Held near star fighter Kimbo Slice's hometown of Miami, the event was designed to give the wildly popular viral video street-fighter legitimacy as a martial artist by matching him up against a well-known talent in Ken Shamrock.
The Florida state athletic commission instantly investigated the company for match fixing: while the allegations were unproven, it effectively doomed ProElite's reputation as a legitimate promoter.
Rumors immediately began circulating that ProElite was targeted as a strategic acquisition by either the UFC or an unidentified third party investor wishing to enter the MMA promotional space.
[6] The group confirmed their intention to return to promoting mixed martial arts with former ICON owner T. Jay Thompson and former Strikeforce matchmaker Rich Chou brought on board to run the show.
As the company was established the man who initially had the idea to launch ProElite, Wallid Ismail, was pressured to have signed out all of his rights, with the other stakeholders gaining complete control over the startup.