Three title fights and an appearance from native son Nick Diaz (Pictures) were not enough to transform EliteXC’s sophomore effort on CBS into a profitable business venture.

Anchored by a middleweight title rematch between champion Robbie Lawler (Pictures) and UFC veteran Scott Smith (Pictures), EliteXC “Unfinished Business” drew an official crowd of 6,518 to the Stockton Arena in Stockton, Calif., on July 26. However, the promotion managed to sell less than half (3,701) of the 8,541 available seats at the venue, as 2,817 tickets were given away and 2,023 more went unsold or unclaimed. The result was a paltry gate return of just 268,715 dollars, according to a report released Wednesday by the California State Athletic Commission.

Lawler stopped Smith on second-round strikes in the featured bout, as he retained the EliteXC middleweight crown with his eighth victory in 10 fights. The two battled to a no contest in May after an accidental eye poke from Lawler left Smith unable to continue and ended their match prematurely. This time, the finish was decisive.

In addition to Lawler’s successful title defense, Jake Shields (Pictures) captured the vacant EliteXC welterweight championship, as he submitted Nick Thompson (Pictures) with a guillotine choke in just 61 seconds. The 29-year-old has won 10 consecutive fights and entrenched himself among the world’s premier 170-pound fighters.

Diaz, meanwhile, thrilled his hometown fans, as he battered King of the Cage veteran Thomas Denny (Pictures) en route to a second-round stoppage. The victory, Diaz’s third straight, kept the controversial Californian on track for a potential rematch with EliteXC lightweight titleholder K.J. Noons.

Still, none of the action translated to success at the box office for EliteXC. To worsen matters for the promotion, Spike TV’s replay of UFC 84 -- which aired in the same timeslot -- bested “Unfinished Business” in the coveted 18- to 34-year-old male demographic.

According to a release from Spike TV, the taped UFC 84 “Ill Will” telecast outdrew the live EliteXC show by a 433,000 to 341,000 margin among men, ages 18 to 34. “Ill Will” -- which originated from Las Vegas in May -- featured the hyped lightweight championship showdown between rivals B.J. Penn (Pictures) and Sean Sherk (Pictures), along with what may have been former light heavyweight champion Tito Ortiz (Pictures)’s final appearance inside the Octagon.