EliteXC Vice President Gary Shaw confirmed a number of preliminary bouts for EliteXC: Saturday Night Fights III on Oct. 4.
EliteXC: Saturday Night Fights III emanates from the BankAtlantic Center near Fort Lauderdale, Fla.
Already confirmed for the card are five blockbuster fights, including a heavyweight showdown between Kevin "Kimbo Slice" Ferguson and mixed martial arts pioneer Ken Shamrock in the main event.
In addition, Jake Shields defends the welterweight crown against Paul Daley, Murilo "Ninja" Rua meets Benji Radach, and two female tilts will take place. The first features the face of female MMA — Gina Carano — go head to head with Kelly Kobold-Gavin, plus Cristiane "Cyborg" Santos, the wife of veteran Evangelista Santos, is slated to square off against Yoko Takahashi.
On the preliminary card, Edson Berto (14-5-1) will meet Mike Aina (9-6-1), while Crafton Wallace (15-3-1) and Lorenzo Borgomeo (4-0) are also scheduled to see action.
Berto was last seen at EliteXC: Street Certified in February, where he was KO'd by Yves Edwards after a unique flying knee. He was also vanquished by current 160-pound champion K.J. Noons at a ShoXC event last July. To re-establish himself in a division besieged by controversy, he needs to get past a reputable opponent in Aina.
Aina is coming off a win at EliteXC: Return of the King, where he recorded a unanimous decision against Kaleo Kwan, his second victory over the "Eastsidaz" fighter. Prior to the win, however, Aina put up an impressive showing against top contender Nick Diaz at EliteXC: Uprising in September. While he lost the fight by split decision, Aina gave the Cesar Gracie jiu-jitsu black belt all he can handle.
In the second prelim fight, Wallace, a one-time UFC fighter, rides a four-fight winning streak into his bout against a yet-to-be-named opponent. During his time with the Zuffa-based promotion, Wallace was defeated twice, losing to two of the company's premier middleweights, Martin Kampmann and Nate Marquardt.
On Oct. 4, Borgomeo will have his second fight under the EliteXC banner. In his promotional debut at EliteXC: Street Certified, he submitted Mike Bernhard in the second round. In his four-fight career, Borgomeo has yet to go to the distance and has stopped all his adversaries within 15 minutes.
