Well that was quick. Only a week after EliteXC representatives told Machochip that nothing was wrong with the deal between them and CBS after the Kimbo Slice-Seth Petrazelli debacle, reports from Sports Illustrated have them and their parent organization ProElite folding. Apparently we were asking the wrong questions then. But now the right question now is… now that they’re done, where will we be able to see Gina Carano other than that piece of crap American Gladiators?

In September, Showtime, which owned a 20 percent stake in ProElite, entered into preliminary negotiations to purchase a controlling interest in the company. When those negotiations failed, said a source inside ProElite who asked not to be identified, funding dried up and the company was forced out of business.

Through its partnership with Showtime and later CBS, which in 2008 agreed to broadcast four live EliteXC events in primetime, EliteXC gained a tremendous amount of visibility. The company, however, hemorrhaged tens of millions of dollars during its 22 months in operation.

Yikes, that’s a lot of ferria. No wonder they’ve gone bye-bye. We’ve put out calls to ProElite and their representatives, but they have not returned any of them. We’re sure their phones are either A) turned off, B) going straight to voicemail or C) beneath a tire or at the bottom of a river.

UPDATE: Hud Englehart, a spokesman for ProElite and EliteXC, has written us back to let us know that there is “no official statement and no comments at this time” from his company.

Earlier: Despite Controversy, CBS And EliteXC Relationship As Strong As Ever

ProElite, EliteXC out of business [SI.com]
Image [Newsday]