According to Sherdog.com, Drew Fickett’s whirlwind ride under the EliteXC banner will soon come to an end. Representatives from the organization said that they plan on releasing the 28 year old from his contract due to relationship strains.

However, when one door closes, another opens up and Fickett is in negotiations with Affliction for a welterweight fight with IFL stand out Jay Hieron at "Day of Reckoning" in October. Hieron has verbally accepted the bout which would take place at the Thomas & Mack Center in Vegas.

While Fickett and his manager have multiple offers on their plate, Affliction is "at the top of their list" according to Alexander Oxendine, Drew’s manager from 2 A-T Media.

The past year has been a crazy one for Fickett and his career with EliteXC never really seemed to get off the ground. Two title fights with EliteXC welterweight champ Jake Shields never saw the light of day, plagued by injuries on both sides of the table.

That didn’t stop the ground wiz from competing though even if it was on a smaller stage. Fickett has already participated in four events this year, coming out victorious in three of them. He has won six of his last seven fights finishing five of them with his patented submissions.

His manager says that Fickett is ready to get serious about his future.

“He’s ready to move forward and handle himself professionally,” says Oxendine of Fickett’s last few months. “He wants to take his fighting career seriously and to the next level.”

Jay Hieron, like Horodecki, got picked up by Affliction this month and will make his debut on October 11th. Affliction beat out offers from the UFC, EliteXC and Strikeforce to secure a three-fight deal with the welterweight last Friday. His one-year contract is non-exclusive which will allow him to fight for another promotion if need be.

Hieron made a name for himself in the former IFL, rising through the ranks to be crowned champion in December of 07. He was only able to defend his title once before the struggling promotion finally went under.