Ariel Helwani sums it up nicely:

We just came back from the EliteXC press conference at the Stockton Arena and the only word that comes to mind is "surprised."

Surprised that there was virtually no media there. Seriously, maybe a handful...tops.

Surprised that the Shaws (Gary and Jared) were no where to be found.

Surprised that no one is willing to give a straight answer as to where they are hiding. Trust me, I asked around.

Surprised that there appears to be zero excitement online, around town or even in the local media for this event.

This is actually worse than previously imagined. I had assumed they were at least trying hard, but swimming up-current against the UFC vs. Affliction river. Not so. It turns out they aren't even putting full force and effort into making what is actually an historic event in many ways actually...well...historic. This could get ugly.

UPDATE: One more thought. After all of the mistakes that were made at the first EliteXC show on CBS, Pro Elite officials assured fans and media members that the second show would be the one where they got matters right. This was the show that was going to be the upgrade from a production standpoint. This was the show to be paraded as the one where, at least to a significant degree, EliteXC polished their product and improved their product. So, if that's at all remotely true, why does it feel like they are punting?

Roberto Godoi black belt Wilson Reis will be making his return to the cage tomorrow in a 140lbs. clash against Team Quest's Victory Athletics' Brain Caraway. I've actually commented one of Caraway's fights and he's an athletic guy with great submissions. The problem? He's facing one of the top feather/bantamweight prospects in the entire sport: Wilson Reis (pronounced "Hayes"). Don't take my word for it; just listen to Jordan Breen:

"His enormous talent and potential sticks out like a sore thumb," added Jordan Breen, a writer and radio talk show host with Sherdog.com. "I'm always acutely interested in MMA prospects, but I generally try to restrain from being enthusiastic; this sport is one in which prospects can really crash and burn dramatically. Yet, I find it extremely hard not to be outright excited about Reis' potential as a fighter. He's like dynamite incarnate."

Reis' performances in his last two wins have gotten many hardcore fans of the sport excited. There have been several threads on some of MMA's biggest message forums discussing Reis as a future challenger to current WEC featherweight champion Urijah Faber -- one who could potentially defeat him and supplant him as the No. 1-ranked featherweight in the sport.

But is it too early to talk about Faber and Reis in the same sentence? It's a question without an easy answer.

"It's hard to say how he stacks up among the world's best at 135 or 145 pounds," said Breen. "We are, after all, talking about a guy with only four fights. However, he hasn't just won those four fights, he's absolutely trounced his opposition. Justin Robbins is a decent, middle-of-the-road 135-pounder and Reis just destroyed him. It would be a tad premature to start dreaming of clashes with (Miguel) Torres or Faber, but he's definitely a guy who appears to have all the potential to be a star in the lower weight classes."

I've had the honor of rolling with Wilson on many occasions. To say his jiu-jitsu is good is an understatement. He's got extremely good fundamentals with explosive athleticism to boot. More importantly, he's got great wrestling, too, so this is not your average guard player looking for a sloppy triangle late in the third round. He can work effectively from top or bottom or transition quickly between the two.

Two more items of note about Reis. First, he takes the back like no one I've ever seen. Aside from technical back-taking techniques, he is literally able to "jump" into a back taking position. He literally jumps in the air and spins into it. Second, if you watch Reis' last fight at "EliteXC: Primetime", Reis had a deep armbar in on his opponent, but the submission wasn't enough to force the tap. Reis transitioned to a traingle, but that also wasn't enough for the tap. Rather than release the submission and give top position to a strong wrestler, Reis worked his way into a new position - an oma plata - to take the back and sink the rear naked choke. Folks, it is rare to see someone not land a submission without giving up position, even in pure BJJ tournaments. As aforementioned, Reis has incredibly strong fundamentals with slick submissions and fantastic athleticism. Woe be to anyone unfortunate enough to spar or roll with him. From personal experience, I can tell you it's not easy.

Photo by Esther Lin.

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A little funny:

"He wants to question the depth of the female division, but every female fight that ProElite has put on has been a showcase of women's talent and has been 'fight of the night' type material," Baszler says. "If he wants to question that, then I'd question the talent of his heavyweight division," which recently was challenged by Affliction's heavyweight-loaded card.

Cyborg is more direct.

"I'd love to fight Dana White to show him how tough women are," she says through an interpreter.

Alas, I don't think Dana White's ever been anti-women's MMA. I think he's a little gunshy about bringing them on because of protracted legalization battles and as far as adding women to the UFC roster, there isn't much in the way of value added for them. They probably have too many men under contract as it is; bringing aboard women could be interesting, but in White's mind isn't worth any potential risks.

I'm still a fan, though.

What seems very clear to me is the poor or perhaps unfortunate timing for EliteXC in scheduling their second CBS venture one week after the Affliction vs. UFC July 19th weekend. Whether intentional or not, it is quite apparent the aftermath of the two events and what they mean for the sport has enough carry over power post-event with MMA fans to drown out most of the build-up for the "Unfinished Business" card this weekend.

Now, part of that is the relatively weak card on CBS. For casual fans, Antonio Silva vs. Justin Eilers isn't quite the barn burner of Fedor vs. Sylvia. No one really knows who Shayna Baszler is, Nick Diaz's opponent is all but anonymous and while Smith-Lawler II does have some traction, it's not enough to carry the day as the main event (or at least not with its current supporting cast).

The most problematic element of this situation, though, is timing. Even though the card is a little ho-hum as compared to many top-level recent MMA cards, the CBS exposure and intrigue of EliteXC's follow up to the Slice-Thompson event would ordinarily be more than enough to promote interest. Maybe there are others out there who see it among MMA fans and media outlets, but I certainly do not. News outlets like Sherdog may be diligent in covering all aspects of the MMA world, but blogs like this - that are generally a little more responsive to market demands from an editorial selection standpoint - aren't seeing it at all. The posts about EliteXC are generating very little interest and there is paltry amounts of traffic coming into this site that's related to anything in the EliteXC universe.

I think the timing of this event - that is, being so close to the aftermath of Affliction vs. UFC - is going to cost EliteXC. How much? That's hard to tell. But what's very clear to me is the need for fans to chew on this new landscape or rivalry created by Affliction going head to head with the UFC. They need the time to digest all its significance and once that becomes stale, then the time is right for grabbing their attention. Certainly that window is small and perhaps there wasn't much they could do to fulfill that requirement. But truth be told, without the CBS exposure of this show, very few within the MMA community would be invested.

I found this short, but cool video that's a look into the HIT Squad Gym in Granite City, Illinois as well as Robbie Lawler's training camp. The most interesting part of the story is where they show "fighter dorms" that are only 100 yards away from the gigantic training facility. In an entire separate building, fighters are able to live for what has to be a fraction of the cost an apartment in town would be while staying extraordinarily close to their training facility. For those who don't recall, Hughes & Co. purchased a small former Army base that was no longer in use to set up the first HIT Squad gym. While the location of Granite City isn't that ideal, the amount the dollar will extend in that part of the country is astounding. Fighters are really able to live in very comfortable accomodations in facilities that can house equipment and training areas as expansive as your imagination can be. Impressive.

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