May 31: EliteXC on CBS

[Mik 0]

All over MMAJunkie and Five Ounces of Pain right now.

 

Official announcement tomorrow.

 

Live MMA on network broadcast TV and it's NOT the UFC! Dana must be flipping the fuck out now.

 

I'll bet the farm that they sign Tito now.

[Hawkius Maximus 0]

This is easily the biggest news to North American MMA since UFC signed with Spike.

 

Elite XC just became a serious threat to UFC. Their already built for just TV, and they have Kimbo Slice who is becoming one of the most known names in MMA. The Elite XC shows are generally almost always well put together and fun to watch as well.

 

Kimbo Slice vs. some known heavyweight on the first CBS broadcast would probably do a pretty massive rating for a prime time MMA special. CBS wouldn't be getting into this without a plan to push it as well.

 

UFC should be very, very worried.

[Lei Tong 0]

You think that it would be in Elite XC's best interest to have Kimbo anchor their network TV shows?

 

...really?

[Lt. Al Giardello 0]

You think that it would be in Elite XC's best interest to have Kimbo anchor their network TV shows?

 

...really?

 

He generates the most interest, and name value... So why not? They want ratings, and Kimbo gives it to them.

[Guest frostdude1]

Kimbo is a huge name now and is probably the most well known among casual people who don't follow MMA. Trust me !!

 

This is a very good deal for them and I can see UFC finally signing with NBC soon

[NoCalMike 0]

Well all indications/rumors point to Kimbo Slice vs. Ken Shamrock if Shamrock wins his upcoming fight for Elite XC. Now, for the MMA hardcore fan, the match is a little bit fluffy because Shamrock really has no business taking heavyweight punches to the face anymore, let alone even fighting after all the punishment he has taken over the years, and then Kimbo Slice will has his second fight in a row where he beats down a "big name" that was over the hill and possibly going through the motions for a pay day.........but............

 

To the casual MMA fans, Kimbo Slice vs. Ken Shamrock on CBS would be motherfucking huge!!!

 

This is great news for the world of MMA.

 

EDIT: Oh, and it's not like Elite XC doesn't have a pretty fucking good roster of fighters to display. Add that to getting nationalized television exposure.....WOW.

[RavishingRickRudo 0]

Kimbo won't draw them 5 million viewers. No one outside Tito Ortiz, Ken Shamrock, Chuck Liddell and perhaps Randy Couture can make that kind of impact. The Showtime show drew, what, 500,000 viewers? Premium cable or not, it doesn't indicate drawing the kind of rating CBS would be looking for in that slot.

 

Good to have Dana get a humbling here, though. His constantly playing hardball, my-way-or-the-highway, is getting annoying.

[Lei Tong 0]

You think that it would be in Elite XC's best interest to have Kimbo anchor their network TV shows?

 

...really?

 

He generates the most interest, and name value... So why not? They want ratings, and Kimbo gives it to them.

 

His name value right now is directly proportional to how much he can get fed scrubs to look good against. After Shamrock, where does he go? Fans care about Kimbo jacking up names like Tank & Shamrock; not so much guys like "Warpath." When he beats Ken, fans are going to expect to see someone worth putting on TV against Kimbo, and it's likely to be someone who'll expose him for his inexperience. If so, Kimbo gets embarassed. If not, then EliteXC simply looks as ridiculous as they have already, only on a much larger scale.

 

Also, while EliteXC has some legitmately talented fighters, they simply don't have enough at this point to make interesting fights for any extended period of time outside of the middleweight division. And much like with Kimbo, their current crop of seemingly pre-annointed standard bearers are quite the fragile bunch. Outside of Shields (who luckily is fighting guys flawed enough to end fights before he stink up the place), most of their favorites have been embarassed or exposed to some extent relatively recently. What happens when another slugger touches Silva or Noons up, or Daley gets guillotined yet again?

 

I'll admit that maybe it's just me, but I fail to see who jumps out from thier current roster that'll keep people interested past a brief novelty period.

[RavishingRickRudo 0]

Kimbo vs. Bob Sapp~!

[Lei Tong 0]

No one has cared about Bob Sapp stateside since they waited for his Real Sports segment to end.

[RavishingRickRudo 0]

But he's big and he's black. Like Kimbo! Don't you see how that would be awesome? Don't you know anything?!

[RavishingRickRudo 0]

I am interested in seeing how EXC and CBS have agreed on sharing advertising revenue. Since EXC is not an established name, I dunno how advertisers would flock to the product.

[Mik 0]

I'll admit that maybe it's just me, but I fail to see who jumps out from thier current roster that'll keep people interested past a brief novelty period.

 

That's a good point and is probably the case, but what this TV deal does is send a lot more available free agents to EliteXC then it would have before.

 

Kimbo vs. Shamrock can headline the first card and that would be fine. I honestly believe that would do a pretty good rating if they hyped it correctly.

 

By the 3rd or 4th card you could be looking at a Tito Ortiz vs. Frank Shamrock main event that would also pop a big rating. By then it's a 6-8 months from now and alot about the MMA landscape could be different.

 

As Rudo said, this also humbles Dana and could force him into being an actual business man again instead of a bully. It could also land UFC on TV within a few months. It's great news.

[NoCalMike 0]

Well plus it's not like the majority of fighters in the UFC are making this huge outrageous paycheck.

[Mik 0]

This has been all over ESPN all day. The only fighter mentioned was of course Kimbo.

[Lei Tong 0]

Rumour is Paul Daley is retiring after his next fight.

 

My guess is that he didn't want to be molested by a decent grappler on national TV.

[NoCalMike 0]

So far.....

 

CBS EliteXC Saturday Night Fights

Saturday, May 31, 9 p.m. ET, CBS

 

Kevin "Kimbo Slice" Ferguson vs. TBA

EliteXC Mwt. Title: Robbie Lawler vs. Scott Smith

Gina Carano vs. TBA

Phil Baroni vs. Murilo Rua

Brett Rogers vs. Jon Murphy

 

EDIT by Mik: Kimbo Slice's opponent is mostly likely James Thompson

[Youth N Asia 0]

Time to see Baroni get that .500 winning % he's been edging towards the last couple of years.

[NoCalMike 0]

Here is the updated card and a head-to-head matchup...

 

http://www.sportsline.com/mmaboxing/headtohead/cbs_exc_53108

 

Interesting that James Thompson gets the bout against Kimbo Slice, yet the last guy to beat Thompson is also on the card fighting someone else.

[Lord of The Curry 0]

I really want to pick up one of those Che Guevera shirts with Kimbo on it.

[Lord of The Curry 0]

[Hawkius Maximus 0]

Lawler/Smith soundsl ike a good fight given how Smith's looked recently, as well for Lawler.

 

Kimbo/Thompson is no buys unless they find a way to sell the HELL out of Kimbo. It's also somewhat of a dangerous fight because Thompson just lost, and he does have power. He's not good, but if he catches Kimbo he could dim his lights.

 

I should add. I saw an ad for this during BIG BROTHER last night. They've already begun the advertising with over a month to go before the show. If Elite would have put something with more impact then Kimbo/Thompson, this could have made a KILLING. As it is, it's a crapshoot.

[Dr. Zoidberg 0]

Didn't Elite XC start in San Jose? Just curious.

 

Anyway, Kimbo Slice vs. James Thompson will be fun to watch, just to see Kimbo get schooled. Keep in mind, I know nothing about Thompson, but i've seen Kimbo fight. Not much there.

 

 

Also, Where the shit is Cung Le? He beats Frank, then...nothing? I could see him being one of their top draws, even though I don't want him to be.

 

 

Rick, is Mandy saying "Go Chuck"?

[Mik 0]

James Thompson is probably not going to beat Kimbo and Cung Le fights for Strikeforce, not EliteXC.

 

Either way, the Shamrock fight was close enough to now that he wouldn't be on this card either way.

[Dr. Zoidberg 0]

Strikeforce? Wait...

 

Ohhhh, I get it. I'm dumb.

 

I always thought the shows name was "Elite XC: Strikeforce"

 

Well...Never mind then.

[Mik 0]

Yeah - it was a co-promoted event.

[Lord of The Curry 0]

Didn't Elite XC start in San Jose? Just curious.

 

Anyway, Kimbo Slice vs. James Thompson will be fun to watch, just to see Kimbo get schooled. Keep in mind, I know nothing about Thompson, but i've seen Kimbo fight. Not much there.

 

 

Also, Where the shit is Cung Le? He beats Frank, then...nothing? I could see him being one of their top draws, even though I don't want him to be.

 

 

Rick, is Mandy saying "Go Chuck"?

 

I really dig how you flat-out admit you know nothing about Thompson but still assume Kimbo is getting schooled. That's a unique type of silly.

[Dr. Zoidberg 0]

I just don't like Kimbo.

 

Well, i don't like him anymore.

[Lord of The Curry 0]

Ah. I see. Clearly you you were a fan of Indie Kimbo when he was all about the street. Now he's sold out to the man.

 

I can already see the writing on the wall with people crying "Thompson got paid to take a dive" when in reality it's more "Jamesy has a glass jaw and has no ground game".

[Dr. Zoidberg 0]

I'm a fan of anything Indie, really.

 

Morrissey became more popular? I hate him now.

 

And I have no doubt it'll be a good-ish fight, but a dude can speculate, right?

 

and what movie is your avatar from?