The BankAtlantic Center in Sunrise, Florida seats about 20,000 people, and EliteXC says it's expecting a full house on October 4 when local boy Kimbo Slice comes home to fight Ken Shamrock.However, EliteXC head of fight operations Jeremy Lappen acknowledges that to fill the house, some tickets will probably need to be given away.
"Ticket sales are going well," Lappen told me today. "Tickets are really starting to move. They've been going very well ever since we announced the Kimbo vs. Shamrock fight. We should have a full house. There are tickets available but they are going fast."
Filling a 20,000-seat arena would be impressive, especially considering that Affliction had reportedly sold fewer than 1,000 tickets when it decided to cancel its October 11 show in Las Vegas.
But is filling a 20,000-seat arena a realistic goal? EliteXC sold only 3,701 tickets at the Stockton Arena in July, and the May 31 show at the Prudential Center in Newark drew 8,033 fans. When I asked Lappen whether the show will be a sellout, he said, "I think it will be full. I don't know whether it will be 100 percent sold out."
So some tickets will be given away. But if they can get anywhere close to a capacity crowd at the BankAtlantic Center, that would be a major accomplishment for EliteXC, and a testament to the drawing power of Kimbo Slice in his home town.
Get the latest gear
