The Albuquerque Journal newspaper has a brief mention of Joey Villasenor, specifically his current state of unemployment caused by the demise of EliteXC:

With the demise of mixed martial arts promotional firm Elite X-C, Albuquerque MMA fighter Joey Villasenor is without a home.

Elite X-C filed for bankruptcy last Monday. Villasenor (26-6), an original Elite X-C contract fighter who fought under its banner five times, was to have challenged champion Robbie Lawler for that organization’s middleweight title in Reno, Nev., on Nov. 8.

Now, said Mike Winkeljohn, Villasenor’s standup coach, “He’s unemployed. His manager is making phone calls, I guess like everybody else in Elite right now, and just seeing who’s gonna pick him up.

“We don’t know yet if it’s gonna be Affliction or UFC. Everything’s up in the air right now.”

Tough break for Villasenor, who was to co-headline the EliteXC show in Reno in November against Robbie Lawler. For what its worth, THE SAVAGE SCIENCE would love to see Affliction pick up Villasenor. He’s just a tough, hardworking pro who can bang. He’d be a good addition to the UFC as well but he might get lost on their fighter roster–though a Villasenor/Anderson Silva matchup could be interesting. Villasenor is tall for his weight at 6′0 and wouldn’t be at quite the height disadvantage that most middleweights are against “The Spider”. And while Silva has never been knocked out, Villasenor would definitely test his chin. Plus you know he’d be well prepared for the fight as he trains at Greg Jackson’s gym in Albuquerque with guys you may have heard of–Keith Jardine, Nate Marquardt, GSP, Rashad Evans. In fact, the more we think about it the more intriguing a Villasenor/Silva matchup becomes. Assuming that the UFC isn’t going to deviate from their “script” and recognize the many talented middleweights in Japan and elsewhere, they’ll need a credible opponent for “The Spider”. Hopefully Cote’s injury isn’t serious and we’ll see a rematch soon but knee injuries like the one he suffered seldom end up being “best case scenario”. Villasenor also has the promotional upside of being of Mexican decent in a sport where Latinos are underrepresented, particularly in comparison to boxing. The UFC has been vocal about wanting to develop their sport among Mexican-Americans and in Latin and Central America. Not sure what the current status of Roger Huerta is with the company, but Villasenor would be another great fighter to help develop the sport in these new markets.

Anyway, Villasenor is one of the EliteXC fighters who won’t be out of work for long. Definitely an asset for any promotion that signs him…

Joey Villasenor waits for his next move @ Albuquerque Journal