A few months back, fans were arguing over what the UFC should do with the Middleweight division's talent pool and how they could give Anderson Silva a challenge. Robbie Lawler happened to be a name that was popping up in the minds of fans everywhere, and unfortunately for those fans wanting to see a return of Lawler to the UFC's middleweight division, they'll have to wait a bit longer. Lawler, along with Kimbo Slice and Gina Carano, were all signed to long-term, multi-fight contracts with EliteXC that was announced in a press release Monday evening.

Lawler will take on Scott Smith in one of the higher quality matchups during the May 31st CBS/EliteXC card while Kimbo Slice will take on James “Glass Joe” Thompson in the main event. Gina Carano is scheduled to battle Hook N' Shoot champion Kaitlin Young, and judging by the looks of Young, EliteXC is trying to build up a battle between young and sexy female fighters to attract some viewers. In any case, all three signings are essential for EliteXC to continue on the course they are currently traveling on.

That course is taking EliteXC to new heights, heights that have solidified its standing at the #2 promotion in the North American market. Kimbo Slice has the most star power behind him at the moment. He has a strong connection to the casual fanbase through his already established Internet fame as well as having a fighting style that appeals to many of the casual fans in the 18-34 demographic. Lawler has a similar style, and he is one of the best fighters out there who tends to avoid the ground and go for the knockout.

Carano's star appeal can't be denied, and it's only been added to by her appearance on American Gladiators. EliteXC could not have been more happy when signing a network deal while having one of their stars on another network primetime show.

EliteXC has a bright future if the CBS shows can produce some good ratings. Carano, Slice, and Lawler will all be big pieces of the puzzle for the next year. Look for all three to be featured extensively.

I won’t be as critical of Kevin Iole at Yahoo! Sports as many other writers have been in the past, but I’ve wholeheartedly agreed with nearly every single posting I’ve seen on Iole from time to time. He’s been blamed for being a troll in the UFC’s hype machine, a “nuthugger”, and teacher’s pet to Dana White, and for the most part, his writing on the UFC would definitely lead me to believe those claims. People also state he isn’t a real MMA fan or historian, and the list goes on at the number of insults I’ve heard in regular conversation with hardcore MMA fans. I don’t mind his writing, and I’m by far not the best writer in the blogosphere or in any sphere, but I can critique one opinion that he mentions in his mailbag regarding the CBS/EliteXC fight in May:

Question: I feel EliteXC is doing MMA a huge disservice by putting Kimbo Slice as the main event on such an important card. I am a huge Kimbo fan but, lets face it, he is still more of a spectacle at this point in his MMA career. Why not legitimize our sport by featuring a championship bout between two thriving middleweights, Robbie Lawler and Scott Smith? Both men have appeared on UFC cards in the past, both are legitimate MMA fighters, and both appear to be just as marketable to the general public as Kimbo. What’s your take?

Iole: I don’t have a problem putting Kimbo on the card, but I find it horrible he’s in the main event against James Thompson. How CBS would accept Thompson as the opponent in a main event is beyond me. The guy has lost two in a row and six of his last eight. It’s a disgrace that a guy with a record like that would be put into a main event of such a significant card in the sport’s history.

I find it unbelievably ignorant that Iole can’t see why James Thompson is fighting Kimbo Slice as the main event on this card. Yeah, it’s a crap fight to have as a main event when you think of it in terms of quality, but in terms of entertainment, Kimbo Slice is guaranteed to “tee off” on James Thompson’s world famous weak chin. Even if we look at the opposite outcome, James Thompson isn’t going in the cage to submit Kimbo via heel hook or gogoplata. He’ll also be looking for the big knockout. Thompson is also known for his exciting opening round charges that have grabbed the attention of fans everywhere.

Sure, Smith vs. Lawler is the quality matchup we as hardcore fans all want to see, but there is one concept here that many writers are ignorant when analyzing the fanbase. The fanbase isn’t you. If you are writing about MMA on a daily basis, the majority of fans out there have nowhere near the knowledge that you have when talking about these fights. Do you want to see the fanbase that EliteXC is trying to pull in?

Go to a bar on a Friday night in a college town. Sure, fans will watch the fights and likely see a great fight between Smith and Lawler, but if Kimbo flatlines Thompson in the opening :30 seconds of the fight, those same fans sitting at that bar will be talking about that fight the next day and maybe even the next month.

Entertainment will grab viewers’ attention, and a fantastic knockout by Kimbo Slice will only up his drawing power and captivate casual fans to want to see him again. I’m not sure how people don’t “get it”.

According to the San Diego Union-Tribune and Adam Swift at MMAPayout.com, KJ Noons reportedly turned down an offer that would have gave him a fight on one of the CBS/EliteXC shows, and also locked him in for an additional three fights with the promotion. Mark Dion, Brandon Vera’s infamous agent, was behind the news, and I think it’s safe to say that this could possibly be one of the worst moves I’ve seen in recent memory when it comes to the business side of a fighter’s potential selling abilities.

Mulling over the pros and cons of this situation led me to one story of a college band that I once saw frequently and became very good friends with while I was into the bar scene. They were young, in high demand, and very good at producing jam band type music early in their careers, but made a run at creating high quality radio friendly popular rock music as they matured through the years. In fact, they were offered record deals three different times and even as recently as last year as they near their mid-30’s.

Unfortunately for their band, the idea of getting the perfect deal was their crutch. As we’ve all heard through the years, record deals aren’t exactly the friendliest contracts in business. They usually lock bands into creating records that contain songs from their catalog of writers, or they lock bands into lengthy five to six album deals with crappy kickbacks to the band. Of course, this all depends on the success of the band as well. The more successful, the better the money is coming in for the band members to fund their lavish lifestyles.

There’s one thing that they forgot along the way. Getting your foot in the door could have led to much bigger successes down the road. Instead of waiting and waiting, they could have taken a deal early in their career and been exposed by the media machine behind a record company, but instead elected to hold out. Now, they are on the verge of being disbanded and moving on with their lives.

In my mind, KJ Noons is in a similar situation except he’s locking himself into a much shorter contract that say a lengthy five to six album record deal that could span a decade. He’s being offered a chance to have national exposure in the United States on a national network, being paid for it, and only having to take on an additional three fights? It doesn’t make sense, especially considering Noons could potentially fight three more times this year.

Another problem with the situation is that Noons is being offered this chance early in his career. He’s a converted boxer who does have some weaknesses in his game. Specifically, his ground game hasn’t been tested extensively, and his chin isn’t exactly the strongest in the promotion in his weight class. Beating Nick Diaz may have been a great victory, but being crushed by Charles “Krazy Horse” Bennett couldn’t have felt great. Take the deal while you can, Noons… get your foot in the door and win those big fights on a national stage. It’ll give you more opportunities down the road.

News from the forefront of negotiations between Fedor Emelianenko and the number of suitors in the sweepstakes to obtain the PRIDE Heavyweight champion has been limited to this update from Adam Swift at MMAPayout.com:

The never ending story that is the Fedor Emelianenko sweepstakes continues after the collapse of M-1 Global with no end in sight. EliteXC reportedly made a four fight, seven figure offer, however, the sides appear to be far a part on terms with Gary Shaw's statement that Fedor wants $2 million per fight. The UFC is also reportedly interested, but the two sides remained far apart last year despite prolong negotiations.

The deal between Fedor and EliteXC was reportedly between $350,000 - $500,000 per fight with an added pay-per-view bonus that was likely based on buys according to MMAjunkie.com. Fedor was said to have been wanting at least $2 million dollars per fight, which sparked a lot of criticism throughout the MMA community as to who could actually afford such a high salary for a fighter who is an unproven PPV draw. Both sides are believed to still be talking, but I'm very hesitant to think that ProElite can pull this off.

First and foremost, Fedor's pay-per-view potential is minimal at best right now. The only thing that ProElite will be able to offer is a fight on network television with the CBS deal to get Fedor media exposure. If he can garner a casual following and have an impressive win, could he see big PPV numbers? Doubtful. Fighters like Liddell and Couture have created huge numbers due to their long withstanding exposure to the fanbase over time and having a track record of great battles over their careers.  Hardcore fans may see Fedor as having those qualities, but not in front of the much larger American casual fanbase.

Secondly, two million dollars per fight is steep for any promotion in the business and drastically hurts the bottom line once an event has taken place. The UFC is really the only promotion out there that could take such a hit from their revenues and still come out on top. ProElite would literally sink their event into the red by giving Fedor that much cash per fight.

Will we see Fedor in the States anytime soon? Unless he sees some drastic changes in the offers he is getting, I'm very pessimistic in his chances of coming to a U.S. Based MMA promotion. The biggest problem is that Fedor and his management don't realize that he can only be paid what promotions are willing to give him. I imagine they may be playing the whole “offer and counter offer” game right now to see where that level is. If that's the case, it could very well be a matter of time before we see Fedor in the UFC or EliteXC.

The big question for tomorrow will revolve around the former UFC Heavyweight champion Tim Sylvia. Sylvia, who stated in the past that he was displeased with the amount of money that Brock Lesnar was getting from the UFC, will make an official announcement tomorrow according to his blog post, and the news will be featured on tomorrow night's Inside MMA show on HDNet. With the news coming, the rumors are flying around as to where Tim Sylvia may end up after Friday's announcement. Let's go through the list:

1. EliteXC:  I'm more inclined to believe that Sylvia is moving to the promotion that can give him more exposure to a national audience. Sure, Sylvia has been a boring fighter in the UFC, but that was against top competition in the world. Against EliteXC's potentially lackluster talent pool, Sylvia could be a big problem for their list of heavyweights. He could also line himself up with a shot at Fedor if EliteXC can manage to actually sign him.

Since Tim Sylvia wants more money, EliteXC could be the way to go if they happen to have the finances to move forward. Most fans believe that EliteXC is banking everything on the CBS deal, but the fact is that one successful event could lead to huge things. A big name sponsor could step in, and fighters will receive more money for their own sponsors. That's exactly where Sylvia can make his money.

2. Golden Boy: I've grown tired of hearing what Golden Boy could supposedly do for the sport. There isn't enough talent out there right now for the promotion to make a splash in the sport. I don't see Sylvia going there, and there are even doubts as to whether the promotion will even take off now.

3. M-1 Global (American Division): MMAonTap seems to think that this may be a possibility, and some fans have emailed me regarding the probability of Sylvia going with his agent, Monte Cox. To be perfectly honest, Sylvia should only consider this if M-1 Global plans to still work with events such as EliteXC, Strikeforce, and other promotions. He can maintain a working contract in M-1 Global for the events that they are still planning, and then move to fighting some big name battles on CBS in EliteXC under the M-1 Global name.

4. UFC: The UFC is always in the running, and it could be that the UFC has simply given him the contract that he desired. According to the Fight Network, that isn't the case, and he will be moving away from the UFC.

5. DREAM/WVR: Highly doubtful. His drawing power remains in the American market, so I imagine he'll look for the higher payouts here.

Where will Tim Sylvia end up? I imagine he will either sign with EliteXC outright or move to sign with M-1 Global's new American promotion with Monte as a non-exclusive fighter. Either way, he's going to probably going to be making an appearance on CBS, and he could be more exciting while fighter the lesser competition in those promotions. Will Tim Sylvia make a big mistake in signing with a promotion like M-1 Global that may end up going under by the end of the year, or will EliteXC's recent rise to network television convince Sylvia to sign with ProElite? Both promotions could ultimately die out, and where would Sylvia be then? It's a huge decision that we'll find out tomorrow.

As I was browsing through the rumor mill this afternoon, I couldn’t help but notice another possible acquisition by what is now becoming one of the biggest mixed martial arts promotions in the world. According to a report at MMAonTap.com, Canada’s Hardcore Fighting Championships is potentially on the verge of being bought out by an unnamed suitor. Of course, it looks like the news was spoiled as to who that unnamed suitor was in a quote by HCF’s CEO Keith Crawford:

“This announcement is the culmination of 10 years of hard work in combative sports, and I couldn’t be more excited,” Crawford said in the report. “What it’s going to do, I feel, is to put us right at number two with everybody else. Obviously the UFC is number one, and I believe that Elite XC, Strikeforce and ourselves are going to be number two when we make the announcement as to who has purchased us.”

John Chandler over at MMAonTap.com stated that he thought it was likely to be ProElite after the quote from Crawford. I couldn’t agree more. It definitely sounds like HCF will be under the ProElite umbrella of mixed martial arts promotions. This undertaking by ProElite raised some serious thoughts about the state of mixed martial arts in general from a fan’s perspective, even without the purchase of Hardcore Fighting Championships.

Unlike other promotions that have entered the market, ProElite’s concept was much different. Their aim wasn’t to create a structure from the ground up, but to purchase promotions that were already operating in different parts of the world. Cage Rage, ICON Sport, and King of the Cage have all been bought by ProElite, and Hardcore Fighting Championships looks to be the new addition. They have a presence in England, Hawaii, and in smaller shows throughout the United States along with a new addition in Canada if the HCF deal goes through. In a much smaller capacity, they have moved into the same areas as the UFC with an added bonus of having personnel in those promotions that know how to market the area, work with area fighters, and sell the events. It seems to be working rather well.

Fans should love ProElite’s progress

Personally, ProElite has filled my weekends with MMA action that would otherwise be tough to see. From EliteXC and ShoXC to Cage Rage in England to Icon Sport in Hawaii to the occasional Brazilian action such as Fury Fighting Championships and even the ADCC Grappling Championships, ProElite has provided the hardcore fans and the casual fanbase who is looking to see more action on the Internet with more and more events that we normally would never be privy to seeing on such a regular basis.

I have to tip my hat to them for their efforts. Sure, we have to deal with some poor production values and some terribly mismatched battles from time to time, but that’s the deal with every promotion in this sport. Money is to be made, and as a fan along for the ride, you have to love the fact that our intake of MMA action has increased dramatically because of ProElite.

Nokaut.com is reporting today that EliteXC has offered Fedor Emelianenko a four-fight deal over 18 months that could see the PRIDE Heavyweight champion moving to the U.S. promotion to be featured on CBS in their upcoming broadcasts.

According to Nokaut, Fedor's first two bouts would be exclusively featured on CBS, and the last two fights would be pushed to pay-per-view, a first in EliteXC's existence. It's undetermined whether pay-per-view means on Showtime, or if EliteXC will be using an actual PPV provider, but it does make for some interesting theories as to who EliteXC will throw at "The Last Emperor" in his last two bouts.

The big question here is whether or not this is a good move for Fedor Emelianenko. Is he actually looking to up his stake in the American market? Some would say that it really doesn't matter considering the purses he is likely collecting in Japan for fighting freak shows. Others would say that Fedor wants to prove himself in the States, and what better way to gain fame with the massive exposure that CBS can provide.

I would love to think that Fedor wants to eventually just throw money aside and fight mixed martial arts to really prove that he is the best in the world, but I don't believe that's the case. The UFC has the best talent right now, but it also stands to lose a lot of talent this year. Arlovski, Sylvia, and Couture could all potentially be gone by the end of the year. Where will they go? EliteXC may have the dollars to begin a massive undertaking in populating their Heavyweight division with these big names. Add in some great ratings, and we suddenly have a promotion with recognizable fighters on a national TV network. It could also provide Fedor with a proving ground to all his critics that isn't in the UFC's controlling contract structure.

Could this be a good move for Fedor? Yes, it definitely could work out for everyone. Fedor has likely received a lucrative offer from EliteXC that also has the added incentive of huge exposure in the American market on CBS. The pay-per-views will likely gain buys from the exposure, and I'm sure Fedor's deal will work in a cut in revenues. Fedor's cash flow increases, his exposure to the American market increases, and the outlook for EliteXC's heavyweight division increases with his presence. Couture will likely want to pursue a fight with Fedor, and we could see other heavyweights make the exodus from the UFC to a newly empowered EliteXC on network television.

Keep an eye on this story, it could get very interesting.

For the most part, the MMA fanbase is split into two distinct groups: the casual fans and the hardcore fans. Hardcore fans generally have interest in all things mixed martial arts, wake up at 4 AM on a Saturday morning to catch a Japanese event, and follow the smaller events from Shooto and Cage Force to Ring of Combat or the IFL. The list is endless of promotions and events that hardcore fans have access to on any given day of any week. For casual fans, mainstream television is their haven for action. The UFC comes to them on SpikeTV, and now... EliteXC will come to them on CBS.

There is one distinct difference that many of us as hardcore fans have noticed when comparing ourselves to casual fans. The casual fanbase is usually interested in the brawlers, the knockout artists, the fighters who recklessly go out there to put their opponent in an unconscious state as quickly as possible. Hardcore fans, on the other hand, can appreciate the grappling, the jiu-jitsu, the ground game chess matches that can happen during a fight while also loving the standup wars between top echelon fighters.

EliteXC looks to be taking a page out of both fanbases by scheduling EliteXC Middleweight Champion “Ruthless” Robbie Lawler against The Ultimate Fighter Season 4 contestant Scott Smith. Both fighters have unbelievable power in their hands, and it should provide a spectacular ending for fans tuning in for EliteXC's CBS debut. Although this is only the first confirmed matchup of the event, we can likely see more “Cage Rage like” matchups in which strikers take the main stage. After all, the casual fanbase is still a bigger audience to attract.

Adding to the appeal of the matchup will be the name recognition of both Lawler and Smith to people who have been watching the UFC over the years. Both fighters saw some great action in the UFC, and EliteXC will be looking to cash in on their names. Of course, the event is looking to have a grand opening event with big numbers, so that would mean the appearance of Kimbo Slice and possibly Gina Carano.

The rumors have been flying as of late as to who Kimbo Slice will ultimately face on the card. If anyone has seen Kimbo's infamous Internet brawls on Youtube, Sean Gannon could potentially be the next in line for a shot at Kimbo. Gannon is the only fighter in Kimbo's extensive backyard brawls that successfully defeated Kimbo. Other names being thrown around are Ken Shamrock, Don Frye, and Ricco Rodriguez. Shamrock's name has recently dropped off the map after being decimated by a lesser talented Robert Berry in Cage Rage, and Frye recently dropped out of his fight with Oleg Taktarov in the new YAMMA Pit Fighting promotion. The rumor mill has been churning over the potential of Frye's pullout being because of a possible bout with Kimbo Slice.

Kimbo vs. Frye is interesting for a number of reasons. Frye is a straight puncher with some solid power, but would likely lack the chin to take any number of devastating shots from Kimbo. He's the perfect man to take a beating from Kimbo that will increase his stake with casual fans as Frye's name is recognizable to fans who have been following the sport over the years. Shamrock is somewhat in the same boat, and most casual fans are ignorant to the rumblings in the British MMA scene. His most recent fight would likely be shoved under the rug. Rodriguez is the most intriguing fight for hardcore fans as Ricco does have the skill to defeat Kimbo on the ground fairly easily.

Undoubtedly, EliteXC will want Kimbo up against a brawler, so get ready for some big news in the coming weeks regarding Kimbo's opponent. It will likely be a man with a name that he can easily punch through to produce a big win and continue to become the promotion's poster boy.

Carano will most assuredly appear on the event's card as well. She is well known to American Gladiator watchers, and not only has her exposure increased, but her searches on every single search engine on the Internet have increased because of the show. The show also did some solid ratings which have led to another season being produced. Carano's sex appeal could add an extra element to the ratings that the event could grab.

EliteXC won't want to risk Carano losing, so my long shot bet for an opponent is Aysen Berik, the newcomer to women's MMA who is beautiful to look at, but a novice in the sport. What more could EliteXC want? Two beautiful women battling it out on national television that both have sex appeal, and it's almost a guaranteed win for Carano. Sure, the hardcore fans want to see her step up in competition, but will we see her possibly against Shayna Baszler next? It's a much better matchup, and it will give Carano a bit of a test.

Overall, EliteXC has the potential to create some matchups that will appeal to the much larger casual fanbase. Hardcore fans will likely tune in as well, and I will be the first to admit that I would love to see Smith vs. Lawler in the main event. Although it won't last long, it should be a fantastic standup war. MMA could actually get a boost... from Kimbo and EliteXC of all sources.

In the past weeks, the mixed martial arts industry has gone from being sidelined by the other professional sports and mass marketed television dramas to a front runner in potentially filling a slot on a major network television channel. ProElite, the parent company of EliteXC, inked a deal with CBS to broadcast up to four two-hour events during the first year of the agreement, and will have rights to annual renewal options if the “pilot year” goes well. Other developments include the right to order derivative programs based on the events such as reality shows. Adam Swift at MMAPayout.com has more details here.

The big question that will be focused on as this deal begins to materialize into a product is whether or not the entire deal will succeed or fail. Will ProElite hurt the odds of mixed martial arts promotions everywhere by throwing together a bad product for network television? Can ProElite somehow pull it together and produce a show that will have entertainment value, appeal, and excitement that will produce ratings? Let's focus on the key factors that ProElite needs to concentrate on to make this deal work for everyone in the industry.

Profits and risk

All business revolves around the potential profits that both CBS and ProElite can make on the deal. While CBS representatives have remained ironclad on their remarks that the deal is a license rights fee for ProElite, the general feeling throughout the MMA community is that ProElite is putting more money on the line than CBS is willing to admit. Regardless, ProElite has some new revenue streams to consider.

The immediate revenue source will be advertising dollars. ProElite will have a time slot on a major network television network which can give existing MMA-related companies some much needed national exposure that could equal higher profits. Undoubtedly, the money it will require to advertise during these events on CBS will be much higher than an advertising spot on HDNet or on a UFC pay-per-view.

The bigger picture is the ratings war between what CBS feels is feasible ratings to continue the deal. If ProElite can manage to put up some solid numbers in the ratings department, we could see more shows, more advertising dollars, new sponsors, and higher fighter pay. It also has the potential to launch new shows for ProElite on CBS such as a reality series.

Adam Swift had an interesting article that also adds to the possible benefits. According to his article, a top agent in the industry stated that fighters' sponsorship revenue could increase. Specifically, the advertising on fighter's shorts could increase from 3k-10k on a non-main card to 7.5k-15k on a CBS event. Top fighters could receive over 50k. Swift's assessment is that this could give ProElite a big advantage in attracting free agent talent, and I couldn't agree more. Fighters like Tito Ortiz will undoubtedly be jumping at the chance to make those dollars on advertising and opening themselves up to a much larger audience.

With all the potential comes a lot of risk for ProElite. Mixed martial arts as a sport is riding on ProElite's shoulders in the race to determine whether it has value on major network television. Without a doubt, other networks will look at this experiment by CBS as “industry research”. If successful, it could open the doors for other promotions and networks to work out deals.

It could also become the antonym of success. ProElite's ratings could be terrible, sponsors may not see the worth, and advertising revenue will drop with a failing time slot. With all the risk that's involved in this deal and money that ProElite could lose for themselves and their investors, there is another piece to the puzzle that favors ProElite. What do they have to lose? They aren't the number one promotion in mixed martial arts, but they do have a small percentage of the MMA fanbase interested in their promotion. They have some star power, mid-echelon talent, and upcoming talent that they have been bringing along slowly. Should they risk their #2 status in the United States market at the potential to explode onto the national scene? The rewards outweigh the risks not only for ProElite, but for the sport as a whole. Success could equal more network exposure, higher sponsor pay, higher fighter salaries, better production, and a better chance at seeing the best fight the best in the long run.

The sport of mixed martial arts has been growing for years. Fans met with each other at local events to watch local talent square off against each other in cages in the early days of the sport. Nowadays, we have access to televised events on various channels and can purchase pay-per-view events that feature event cards full of great fighters pitted against one another. The accessibility just got a whole lot easier for the masses.

CBS officially announced that they have partnered with ProElite to provide 4 mixed martial arts shows per year in a multi-year deal. All of the shows will have the moniker of the EliteXC brand. It’s a big day for mixed martial arts as a whole, but will EliteXC represent the sport in the best possible manner?

Many people are frustrated and peeved about EliteXC’s sudden rise to the spotlight. Poor production, terrible DJ music over introductions, stripper dancers, and overall bad commentary has made EliteXC the armpit of the MMA community for quite some time. The only real plus has been the matchups and excitement that they have provided for fans, and it has propelled them to being one of the significant players in the North American market, but still well below the UFC’s level.

One of the most concerning problems is how MMA will be perceived by the viewing public. For years, the sport has tried to stay away from the stereotype that is a street brawling, no holds barred bar fight of a sport. Many of the promotions try to stick to a more professional attitude in which safety is of a concern. For the most part, this has been the case in mixed martial arts. The UFC has been one of the most professional organizations in the sport, and many of the other promotions have followed suit. What happens when new fans watching this on CBS suddenly see guys like Kimbo Slice or frequently jailed Charles Bennett all over television? I think the stereotype that MMA fighters are ruthless felons could get attached. Hopefully it won’t.

Felony fighters and some tacky DJ hip-hop music with stripper dancers isn’t exactly how I want to see MMA portrayed as a sport. The UFC is completely opposite of this model and is doing the best business in the market. Can CBS turn the tide of EliteXC and can the crappy music and strippers? It depends on how they really think they can attract the demographic, the same demographic that SpikeTV aims at. Do young men like strippers? Yes. Do young men like rap? Depends on the guy.

Will CBS be conservative and stick with a professional look of the show? I hope they decide to do so. It would do MMA so much more if the sport could enter the mainstream as a professional sport, and not just a spectacle.