Wednesday, Oct. 1, 2008,
BankAtlantic Center, Sunrise, Florida
“CBS ELITEXC SATURDAY NIGHT FIGHTS”
This Saturday, Oct. 4; Broadcast on the CBS Television Network at 9 p.m. ET/PT
Nine of the 10 fighters who will compete on CBS ELITEXC SATURDAY NIGHT FIGHTS this Saturday, Oct. 4, attended Wednesday’s final press conference at the BankAtlantic Center at Sunrise, Fla.
The third installment of CBS’s primetime mixed martial arts event will be broadcast live from 9-11 p.m. ET/PT on the CBS Television Network.
The televised lineup for CBS ELITEXC SATURDAY NIGHT FIGHTS: Kimbo Slice vs. Ken Shamrock (heavyweights); EliteXC 170-pound champion Jake Shields vs. Paul Daley; Andrei Arlovski vs. Roy “Big Country” Nelson (heavyweights); Gina Carano vs. Kelly Kobold (140 pounds); and Murilo “Ninja” Rua vs. Benji Radach (middleweights).
Tickets start at $30 and are available at all Ticketmaster outlets, by phone at (954) 523-3309 in Broward County, (305) 358-5885 in Dade County and (561) 966-3309 in Palm Beach County, online at www.ticketmaster.com and at the BankAtlantic Center box offices (954) 835-7825.
The BankAtlantic Center box offices’ normal business hours are 10 a.m.-6 p.m., Monday through Friday. The box office will be open the day of the event beginning at 10 a.m. The first live fight begins at 6 p.m. ET.
What the fighters had to say Wednesday:
KIMBO SLICE
“Ken’s fighting in Florida, which is no place for an old man. I’m mentally prepared and ready to do it and represent the crib. It’s going to be ‘305’ (his area code) all day.
“I work all the time on being an all-around fighter. I am very competitive by nature so I train very hard and have the best coaches (Bas Rutten and Randy Khatami).
“I am going to get criticized all the time, but I enjoy MMA and try to represent the sport the best way I can. I have kids. I want to be the best kind of example I can be.
“I do not feel like I am carrying (this promotion, the sport, etc). Gina, all these fighters, we are all in this together.
“I am going to win this fight in any fashion I can. I want to annihilate him and win by knockout, but if I win it on the ground, that is all good, too.
“I come from a bare-knuckle background, so fighting with gloves is like hitting with mittens.”
KEN SHAMROCK
“Kimbo has gained a lot of notoriety, but, in my opinion, he doesn’t deserve it. Snap, crackle pop. I am going to walk across the ring, hit him on his ugly beard and break his leg.
“I love to fight, that’s what I do. I want to thank CBS and EliteXC for putting me on this card. It is going to be a great one. I really appreciate all my fans’ support throughout all the ups and downs.
“What CBS is doing is really giving back to the fans. To just be able to turn on the TV and watch is a great thing.
“Most of the talking has all been said, so I will save the rest of my talking until Saturday.”
JAKE SHIELDS
“It’s great to be back fighting on CBS and defending my title. I’m in great shape and ready to fight. I’m on a roll and want to keep it going.
“Having CBS involved has obviously been huge for this sport. Now, people of all ages are watching where, before, maybe only the hard-core fans paid attention.
“I know a lot of people watching now that never watched or maybe didn’t pay that much attention. Fans are getting an education and a good look at what MMA is all about, and I am proud to be part of it.”
PAUL “SEMTEX” DALEY
“This is a huge opportunity for me and a huge fight for the fans in the UK. At the moment, I am very relaxed. I try not to focus too much on the magnitude of this fight, or the exposure I am going to get fighting on CBS. I don’t want to get nervous.
“For me, it was always about collecting belts and fighting the best and Jake is most certainly one of the best in the world. I want to make my country proud and want to thank ProElite, EliteXC and CBS for giving me the chance. I am very excited and looking forward to Saturday.”
GINA CARANO
“It is an honor for me to be at the dais with all these great fighters. I am looking forward to an amazing match. I would like to thank CBS and EliteXC for continuing to give us the platform to show what we can do. Having two women’s fights on this card says a lot.
“Whether you’re in the arena or watching on television, it’s going to be a great night of fights.”
KELLY KOBOLD
“Thanks to CBS and EliteXC, I do not have to explain to everyone what I do. The exposure women’s MMA is getting has been fantastic and has opened a lot of doors for us. We are legitimate fighters. I am absolutely thrilled to be part of this event. I would be very disappointed and surprised if this wasn’t the best fight of the night.”
ANDREI ARLOVSKI
“Fighting on CBS is a very big opportunity for me and very exciting. I promise I will show a great fight.
“They are talking like the winner of my fight will face Fedor, but I have heard that kind of talk before. I have learned not to believe anything until it happens. So I will wait and see and continue to only focus on Saturday and on Roy.
“I am happy to be on a show with so many great fighters. Fans new to the sport or fans who know the sport very well are in for a great fight. I want to thank all the fans for their support.”
MURILO “NINJA’ RUA
“I’ve trained very hard for this fight and will show the fans how much I have prepared. I have a good opponent. This could be the fight of the night.”
BENJI RADACH
“This is an excellent matchup and style-wise should be a tough and exciting fight. Ninja is strong and big with heavy hands and comes to fight. But I feel I match up with him very well and will control the fight.
“Obviously, I am looking forward to fighting on CBS and getting the exposure that comes from fighting on CBS, and making my EliteXC debut.
“Being on CBS means even the casual fans, or sports fans unfamiliar with us, can watch. It is a tremendous deal for the fighters, fans, everybody.”
CRIS CYBORG
“I am very happy to be fighting on this card and thank everyone involved for making it happen. I expect a hard fight. I want to win and then fight Gina. That would be a fight the fans would love to see.”
