Wallid Ismail sues Pro-Elite Inc -'EliteXC'

Posted by Marvin Smith

Sat Jan 13, 2007 6:51 pm

Wallid Ismail

New York, January 12-- Wallid Ismail, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Champion, and Mixed Martial Arts World Champion, known and respected around the world for being the first person to defeat three members of the legendary Gracie family, the first family of Mixed Martial Arts, has filed a lawsuit in Federal Court, Newark, New Jersey against the promoters of Pro-Elite Inc -'EliteXC'- whose mixed martial arts event is scheduled to be shown on SHOWTIME on February 10, 2007. Ismail claims that Pro-Elite raised $10,000,000 and secured the ShowTime event based on his efforts and reputation, with an event known as 'Jungle Fight Championship' and then 'squeezed him out'. He is claiming, in part, an ownership interest in Pro-Elite. The defendants include DOUGLAS DELUCA, a co-executive producer for ABC’s high profile, late- night vehicle, ‘JIMMY KIMMEL LIVE’, CURT BRENDLINGER, a television executive, whose clients have included NBC Sports, Chrysler Motors, Anheuser-Busch and the Los Angeles Times, DAVID MARSHAL, a co-founder of Youbet.com, Inc. (NASDAQ:UBET), the largest legal online gaming company in the U.S. and ERIC PULIER, a member of SANTA MONICA CAPITAL PARTNERS, the company that helped put the private placement together. GARY SHAW, a member of Pro-Elite was not named as a defendant but is mentioned in the complaint as is SHOWTIME. Ismail’s lawyer ROBERT HANTMAN, who just returned from California where he was taking the deposition of STEVEN SEAGAL, says that he and his client are prepared to resolve the case in the court room not the ring.

Robert J. Hantman, Esq.
Hantman & Associates
Member N.Y., N.J., FL., and PA. Bars

http://www.hantmanlaw.com