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SAN JOSE, Calif. — A showdown between hard hitting middleweights (185 lb. limit) Scott “Hands of Steel” Smith (13-5) and Terry Martin (18-5) has been added to Strikeforce “Destruction,” the star-studded mixed martial arts (MMA) fight card that will unfold at San Jose’s HP Pavilion on Friday, November 21st.

“This is one of the those matchups where there’s no chance it won’t be a great fight,” said the 29-year-old Smith, a Sacramento native who has been eager to return to the cage since his loss to Robbie Lawler in the main event of the live CBS televised MMA fight card on July 26th.

“A fight like Terry Martin – ever since I’ve watched him fight, I always thought he’d be an exciting fight for me. I like taking on guys that bring it and like to fight.”

Despite the short notice he was given for the meeting with Martin, Smith claims he will enter the fight in better condition that he did for the meeting with Lawler as he had already been preparing for a bout on November 8th that was subsequently canceled.

“My teammates said you got to stick in there and be ready to fight at any time and that’s what I did. I think fighting two weeks later is better for me and is perfect timing.”

Smith has become distinguished in the sport of MMA for his undying commitment to becoming a complete fighter with superior skills in all ranges of combat. His devotion is perhaps best exemplified through the five hours he spends on the road, three times each week, in order to train with one of the world’s top Muay Thai kickboxing trainers, Ganyao Fairtex, who is based out of San Francisco.

It is the kickboxing skills he has nurtured under Fairtex for the last three years that Smith believes will be critical to his success against Martin.

“He’s a better boxer and I’m a better kickboxer,” said Smith. “I want to keep the fight standing. I know he likes to stand and bang so it’s looking to be a slugfest.”

While Smith is looking to rebound from a defeat, the heavy handed Martin is seeking his second straight win. The 28-year-old made a splash debut with Strikeforce by scoring a one punch knockout on rising star Cory “The One” Devela during the promotion’s second event at the world-famous Playboy Mansion in Beverly Hills on September 20th.

“Cory Devela was a tough guy and he fought a good fight. I just wanted to show people that I’ve got knockout power in both my hands,” said Martin. “I’m looking to come out and bang in this fight, too.”

Martin is a testament to human fortitude and one’s ability to overcome a troublesome past. A former gang member, he survived five gunshot wounds that nearly took his life at age 15 on the streets of his native Chicago, Illinois, and has since earned a bachelor’s degree from Northern Illinois University and pursued a dual career in professional boxing and MMA. He is on his way to receiving a master’s degree in psychology.

“When I was in the hospital recovering, I was around people who were shot in the same places as me, but who couldn’t walk or who lost their limbs as a result of what happened,” explained Martin of what drove him to make such drastic changes in his life. “Some of them even passed away. That really made me think twice and start hanging out in a different environment.”

Martin’s determination and spirit caught the eye of another Chicago-based MMA champion in “Mr. International” Shonie Carter while Martin was wrestling competitively for his soon-to-be alma mater. Carter introduced Martin to the local MMA scene and, soon after, a new career was born.

Amongst the notches under Martin’s belt are wins over top contenders Chael Sonnen, Ivan Salaverry, and Jorge Rivera.

“Fighting has always been a part of me. I come from a fightin’ family,” said Martin. “You have to be aggressive to make it in MMA. I’m aggressive and agile and I think I have a very entertaining style.”

Tickets for Strikeforce “Destruction,” priced from $30, are on sale at the HP Pavilion box office (408-287-7070) as well as at all Ticketmaster locations (408-998-TIXS), Ticketmaster online (www.ticketmaster.com), and on Strikeforce’s official website (www.strikeforce.com).

World Muay Thai Champion Duane “Bang” Ludwig (17-8) will face fellow star Yves Edwards (34-14-1) at a catch weight of 164 lbs.

Strikeforce World Light Heavyweight (205 lb. limit) Champion, Bobby Southworth (9-5), will put his title on the line against top-ranked superstar, Renato “Babalu” Sobral (30-7).

Kim Couture (0-1), wife of mixed martial arts (MMA) legend Randy “The Natural” Couture, will make her Strikeforce debut against Lina Kvokov (0-1) in a 130 lb. limit contest.

Joe “Diesel” Riggs (28-11) will make his return to the welterweight (170 lb. limit) division in a featured contest with Gracie Jiu-Jitsu Black Belt, Luke Stewart (6-1).

K-1 Dream veteran, Darren Uyenoyama (4-2), will return to action before his hometown fans when he meets Brad Royster (1-1).

HP Pavilion doors will open at 5:30 p.m. for Strikeforce “Destruction” and the first preliminary bout will begin at 6 p.m. The main card will commence at 7:30 p.m.

The live HDNet telecast of Strikeforce “Destruction” will begin at 10 p.m. EST (7 p.m. PST).

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In lieu of Strikeforce lightweight champion Josh Thomson being forced off of the promotion’s planned “Destuction” event on Nov. 21 due to injury, a main event featuring middleweights Scott Smith and Terry Martin has been installed as the card’s new main event. The news is according to a report by Ron Kruck that aired during Friday’s [...]

Former EliteXC middleweight contender Scott “Hands of Steel” Smith was set to face Cuban Judo Olympian Hector “Shango” Lombard at Elite XC “Night of Champions” on November 8 live on Showtime from the Reno Events Center in Reno, Nevada.

It was supposed to be the last event for Elite XC in 2008 … and it was shaping up to be perhaps the promotion’s best offering to date. Two world title fights were on the line, including a 185-pound showdown between division champion Robbie Lawler and Joey Villasenor and a 160-pound dream match up between Nick Diaz and Eddie Alvarez for the vacant lightweight crown.

Smith had trained hard and was prepared to make the most of the opportunity, until a late night phone call changed his career forever.

“I was hearing rumors and I actually got a call from a guy that works for the UFC and he was like ‘Hey, what’s going on?’ and I was like I don’t know, you probably know more than I do. Then my manager called and said it was pretty much a done deal.”

Little more than two weeks after its biggest star, Kimbo Slice, lost in just 14 seconds to replacement journeyman Seth Petruzelli in front of 4.5 million people on CBS, Elite XC was forced to close its doors forever.

“When I saw Kimbo lose (to Seth Petruzelli) I thought oh this isn’t good for EliteXC, they’ve got all their eggs in one basket. Then when I saw the controversy I knew it was just a matter of time at that point. We were kind of hoping for the November card just to get one last payday but everybody knew it was inevitable, it was just a matter of when.”

That payday was one that not only Smith, but hundreds of other EliteXC employees were probably counting on. What made it even more difficult for Smith was the timing of the collapse. The closer he got to ‘Night of Champions,’ the more hopeful he became about the event still taking place.

“I’ve been in camp for over eight weeks and I’ve been pushing myself hard. It’s one thing if [it happens] two months out from a fight, but two weeks? It’s devastating. Even if I lost, worst case scenario, (including sponsorship money) I would still be out close to $40,000. Until all the paperwork and everything is done I’m not going to be cleared to fight somewhere else before the end of the year. It’s close to the holidays, I got a mortgage to pay, I’ve got two kids, it’s tough.”

The company dug a deep $60 million hole of which it was never able to climb out. Obviously, no money — investors who were supposed to keep the company alive at least until the end of the year never materialized — equals no events, especially when there’s not even a pay-per-view (PPV) deal to fall back on.

“It was purely financial.” Smith explains. “They had to have funding by a certain time, I believe it was Sunday or Monday night. If they didn’t get that funding the next day they were filing for bankruptcy. Everybody pretty much knew they weren’t going to get the funding. Supposedly CBS backed out because of the controversy with the [Petruzelli] fight, they were going to buy the company, but I personally think it was because of the whole Kimbo thing. He’s not nearly as marketable now that he got exposed. I think they’re using the controversy as an excuse. I talked to Showtime and they invested too much money in EliteXC and they had to draw the line and this was the line and they couldn’t put another penny into it.”

In the end, the talent was there near the top … it just wasn’t enough to compensate for all the other shortcomings and struggles that upstart mixed martial arts promotions face attempting to get off the ground.

Especially one that builds a promotion around a fighter that has never been tested against real competition - something that Smith believes was their downfall from the beginning.

“[Kimbo] was getting a lot of attention. He was definitely worth fighting and putting on cards and promoting, but they were getting too much away from the Robbie Lawlers and the Jake Shields of the company and just focusing too much on Kimbo. I’ve remained friends with a lot of people from the UFC and they were really upset about [the Kimbo push] calling it a joke. All I can do is support the company I’m working for and hope for the best. I do like Kimbo as a person, he’s a great guy. I have no problem with them promoting Kimbo and building him up because he does have potential to be a great fighter but it was [too much, too soon].”

For a company that was plagued with rumors of poor decision making and gross mishandling by its executives, Smith defends the EliteXC management’s handling of the fiasco, specifically by Head of Fight Operations Jeremy Lappen.

“Jeremy Lappen actually called me last night. He was very professional, very nice. He apologized for having to cancel the card and I kind of felt bad for the guy, that’s a tough phone call to make. (Lappen) said they even offered for upper management not to get a paycheck for this fight to try to make (the November card) happen. I consider Jeremy a friend and I really appreciated that phone call, it was very professional of him.”

Despite the financial loss, the sudden end and subsequent unemployment hasn’t soured Smith on his experience under the Pro Elite banner. In fact, Smith considers his tenure with EliteXC to be one of the best of his career.

“I’m happy I did it. Everybody from EliteXC treated me great, they took care of me, they paid me well - better than what I was getting at the UFC. I got great exposure, gained some great sponsorship including Affliction which I would have never gotten had I stayed in the UFC. Even how things turned out, I would do the same thing again. I made more money in 2008 then I made - ever.”

With the experience behind him, Smith must now concentrate on an uncertain future. While he has been approached by smaller organizations who are interested in his services, Smith still has to wait for the paperwork to be sorted out.

In the interim, he’s optimistic that one of the bigger promotions will be ready and waiting for him when that time finally comes.

“The hard thing is I just don’t know what’s going to happen. All I can do is keep training. And if I’ve ever said anything bad about Strikeforce or the UFC or Affliction, I take it all back. I love all those guys!”

For more on Scott Smith and the demise of EliteXC, check out his interview on MMAmania’s exclusive presentation of Pro MMA Radio by clicking here.

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WEC featherweight Leonard Garcia and former EliteXC middleweight Scott Smith will be tonight’s guests on MMAmania.com’s exclusive presentation of Pro MMA Radio airing at 9pm ET.

The “Bad Boy” talks about his number one contender fight with mixed martial arts legend Jens Pulver at WEC 36 on November 5th. He’ll also discuss his move to 145, current featherweight champion Urijah Faber, training with the guys at Team Jackson and the truth behind his arrest earlier this year in Texas.

Also on tap is former EliteXC Main Event fighter Scott Smith as he gives us the inside scoop on the demise of his former employer, the effect it had on the fighters and what the future now holds for “Hands of Steel”.

Hosted by Larry Pepe, Pro MMA Radio is professional, guest-driven program that features some of mixed martial arts biggest names.

If you’re looking for a radio show that revolves around a couple of MMA fans ranting and raving about everything that’s already been covered ad nauseam, then Pro MMA Radio probably isn’t for you.

However, if you want to hear from actual fighters and industry insiders answering questions that are relevant to the current MMA scene, tune in every Monday night at 9pm ET for our exclusive live feed.

See you tonight!

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EliteXC has announced it’s next card dubbed “A Night Of Champions” on Nov. 8 from Reno, Nevada. The main card will be televised on Showtime.

While this card lacks star power, it features one of the better main cards EliteXC has ever put on. Bringing in tough fighters like Alvarez, Lombard and Kaufman, EliteXC looks to build to its current stable of fighters.

Main Card

Robbie Lawler (16-4) vs. Joey Villasenor (26-6) [T]
Nick Diaz (18-7) vs. Eddie Alvarez (15-1) [T]
Rafael “Feijao” Cavalcante (7-1) vs. TBA
Scott Smith (13-5) vs. Hector Lombard (17-2-1)
Kaitlin Young (4-2) vs. Sarah Kaufman (7-0)

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Former middleweight number one contender Scott “Hands of Steel” Smith (13-5) and Cuban Judo Olympian Hector “Shango” Lombard (17-2-1) will soon duke it out the Reno Events Center in Reno, Nevada, adding another exciting bout to the main card of Elite XC’s November 8 Showtime event.

Smith has been busy over the past few months feuding with division champion Robbie Lawler. The two competed against one another in the “Fight of the Night” during the debut for Elite XC on CBS back in May before having the bout ruled a no contest in the third round after and inadvertent eye poke.

The rematch went down two months later during the second CBS event. This time, however, Lawler proved to be too much for the challenger, handing him a second round technical knockout with some vicious body kicks and strikes.

Smith’s road back to a title shot will not begin with an easy fight — Lombard is a highly touted prospect with a solid mixed martial arts resume.

“Shango” — the reigning Cage Fighting Championships (CFC) middleweight title holder — will be making his debut for the promotion after inking a deal nearly six months ago. He captured the CFC belt with a unanimous decision win over Jean Francois Lenogue last November and has successfully defended his strap three times this year.

His last loss was in 2006 at Pride: “Bushido 13″ against the 2008 DREAM Middleweight Grand Prix winner Gegard Mousasi. ince that time, he’s put together a streak of 11 straight bouts without a defeat.

November 8 will mark his debut fight on United States soil.

The event will be headlined by a middleweight championship match between Lawler and number one contender Joey Villasenor. The vacant company lightweight title will also be decided in Reno when Nick Diaz and Eddie Alvarez clash in the co-main event.

The action will be aired live on the premium cable channel Showtime beginning at 10 p.m. ET.

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Robbie Lawler: $90,000 (which included a $45,000 win bonus)
def. Scott Smith: $14,000

Nick Diaz: $60,000 (no win bonus)
def. Thomas Denny: $8,500

Jake Shields: $45,000 ($10,000 win bonus)
def. Nick Thompson: $25,000

Cristiane Cyborg: $6,000 ($3,000 win bonus)
def. Shayna Baszler: $8,000

Antonio Silva: $200,000 ($100,000 win bonus)
def. Justin Eilers: $20,000

Rafael “Feijao” Cavalcante: $20,000 ($10,000 win bonus)
def. Travis Galbraith: $5,000

Wilson Reis: $5,000 ($2,500 win bonus)
def. Bryan Caraway: $2,000

Anthony Ruiz: $5,001 ($3,00O win bonus)
def. Jeremy Freitag: $2,5000

David Douglas: $4,000 ($1,500 win bonus)
def. Marlon Matias: $2,500

Carl Seumanutafa: $4,000 ($2,000 win bonus)
def. Mike Cook: $2000

Drew Montgomery: $3,000 ($1,500 win bonus)
def. Brandon Tarn: $2,000

Total Payout: $533,501

All reported payouts don’t include deductions for insurance, licenses, gym dues, management commissions, and taxes. They also don’t reflect fighter sponsorships, signing bonuses and sometimes PPV percentages.

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Robbie Lawler vs Scott Smith - EliteXC Video
[See post to watch Flash video]

Scott “Hands of Steel” Smith might have to change his nickname.

According to Dave Carmichael of the Carmichael Dave Show on KHTK in Sacramento, Calif., Smith broke one of his hands in the first round against Elite XC Middleweight Champion “Ruthless” Robbie Lawler this past Saturday during the Elite XC: “Unfinished Business” main event.

Smith seemed to fight much more tentatively in that second round. It was a drastic departure from the almost reckless, caution-to-the-wind strategy he used in the first fight and through most of the first round of this rematch.

He said after the fight that he was waiting on referee Herb Dean to stop the action to check on the gash on top of Lawler’s head. His exact words were that he was, “waiting for someone else to end the fight.”

Perhaps Smith did feel like the blood pouring from Lawler’s skull was going to be enough to get a doctor stoppage eventually, but with hindsight being 20/20, maybe a broken hand was more to blame for Smith’s cautious approach.

Either way, Lawler took advantage of an inactive Scott Smith by turning up the aggression and ending the fight himself before the cut on his head ever became a factor. And in the process he put an end to the Robbie Lawler and Scott Smith saga … for now.

There’s no word on how long this injury will keep him out of action, but broken hands aren’t exactly rare in this sport. He is reportedly scheduled to have surgery on Wednesday.

Last night was the second installment of EliteXC on CBS and it proved to be a good showing for the EliteXC brand. Every fight was exciting, every fight had a finish, they crowned two new champions, and one champion defended his title for the first time. Who knows how the show will be received by [...]