CBS broadcasting MMA over the air

[VMS]

I think it's good for the sport, but:

Kimbo Slice is on the card, and a large part of the marketing, as is Gina Carano (Crush from American Gladiators).

Ok, I'm pretty much a UFC fan, so I don't know a whole lot about EliteXC. But is this the right way to promote the sport? I know UFC's POV has been to push the sport as anything BUT street fighting and pro wrestling, so is putting a guy whose name mostly comes from street fighting and a chick whose appeal mostly comes from being ridiculously hot (I don't know if she has that much of a record in EliteXC) front and center on the first over-the-air broadcast for MMA a good idea?

Thoughts?

[Sct Ptersns Twn]

when is that shit coming on this month right? I am too lazy to look. (oh yea, and you did tell me in your cliff notes write up).

[Capt.Caveman]

EliteXC on CBS

Saturday, May 31st, 2008
Prudential Center
Newark, New Jersey

James Thompson
VS Kevin "Kimbo Slice" Ferguson

Robbie "Ruthless" Lawler
VS Scott Smith

Kaitlin Young
VS Gina Carano

Joey "Dreamsmasher" Villasenor
VS Phil "The New York Badass" Baroni

Jon Murphy
VS Brett Rogers

Justin Robbins
VS Wilson Reis

Matt Makowski
VS Nick Serra

Bryan Vetell
VS Carlton Haselrig

Andre Soares
VS Zach Makovsky

Joe Sampieri
VS Mike Groves

Calvin Katter
VS James Jones


Not a bad card. Lawler Smith is the best fight on the card. Villesenor vs Baroni is interesting

[VMS]

Not a bad card. Lawler Smith is the best fight on the card. Villesenor vs Baroni is interesting

No, it isn't a bad card. The problem I have is that CBS (and EliteXC) seem to be marketing this mostly with Kimbo and Gina, which IMO is a mistake.

I'm with Dana White's thinking on this one- MMA needs to be marketed as a high skill-level, intensely trained sport where great athletes compete against each other. Yes, marketing always plays to what the public wants, but pushing a guy who got his name by being a street fighter and a chick who isn't your best chick fighter (though probably the hottest) instead of pushing the skill and athleticism of all the other fighters...

It's the difference in perspective between a fanboy ("ooooooohhhh, we gets fights!") and the head of a promotion/commissioner of a sport ("what's the best way to make this sport better, and last?").

It's a good card, and I'll probably watch it or DVR it (Saturday night's not a good night to catch me in front of the TV). I just don't think pushing the street-fighting/cheesecake factor is the best way to convince Joe Average out there who doesn't already watch MMA that MMA is any different from pro wrestling.

I've got nothing against pro wrestling, but MMA should make the differences between themselves and sports entertainment perfectly clear if they want to survive as a sport and not as a sideshow.

[sniper]

No, it isn't a bad card. The problem I have is that CBS (and EliteXC) seem to be marketing this mostly with Kimbo and Gina, which IMO is a mistake.

I'm with Dana White's thinking on this one- MMA needs to be marketed as a high skill-level, intensely trained sport where great athletes compete against each other. Yes, marketing always plays to what the public wants, but pushing a guy who got his name by being a street fighter and a chick who isn't your best chick fighter (though probably the hottest) instead of pushing the skill and athleticism of all the other fighters...

It's the difference in perspective between a fanboy ("ooooooohhhh, we gets fights!") and the head of a promotion/commissioner of a sport ("what's the best way to make this sport better, and last?").

It's a good card, and I'll probably watch it or DVR it (Saturday night's not a good night to catch me in front of the TV). I just don't think pushing the street-fighting/cheesecake factor is the best way to convince Joe Average out there who doesn't already watch MMA that MMA is any different from pro wrestling.

I've got nothing against pro wrestling, but MMA should make the differences between themselves and sports entertainment perfectly clear if they want to survive as a sport and not as a sideshow.

Excellent take, and I agree. I would have rather CBS air WEC before EXC, especially with the Faber v. Pulver fight on june 1st.
Kimbo really is training in mma disciplines which I applaud, however he hasn't fought anyone where he's had to use any of it yet and he still just fights as a street fighter. It almost seems EXC is in the same place UFC was in it's first year, but without the respectable names equivalent to Gracie or Shamrock.
And I need to find or make a "No chicks on televised mma cards" pic to put in my sig, I haven't seen even a remotely entertaining fight yet in that aspect, it almost seems like it's EXC's "We wanna be different" angle. They wanna fight, fine, but I don't wanna see it.

[VMS]

And I need to find or make a "No chicks on televised mma cards" pic to put in my sig, I haven't seen even a remotely entertaining fight yet in that aspect, it almost seems like it's EXC's "We wanna be different" angle. They wanna fight, fine, but I don't wanna see it.

You know, I can kind of see them throwing a women's match onto the card, just for appeal purposes. I don't think I'd be too into it, but that's their decision. But if they're going to do that, I just think it'd be better if they had a match between the TOP women MMA fighters. From all that I've heard, Gina Carano is a good female MMA fighter, but not the best by any means.

If you're going to put women on the card for the first OTA broadcast, fine. But make it the BEST fighters of the women, not the cheesecake chick who has some marketability from American Gladiators.

If you're going to make MMA "real", then fucking make it REAL. Make it about the fighters, and the best of the fighters with the most skill, power, and ability in the ring/cage/whatever.

[witty]

What do you silly geese think of Kimbo Slice?

http://www.themmadigest.com/2008/05/25-kimbo-slice-facts/

[boardsofcanada]

interested in seeing this

[Capt.Caveman]

What do you silly geese think of Kimbo Slice?

http://www.themmadigest.com/2008/05/25-kimbo-slice-facts/

he's a freak show. they keep throwing no ones and has beens in front of him and at the same time promoting him as this beast who can kick anyones ass. let him fight a barnett ,ricco rodriguez, pedro rizzo, or mike whitehead they all are available

[sinAtra]

This might give Kimbo a chance to show he's more than the mandingo street brawler we have seen in the past. They have matched him well; put him again a Rizzo and Kimbo would be toast.

What I want to see are high-skill athletes - this is where I agree with Dana White. So far (though he could be), high-skill Kimbo ain't.

[Cromwell]

The weighins for EliteXC "Primetime" are open to the public.

What: EliteXC "Primetime" Weigh-ins


When: Friday May 30th @ 2pm ET


Where: Prudential Center

165 Mulberry Street

Newark, NJ 07102



Misc: The Prudential Center is2 blocks from Newark Penn Station



It will be outdoors in the 75 degree weather.Come one, come all.

[StonerJack]

They have 3 main card fights that will almost surely end in KO's. So it will be exciting for first timers. It's kind of a who cares card for mma fans, but Elite does have some good fighters and will have more technical matchups in the future broadcasts I'm sure. Just having most of the Cesar Gracie team helps, Nick Diaz, Jake Shields and Gilbert Melendez are all great fighters and will all be on CBS soon.

[fuckwit]

dont google james thompson. just ends in disappointment.

grats to kimbos people for finding another bum to fight kimbo.

[Save My Up's Dick]

dont google james thompson. just ends in disappointment.

grats to kimbos people for finding another bum to fight kimbo.
Agreed.

Elite has put a lot into Kimbo, he won't fight anyone noteworthy for awhile.

He's a gimmick, MMA fans know he would get destroyed by anyone good/ranked. Elite is promoting to the casual fan with him(and the chick) not the people who know MMA. I watch it, I'm looking forward to WEC on Sunday night.

[d0uche_n0zzle]

I'll be watching this clusterfuck.

However, I don't have any hope that it'll impress like UFC events do.

[Gotti420]

It looks like Carano has once again failed to make weight in a class that was created specifically for her.

[Eagle.007]

There has been discussion that this will not be in all markets. Just a heads up, check your local listings. CBS 2 in NYC has it listed but my local station doesn't. From what I'm finding, I don't think it will be on here. The word is that parts of Ohio, Penn, and South Carolina might be affected. Here (http://www.sherdog.net/forums/f61/elitexc-event-huge-blackout-read-788182/) is the Sherdog thread (I haven't read the whole thing).

[Capt.Caveman]

I'm tevoing it....best of liddell on spike tonite too

[chutzd]

I would be watching it, however, the CBS station here in Columbus Ohio has decided that the Children's Miracle Network needs to be shown Saturday night and go until Sunday afternoon. Fuck the kids I want to see people beating the shit out of each other

[Capt.Caveman]

tvu may have it

[bloody hymen]

I don't get all the hate thrown at Kimbo. I agree he'd probably lose to anyone with real talent...and by probably I say absolutely aside from a puncher's chance. He's just a victim of his popularity. Elite and CBS know he's a draw and they're marketing him that way. Bas even said he was a work in progress and they're bringing him along slowly. He further took the responsibility for the opponent selection. What good would it do to anyone's fledgling career if they took on someone like Fedor right away?

99.9% of fighters would take the money and tv exposure early in their career if it was offered to them while they worked they way up.

[FullBallz]

I'm going tonight and I will try my best to give a little live report for you guys. I am a big UFC guy so I hope that Kimbo gets his ass handed to him and gets embarassed but I don't see that happening. I'm very excited to go either way though as this is my very first MMA card I'm attending. Should be fun.

[fuckwit]

I don't get all the hate thrown at Kimbo. I agree he'd probably lose to anyone with real talent...and by probably I say absolutely aside from a puncher's chance. He's just a victim of his popularity. Elite and CBS know he's a draw and they're marketing him that way. Bas even said he was a work in progress and they're bringing him along slowly. He further took the responsibility for the opponent selection. What good would it do to anyone's fledgling career if they took on someone like Fedor right away?

99.9% of fighters would take the money and tv exposure early in their career if it was offered to them while they worked they way up.

I dont like that because of his look and internet celebrity hes being treated with the same type of honor and respect by some people as a real fighter would deserve.
He was never a good streetfighter even. His strikes were terrible, he had no agility, no real reactive defense, no ability to use his legs, nothing on the ground. He was a brute force slob that mostly pushed his fist into other slobs and filmed it. Half of his videos were people falling down to his intimidating presence instead of the blow they just received. Kimbo is where he is because hes physically impressive and an amusing character on screen. And thats how he should treat himself. His ego is over inflated.
He should never be calling out a real fighter by name or even in general terms at the level he is being allowed to compete. It doesnt matter what any other accomplished fighter says about him. Kimbo is currently a student who is being allowed to dress up and play in the big kids class. Hazing is part of the lesson. He should be the definition of humility.

He needs to get knocked the fuck out.

[Capt.Caveman]

I don't get all the hate thrown at Kimbo. I agree he'd probably lose to anyone with real talent...and by probably I say absolutely aside from a puncher's chance. He's just a victim of his popularity. Elite and CBS know he's a draw and they're marketing him that way. Bas even said he was a work in progress and they're bringing him along slowly. He further took the responsibility for the opponent selection. What good would it do to anyone's fledgling career if they took on someone like Fedor right away?

99.9% of fighters would take the money and tv exposure early in their career if it was offered to them while they worked they way up.

He's everything mma wants to get away from. A street thug who ko's has beens. eecchh..And they bill him as this unstopable fighter when he fights chumps and has beens. James Thompson is known for having a glass jaw. I agree with bringing a fighter along but give him SOME competition. a washed up tank, bo cantrell who was tapping after the 1st pucnch and Ray Mercer, seriously. Lesner comes in and fights Frank Mir his 2nd MMA fight. Now he has Heath Herring. I think the UFC is making a mistake by putting him in with experienced ground guys but if they threw him in with Kongo or a striker Lesner would run right thru him. Barnett, Ricco, Rizzo and whitehead are all available, shit even brett rodgers (who ko'd thompson his last fight) would be a better fight

[Capt.Caveman]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dG6bkoeJ88Y

vs a emelienanko

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qwcR0F128X8

neil grove

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AJhIKgQvmjk

butterbean

thompson is a chump end of story

[fuckwit]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dG6bkoeJ88Y

vs a emelienanko

hes awful. i saw a few longer fights of his, he cant punch worth shit and all he has is a stand up game.
i saw him lose one fight to a fat guy called butterbean because he tripped over his own legs and the ref thought he got knocked out.

[WhiteHonkyDevil]

I dont like that because of his look and internet celebrity hes being treated with the same type of honor and respect by some people as a real fighter would deserve.
He was never a good streetfighter even. His strikes were terrible, he had no agility, no real reactive defense, no ability to use his legs, nothing on the ground. He was a brute force slob that mostly pushed his fist into other slobs and filmed it. Half of his videos were people falling down to his intimidating presence instead of the blow they just received. Kimbo is where he is because hes physically impressive and an amusing character on screen. And thats how he should treat himself. His ego is over inflated.
He should never be calling out a real fighter by name or even in general terms at the level he is being allowed to compete. It doesnt matter what any other accomplished fighter says about him. Kimbo is currently a student who is being allowed to dress up and play in the big kids class. Hazing is part of the lesson. He should be the definition of humility.

He needs to get knocked the fuck out.

I'm not even THAT big of any of the different MMA feds, but this is pretty much exactly how I feel. Kimbo is a douche...and a sloppy one at that. I'm just waiting for him to get taken down...preferrably in the most painful and humiliating way.

[mendozathejew]

Barnett, Ricco, Rizzo and whitehead are all available, shit even brett rodgers (who ko'd thompson his last fight) would be a better fight

barnett is top 10 in the world. arguably top 5 or even better. His win over Nog i the first fight might be my favorite mma fight ever

[FullBallz]

Not a bad crowd here. Starting to fill up nicely. The hate for kimbo is at a good level right now. Wilson reis had a great fight. That guy was an animal. Now watching two fat messes bore is to. Death.

That blew. Moreno didn't even come out for the 2nd round. What an awful fight. .

[boardsofcanada]

did the big negro fight yet?


its nice to see something on tv for once...props to cbs on this

[boardsofcanada]

woah these 2 douches are putting on a good fight.

[boardsofcanada]

lol bullshit chants on CBS

[VMS]

Tuned in just in time for the Lawler/Smith fight.

Please, please, please tell me the other fights were better than the first 2 1/2 rounds of this fight. Please?

Yeah, the Lawler/Smith fight got nice and bloody, but it was on sloppy strikes, bad footwork, little/no movement, and little ground/take down work at all.

Even before the eye poke, I was disgusted with this fight.

If this is the best they had tonight, MMA just took a huge hit in getting Middle America to get on board, IMAO. I spent the entire fight telling my aunt's crazy-ass husband to watch next week's UFC PPV so the stench of this could be wiped out.

I really don't mean to harsh on these guys, but that was a sloppy fight. Were the earlier fights better/more technical?

[fuckwit]

jackass needs to have his ear drained. shouldnt be allowed to fight like that.

[VMS]

Fuck. Left the room after the Lawler/Smith decision. Didn't realize it was still going to go on to other fights.

I'm tapping out. You guys tell me if it got better, later.

[Zona992006]

Well, Brett just won. (West coast)

[mendozathejew]

Tuned in just in time for the Lawler/Smith fight.

Please, please, please tell me the other fights were better than the first 2 1/2 rounds of this fight. Please?

no that was as good as it got. but to be honest, that fight was actually decent stuff. the rest of this card not so much, the first two fights were quick KOs

Kimbo was awful. Thompson had him set up for a kimura and couldnt figure out which hand goes where lol. then when thompson was dropping elbows for about a minute the ref said you guys arent doing anything and wanted to stand them up. how obvious was the intent there? Kimbo is old. and hes gona struggle after the first round even against someone with no talent like thompson

[Gotti420]

kimbo caught one hell of a break. that was a bullshit stoppage.

[highfive]

its time for them to put Kimbo in with a real fighter.

[StickyKeyboard]

You could tell the organization, announcers, and ref were totally for Kimbo and had to have him win this fight. They kept asking one of the announcers how he scored the fight and he said I don't know. Thompson totally dominated the 2nd round. Totally biased. This is definitely no UFC. Not a good showcase for MMA to the masses. The Lawler/Smith fight stoppage was horrendous.

[Papagolash]

Caught this from the womans match. My GOD I am in love with Gina Carano. She's so fucking hot, has a great sense of humor, and can beat the shit outta me. 3 fights in a row with HORRID stoppages. WHY did they stop the chick fight? The cut was UNDER the eye. And the eye poke to Smith, why wasn't he given the 5 minutes he was supposed to? And the Kinbo fight. Utter BULLSHIT. That fight should have been stopped in the 2nd round with Kimbo pinned on the ground, not defending himself and getting rocked with elbows and punches. To stop the fight in the 3rd b/c the guys ear pop was the biggest slap to the face of MMA that I have witnessed. That is worse than giving Bisbing the win over the deaf guy. And how fucked up is it that the title fight wasn't the main event? The last 3 fights were insulting to MMA and insulting to us MMA fans. I feel that just undid what UFC and WEC have done in the last 5 years.

[mendozathejew]

its time for them to put Kimbo in with a real fighter.

not gona happen. Kimbo was taken down at will by a man with NO wrestling skills.

the real problem for the guy is gona be age. Hes going to be what Tyson became in the second half of his career. only good for a few minutes before he gases. even if his skills get better on the ground, which I kinda doubt, hes still going to be to tired to do much of anything

[seeinred]

Now, I'm no expert on MMA by any means, but that Kimbo stoppage seemed like utter bullshit to me. It really made me think it was fixed, especially with that gift stand up he got in the 2nd round. The Carano stoppage also seemed like a crock of shit to me too, the cut was under her eye FFS.

[Gotti420]

I guess Dana White was right, BJ Penn probably could beat Kimbo.

The fight was fixed, plain and simple. Kimbo eats over 20 elbows and doesn't defend himself but is allowed to continue but the second Thompson starts to bleed the fight is over.

This wasn't the only shit stoppage either. It just shows that EliteXC will do anything to protect the few marketable fighters they have. After tonight, I really hope the rumors of them going under are true.

[mendozathejew]

The last 3 fights were insulting to MMA and insulting to us MMA fans. I feel that just undid what UFC and WEC have done in the last 5 years.

Id bet Dana White and the Lorenzo's are about the happiest people in mma right now. I think they were just fine with what happened tonight

[VMS]

no that was as good as it got. but to be honest, that fight was actually decent stuff. the rest of this card not so much, the first two fights were quick KOs

If that was as good as it got, I'm feeling unhappily justified in being skeptical of EliteXC doing this. Lawler/Smith was sloppy and slow from the beginning. When there are "bullshit" chants for the best fight of the night, you know you're fucked.

This could have been so fucking good for MMA if UFC had run the fight. Put up a network TV card with Anderson Silva, Georges St. Pierre, Antonio Nogueira, and BJ Penn, and MMA would have gone through the fucking ROOF.

I don't know if Dana White just isn't getting the offers, or if he just isn't willing to skip the PPV money for a month in order to put this on network TV (hint: put your product out for "free" one weekend, and your PPV on the next weekend will KILL!!!).

I'm just fucking sad, man. Sad, sad, sad, sad, sad. This could have been so good for the sport.

FUCK!

[mendozathejew]

If that was as good as it got, I'm feeling unhappily justified in being skeptical of EliteXC doing this. Lawler/Smith was sloppy and slow from the beginning. When there are "bullshit" chants for the best fight of the night, you know you're fucked.

This could have been so fucking good for MMA if UFC had run the fight. Put up a network TV card with Anderson Silva, Georges St. Pierre, Antonio Nogueira, and BJ Penn, and MMA would have gone through the fucking ROOF.

I don't know if Dana White just isn't getting the offers, or if he just isn't willing to skip the PPV money for a month in order to put this on network TV (hint: put your product out for "free" one weekend, and your PPV on the next weekend will KILL!!!).

I'm just fucking sad, man. Sad, sad, sad, sad, sad. This could have been so good for the sport.

FUCK!
he had the offers. Dana said something about why it didnt happen with network tv (as of now) which was really out of character, he said something like 'now I know why boxing promoters cant get their fights on network tv either, the networks want too many rights/control over the product.' this is also the reason he couldnt come up with a deal with HBO, before the lone executive at hbo supportive of the deal got arrested for smacking his girlfriend around and was fired.

He also recently said "we are in the ppv business." that and I think hed still like a deal with premium cable.

[fuckwit]

Caught this from the womans match. My GOD I am in love with Gina Carano. She's so fucking hot, has a great sense of humor, and can beat the shit outta me. 3 fights in a row with HORRID stoppages. WHY did they stop the chick fight? The cut was UNDER the eye. And the eye poke to Smith, why wasn't he given the 5 minutes he was supposed to? And the Kinbo fight. Utter BULLSHIT. That fight should have been stopped in the 2nd round with Kimbo pinned on the ground, not defending himself and getting rocked with elbows and punches. To stop the fight in the 3rd b/c the guys ear pop was the biggest slap to the face of MMA that I have witnessed. That is worse than giving Bisbing the win over the deaf guy. And how fucked up is it that the title fight wasn't the main event? The last 3 fights were insulting to MMA and insulting to us MMA fans. I feel that just undid what UFC and WEC have done in the last 5 years.

Thompson wasnt doing any damage in the 2nd. In fact he didnt land a single good shot the whole fight. From what I have seen of him online he isnt THAT bad of a fighter. He had no power in anything he threw and the ref could see it. There was no reason to stop the fight while Thompson was on top. He either threw the fight or was fucking stoned.
And what doctors and refs let a fighter walk into a ring with a ear full of blood like that? That was just a discrace the whole dam fight.
Thompson and Kimbo were both offering up limbs for holds neither of them having any idea how to execute. Kimbo faught a glass punching bag and it took forever to drop it.

[mendozathejew]

Thompson wasnt doing any damage in the 2nd. In fact he didnt land a single good shot the whole fight. From what I have seen of him online he isnt THAT bad of a fighter.

hes awful

[fuckwit]

hes awful

hes awful but he didnt contact with power once. he was slapping at him in the first. and after they both took a nap on top of each other in the second he just started dropping his elbow on him with no strength behind it.
i didnt see any effort from thompson to win. it looked like he was just trying to get the fight on the ground for a show then take his lumps and get his ear blown open. he wasnt even protecting the fucking savage wound on his head.

[Chino Kapone]

I am rewatching this... i really think the stopage needed to happen... but everyone just wanted to see Kimbo break the guys head off.

[fuckwit]

the saddest part is since kimbos earlier stuff ive seen his punches have improved yet he couldnt knock this disaster out. he landed half what he threw and had to get a tko.
pathetic.

[mendozathejew]

hes awful but he didnt contact with power once. he was slapping at him in the first. and after they both took a nap on top of each other in the second he just started dropping his elbow on him with no strength behind it.

because he was entirely gassed out from wrestling, when he isnt a wrestler and isnt used to that type of activity. Kimbo was ripe for a kimura atleast 3 times while THompson was in side control (one of those times the ref curiously stood them up) but couldnt figure out which hand goes where. hes awful. just a big guy with a bit of athleticism

he learned mma from watching pride and ufc dvds. seriously.

[mik3]

Worst
Fight
Ever

Who do they have him fight now? There's nobody in their organization that they can feel safe with him up against now.

[mendozathejew]

if you want to wash the taste out your mouth. download this file. one of the best HW fights ever, if you like skill especially on the ground. Nog vs Barnett 1.

only 80 megs
http://www.megaupload.com/?d=NZ9VFXVU

[mik3]

I have the Pride on FSN episode with that fight on save till I delete on the ole DVR.

[mendozathejew]

I have the Pride on FSN episode with that fight on save till I delete on the ole DVR.

beautiful back and forth skill on the ground in that fight.

[BrotherMan]

this was a disgrace to the sport of MMA. this was a fixed fight as clear as day. Kimbo was obviously beaten in the second round when he was on the ground but this douche bag ref didn't call the fight. Elite XC is a skid mark on the MMA world and should be disbanded and boycotted for what they did tonight.

[sniper]

Well, I saw what I expected to see, a brawling train wreck. The highlight of the night for me was when Baroni came out with that over-extravagant pro wrestling style entrance then 1) they showed his 10-9 record on the screen then 2) he got knocked the fuck out.
Abomination. They even had the high school freshmen AV club doing the production, and 8 year olds with Pete Rose haircuts manning the cameras. When the best fight of the night is a chick fight with a bullshit stoppage, something is wrong. I would have given anything to have watched this with Dana White. I will be honest in that Kimbo impressed me some since he's only been training in MMA for what, 4 months or so? He's more controlled at least, i'll give him that.
Now I just can't wait for tomorrow night's WEC. Pulver/Faber has a chance to be fight of the year.

[mik3]

Gus FUCKING Johnson just said Thompson won in the second. Good for him to be honest.

[FullBallz]

OK I just got back from The Rock. First off, they didn't even sell 75% of the tickets available. After the undercard, right before they went live, the announcer told everyone to move down to the lower bowl and fill out the seats. I knew this was a joke once that happened. There was so much hype and promotion in this area for this and no one showed up. The crowd that was there was into the evening but me, my buddies, and the guys next to us were just saying how awful this was. Even the production value was crap. The downtime with the commercial breaks and the shitty ass hip-hop where the girls just danced like they were at Jenkinson's was so boring. I don't mind chicks dancing, but put some coreography into it.

Baroni is fucking joke, when he came out in that stupid robe and had those hosebags rip his shirt off I thought "oh great, just what this sport needs, and douchey gimmicky asshole"

I really enjoyed the Lawler fight. It was sloppy but after what we had seen the whole night, we were just happy with a fight that went more than 1 round. The stoppage was awful horseshit. You have 5 minutes for a reason. Wait until that's up and then if he can't go or if the doc says no then fine. But they didn't even give him that. We get it, you're on national TV, you don't want 1 problem but Jesus man play out the rules.

The girl fight was good. I have a stupid schoolboy crush on Gina. She is beautiful and can kick ass. Very awesome. She fucked Young up. I didn't get that good of a look at the eye so I'll go by what you guys said because to me it looked pretty nasty.

Now onto Kimbo...if anyone thinks that this guy has any skill or staying power in MMA they are high, drunk, tripping, and crazy all in one. He is such a joke and absolute garbage. The best thing that could've happened for XC was that Kimbo won in 45 seconds. That old fuck couldn't last a round and a half. He was so tired and this was against a C-level guy. And when he was down getting hammered for about 3 minutes at the end of round 2, they really should've stopped it but they wouldn't because if Kimbo lost they would've just shut it down right there in Newark.

This was my first time going to an MMA card and it was like losing your virginity to a 3 when you could've just waited out a couple of months and gotten to fuck the 9 or 10. I was disappointed but it made me appreciate UFC even more. Kimbo sucks.

[mendozathejew]

nice post there full

[niklbag]

couple good fights, couple bullshit stopages.

overall i was entertained, i wish the fights were a little longer but shit happens.

kimbo fight was obviously fixed. the guy had a fuckin giant bubble ear. all kimbo had to do was punch that ear and it would have been over. instead he took bows to the head for 2 mins. he lacks conditioning and its going to haunt his career. with bas as a coach i expected more out of him. hes still the scariest negro ive ever seen. imagine him deep dicking your mom

[mik3]

I don't think it's he lacks confidence, I think it's all he heard was how Thompson has a glass jaw blah blah blah then after he landed a bunch of solid shots on him he was still just standing there.

[blazin]

The kimbo fight should have been stopped in the end of round 2. It was no different than Hughes vs Penn UFC 63 where hughes had Penn's arm tied up with his leg and beat his face in repeatedly for 20 or more seconds.

Isnt the rule for stoppage if the fighter is not making any attempts to advance or change position and/or cannot intellegently defend himself? Even though JT's strikes werent powerful and devistating, Kimbo was certainly doing just that.


I loved the 'Ol Reebok Pump Ear exploding ....best part of the fight.

[mik3]

Yeah, it's not the fact that his arm was trapped and he wasn't doing anything. The thing was, and all three announcers brought it up, he didn't know HOW to defend himself.

[blazin]

yeah, isnt that what intelligently defends himself means, right?

[mik3]

Yup, he had no idea what he was doing. The thing that made me laugh the most was the ref telling Kimbo how much time was left in the round.

They were trying to talk like he was executing these amazing sweeps, he was just bucking his hips and rolling. It's not like he was setting anything up with technique.

[DanaReevesLungs]

Thompson got screwed royally. I like how he took a shot at the ref when he stopped the fight....although, even that punch was weak and didn't do anything either.

[StonerJack]

The Kimbo fight had me and my friends rolling. We knew Thompson was awful, but weren't sure how bad Kimbo was. He is really bad. Bigfoot Silva will murder him.

Rd 2 of Smith/Lawler was as good as it gets, can't believe that cunt called it.

Overall it was awful, hopefully the next one has Shields, Melendez, Diaz, Edwards, and som of the other skilled fighters on their show, not just KO artists and guys with weak chins.

[Chino Kapone]

couple good fights, couple bullshit stopages.

overall i was entertained, i wish the fights were a little longer but shit happens.

kimbo fight was obviously fixed. the guy had a fuckin giant bubble ear. all kimbo had to do was punch that ear and it would have been over. instead he took bows to the head for 2 mins. he lacks conditioning and its going to haunt his career. with bas as a coach i expected more out of him. hes still the scariest negro ive ever seen. imagine him deep dicking your mom

:rotf::rotf::rotf::rotf::rotf:

Funniest post I have read in a long time....

[boardsofcanada]

Saw the second half.

-Didn't really give a fuck about the bitches

-The Lawler fight was very exciting up until they called it which is incredibly lame

-Kimbo got FUCKED up in the second round. He took like a million elbows to the face before the round ended...and yea he didn't even move. Again, lame ending. I liked how the announcers were pissed off with that and the lawler fights. They were completely trashing the refereeing decisions on the premier night , as they should've. Wouldn't be surprised if they get fired.

-Overall worth watching, but awful refereeing and sooooooo much bullshit between fights...like to the point where it gets annoying even when you just have it on in the background. It's nice to see fighting on TV again, boxing would be cool too.

[mabel]

The rumor going around is that they want Kimbos next fight to be against the cop that beat him on the internet. I don't know his name but he once fought in the ufc and was destroyed by one of Mark Colemans students. I think he ended up tapping from a can opener and he was almost fired from his job.

[Hoagie]

That shit was an embarrassment tonight. At this point I only want to see Kimbo Slice fight Bob Sapp in K1. They both only win because it's set up so they win. Let it be the battle of fake champions. Outside of that I can't be bothered with another fight featuring either of them...at least as of now. I give Kimbo enough credit that he's at least trying to old himself into a real fighter. I just don't see it happening.

[mendozathejew]

he lacks conditioning and its going to haunt his career. with bas as a coach i expected more out of him.

he doesnt lack conditioning. Bas said that he (Bas) is the most ripped and fit hes been in his life, just by doing the road work and cardio that he has Kimbo doing. This is as good as it gets.

Because the guy has only been training for a year+ people dont realize they guy is in his mid 30s, hes no youngster. and he is muscle bound in a way that is prone to early fatigue. He is going to gas everytime a wrestler takes him into deep waters. He may well be the next Tyson. Not the young Tyson, but the aging Tyson that was only good for a couple of rounds before gassing

[krap]

Kimbo Slice and Brett Rogers in altercation at EliteXC press conference (http://mmajunkie.com/news/4469/kimbo-and-brett-rogers-in-altercation-at-elitexc-presser.mma)

[mendozathejew]

Moments later, with Ferguson still at the podium, Rogers was asked directly if he would like to match up with Ferguson in his next bout.

"Looking at the fight tonight, man, yeah," Rogers said. "A man is man. And what I saw in this man today, it was just garbage."

Rogers then turned and addressed Ferguson directly and brought up a controversial "phantom tap" that some believe occurred at the close of the second round.

"I'm going to speak it real," Rogers said. "It was garbage. You did tap. You did tap out (and) I was right there."

Ferguson responded immediately.

"That sounds like a challenge, big dog," Ferguson said.

As Ferguson and his entourage converged on Rogers (and the entire stage), "The Grim" refused to back down. Media members, including a certain MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com) reporter who sat just a few feet from the stage, soon found themselves -- literally -- in the middle of the melee.


I thought he tapped as well but wasnt sure. there was a lot of shady shit coming from the refs mouth during that assault at the end of round 2. very curious, when a guy is landing elbows and the ref threatens to stand it up saying 'you arent doing anything, work' then keeps telling the fighters how much time is left in the round which wasnt called for at all, especially in that situation on the ground, then explaining when the round ends that Kimbo isnt hurt. he didnt have to, and shouldnt have said any of that.

[d0uche_n0zzle]

Is it normal to have the same ref for a half a dozen fights in one night? "whaa"

[Capt.Caveman]

FFFFIIIIXXXX!!!!!!!! I just watch the card 1stly what a piece of shit. Thompson was fine. he got wobbled worse than that earlier in the fight. Elite saw their poster child losing and the fix was in. was a piece of shit BOOOOOOOO

[Capt.Caveman]

Kimbo Slice and Brett Rogers in altercation at EliteXC press conference (http://mmajunkie.com/news/4469/kimbo-and-brett-rogers-in-altercation-at-elitexc-presser.mma)

he's right kimbo showed he had some heart but was getting his ass kicked by James Thompson on the ground. Thompson who doesn't take anyone down was putting on a wrestling clinic. I said it before the fights he should have fought rodgers.

[Capt.Caveman]

If that was as good as it got, I'm feeling unhappily justified in being skeptical of EliteXC doing this. Lawler/Smith was sloppy and slow from the beginning. When there are "bullshit" chants for the best fight of the night, you know you're fucked.




The reason their were bullshit chants was the idiot nigs in attendence. I know 4 guys that went and they had no idea who lawler was. Lawler/Smith was the only respectable thing on that card. The rest of the card was garbage . Smith Lawler was a good fight while it lasted. There are never crisp strikes. Guys always swing wild. Liddell has made a career of it/

[Cromwell]

I thought he tapped as well but wasnt sure.


Gotta say it looked like it to me too. But then the announcers (ha, ha - Frank Shamrock - he's no Joe Rogan) said "oh, he's just indicating that he's fine". I was like - uh, ok. Looked like a tapout to me.


there was a lot of shady shit coming from the refs mouth during that assault at the end of round 2. very curious, when a guy is landing elbows and the ref threatens to stand it up saying 'you arent doing anything, work' then keeps telling the fighters how much time is left in the round which wasnt called for at all, especially in that situation on the ground, then explaining when the round ends that Kimbo isnt hurt. he didnt have to, and shouldnt have said any of that.

Of course.

The whole thing was designed to give Kimbo *any* advantage they could find. He almost got his ass beat and they were terrified the "cash cow" was going to go dry.

Best fight of the night was Gina Carano (who, along with everyone else here, yeah, I now have a crush on too - lol). Kailin Young's face was a *mess*. I thought of all the early stoppages of the night, that was the most justified. Though truth be told, Kaitlin appeared to be in better condition, so if she handn't taken so many strikes to the face (a testament to Gina's skill) she may have outlasted the questionably conditioned Carano.

Joey Villasenor looked good and Phil Baroni looked like crap. Baroni must spend all his time working out with weights, and very little time in actual fight training.

Here's another article on the Rogers-Kimbo post match confrontation:
http://sports.yahoo.com/mma/news?slug=dd-kimbo060108&prov=yhoo&type=lgns

Kimbo was so gassed at the end of the fight that he couldn't even talk.

The guy is an overhyped, average fighter. He'd get destroyed by Tim Sylvia.

[JMCC]

Kimbo was outclassed by a lesser fighter and barely made out alive. I thought the stoppage was garbage, and i did notice the tap out, I was wondering if the ref missed it or just ignored it, but the way the fight was going it was clear that the ref had a favorite...

[BrotherMan]

this FIXED fight could hurt kimbo's rep more then if he lost. it was so obviuos that it was fixed. for the rest of his career people will be questioning if the fights are fixed because of that fight. that also hurts the sport of mma. anyone who watched these fights for the first time could be ruined forever

[d0uche_n0zzle]

How badly would Rampage destroy Kimbo in a match?

[bloody hymen]

WHY did they stop the chick fight? The cut was UNDER the eye.

I wondered the same thing at first. But if you play it back when the doctor is checking her out she is asked if she knows where she is. She replies, "I'm on EliteXC tonight, when do I go on?" The doctor called for the stoppage right after that.

Did anyone else notice how badly the event was produced? It was only supposed to be 2 hours but ran 2 3/4 hours ish. It's like they didn't really plan out the timing well with all the filler around the matches. UFC and other events seem to have their time production down much better.

I think the Kimbo fight had one redeeming factor: the call of "His ear popped!". Although it is nasty seeing that thing flop around in slomo.

[bloody hymen]

Kimbo was outclassed by a lesser fighter and barely made out alive. I thought the stoppage was garbage, and i did notice the tap out, I was wondering if the ref missed it or just ignored it, but the way the fight was going it was clear that the ref had a favorite...

I thought Kimbo was saved by the bell in the 2nd. I didn't really have a problem with the stoppage. I thought he was out on his feet and the ref errored on the side of caution. He had this blank, dazed look as Kimbo was moving in. He appeared to come out of it a bit after the stoppage but that happens often.


Did anyone see Nick Serra's prelim fight? Shameful.

[mik3]

Kimbo has to understand that Rogers has the chunky boyz in his camp.

[TheTruth]

The Kimbo fight was bullshit, I've never seen a ref stand the fighters up when the top fighter had side control.

What made no sence to me from the begining was that Brett Rogers fought the 1st fight of the night had beat Thompson so why wasn't he fighting Kimbo

[Fruit Monkey]

oh the ear, omg the ear

[TheTruth]

How badly would Rampage destroy Kimbo in a match?

I would think most of the top light heavyweights in the UFC would be able to beat Kimbo fighting as a heavyweight. Chuck, Rampage, Silva, all would destroy him. Put Kimbo up against Fedor he would get absolutely ass *****.

[Papagolash]

I wondered the same thing at first. But if you play it back when the doctor is checking her out she is asked if she knows where she is. She replies, "I'm on EliteXC tonight, when do I go on?" The doctor called for the stoppage right after that.




I missed her saying that. I thought if there was a reason why they stopped it that wasn't the damage under the eye, it was the fact that she didn't know where she was. After the round she got up all dazed and didn't know where her corner was. You just confirmed my theory. So I change my mind saying it was a bad call to stop that fight. I love Gina. I want to eat her out as she crushes me with those thighs and snuffs me out on her vag.


edit: some of the fights are up on youtube now. Watching Gina again, so fucking hot.

[highfive]

Gus Johnson sucks as the Knicks announcer and he is even worse at announcing MMA. At one point he said "punch...kick...punch.."

[mendozathejew]

I would think most of the top light heavyweights in the UFC would be able to beat Kimbo fighting as a heavyweight. Chuck, Rampage, Silva, all would destroy him. Put Kimbo up against Fedor he would get absolutely ass *****.

Kimbo would lose to Jake Obrein. Forget elite fighters, thats a given. a guy like Josh Barnett would sub Kimbo inside of 2 minutes. but any mediocre fighter with wrestling and Bjj can beat him right now. Thompsons' takedowns literally couldnt have been any slower. a human couldnt have made the motion slower.

I actually thought Gus Johnson was pretty good.

[umo]

The young Iron Mike woulda destroyed Kimbo Slice in less than one round. There will be a long line of Tyson pretenders paraded in front of the public but they will never recapture the frightening Mike Tyson of the 1980s.

[mendozathejew]

Tyson would have KOd Kimbo and ***** him on principle

[Hoagie]

Oddly enough, I was watching the fight at the bar and I said to the guys that I was with that the biggest disappointment was that I thought Kimbo could at least have an intimidating entrance that could rival that of Tyson's entrances back in the day. It was no where close. No one was scarier in the moments before a fight then Mike Tyson.

[mendozathejew]

Oddly enough, I was watching the fight at the bar and I said to the guys that I was with that the biggest disappointment was that I thought Kimbo could at least have an intimidating entrance that could rival that of Tyson's entrances back in the day. It was no where close. No one was scarier in the moments before a fight then Mike Tyson.

and we didnt even know back then that Tyson was a biter. good luck trying a triangle choke on him.

[askewcore]

Gus Johnson sucks as the Knicks announcer and he is even worse at announcing MMA. At one point he said "punch...kick...punch.."

When I saw him announcing I almost turned the shit off, honestly, I hate him during the Knicks game, him and his stupid really white guy voice and Obama face, but he did a pretty decent job. Mostly by shutting up and letting Frank Shamrock talk, but he also seemed alot mroe well informed than I expected him to be. Maybe I hate him so much because the Knicks just make me want to bite the skin between my thumb and index finger.

Overall, I thought the show sucked pretty hard and was a poor representation of the sport. The stoppage in the Lawler fight was criminal, that guy deserved to be able to continue that fight. The Kimbo fight was worse than I expected, he has zero ground skills, and his hands, while heavy, are incredibly slow. Gina Carano's fight was exciting though...:icon_roll

[DeltaPin]

Oddly enough, I was watching the fight at the bar and I said to the guys that I was with that the biggest disappointment was that I thought Kimbo could at least have an intimidating entrance that could rival that of Tyson's entrances back in the day. It was no where close. No one was scarier in the moments before a fight then Mike Tyson.

It was great watching the look in the other guy's eyes when the ref had them together giving instructions. You already knew the fight was over, any courage the guy had was just drained out.

[mik3]

Yeah, Thompson definitely won the stare down. He's always had one of the better ones in the sport.

[mendozathejew]

Yeah, Thompson definitely won the stare down. He's always had one of the better ones in the sport.

except for this one. epic failure right here

http://i27.tinypic.com/2vrv4ld.gif

http://i27.tinypic.com/73cntf.gif

I think aleks was thoroughly unimpressed

[Perch1019]

Ive never really gotten into MMA much but kinda enjoyed last nights show. I didnt know that Gina chick was Crush from American Gladiators was that chick Gina. Watching her promo I was like, she looks familiar. God damn do I have a crush on her. She really is sexy.
The Kimbo thing, now that I read some of the opinions, I can see how someone would be calling that a fix. When he was on the ground taking the forearms, I couldnt understand how the ref was letting it go yet they seemed to stop other fights when someone was getting killed. What the fuck was the deal with that guys ear? He couldnt get that thing fixed to look somewhat normal?
Overall I thought it was entertaining but if I didnt have it DVRed and didnt have the hockey game or extra inning yankee game to go to and couldnt skip all that bullshit before the matches, I probably wouldnt have watched past one fight. I dont know how someone could sit through that live and not fall asleep.

[kenneth86]

kimbo lost imo!!

[VMS]

Tyson would have KOd Kimbo and ***** him on principle

I still think there isn't anything scarier than Mike Tyson telling another man that he'll "fuck you 'till you love me, bitch!" That gives you nightmares and makes you pledge to never jaywalk, just to stay out of prison.

[mendozathejew]

I still think there isn't anything scarier than Mike Tyson telling another man that he'll "fuck you 'till you love me, bitch!" That gives you nightmares and makes you pledge to never jaywalk, just to stay out of prison.

a couple of dummies actually started fights with him in prison. there is only one boxing writer, Michael Katz, who he has talked about it with. Katz has not repeated it either, except to say that 'Tyson has 50 wins (not counting a 2 in an Indiana prison)'

[jshep]

kimbo the ape sucks. thompson looked so slow trying to submit him. that match was handed to kimbo

[moegolden]

i see a lot of you guys are really into this stuff, so i thought i thought it might be worth mentioning from my outsider's perspective - last night's show was the biggest moment in the sport. I never thought I'd enjoy this stuff, but to my surprise, it was every bit as interesting as mainstream sports. it wasn't perfect (some of the fights seemed to really be called too soon), but i felt more entertained and intrigued than by most other events in recent memory.

so speaking as an outsider, the mere fact that CBS is putting it out there for free to every TV in america has to be the biggest thing to ever happen to MMA. it will create more new fans than you will believe. i guess it goes without saying that vince macmahon's fanbase will dramatically dwindle. just my 2 cents.

on a side note, gina may become the single biggest sex symbol out there soon enough. i can't help but think how fucked up she must be on some level that she really enjoys beating on people.

[Papagolash]

i see a lot of you guys are really into this stuff, so i thought i thought it might be worth mentioning from my outsider's perspective - last night's show was the biggest moment in the sport. I never thought I'd enjoy this stuff, but to my surprise, it was every bit as interesting as mainstream sports. it wasn't perfect (some of the fights seemed to really be called too soon), but i felt more entertained and intrigued than by most other events in recent memory.

so speaking as an outsider, the mere fact that CBS is putting it out there for free to every TV in america has to be the biggest thing to ever happen to MMA. it will create more new fans than you will believe. i guess it goes without saying that vince macmahon's fanbase will dramatically dwindle. just my 2 cents.

on a side note, gina may become the single biggest sex symbol out there soon enough. i can't help but think how fucked up she must be on some level that she really enjoys beating on people.


Do yourself a favor and watch Vs. if you have it right now. It's a replay of tonights WEC fight. The last 2 fights were amazing.

[supers4972]

Elite XC was a joke compared the any UFC or WEC production.

The only fight that had a legit stoppage was Baroni/Smokin Joe.

[mik3]

If that was the best moment for the sport then it just put the sport back to UFC repeated crotch shot days.

[moegolden]

If that was the best moment for the sport then it just put the sport back to UFC repeated crotch shot days.

getting on network tv was the most important moment, but by no means the best. the nhl is rarely on network tv.

[mendozathejew]

elite xc is still a business deep in the red, and will continue to struggle despite pretty good ratings. whether or not this was the biggest moment in the sport is yet to be determined. it wasnt a particularly strong product, it received a TON of bad press from the quality sports writers out there (yahoo's kevin iole: Kimbo, CBS make 'mockery' Street brawler and CBS make network history, but also make a spectacle of mixed martial arts). the staying power of whatever was gained is really questionable. A major part of the drawing power is the "legend" of Kimbo, which was revealed to be not very much substance at all. he stinks.

as of now there have been far bigger moments in mma in strictly in terms of business gains, let alone competition.

[grail]

DVR'd it and watched it last night. IMO the best fight was Young/Garano. I didn't see the Kimbo fight, it only taped 2 hours. I would have like to have seen a tighter production, less filler between fights. The stops were iffy.

[sniper]

Dana White: ‘What happened on CBS was horrendous’ with Elite XC (ESPN video)

http://mmamania.com/2008/06/01/dana-white-what-happened-on-cbs-was-horrendous-with-elite-xc-espn-video/

[mr. sin]

Gus FUCKING Johnson just said Thompson won in the second. Good for him to be honest.


and if that was wec or ufc the fight would have been stopped 2nd round!

kimbo was not defending himself after 5 punches and the other dude would have won!

was the fight card a fix? hmmm. stop a fucking fight due to a eye in the privious fight and the chick fight stoppage (maybe called for) but fuck wec ufc and hdfights kill elite!

[TheTruth]

and if that was wec or ufc the fight would have been stopped 2nd round!

kimbo was not defending himself after 5 punches and the other dude would have won!

was the fight card a fix? hmmm. stop a fucking fight due to a eye in the privious fight and the chick fight stoppage (maybe called for) but fuck wec ufc and hdfights kill elite!

I don't think the fight should have been stopped when Thompson was dropping elbows on him. But there is no way they should have been stood up, and no way the fight should have been stopped in the 3rd round. Thompson was rocked slightly but he wasn't hurt any worse than he had been previously in the fight. Earlier in the fight Kimbo landed a few shots and that is when Thompson took him to the ground and took control of the fight. That is what it looked like was gonna happen before the ref stepped in because Kimbo was done.

Thompson won the first 2 rounds and EliteXC couldn't have their poster child lose.

[Standby]

EXC on network TV: Shit. Show.

[mr. sin]

I don't think the fight should have been stopped when Thompson was dropping elbows on him. But there is no way they should have been stood up, and no way the fight should have been stopped in the 3rd round. Thompson was rocked slightly but he wasn't hurt any worse than he had been previously in the fight. Earlier in the fight Kimbo landed a few shots and that is when Thompson took him to the ground and took control of the fight. That is what it looked like was gonna happen before the ref stepped in because Kimbo was done.

Thompson won the first 2 rounds and EliteXC couldn't have their poster child lose.

i just also think the nj boxing commision had their tails tucked and wanted to play safe with a 1st nationally broadcasted show.

[Chino Kapone]

His fucking ear exploded. How is that not a stoppage?

It should have been done in the second round, but its not like those forearms did any damage. Obviously the EXC wanted Kimbo to win. I don't recall too many refs in the UFC telling the fighter who is getting dominated how much time is left in the round.

[Papagolash]

His fucking ear exploded. How is that not a stoppage?



Easily, there's been quite a few times where a fighters califlowered ear's been popped and nothing is done. I don't want to say it's a common occurance but it does happen. Plus the blood wasn't getting into his eyes, aka it wasn't a cut above his eye so there was no vision obstruction at all.

[mik3]

Yeah, blood that doesn't obstruct vision really doesn't stop fights 90% of the time. I think it was a Razor Rob fight in the WEC where he was bleeding from his ear for about three rounds and won the fight. The never stopped a thing.

[Capt.Caveman]

http://sports.yahoo.com/mma/news?slug=dw-kimbo060108&prov=yhoo&type=lgns

latest yahoo article. seems a lot of people think the fix was in

[sniper]

http://i62.photobucket.com/albums/h112/rtsniper/vlcsnap-5115529.png
http://i74.photobucket.com/albums/i279/urbanretro/flyi0001.jpg
"whaa"

[d0uche_n0zzle]

Did he get that training for the fight (or more accurately, the fix) because it wasn't there when they did pre-fight photos?

[Cromwell]

EliteXC ‘Primetime' Most Watched Event Ever

Tuesday, June 03, 2008
by Sherdog.com Staff

CBS's broadcast of EliteXC "Primetime" last Saturday lived up to its moniker, becoming the most watched live MMA event ever for both basic and cable programming.

The sport's first live foray into broadcast television netted an average of 4.9 million viewers during its 9 p.m.-11:51 p.m. broadcast, according to CBS. "Primetime" peaked at 11:30-11:51 p.m., when 6.51 million viewers tuned in to watch Kevin "Kimbo Slice" Ferguson battle back from deficit to earn a third-round TKO over James Thompson (Pictures).

Mixed martial arts' previous high-mark had been held by a Spike TV telecast of UFC 75 "Champion vs. Champion" on September 8, 2007. The live broadcast of the tape-delayed event captured 4.7 million average viewers and peaked with 5.6 million eyes during its world-class caliber pairing of Quinton "Rampage" Jackson and Dan Henderson (Pictures). Jackson earned a five-round unanimous decision.

http://www.sherdog.com/news/news.asp?n_id=13036

[moegolden]

EliteXC ‘Primetime' Most Watched Event Ever

Tuesday, June 03, 2008
by Sherdog.com Staff

CBS's broadcast of EliteXC "Primetime" last Saturday lived up to its moniker, becoming the most watched live MMA event ever for both basic and cable programming.
.......

like i said, whether it was the best or even any good, it just had to be the biggest moment in MMA, as far as a mainstream audience goes. going into every screen in the country is a big deal. as i said, vince mcmahon is getting really worried right now. CBS will gladly make room for those energy drink, beer and boner pill commercials, even if it means alienating the Mushnicks of the world.

personally, i had only watched one match prior to this - nothing against it, just didn't have cable nor the hours to see it live. but it was intriguing.

[mendozathejew]

like i said, whether it was the best or even any good, it just had to be the biggest moment in MMA, as far as a mainstream audience goes. going into every screen in the country is a big deal. as i said, vince mcmahon is getting really worried right now. CBS will gladly make room for those energy drink, beer and boner pill commercials, even if it means alienating the Mushnicks of the world.

personally, i had only watched one match prior to this - nothing against it, just didn't have cable nor the hours to see it live. but it was intriguing.

purely comparing the size of the Rampage Hendo fight to the KImbo fight, the difference is minimal. While one was world class the other was definitely not. The former is a proven fanbase, that took years to build, the other was the benefit of a lot of hype and a more accessible network.

and Rampage Hendo broke into the black demo, which is why the numbers were such a big jump from any other spike tv rating. thats real progress. this kimbo is yet to be determined as anything but a flash in the pan. which is may not be, but its a lot bigger of a moment to get such a big number out of established fans than casual viewers checking in to see someone get their head taken off and no real knowledge of the sport

[supers4972]

EliteXC ‘Primetime' Most Watched Event Ever

The sport's first live foray into broadcast television netted an average of 4.9 million viewers during its 9 p.m.-11:51 p.m. broadcast, according to CBS. "Primetime" peaked at 11:30-11:51 p.m., when 6.51 million viewers tuned in to watch Kevin "Kimbo Slice" Ferguson battle back from deficit to earn a third-round TKO over James Thompson (Pictures).

Mixed martial arts' previous high-mark had been held by a Spike TV telecast of UFC 75 "Champion vs. Champion" on September 8, 2007. The live broadcast of the tape-delayed event captured 4.7 million average viewers and peaked with 5.6 million eyes during its world-class caliber pairing of Quinton "Rampage" Jackson and Dan Henderson (Pictures). Jackson earned a five-round unanimous decision.

Can you compare cable to broadcast TV? Rampage/Henderson on CBS draws 10 million.

[PhillyReject]

3 of our fighters at my gym fought in the event, 2 undercard and 1 prime time:

**Jon Murphy
VS Brett Rogers

Justin Robbins
VS **Wilson Reis

**Matt Makowski
VS Nick Serra

I **'d the fighters from where I train. John Murphy got wrecked but Makowski and especially Reis did REAL well. The scary thing is, with Reis, even when he's training or fighting or in the process of submitting you he's always got a huge "I'm enjoying beating the shit out of you" grin on his face - one of the nicest guys around though.

Never met Murphy though.

Overall the primetime fights were weak, minus the Carano fight and 1 other one that escapes me at the moment.