OPEN MEDIA WORKOUT QUOTES: ROBBIE LAWLER & SCOTT SMITH, JAKE SHIELDS AND DOUGLAS DELUCA

Posted on | July 10, 2008 | No Comments

Tuesday, July 8, 2008,
Ultimate Training Center, Roseville, Calif.

“Ruthless” Robbie Lawler of St. Louis will defend the EliteXC middleweight title against Scott “Hands of Steel” Smith of Sacramento in the main event on the second primetime broadcast of CBS ELITEXC SATURDAY NIGHT FIGHTS on Saturday, July 26, (9 p.m.-11 p.m. ET/PT).

In a second world title fight, Jake Shields of San Francisco and Nick “The Goat” Thompson of Minneapolis will collide for the vacant EliteXC 170-pound belt.

Stockton’s Nick Diaz will face Thomas “Wildman’’ Denny of Victorville, Calif., in a lightweight match and Shayna “The Queen Of Spades” Baszler of Sioux Falls, S.D., will take on Brazil’s undefeated Cristiane Cyborg in a women’s fight at 140 pounds at the Stockton Arena in Stockton, Calif.

Tickets start at $35 and can be purchased at the Stockton Arena Box Office (Tuesday-Friday, 10 a.m.-6 p.m.) and Saturday (noon-4 p.m.), by phone at (209) 373-1700 and (866) 373-7088 (toll free) or online at www.stocktontickets.com.

The event is presented by Los Angeles-based ProElite, Inc.’s live fight division, EliteXC. Doors open at 2:30 p.m. PT. The first live fight is at 3:15.

Preceding the two-hour, four-fight broadcast on the CBS Television Network will be a three-fight, one-hour telecast live on SHOWTIME (8 p.m. ET/PT).

In the main event, Antonio “Big Foot” Silva will face Justin Eilers for the EliteXC heavyweight crown. In other SHOWTIME fights, promising Wilson Reis will meet Brian Caraway at 140 pounds and talented Rafael Feijao will be opposed by an opponent to be determined in a light heavyweight fight.

DOUGLAS DELUCA, EXECUTIVE CHAIRMAN, PROELITE, INC.

“No doubt about it: Stockton is a great MMA city. In Scott Smith, Jake Shields and, of course, Nick Diaz, we have three local world-class fighters on the card. The Stockton Arena is virtually brand new.

So, picking the city of Stockton for our next CBS show was virtually a no-brainer.

“Everybody is truly excited about July 26. This will be an unbelievably great night of MMA action – on two networks, SHOWTIME and CBS. I think we did a good job of introducing newer fans to the sport of mixed martial arts on May 31 on CBS.

“But I think those in attendance and viewers watching on television are going to maybe get a different side of mixed martial arts this time around. We were pleased with our first CBS venture on May 31 and all of us are ready for round two.”

ROBBIE LAWLER

“Everybody that knows me knows that I take each fight one at a time. This is just another fight for me.

“I watched our first fight one time right after I got back home from New Jersey, but I haven’t watched it since. This is going to be another great fight. We both go out and give our best. My game plan is to adapt. I don’t try to picture what is going to happen inside the cage.

“The fact we have fought each other won’t lend any advantages to either of us. I love to fight and I am looking forward to fighting and defending the title on July 26 in Stockton on CBS.”

SCOTT SMITH

“It’s really exciting to be fighting so close to home. I have friends and family that will be coming in four greyhound buses. It was set up by a bar in Elk Grove. It costs $20 round trip to watch me fight

“I always have a core of friends at my fights. I had 16 in New Jersey and 12 in Miami, but never anything like this.

“I am really looking forward to fighting Lawler again. I look back at our first fight and all the things I did wrong and that alone has given me more confidence. I know I can fight better than I did last time. My head movement was terrible and I got hit way too much.

“I expected Lawler to come out more aggressively but he fought a very intelligent fight. I’m known as a slow starter and he wound up taking me apart in the first round. I had a bad game plan and he took advantage.

“Each fight gets more and more exciting for me. The fact that I am on CBS again is totally awesome. I learned a lot in my first fight and I am very confident I will win. Then, maybe we can fight a third time.

“Health wise, I am 100 percent. There’s no question in my mind that I could have continued our first fight.’’

JAKE SHIELDS

“I feel really good and have been working very hard for a long time. The fact that my title shot is finally here is as good as it can get for me. Being on CBS only makes it that much more exciting. This fight card will give all of us a lot of exposure.

“I respect Nick. He is definitely a tough fighter, but I have fought a lot of tough guys throughout my career. We’re both on nice winning streaks, but one has to end and I don’t plan on it being my mine.

“This is my first fight in nine months, which is the second longest layoff in my career. (But) I am totally healthy. The lower back injury that kept my out of training for three months is fine. I am raring to go.

“The Stockton Arena is a great place for fights and it will be exciting for me to fight in front of so many friends and family, who will be making the trip down from San Francisco.”

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