If you guys and gals haven’t heard the newest podcast hotline interview, you should check it out.

This time, Ian and I were lucky enough to get former EliteXC Lightweight Champion KJ Noons on the show. He didn’t hold back when it came to his former employer.

For those of you who might not know much about EliteXC outside of Kimbo Slice, let me give you a little background. KJ won EliteXC’s Lightweight Championship in November 2007 with a victory over Nick Diaz. Some consider that win “controversial” because the fight was stopped due to Diaz having a massive cut over his eye. Considering Noons inflicted that cut, I don’t see it it as being very controversial.

Noons went on to defend his championship against Yves Edwards in Hawaii on June 14. Noons won the fight in front of his hometown crowd. During the celebration after the fight, Nick and Nate Diaz were brought into the cage, and caused a big scene:

EliteXC obviously wanted a Diaz/Noons rematch, but the negotiations fell through, and Noons was stripped of his title. He told his side of the story on the podcast. Here are a few quotes to whet your appetite:

On the Diaz brothers showing up in the cage after his fight against Yves Edwards:

“I mean I can understand how they want to build up for a next fight…it kind of took away from the fight and all the training I did to fight a top contender like Yves…it kind of shows you the type of company that EliteXC is. I mean, that’s why they’re under.”

On his negotiations with EliteXC for a rematch against Nick Diaz:

“The number one reason why it didn’t happen was because they wanted to pay me three times less money than the guy I beat the crap out of…I had defended my title successfully, and they wanted me to fight him, which I was perfectly fine with. It was built up, all the drama, behind-the-scenes…they wanted to pay me three times less money and I told them to go screw themselves.”

“If you’re gonna treat your champ like that, I don’t want to be your champ…”

“I wrote them a letter telling them I would give them the belt back, and in the return they don’t say anything about that and they strip me of the belt, acting like they are taking away from me…”

On a future fight with Nick Diaz:

“I think it would be a great fight…as long as it makes sense, if any promotion wants to do it, let’s make it happen, call me up…”

I took a hiatus from The Rant due to work and little interest in the product but now The Rant is back mini style on all your asses. Rather then do a full Live Rant I’m gonna be doing mini Rants about 10 to 15 minutes long 2 to 3 times a week until the time in which I feel the product from TNA and WWE has returned to a respectable level. In this first episode of The mini Rant I talk about my hiatus, Raw’s, the demise of EliteXC and of course one of the best movies of the year “The Wrestler”, enjoy.

-sideshowRaheem

Can’t really say I didn’t see this coming EliteXC and ProElite have filed for bankruptcy and are on the verge of folding, according to several published reports that surfaced late Monday evening. All fighters(including Kimbo Slice) have been released from there current contracts. EliteXC’s next show, headlined by Eddie Alvarez vs. Nick Diaz, was scheduled for Nov. 8 in Reno now appears to be cancelled. Now the urge here is to blame the KO of EliteXC’s top star Kimbo Slice on network tv but the real deal is Showtime, who currently owns 20 percent of the company, was looking to up its stake to a controlling interest when those negotiations failed funding dried up forcing the shutdown. Now the only question is what fighters UFC will pick up to further supplement there roster.

-sideshowRaheem

Just a reminder that if you’d like to discuss tonight’s EliteXC on CBS card, featuring Kimbo Slice taking on Ken Shamrock, you may do so at MMA Shoot.

I’ve also posted a pretty funny video of Gina Carano’s weigh-in yesterday. Just as Ian and I discussed on the second edition of the MMA Shoot podcast, Carano had trouble making weight–she ended up having to strip down just to do so.

The time has finally come: tonight, we find out if Ken Shamrock Seth Petruzelli can defeat Kimbo Slice in the much-hyped main event of tonight’s EliteXC Heat event.

Remember, this card airs live at 9e/8c on CBS in the United States. Viewers outside the U.S. are plain out of luck.

Here’s tonight’s televised card:

• Heavweight bout: Kimbo Slice v. Ken Shamrock Seth Petruzelli
• Welterweight Title Bout: Paul Daley v. Jake Shields(c)
• Heavyweight bout: Andrei Arlovski v. Roy “Big Country” Nelson
• Women’s bout: Gina Carano v. Kelly Kobald
• Middleweight bout: Benji Radach v. Murilo “Ninja” Rua

If you’d like to listen to a great preview of this show, check out MMA Shoot Podcast #2.

At yesterday’s EliteXC: Heat weigh-ins, Gina Carano was again in danger of not making weight. She had to strip down to nothing just to get there, which made for a pretty funny scene.