It was called “human cockfighting” by Senator John McCain. Chances are you probably know at least one person who either watches or fights in one of the many mixed martial art leagues. This year alone MMA was the topic for two major motion pictures: Redbelt and Never Back Down. MMA has been trapped in a Pay-Per-View and cable cage until now. For the first time in history, MMA will be broadcast live on a major TV network.
CBS and Showtime’s, ELITEXC have teamed up to broadcast 4 live events a year. The first, “CBS ELITEXC SATURDAY NIGHT FIGHTS” will air live at 8 p.m. on Saturday, May 31st on CBS. In 2007, The International Fight League’s weekly show IFL Battleground was on My Network Television. Most homes got that channel, but it in no way was it comparable to a network like CBS. In a press release, ELITEXC Live Events President, Gary Shaw was quoted as saying, “I am very happy for the highly trained fighters, who will finally get the kind of exposure they deserve, and, of course, the viewers, who will get the opportunity to learn that MMA is truly a sport that requires an abundance of skills, both mentally and physically.”
From the mid 90’s until now, MMA organizations such as, UFC and PRIDE have grown into multi-million dollar companies, turning what was once looked at as glorified street fighting into a respected sport.
When looking at the fight card for the night, CBS and ELITEXC do not disappoint. YouTube Sensation, Kevin “Kimbo Slice” Ferguson will face heavy handed British fighter, James “Colossus” Thompson in the night’s main event. Kimbo Slice is very new to the sport but because of his unorthodox way of fighting and his raw talent, he is very fun to watch. In his first 3 fights he submitted former boxer Ray Mercer in the first round, knocked out Bo Cantell in 19 seconds and knocked out UFC veteran Tank Abbott in the first few minutes of the first round.
Also on the card that night is former Miletich Fighting System’s, “Ruthless” Robbie Lawler who is putting his middleweight title on the line against 185 pound fighter Scott “Hands of Steel” Smith. Lawler has had his hands full lately. In February Lawler, along with MMA superstar Matt Hughes, Matt Peña and Marc Fiore opened up The H.I.T. (Hughes Intensive Training) Squad gym in Granite City, Ill. If you think being part owner of his own gym has made training harder, Robbie explains that “Other than the fact that I coach a little more than I have before, I pretty much train and try to lead by example. There are enough coaches here that can take over when I have a fight coming up. It’s all about me then.”
Being in the UFC at age 19, Lawler was in the spot light at a very young age. When asked how the sport has changed over the year, Robbie expressed how the public is seeing MMA as more of a sport now and not just a bunch of guys just fighting for their meals. He says the guys who are now coming in just for the money aren’t going to last because you have to have a love for it. “I love fighting, I love competing and I love doing the work, and that’s what real fighters should be.”
With a stellar card line up and being on a major network like CBS, whether you like it or not, mixed martial arts will be at your door step on May 31st, trying to prove that it is a legitimate sport and not human cockfighting.
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