MIAMI, Fla. — A number of tidbits big and small came out of Saturday’s “EliteXC†Street Certified†event, which took place at the University of Miami’s BankUnited Center. The main event featured Kevin “Kimbo Slice†Ferguson’s 43-second knockout of David “Tank†Abbott. Additionally, in the night’s co-main event, Antonio Silva defeated former UFC heavyweight champion Ricco Rodriguez via split decision. MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com) has a full recap of the event available, but other newsworthy items coming out of Saturday’s show include: Record Gate: EliteXC Live Events President Gary Shaw confirmed that Saturday’s sold-out event created a record live gate for the BankUnited Center. He wouldn’t go into specific dollar amounts, but Shaw did confirm that the 6,187 attendees created a gate of more than a half-a-million dollars. Fighter of the Night: EliteXC’s traditional fight of the night trophy went to Slice. He narrowly beat out Yves Edwards, who defeated Edson Berto via first-round flying knee. The award is voted upon by EliteXC staffers. Kimbo Returns: Shaw didn’t have an exact date for Slice’s return to the cage, but he said the heavyweight will likely next fight at an April or May EliteXC event. Return to Florida: Shaw, a University of Miami graduate, said the organization will definitely return to Florida sometime in the near future. He mentioned Miami’s American Airlines Arena but also said he could see the organization staying on campus and returning to the BankUnited Center. Kimbo vs. Shamrock: EliteXC broadcasters mentioned a possible Slice vs. Ken Shamrock fight. Was it pure speculation or a calculated plug? It’s hard to tell. Regardless, though, Shamrock — who recently signed a multi-fight deal with EliteXC — will first battle Robert Berry at a March 8 Cage Rage/EliteXC show in London. Injured Silva: Silva confirmed after the fight that he had suffered a torn MCL two weeks before the fight. He felt that it hindered his performance at Saturday’s event. All-Star Posse: Preliminary-card fighter Rafael Feijao had perhaps the most star-studded corner of any fighter at Saturday’s event. UFC middleweight champion Anderson Silva and interim heavyweight champ Antonio Nogueira Rodrigo were in his corner leading Feijao to victory. After the fight, both Silva and Nogueira spent nearly an hour walking through the stands to sign autographs and pose for photographs. Still Undefeated: Slice (2-0), Brett Rogers (8-0), Yosmany Cabezas (5-0), Dave Herman (10-0), Lorenzo Borgameo (3-0) and Moyses Gabin (2-0) all kept their undefeated streaks alive. Upcoming MMA Movie Release: Previews for the upcoming MMA-themed movie “Never Back Down†were played on the big screens throughout Saturday’s event. The movie, set to hit theaters March 14, is about a rebellious teen who’s lured into an underground fight club, where he finds a mentor in an MMA veteran. The movie’s star, Sean Faris, was in attendance at Saturday’s show, and MMAjunkie.com spent some time talking to him about the project and his fascination with MMA. We’ll have an interview with the Faris — who’s a true MMA fan — posted later this week. (The movie co-stars Djimon Hounsou, who was nominated for an Oscar for his role in “Blood Diamond.â€) TFK
