I can scarcely fathom a scenario where this can happen. EliteXC wasn't even able to host a successful sophomore effort on free television. To think they can cajole casual MMA fans who view EliteXC and Kimbo Slice more with curiosity than fan loyalty to then shell out money in lieu of or in addition to what they currently spend on the UFC (that includes both time and money) or other sports requires an imagination superior to mine. The Pro Elite federation arguably doesn't have the depth to even do a one-off successful event on PPV, much less to do so consistently against the regular efforts of the UFC. Yet, it appears Pro Elite needs to do so to stay in business long term. Dave Meltzer explains:
DeLuca, just before his resignation, noted that television was not paying enough to sustain the company. That’s a key reason why Elite XC ended up on CBS in the first place. The network had been in serious talks with UFC, but UFC didn’t feel the terms were acceptable, even with all the advantages of network prestige and potential increases in viewership.
The CBS deal calls for a $1 million stock purchase every time they televise a show, and an undisclosed but smaller rights fee. DeLuca noted the only way to sustain the promotion long-term is to be successful on pay-per-view, which up to this point nobody in the MMA business has been able to make work financially except UFC.
Elite XC company had talked about doing a pay-per-view early next year, but it’s hard to put together a lineup that would work with UFC dominating that marketplace with monthly shows.
That's putting it mildly, Dave.
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