Alessio, Daley may be next in line to fight Shields

The Elite XC welterweight division solidified its first champion last weekend as Jake Shields finally earned his shot and eventually a title win over Nick Thompson. Now with Shields firmly in place as champion, the promotion will look to find top contenders for the new welterweight title-holder.

One fighter who may be able to earn a shot is former Ultimate Fighting Championship and World Extreme Cagefighting veteran, John Alessio, who signed on with Elite XC as confirmed to MMAWeekly.com by Vice President Jared Shaw on Tuesday.

Alessio is 5-2 in his last seven fights and has earned a reputation as one of the toughest match-ups in the 170-pound weight class. The Xtreme Couture fighter should make his debut within a few months according to Shaw.

"Look for John (Alessio) to make his Elite XC debut sometime early fall, September, October," Shaw stated.

Another top contender in the welterweight division is British heavy hitter, Paul "Semtex" Daley, who has been rumored for the upcoming Sept. 20 Showtime card.

Daley stated previously in an interview with MMAWeekly Radio that he was offered the winner of Shields vs. Thompson, but wanted to get another fight in before taking that type of match-up.

Regardless, Shaw informed MMAWeekly.com that both Alessio and Daley could be considered for a shot at Shields' newly won title.