Saturday night we all got to witness what some people are calling a "shocking upset." Was it really that shocking? I guess that's the main question. To most of the hardcore fans that have been clamoring for Kimbo to fight some legitimate competition, their claims had been justified. To the casual MMA fan that thought Kimbo was "the baddest man on the planet," they got a rude awakening and were abruptly introduced to the fact that this is MMA, and anything can happen.

First off, I think we should give Kimbo a little bit of a break here. I mean, he's done nothing but respect the sport and fight anyone that they've put in front of him. He's been humble in victory and, on Saturday night, in defeat. He's a work in progress, and most of us already knew that he wasn't going to be a real threat in this sport. He's too old, and doesn't come from any kind of traditional background. He wasn't a high school or college wrestler, he wasn't a boxer or muay thai specialist, and he certainly wasn't a jui-jitsu phenom. He was a street fighter, plain and simple. And, street fighting can only get you so far when you're faced with an experienced mixed-martial-artist.   

Contrary to popular belief, I really don't think this hurts Kimbo's appeal. People will still pay to see him knock over-the-hill veterans out. He still has the "it" factor, and will still garner interest from fans on his past, not on the present and future. It's similar to fighters like Sakaraba, Shamrock, and to some extent, Tito Ortiz. They certainly aren't the fighters they used to be, but people will still pay to see them fight, and see what kind of crazy antics take place in the meantime. 

So where does EliteXC go from here? Do they hype up Petruzelli, a light heavyweight who took a heavyweight fight on short notice? Do we still get to see Ken Shamrock fight Kimbo Slice, which I think is the next logical career step for Kimbo? Do we see a rematch of Petruzelli and Slice? What do you guys think? 

EliteXC’s inaugural event on CBS paid off big time. According to the numbers posted at MMAPayout.com, Kimbo Slice vs. James Thompson garnered a viewership of 6.51 million people while Smith vs. Lawler hit 5.53 million and Carano vs. Young moved into 5th all-time at 4.68 million. Only Jackson vs. Henderson (5.93m) and Ortiz vs. Shamrock III (5.89m) were behind Kimbo and above both Smith and Young on the list:

1. Kimbo Slice v. James Thompson - 6.51 million
2. Quinton Jackson v. Dan Henderson - 5.93 million
3. Tito Ortiz v. Ken Shamrock III - 5.89 million
4. Robbie Lawler v. Scott Smith - 5.53 million
5. Gina Carano v. Kaitlin Young - 4.68 million

Note: I'm going to assume this is North America only. Akebono vs. Sapp had ridiculous ratings in Japan:

1. Akebono vs. Sapp: 42.5 rating, 54 million viewers
2. Masato vs. Kid Yamamoto: 31.5 rating
3. Lebanner vs. Sapp: 28.6 rating
4. Ologun vs. Abidi: 28.1 rating
5. Kaneko vs. Bennett: 27.7 rating
6. Rulon Gardner vs. Yoshida: 25.9 rating
7. Ologun vs. Akebono: 25.8 rating
8. Yoshida vs. Ogawa: 25.5 rating
9. Sakuraba vs. Akiyama: 25.0 rating
10. Kid Yamamoto vs. Majoros: 25.0 rating

Source: Dave Meltzer at Yahoo! Sports... here

To be perfectly honest, it disappoints me that Kimbo Slice is the most viewed fight ever in the sport of mixed martial arts especially when we had so many great fights in PRIDE and in the UFC. However, I understand why the three CBS fights moved into the top 5. It’s all about marketing and exposure and Kimbo Slice has had marketing from EliteXC, CBS, and the Internet surrounding him as well as all the media attention he has received. Gina Carano used American Gladiators and her overall sex appeal to grab up the male demographic. One fight on that card was able to produce numbers by simply being in between the two stars, Robbie Lawler vs. Scott Smith.

Not only was Smith vs. Lawler a great battle of two punchers, but it also could have potentially been EliteXC’s Griffin vs. Bonnar. Unfortunately, it was stopped prematurely via an unintentional eye poke. The surprising aspect to the numbers in relation to the fight is that it still outdid Carano vs. Young, signaling that people were intrigued by the sport enough to stick around and watch Smith vs. Lawler before Kimbo’s battle. That’s at least a plus in the eyes of some fans.

There is a hope that we will see even bigger numbers and a better production and that’s the UFC. While these numbers are impressive for fans, they could turn some heads at the other networks looking for something new for casual fans to latch onto. Can the UFC get a suitor from the potential ratings it could produce in competing with EliteXC on CBS?

I don’t see why not. WEC produced over a million viewers on a network that is basically a part of a sports package on most cable providers. The production was better, had much more exciting fights (Torres vs. Maeda alone was enough), and provided some good commentary. UFC events are ran much the same, and highlight even bigger stars in the MMA world. If the UFC can push a marketing campaign that would amp those fights up before every event with the Countdown shows and media coverage, there is no reason why the UFC couldn’t surpass those numbers by a large amount. Their most desirable trait is that most people see MMA as the UFC, and most casual fans recognize the UFC as being the top dog.

Let’s hope that Kimbo vs. Thompson doesn’t remain the most viewed fight ever. It wasn’t a great fight, and it would have been unbelievable had we seen Pulver vs. Faber or Torres vs. Maeda in the primetime spotlight.

I’ve refrained from commenting on Kimbo Slice’s main event tussle with James Thompson for the mere fact that I had a premonition as to the absurd comments that other writers would begin making when it came to who likes Kimbo and who doesn’t. It seems that the blogosphere is beginning to become what many Chicago radio personalities and opinion-editorial columnists call “a haven for absolute crap rumors and analysis”. While I think my analysis has been fairly accurate over the years and it shows in my betting account, I do take offense to the assumption that hardcore fans are outraged that Kimbo will be representing MMA in this new era of network television.

Reading posts day in and day out and reading Wetzel’s rant about how Kimbo isn’t good for MMA right now, I’ve come to the conclusion that I really don’t care what happens with Kimbo Slice in the long run. Analyzing the current landscape of MMA, it continues to grow, but will stalemate without some type of progression in how it is perceived by the general public. Moving to network television is a step in helping others accept it as a legitimate sport. We can go through the numbers: deaths are lower, more skills are used, safety is first, and the list goes on and on for hours. The fact of the matter is that Kimbo Slice isn’t going to kill MMA’s chances of growth. Eventually, the UFC will make its way to network and put on a show in a more professional manner with some of the best fighters in the world at their trade.

While I’m not discounting the CBS and EliteXC can pull off that kind of show, I will say that I’m skeptical. However, I’m not going to bitch and moan about the main event between Kimbo Slice and James Thompson. People are writing long posts about how Kimbo Slice is horrible for this sport because of his appearance, his attitude, how he has had a low amount of fights, and how he hasn’t fought a single competitive fighter. Here’s a scenario…

CBS comes to you, asks if you’d like to buy some time on Primetime television, and you jump at the chance to get your promotion major coverage. At the time, Kimbo Slice just knocked out Tank Abbott and grabbed the largest gate ever for the promotion. What are you going to do? Go with your hottest product at the time coupled with other hot products (Gina Carano). Many fans act like they don’t understand why Kimbo is the main event, but it’s obvious. It's so obvious that it's unbelievable that we have hundreds of articles littering the blogosphere that can't believe it!

Don’t be ignorant. That’s the lesson. Hardcore fans really don’t care what happens with Kimbo Slice. He will either win and continue to cruise until he fights someone legitimate, or he’ll lose and fade into the black. Either way, what does it matter to those of us who’ve followed this sport for so long? Why should I be bitter that Kimbo made a splash into the sport without really paying his dues by fighting competitive competition? It isn’t his record that gets him a paycheck; it’s his legacy on the Internet, his drawing power, and his style of fighting.

His fate will be determined in the coming year. Hardcore fans watch tons of MMA every year, and we see more than our fair share of spectacle fights. Japan is great for a plethora of spectacle fights that are there to sell events. This is no surprise to us. The sport could be damaged, but it won’t die, and it’ll always have a solid drawing in the United States, especially for the UFC.

BloodyElbow writer Collin Welsh writes:

Hardcore fans dislike his quick rise to main event status, don't trust his skill outside of hitting hard, and firmly believe that he will fight over hyped tomato can after tomato can. Time will only tell if this will be true or not, but for now appreciate his story. MMA hasn't ever had a story like this or a character with such universal superstar potential. So sit back ,relax, and  enjoy the fight. People like Kimbo Slice don't come around too often.

Actually, I don’t dislike Kimbo for his rise to main event status. I understand the business, and I’m not going to dislike the guy because Gary Shaw felt he had the most drawing power. It’s absurd to believe fans as knowledgeable about the sport and about the business would believe that.

Do I think Kimbo will fight can after can? Probably, but what do I care? He will eventually have to fight a legitimate opponent, and EliteXC will eventually have to produce better fights. If he continues to fight can after can, the promotion will die. It’s like the universe will self correct itself. Why should we be so worried?

To be perfectly honest, I wouldn’t want to know a hardcore fan that is as stressed out as Collin has described above, nor do I know any who are that crazy about how Kimbo is a main event fighter. The view being portrayed in that article is likely that of the MMA blogosphere, and not necessarily that of hardcore fans everywhere. Sure, I want this sport to succeed and CBS/EliteXC could portray is badly, but telling me that hardcore fans dislike a certain fighter because of his quick rise against tomato cans is a stretch. If anything, we understand the reasoning behind it.

Kimbo Slice vs. James Thompson

There is no real reason to believe that James Thompson can change the past or his chin. Unless he's chewing on pine bark like Jack Dempsey was once rumored to do in order to strengthen his jaw, Thompson's huge weakness will likely be exploited.

Thompson does however have some wrestling ability in his background, and he has spent some time training at Xtreme Couture in Las Vegas with its veteran stable of fighters. It's likely his gameplan will involve trying to put Kimbo to the floor, but I firmly believe that Thompson won't be the guy to test Kimbo's ground guy. Kimbo has the added bonus of being very powerful to blow through submission attempts. I doubt we'll see Thompson get to that position.

Leland's Prediction: Kimbo Slice via TKO/KO, Round 1

Robbie Lawler vs. Scott Smith

This could very well be the most talked about fight of the evening. Two veteran strikers will go toe-to-toe in the cage, but I'm going to favor Lawler for a few reasons. Smith has had some problems on the ground, but he's been rather dominant in the standup game. The only problem for him in this fight is that Lawler has monster power to counter Smith's hands as well. He's also shown some patience in the standup game that really favors him in the later rounds.

An added bonus is that Lawler has great takedown defense and some solid wrestling ability if he gets into trouble. Look for Lawler to keep his distance, find his range, and explode. It's going to be very hard for Smith to avoid those huge arms on Lawler.

Leland's Prediction: Robbie Lawler via TKO/KO, Round 2

Joey Villasenor vs. Phil Baroni

For some odd reason, I think Phil may be taking this fight much more seriously than he did Kala Hose. Will his cardio have improved significantly is the real question, and Villasenor is a survivor in the cage. He has a solid chin, great cardio, and the ability to land some big punches. Baroni will likely come out with an onslaught of attacks, but Villasenor has the skills to outlast Baroni.

I can't exactly pick Baroni after his performance against Hose, but he could prove me wrong in saying that he's lost a step.

Leland's Prediction: Joey Villasenor via unanimous decision

Gina Carano vs. Kaitlin Young

A lot of writers are giving Kaitlin the nod here, and it can be justified when looking at her training regiment and striking. She'll likely be a cardio machine, but can she equal Carano's tenacity in the striking game. Sarah Schneider proved that Kaitlin's ground game needs a lot of work, but Carano probably won't be a force there.

Kaitlin has some strong striking, but Carano is known for being a powerful, yet accurate puncher.  She will also have some strong kicks, and hopefully some good wrestling ability on the ground. Kaitlin will be a great bet for those of you looking cash in, but I have to pick Gina Carano. While I know she's mentioned the layoff of training leading up to this bout, I still think her striking will be hard to deal with, but I'll be laying some cash on Kaitlin in case I'm wrong.

Leland's Prediction: Gina Carano via unanimous decision

Brett Rogers vs. Jon Murphy

This should be a good matchup. Murphy is explosive while Rogers possesses heavy hands as well. Murphy does has 2 losses on his record, one being to Houston Alexander, so he is susceptible to the onslaught, but Rogers likes to be patient. I'm more inclined to pick Rogers due to how tough it is to move him around to the floor, and the fact that his power is going to be a huge problem if he catches Murphy.

Leland's Prediction: Brett Rogers via KO/TKO, Round 1

Quick Picks
Justin Robbins vs. Wilson Reis: There's some hype surrounding Reis, and he has a slick grappling pedigree that could present problems for Robbins. Robbins is a nice solid opponent for Reis, but I think Reis has this one. Reis via submission, Round 2

Nick Serra vs. Matt Makowski: Serra has the grappling advantage, so look for him to get this to the floor quickly. Makowski is fairly green in the MMA game so far, but he's proven to be a tough opponent at 2-0. Serra via submission, Round 2

Andres Soares vs. Zach Makovsky: Soares finishes fights, and Makovsky can't seem to finish. Soares via submission, Round 1

Joe Sampieri vs. Mike Groves: Battle of the winless, pick'em. Sampieri via TKO, Round 2

Jim Bova vs. Chris Liguori: Chris has had some absolute wars with Jim Miller before, and I don't see how he won't be bringing that kind of heart to this fight. Bova will be a load though, and he's definitely an upcoming prospect. I'll pick the upset. Bova via TKO/KO, Round 1

James “Binky” Jones vs. Calvin Katter: Gotta go with Jones here. He may have a .500 record, but it's mostly losses to talent that's headed to the UFC or higher promotions. Katter is just starting out. Jones via submission, Round 1

Carlos Moreno vs. Carlton Haselrig: Moreno is weak on the ground, but Haselrig likely won't present any danger in that capacity. Moreno should get the knockout in this one. Moreno via KO/TKO, Round 1

The perception that EliteXC's event on CBS is being pushed by the popularity of Kimbo Slice is a bit inaccurate when we look at the bigger picture. Interestingly enough, many of the other promotions in the business are being critical of ProElite for using the image that Kimbo Slice to promote the event. In reality however, Gina Carano is the push behind what could potentially sell the event as a success on CBS.

According to Yahoo! Buzz, Gina Carano's upcoming bout with Kaitlin Young has produced more searches for the American Gladiator in the last couple of weeks. In fact, her searches soared %6,000 and put her into the top 200 searches on the web. Yahoo! Has these small notes in comparison of other top searches: 

• Nearly 19 times higher than what MMA icon Chuck “The Iceman” Liddell got for his fight with Quinton Jackson
• 10% higher than Paris Hilton last week
• 25 times higher than John Edwards after his endorsement of Barack Obama

Most of the searches are from males (89%), and those males have pummeled the search boxes for sexy pictures of Gina Carano at her weigh-ins, in Maxim, on MySpace, and in a red dress. The searches and percentages are astounding considering some of the search words she beat out for the week are weekly staples for many search engines. Google's trends are a bit more back to Earth:

The disaster blow would be a Carano defeat though, and a surprise Kimbo loss as well. EliteXC has a lot riding on this one.

Chuck Liddell vs. Wanderlei Silva was one of the most entertaining battles that we saw last year in the UFC. The toe-to-toe exchanges were spectacular, and the surprising chin and cardio of Silva proved to make the fight even more exciting. There were also the years and years of hype and hope that fueled the excitement for that fight to happen, and the UFC made the play to get Silva and create that fight to not only please the hardcore fans, but produce a fantastic bout between MMA legends. Now, a new matchup that pits a legend in Liddell against an Internet street brawler in Kimbo Slice could very well be the next Silva vs. Liddell.

The long road to producing this fight has already begun. Chuck Liddell had these words to say regarding Kimbo’s supposed star status:

"Kimbo's one of those guys who doesn't have any ground game," Liddell said. "He's training and he's learning but he's been built up as such a big star, and that's the thing that bothers me.

"People talk about him like he's the next great thing when he really hasn't done anything. He's been built up because of the Internet and him beating a bunch of guys on the street... I could make some impressive knockout videos too if you let me walk outside and just punch people and knock them out."

Kimbo has since replied with his own comments:

Ferguson says that Liddell and other fighters are "only creating a monster" by calling him out and that they should come see him directly if they have a problem.

"We can always take it back to old-school; that'll work for me," Ferguson said. "But I still got love for all the MMA fighters, but if you keep on rapping man, I'm going to have to zip it close, baby, because I'm getting tired of the talk.

"The next one that has something to say, just see me [directly]. I'll come to your camp, and that's real talk."

Talk may be cheap, but it’s all that MMA fans need to get the gums flapping about this matchup. Is Kimbo the real deal? Can Liddell actually use a ground game against him? Will he even try? A lot of questions are being asked, and it’s very interesting to hear Chuck talk about how nobody should care about Kimbo, yet he continues to comment on him.

Regardless of all the talk, both fighters are beginning their campaigns to make this fight happen down the line, and make this fight become something much bigger than it initially was thought to be. Dana White confirmed on TSN Canada's sports talk show "Off the Record" that they would be looking at Kimbo if he beats some legitimate competition. That would give fans the signal that the fight is a definite possibility down the line if Kimbo's skills can continue to improve.

Add in the potential for Kimbo to become a true MMA star if EliteXC’s venture into network television ends up being a huge success, and we could see the makings of some record breaking numbers for a UFC PPV. Kimbo’s internet presence alongside his newfound presence on network television could boost his drawing power through the roof. Kimbo could very well be the dream draw for casual fans, while Liddell is one of the UFC’s highest draws in their history. Put both these guys together on one card, and it could be one of the most successful events ever for the UFC.

Right now however, this is all speculation until Kimbo proves that he can continue beating competition in devastating fashion. A few legitimate opponents in the future would definitely up his stake to hardcore fans while some successful battles on CBS would excite the casual fanbase. Once he’s successfully been put through the hoops, I’m sure the personality of Kimbo Slice will begin to rear its head in the media and the “smack” talk will be heard throughout the industry. Chuck Liddell can’t resist shutting down Kimbo’s claims, so it should provide the perfect background to hype Liddell vs. Kimbo.

Is this fight inevitable? Two powerful strikers with heavy hands and knockout power squaring off against each other is always a great battle, but Kimbo still must prove himself to the fanbase and to the UFC. I believe Kimbo will face Liddell eventually. It could take some time though, and Kimbo isn't exactly young. Hopefully, he takes on some better competition after Thompson and legitimizes his skills, but don't leave out the possibility of Kimbo being slapped down the ladder he's climbing.

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”.

Yesterday was an exciting day for MMA fans everywhere. Tim Sylvia had reportedly signed on to fight PRIDE Heavyweight Champion Fedor Emelianenko on July 19 at the American Airlines Arena in Dallas, Texas, but reports are now coming out of Russia that contradict the previous report from Sherdog’s Greg Savage… big surprise. Fedor’s manager, Vadim Finkelstein, states on the M-1 Mixfight website:

“At the moment we can’t certainly say the bout will take place come July because the contract is not signed,” Finkelstein is quoted as saying on the website M1Mixfight.com. “However, the both parties are involved in the negotiation process and we are about to break the finishing tape although we haven’t come to an agreement concerning every detail as of yet”

Great, some more obstacles to bull through in order to make this fight happen is exactly what made other fights disintegrate. The quote makes it sound as if they are close to a deal which begs the question as to how much money was thrown Fedor’s way. I highly doubt they gave him the $2 million dollar contract, but it could have been close. Hopefully we will see this deal come through.

Kimbo vs. Thompson to be announced this week

Moving to the other end of the spectrum of quality matchups, Kimbo Slice will officially be announced to take on James Thompson later this week according to NBCSports.com. Sam Caplan reported recently that Thompson was the frontrunner to take on the street brawling Kimbo, and it’s definitely a smart move for EliteXC to feature this fight on CBS.

It may not be a quality matchup, but it will give the viewership tuning in a sense of what Kimbo does… knock people out! Thompson possesses one of the weakest chins in the MMA game today, and the light switch flips off once he gets tagged by a couple blows from most of his opponents. His matchup with Kimbo should be no different, but you never know what to expect from Thompson.

Kendall Grove vs. Evan Tanner

Evan confirmed on his website that he will in fact be taking on TUF winner Kendall Grove over the summer. On paper, the matchup is intriguing because Tanner’s history and quality of opponents far outweighs Grove’s record. Grove has been weak chinned in his recent fights, but he still possesses some range, a large reach, and a formidable height for him to use in all facets of the fight. 

I think this fight comes down to Evan Tanner’s abilities to pound out Grove. Can he get through the length of Grove? If so, he could easily expose Grove’s chin to a crushing blow to end it. Regardless of my assessment, it should still be a tough fight to call at this point. We’ll see how Evan does with the training.

Burkman vs. Hazelett confirmed for June 21

Josh Burkman will reportedly take on Dustin Hazelett in June according to MMAWeekly.com. I’m not high on Josh Burkman’s style of fighting, but he could spell trouble for Hazelett if he can maintain top control on the ground without getting submitted. Hazelett is a very slick grappler, one of the better grapplers in the UFC, and he has smooth transitions from guard to a submission position. I’ve been impressed by his jiu-jitsu skills, and I don’t see a reason why he can’t win this one. The only real threat is Burkman’s strikes, which are looping, slow, and very easy to spot.

Ben Saunders vs. Jared Rollins at UFC 86

Looks like the UFC is rewarding Rollins for a great fight against Koppenhaver with matchup in the Octagon. Saunders has some abilities to avoid the ground and pound, and his length will definitely cause some problems for Rollins. Also, Saunders is training out of American Top Team, which will likely increase his skills substantially by the time we see him at UFC 86.

Variety.com reported that Showtime's suscriptions had increased 11% during the fourth quarter of 2007. There seems to be a mixed feeling in some parts of the MMA community as to whether Kimbo Slice's popularity really sparked that much of an increase. I think it's safe to say that it was the exact reason why, after all, I have the crappy channel at home.

I subscribed to Showtime through my cable provider for two reasons. First, it was a special deal in which I got the entire package including the On Demand movies of Showtime for free for one year. Second, EliteXC would hold MMA cards on the channel, and ShoBox was also still being aired on the channel as well, two combative sports that I love to watch. What could go wrong?

Well, here's what went wrong. Most of the boxing fights are terrible. The biggest glaring problem with Showtime is their movie selection as well. It's atrocious and shouldn't be a consideration when trying to decide between it as being your premium channel of choice. Six Showtime channels that contain absolute garbage for movie titles isn't the reason why people are picking up the phone and calling to get Showtime. It's because of the mixed martial arts.

EliteXC may not be the UFC, but they have managed to increase Showtime's worth. They have fighters that don't just fight, they sell their personality, sex appeal, or brute power to the fans. ProElite has cashed in on that concept, and it's a concept that been used for years by wrestling organizations like the WWE. Instead of having a fighter who is ranked high on the Heavyweight rankings or world renowned as one of the best in the world, they have a legendary street brawler who gained fame by using one of the biggest interfaces to the fans he could possibly use... The Internet. EliteXC tapped into Kimbo's small popularity from the Internet to cross over fans to MMA.

As ridiculous as the promotion of Kimbo was at times, it still worked in their favor. ProElite poured out the interviews and promotional material and Kimbo himself was able to get a big following going with his own promotion. All in all, it was a win-win for both parties.

Why are people acting like this was impossible? It wasn't. Kimbo Slice is solely responsible because there is no way in hell that Elizabethtown made more people run for Showtime. Kimbo Slice continues to draw a crowd, get ready for more.