scored an impressive, legendary gogoplata submission victory over then-consensus No. 1 lightweight contender, Takanori Gomi (takanorigomi.proelite.com), in a 2007 Fight of the Year candidate that wound up going into the books as a no contest.
Diaz made his EliteXC debut on Sept. 15, 2007, in Hawaii, and registered a hard-fought three-round split decision over determined local favorite, Mike Aina, in an exhausting, bloody, give-and-take battle. A fierce competitor, Diaz survived an early knockdown and a cut right eye to outpoint the local favorite by the scores of 30-27, 29-28 and 28-29.
“This is really awesome,’’ said Diaz, referring to the long-term signing extension. “Everybody knows that I am just a fighter who is looking for some respect and an organization that will let me be me. Gary Shaw and EliteXC really stepped up and I am so grateful and happy for it. The ProElite family is growing every day and I am really excited to be part of it.
“Everybody has made my job easier for me. Now I can focus on training to be the best I can be in and out of the cage.’’
For more information on EliteXC and other MMA-related stories, including bios, videos, photos, stats and more, please visit ProElite.com, EliteXC.com and www.SHO.com/Sports.
About Pro Elite, Inc.
ProElite, Inc. delivers the most exciting entertainment experience in the world of mixed martial arts (MMA) with live arena-based entertainment events, cable television programming on Showtime Networks and community-driven interactive broadband entertainment via the Internet. ProElite embraces MMA with the highest levels of honor, integrity, discipline and self-esteem, all the while remaining inclusive for fighters, fans and schools. ProElite’s live fight division, EliteXC, delivers spectacular live MMA fight events that showcase the world’s top fighters [elitexc.com]. ProElite’s interactive business, ProElite.com, capitalizes on the growing popularity of the sport of mixed martial arts by building a community of mixed martial arts enthusiasts. In addition to streaming the most exciting live fights to the web, ProElite expands the fan base of the sport by providing a comprehensive set of online social networking tools for fans, fighters and organizations. ProElite.com – Empowering the Fight CommunityTM.