EliteXC Finalises October 4th CBS Card
by Robert Sargent
EliteXC has officially announced the remainder of the main card for their third event on CBS, which will see IFL veteran Benji Radach face Murilo "Ninja" Rua, while British knockout artist Paul "Semtex" Daley challenges Jake Shields.
Also, after being announced for the event and later rescheduled, the women's bout between Cristiane "Cyborg" Santos and Yoko Takahashi will indeed take place on the card.
For Radach (18-4-0, 1 NC), who seemed destined for stardom as a champion in the IFL before his shocking knockout loss to Matt "Suave" Horwich, this is a chance at redemption. Better yet, he has an opportunity to compete on a much larger stage and in front of a mainstream television audience.
However, Radach's opponent is the former EliteXC Middleweight Champion, Murilo "Ninja" Rua (16-8-0), who is coming off of an extremely dominant victory at EliteXC's event in June. Rua is eagerly seeking a rematch with current champion "Ruthless" Robbie Lawler, and will no doubt look to end Radach's night in spectacular fashion.
The middleweight contest will likely determine the next contender for Lawler's title, after his successful defence against Scott Smith on CBS in July.
Putting to rest weeks of speculation about where and when he will next fight, EliteXC announced that Jake Shields will, in fact, be defending his EliteXC Welterweight Championship on October 4th, but it will not be against original opponent, John "The Natural" Alessio.
Instead, Shields (21-4-1) will battle British knockout king Paul "Semtex" Daley (18-6-2), whose 13 victories by KO are enough to make any champion nervous. Daley has won six straight fights - five by knockout and one by submission due to strikes - and most recently defeated current World Victory Road competitor Bojan "Zelva" Kosednar.
Unlike Alessio, who has had mixed success in the UFC and WEC and carries little fanfare, Daley has been on a tear and has won 10 of his last 12 fights. He defeated noted striker Duane "Bang" Ludwig by TKO last June in Strikeforce, then followed it up with subsequent TKO victories over UFC, PRIDE and Cage Rage veteran Mark "The Wizard" Weir and UFC veteran Sam "The Squeeze" Morgan.
In Daley, Shields faces a very real test for his title, and Shields will need to take the fight to the ground as quickly as possible. Risking a striking battle with Daley would be foolish, at best, and could see Shields's title run come to a crashing halt before it even begins.
Lastly, as part of the October 4th undercard, the on-again, off-again women's bout between Cristiane "Cyborg" Santos (5-0-0) and Yoko Takahashi (12-9-0, 1 NC) has been confirmed to take place.
Santos will once again seek to score a quick knockout victory to put herself in line for a shot against EliteXC postergirl Gina "Conviction" Carano, in a battle that could very well crown the first EliteXC Women's 140-Pound Champion.
As promised, EliteXC has stacked the October 4th card - undeniably the most important card in the promotion's history - with great talent from top to bottom, and the result of the event will be crucial to the future of the company.
