Elite XC & CBS television held a press conference in Los Angeles today to promote their upcoming May 31st mixed martial arts program, entitled "Saturday Night Fights". This will mark the first time in the history of the sport that it will be on major network television for free. Unless you've had cable or paid bi-monthly pay-per-view fees, you haven't see MMA on TV until now. The exposure to potentially millions of new viewers is what the top organizations have been waiting years for. A primetime slot on CBS of 9-11 pm ET/PT is set for MMA to take over the world, once and for all. And Elite XC are the ones doing it.
I had the pleasure of attending today's event, and what an honor it was to be there. The overall excitement and energy in the room was undeniable. Workout demonstrations were given by Gina Carano and Kimbo Slice. Jake Shields and Nick Diaz displayed submissions, techniques and the general rules that apply in an MMA match, MC'd by none other than MMA legend Frank Shamrock. Some of the main event fighters on the card then fielded questions from the press alongside head honcho Gary Shaw.
In addition to this being the first time MMA is on a major network channel, it will also mark the first time that a women's fight will be featured on a main card on TV. That in itself is history. I had the opportunity to chat with Gina Carano (5-0) who will be taking on Kaitlin Young (4-1). In my opinion, this may wind up being the fight that everyone talks about come Sunday morning. I personally view it as a milestone for women in any profession and Gina's got my vote any day of the week. She was extremely sweet and gracious and realizes what an opportunity this is, not only for herself, but all women in this sport. Amen to that.
The middleweight title match-up between former UFC vets Robbie Lawler & Scott Smith is sure to have the crowd on their feet. Both fighters can brawl and put on a great show.
Phil "NYBA" Baroni, one of my all time personal faves, will take on Joey Villasenor. Baroni's hilarious comments throughout the Q&A panel kept the media & press rolling with laughter. Regarding the fight, Phil's exact words to me were "I'm ready. I'm gonna knock his ass out."
Then there's the main event. Kimbo Slice aka Kevin Ferguson vs James Thompson in a heavyweight bout of gigantic proportions. Kimbo is the man of the moment, and an Internet phenomenon known for his street fights. Will he be MMA's next superstar? Will a presence on major network television propel mixed martial arts into the stratosphere? Are the 2012 Olympics in MMA's future? Gary Shaw would like to think so. Here we go. On May 31st, the world will know about mixed martial arts. Get ready.
(pic) Nick Diaz, Jake Shields, Scott "hands of steel" Smith, Kimbo Slice, Shaw, Gina Carano, Phil Baroni, and "Ruthless" Robbie Lawler.
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