Head to Head

CBS EliteXC Saturday Night Fights brings mixed martial arts back to prime time network television on Saturday, Oct. 4, airing live at 9 p.m. ET on CBS. The show takes place at the Bank Atlantic Center in Sunrise, Fla., and is headlined by one of MMA's living legends, Ken Shamrock, batting Kimbo Slice. In a women's bout, Gina Carano returns to the cage to take on Kelly Kobold. And in a champion vs. champion fight, EliteXC welterweight titleholder Jake Shields defends against Cage Rage welterweight kingpin Paul Daley.

Here is a complete look at the fight card for Oct. 4. Stay tuned for the addition of undercard bouts, and as always, the card is subject to change.

Fighter photos courtesy of Getty Images, Associated Press, ProElite.com and EliteXC.

Heavyweight Bout:
	KEVIN FERGUSON	vs.	KEN SHAMROCK
	"Kimbo Slice"	Nickname	"World's Most Dangerous Man"
	33	Age	44
	6-2	Height	6-1
	3-0-0	Record	26-13-2
	2	KO/TKOs	2
	1	Submissions	22
	3 wins	Streak	5 losses
	def. James Thompson EliteXC: Primetime 5/31/2008	Last Fight	lost to Robert Berry Cage Rage 25 3/8/2008

Writers' Picks
Denny Burkholder: The perfect ending to this fight would be a Shamrock victory. It would be an inspirational win for a legend on a losing streak, and it would deflate some of the hype surrounding Kimbo Slice. Shamrock redeems himself, and Kimbo learns from the loss. If Shamrock wins, everybody wins. That's a perfect TV ending, but it's also a fantasy. Now, let's talk about reality. Shamrock is 44. He's lost his last five fights, every one of them by KO or TKO. The last loss was to Robert "Buzz" Berry (Who? Exactly.) in Round 1. For all his experience, Shamrock is very prone to good strikers. And for all of his faults, Kimbo does two things well: Punch hard, and punch often. Kimbo via KO, Round 1. Sometimes reality bites.	Sam Caplan: Shamrock felt a need to apologize for his recent fights but at 44, does he really need to say he's sorry? Yes, Randy Couture is older and is still getting it done but he's an exception to the rule. No matter how hard he tries to spin his past losses, the undeniable fact is that Shamrock is 44. He needs to get the fight to the floor, because if he does, he could submit Slice. However, the fight will begin on the feet and I am not sure Shamrock has the athleticism needed to take down a younger, stronger man. The pick here is Slice via first round TKO.	Gregg Doyel: Ken Shamrock can't beat anybody, but he can beat this guy. Look, if James Thompson could manhandle Kimbo Slice on the ground, Ken Shamrock will fold him into a pretzel. It's just a matter of picking the limb. Assuming he doesn't let his super-sized ego get in the way and try to exchange with Slice, Shamrock wins by submission.	Todd Martin: If Shamrock were younger and more motivated, I would give him a better chance here. However, I think at this stage of his career, Shamrock is mostly in it for a paycheck. I don’t begrudge him for that, but I suspect as soon as Shamrock gets hit hard he will be looking to get out of the fight as quickly as possible. If Shamrock can get Kimbo down without Kimbo landing any blows, he will likely win via submission. But the much more likely scenario is Kimbo winning via KO or TKO in less than two minutes.	Ben Fowlkes: What we have here is a curiosity being billed as a main event. That’s also an apt description for how Elite XC has used Kimbo for the entirety of his brief MMA career, so it should come as no surprise. Kimbo is inexperienced, untested, and has holes in his game you could drive a Buick through. Shamrock, on the other hand, is a pioneer of the sport who should have quit years ago. In this strange alchemy, inexperience isn’t as great a flaw as the languid torpor of old age. Kimbo will find Shamrock’s increasingly suspect jaw, but it won’t be pretty. Please, Elite XC. Find the guy a real opponent next if you’re going to put him in the main event.

Heavyweight Bout:
	ANDREI ARLOVSKI	vs.	ROY NELSON
	"Pitbull"	Nickname	"Big Country"
	29	Age	30
	6-4	Height	6-0
	13-5-0	Record	13-2-0
	9	KO/TKOs	6
	3	Submissions	4
	4 wins	Streak	5 wins
	def. Ben Rothwell Affliction: Banned 7/19/2008	Last Fight	def. Brad Imes IFL 5/16/2008

Writers' Picks
Denny Burkholder: This fight is like an early Christmas present. You have Nelson, the curious character who was (is) the IFL heavyweight champion and has never been knocked out. Then, you have former UFC champ Arlovski, who is fighting for the third time in 2008 for a third promotion, having won his last two fights on UFC and Affliction PPV broadcasts. The common opponent is Ben Rothwell, who Arlovski just beat. Rothwell was the last guy to beat Nelson. The wildcard here is that both guys have knockout power. Nelson has never lost via strikes, but he also won't have the technique or the gas tank of Arlovski. I'm picking "The Pitbull" via TKO in Round 3.	Sam Caplan: Nelson is similar to Ben Rothwell, who Arlovski knocked out in July. The difference might be that Nelson is a better grappler than Rothwell. Arlovski has developed a good sprawl over the years and in spite of Nelson's wrestling background, I don't see him taking Arlovski down. Nelson is a heavy hitter but Arlovski's hands are quicker and will prove the difference. Arlovski via second round KO.	Gregg Doyel: This isn't quite the mismatch it appears to be. Arlovski has one of the best physiques in the heavyweight division, while Nelson is the Terry Forster of MMA -- a fat tub of goo. But Nelson has knockout power to match Arlovski's, and is much better on the ground (believe it or not). I've been waiting for someone to "upset" the overrated Arlovski, and Nelson's my guy. Submission, second round.	Todd Martin: This is a really fun addition to the card, an exciting bout with two unique fighters. The only problem with having Arlovski underneath Kimbo is that he is basically the real version of Kimbo’s gimmick. Both are scary looking strikers, but Arlovski is a world class fighter. Given EliteXC has Kimbo locked up and not Arlovski, they have to hope fans don’t figure this out. As for the fight, Roy Nelson is no joke. He is a tough, gritty fighter who won’t be intimidated by Arlovski. The problem for him is that is exactly what Ben Rothwell was, and while that was a tremendous fight it didn’t end well for Rothwell. Arlovski via TKO.	Ben Fowlkes: This has my vote for fight of the night. A lot of people are writing off “Big Country,” but that’s only because they haven’t seen much of him. He’s got great jiu-jitsu that he sometimes hasn’t put to the best use, but he also has knockout power. If he tries to stand and trade with Arlovski the way he did against Rothwell, however, he’ll get picked apart in a hurry. Nelson needs to be committed to getting this to the ground, even if it takes all night. Arlovski’s submissions game looked rudimentary in his bout with Rothwell, and Nelson has to exploit that. Unfortunately, I think Arlvoski is too sharp and too great an athlete for him, and will outpoint him en route to a decision victory.

Women's Bout (140-pound class):
	GINA CARANO	vs.	KELLY KOBOLD
	"Conviction"	Nickname	n/a
	26	Age	n/a
	5-8	Height	5-6
	6-0-0	Record	16-2-1
	3	KO/TKOs	6
	1	Submissions	8
	6 wins	Streak	2 losses
	def. Kaitlin Young EliteXC: Primetime 5/31/2008	Last Fight	lost to Julie Kedzie Bodog Fight 8/24/2007

Writers' Picks
Denny Burkholder: Carano is one of EliteXC's major stars along with Kimbo Slice. Since she gets a lot of attention, some haters don't like to admit is there is substance behind the hype in this case: Carano is a good fighter. She's tough, she's got the Muay Thai to give any woman problems in a standup battle, and she is very composed in the cage. She hasn't fought all of the best yet, but so far, so good. Kobold has something to prove here. She's lost two straight after going undefeated for over six years. Kobold says her head is right for this one, and that means a long night for Carano. But I still predict Carano to win via decision.	Sam Caplan: This is a dangerous fight for Carano. If she doesn't come in more prepared for this bout than she did for the May 31 fight, we could see an upset. I think that not having to film American Gladiators probably will make a major difference. Kobold is a big puncher with good ground and pound but she does not possess the technical and diverse striking skills that Carano has. I think Carano's kicks will give her an edge with the judges in earning a unanimous decision.	Gregg Doyel: Once upon a time, Kobold was the hottest female fighter in MMA. She was undefeated in her first 17 professional fights, but that time has gone. She has lost her last two fights, including a unanimous decision to Julie Kedzie -- who six months earlier had been beaten unanimously by Carano. See the chain there? Carano dominated the fighter who dominated Kobold. So Carano dominates this fight. And ends it by TKO.	Todd Martin: Kobold is an experienced and tough opponent, but Carano has the benefit of a full training camp going into this fight. I think that’s going to make a big difference. Her striking should be more crisp and her conditioning better. That still may not be quite enough, but I do see Carano picking up the win.	Ben Fowlkes: Tell me again why Carano isn’t facing “Cyborg” Santos, who is the only opponent who makes sense for her right now and who is also fighting on this card? There’s no reason to put Carano against someone coming off two straight losses unless you want another chance to pump her up on network TV, and that’s exactly what this fight is about. Carano will TKO Kobold and EliteXC will act like it means something, but it doesn’t.

EliteXC Welterweight Title Bout:
	JAKE SHIELDS	vs.	PAUL DALEY
	n/a	Nickname	"Semtex"
	29	Age	25
	5-11	Height	5-9
	21-4-1	Record	18-6-2
	3	KO/TKOs	13
	8	Submissions	1
	10 wins	Streak	6 wins
	def. Nick Thompson EliteXC: Unfinished Business 7/26/2008	Last Fight	def. Bojan Kosednar CWFC 7/12/2008

Writers' Picks
Denny Burkholder: Shields put on a clinic when he easily dispatched Nick Thompson on the last CBS broadcast. The man seems virtually flawless with his takedowns and his jiu-jitsu. Daley is a great striker, but I believe Shields' standup is good enough to weather the storm long enough to get the fight back on the mat, where he is king. You can't just write off the KO power of a guy like Daley, but you also can't overlook the fact that Shields hasn't been beaten with strikes in over eight years, and he hasn't been beaten at all since 2004. The safe bet here is Shields via submission, Round 2.	Sam Caplan: A lot of people are unwisely counting out Daley. While Shields' standup has improved, Daley has the advantage on the feet and the dynamic striking capability needed to cause a major upset. As athletic as Daley is, I still believe that Shields' takedowns are too technical and that the fight will end up on the floor eventually, allowing Shields to successfully defend his title. Shields via second round submission.	Gregg Doyel: Daley has a lot of Melvin Manhoef in him, which means he has all kinds of knockout power but -- as Manhoef showed recently in Japan -- is suspect on the ground. Bad news for Daley: Shields is excellent on the ground. And Shields is riding a 10-fight win streak, with such imposing victims as Yushin Okami, Carlos Condit and Nick Thompson. He'll add Daley to the list by choking him out.	Todd Martin: I naturally tend to favor more grappling-oriented fighters over more striking-oriented fighters, and Jake Shields is a very high level submission wrestler. Paul Daley is a fun fighter to watch and presents problems for most welterweights. But I think Shields is going to make it look easy when he submits Daley in the first round.	Ben Fowlkes: It’s great to see Daley back in action and in the states, where too few people have been treated to his explosive brand of MMA. Trouble is he’s facing a guy who’s as good as anyone in the division in the one area where Daley is weakest: the ground. Shields made Nick Thompson look like a novice in his last bout. Daley won’t fare much better if he can’t keep this standing, and he can’t. Daley’s best bet is trying to catch Shields on the way in for a quick KO. That’s like praying for a half-court shot at the buzzer -- it’s not that it can’t work, but it’s not exactly a strategy you want to live and die by. Shields by submission.

Middleweight Bout:
	MURILO RUA	vs.	BENJI RADACH
	"Ninja"	Nickname	n/a
	28	Age	29
	5-11	Height	5-10
	16-8-1	Record	18-4-0
	6	KO/TKOs	14
	8	Submissions	2
	2 wins	Streak	1 loss
	def. Tony Bonello EliteXC 6/14/2008	Last Fight	lost to Matt Horwich IFL 12/29/2007

Writers' Picks
Denny Burkholder: Rua has won two straight since his disappointing loss to Robbie Lawler last September. Radach hasn't fought since a December 2007 KO loss to Matt Horwich in the IFL. What's more, he reportedly had a short training camp for this one, and that's not a great omen against a resurgent "Ninja" Rua. Rua has fought some tremendous competition over the years, so Radach isn't going to surprise him with anything. I look for Rua to win this one via second-round TKO.	Sam Caplan: This could be the fight of the night. Both are solid on the ground but I see both fighters looking to engage in the standup and get the crowd going. Radach has not fought since last December but he's no stranger to coming back after long layoffs. This is a fight that could go either way but I will pick Radach via decision.	Gregg Doyel: Don't be fooled by the records. Ninja has fought everybody. Radach has fought, comparatively speaking, nobody. The kind of fighter it takes to beat Ninja has been Quinton Jackson, Dan Henderson, Kevin Randleman, Robbie Lawler, Denis Kang, Ricardo Arona, Sergei Kharitonov and Paulo Filho. Radach doesn't make that list. Instead he'll join the longer list of fighters who have lost to Ninja ... and he'll do it via submission.	Todd Martin: This is a big opportunity for Radach, whose impressive career accomplishments have taken place in relative anonymity. Ninja, by contrast, has fought mostly in front of the bright lights. I expect Radach to want to keep a distance and strike from there while Ninja will be looking to work from the clinch. I give the slight edge to Ninja because he has a more versatile array of weapons.	Ben Fowlkes: A healthy, fully-motivated, and well-prepared Radach would be a tough draw for anyone, even "Ninja" Rua, but after suffering through more injuries and then throwing together a training camp for this fight in just over a month, I wonder if we're going to see the best Radach possible. He's got great takedown defense and one-punch KO power, but he's also had some questions as to his durability and has been known to get sloppy with his defense. Rua will exploit that for a late TKO.

UNDERCARD BOUTS
(may not air on TV)
CRISTIANE "CYBORG" SANTOS Record: (5-1-0) Class: 148 lbs.	VS.	YOKO TAKAHASHI Record: (13-9-0) Class: 148 lbs.
EDSON BERTO Record: (14-5-1) Class: 170 lbs.	VS.	CONOR HEUN Record: (7-2-0) Class: 170 lbs.
AARON ROSA Record: (11-2-0) Class: 205 lbs.	VS.	SETH PETRUZELLI Record: (9-4-0) Class: 205 lbs.
LORENZO BORGOMEO Record: (4-0-0) Class: 170 lbs.	VS.	MICKEY GOMEZ Record: (8-4-0) Class: 170 lbs.
DAVID GOMEZ Record: (0-0-0) Class: 140 lbs.	VS.	BRYAN HAMADE Record: (0-0-0) Class: 140 lbs.
JORGE BOECHAT Record: (3-2-0) Class: 160 lbs.	VS.	NICOLAE "CURY" SINICIO Record: (0-0-0) Class: 160 lbs.

Writer's Prediction Records for 2008:

Ordered from best to worst -- records through Sept. 30, 2008.

Sam Caplan: 92-46 (67%)

Todd Martin: 96-54 (64%)

Denny Burkholder: 96-54 (64%)

Gregg Doyel: 85-54 (61%)

Ben Fowlkes: 85-55 (61%)

About the writers:
Denny Burkholder is the MMA and boxing producer and staff writer for CBSSports.com.
Sam Caplan is an MMA contributor for CBSSports.com and the publisher of FiveOuncesOfPain.com.
Gregg Doyel is a CBSSports.com national columnist and sparring partner for various pro boxers and MMA fighters in the Cincinnati area.
Todd Martin has covered mixed martial arts for the Los Angeles Times, Wrestling Observer, SI.com and CBSSports.com.
Ben Fowlkes is an MMA contributor for SI.com, CagePotato.com and CBSSports.com.