The news that EliteXC is out of business doesn't really make that big of a difference, in the grand scheme of things, to men's mixed martial arts. The sport will go on just fine, with UFC or Affliction likely to offer contracts to a few top fighters like Jake Shields and Eddie Alvarez.
But EliteXC was by far the No. 1 promotion of women's mixed martial arts, and it had done a fairly good job of promoting its female fighters, especially Gina Carano, who is a bona fide star. There was quite a bit of buzz surrounding Carano's proposed fight with Cris Cyborg, and now there's no promotion for that fight.
If Affliction is smart, it will act quickly to sign Carano vs. Cyborg for its scheduled show in early 2009. Carano and Cyborg are recognizable names who come on the cheap (Carano made $25,000 for her last fight and Cyborg significantly less), which means they're perfect for a Fedor Emelianenko undercard.
I also think it's time for UFC President Dana White to reconsider his opposition to women's MMA. White has said categorically that women will not fight in the UFC, but I would propose that Zuffa, UFC's parent company, should add women's MMA to WEC, its smaller organization. If WEC signed Carano, it would do a great deal to draw attention to its other top fighters, including Urijah Faber and Miguel Torres.
The bottom line is that Carano is a real star of the sport, and now she's a star without a home. Let's hope that isn't the case for long.
