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We’ve heard all the details of the ProElite-Strikeforce deal, but how much did it cost?

Yesterday, as I was reading through all the reports on the Strikeforce-ProElite deal, I, admittedly, was little bit confused about what had actually happened. Was Strikeforce and ProElite still two separate entities? Or was ProElite now a part of Strikeforce?

When Strikeforce exec Mike Afromowitz said the potential deal to acquire ProElite’s assets was complicated, he wasn’t kidding.

Michael Rome over at Bloody Elbow seems to think so.

After a number of deals falling through at the last minute, it appears Pro Elite has either been sold or is in the very final stages of being sold as of this morning. Under the terms of the sale, the buyer would likely return to CBS television with live events this year.

The most likely buyer is Strikeforce. The other leading contender was King of The Cage, but industry sources have suggested that ProElite fighters are much more willing to fight for Strikeforce than KoTC, and the ease of signing new contracts may have played a part in finalizing this deal.

If the buyer is Strikeforce, the contracts are probably not transferrable, but the vast majority of fighters will likely be happy to just move over and fight there just to get on with their lives.

Though I don’t agree with how ProElite has handled this whole situation, this is great news for the fighters who have been in limbo for far too long now. It is also interesting to note that Strikeforce has been one of the few organizations that Dana White has praised for going about business in the right way. I wonder what he will have to say now that they seem to be making strides to become a more significant force in the industry.

Let’s hope this isn’t another false alarm. These fighters deserve to continue competing as soon as possible.

Note from Steve: It’s important to view this just as a rumor for now. It may very well be true, and not that I don’t trust the guys at BE, but we’ve heard this same story many times before from trustworthy journalists. If it is, I’d imagine we’ll hear solid confirmation soon.

Quick update: The same BE post has an update claiming there will an announcement made tomorrow or Friday, according to Sherdog radio.

Update II: Deal not done according to Strikeforce exec Mike Afromowitz.

“That’s incorrect. Any reports of a done deal are a complete fantasy…It’s complicated, and that’s why I don’t want to speculate. If anything is done, it will be very technical. It’s not as straightforward as you think.”

Update III: Sam Caplan says the deal is done. New post coming…

Robert Maysey’s MMAFA has jumped in the battle to free former EliteXC fighters from ProElite’s death grip.

Andrei Arlovski’s camp sure is confident heading into the biggest fight of Andrei’s career. First, Freddie Roach publicly ripped apart Fedor’s boxing technique and proclaimed Andrei would “dominate” him standing up if only Fedor would “fight like a man.” Now, as you’ll see at the 2:15 mark, Arlovski’s manager, Billy Keene, staying with the boxing theme, likens Fedor’s mystique to that of Mike Tyson’s. And guess who Arlovski is? Yep, “the Buster Douglas of mixed martial arts.” At this point, it would only make sense for Fedor to immediately get this fight to the ground, but if we look back to Fedor’s biggest fights, he likes to beat his opponents at their own game. Will he do that here? I don’t know, but honestly, after listening to all this, I would love to see Fedor show Roach and co. just how “poor” his technique is.

It’s undoubtedly a huge fight in the heavyweight division, but will anyone be there live to witness it? Well, if the rumors are true, maybe so, but most probably won’t have paid a dime to get in. The event’s just two weeks out, and word on the street is ticket sales aren’t doing quite as well as Affliction would like you to believe. 4,000? Nope. 3,000? Wrong again. 2,000? Getting warmer. How about 1,500? Bingo. 1,400 – 1,500 tickets sold is the number making the rounds now, and Affliction will neither confirm or deny its accuracy. Hmm…wonder why not?

Speaking of promotions not doing well, Pro Elite still hasn’t closed on a deal yet, despite reports last month that they had accepted someone’s bid. Apparently, potential buyers keep backing out at the last minute after realizing what everyone else already knows—Pro Elite is a bad investment. And yes, that means the fighters are still getting the shaft.

So believes Sam Caplan. According to Five Oz. sources, ProElite has accepted a bid to sell the organization’s assets. If true, an announcement could be made as early as later today.

As unbelievable as it is, it’s really looking like someone is going to buy ProElite. Thus far, all we know is Terry Trebilcock’s King of the Cage is one of the bidders, but not the leading one. The other two? A mystery. The leading candidate has money, and lots of it, but who is it?

Well, nothing has been confirmed just yet, but according to iGuillotine.com (via MMA Weekly), the deep-pocketed mystery buyer is Mark Ecko Enterprises.

Our sources indicate that Marc Ecko Enterprises (MEE) is the leading bidder for the purchase of ProElite, Inc. and the brand EliteXC. The company hopes to inherit ProElite’s television contracts with both CBS and Showtime.

A clothing-company-turned-fight-promoter? Hmmm…where have we heard that one before?

Moving on, from all accounts, it seems the CBS and Showtime contracts are what the buyers are really interested in. However, as Loretta Hunt reported today, it appears there’s competition for the network deal, so the question is, would Mark Ecko still be interested if he couldn’t get the contract? I don’t know, but my guess is probably not.

It will be interesting to see where this goes, and even more intriguing is if they do buy ProElite, who is going to be running the promotion? More people who don’t know what they’re doing in MMA or someone who actually does? The answer to that question should give us a pretty good indication of what the future holds for ProElite.

If you were wondering why ProElite has been holding on to their fighter contracts like Ken Shamrock has been holding on to his career, it looks like it’s because ProElite’s current management has been trying to sell the company. You might think no one would be interested in the organization though considering all the stigmas attached to it. If so, you’re apparently wrong.

It looks like the story of Todd Beard is coming to a close. According to a press release on MarketWatch.com, Affliction has received and accepted the Affliction co-founder’s resignation.