Miami-based mixed martial arts combatant Kimbo Slice makes his nationally televised debut Saturday night, May 31, during the initial broadcast of the CBS EliteXC Saturday Night Fights.
Up through this point, Elite XC aired exclusively on the Showtime cable networks. A recently negotiated deal put the promotion, one of the top rivals to the Las Vegas-based Ultimate Fighting Championship, on free television. The current deal calls for four events to be broadcast each year.
''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,'' EliteXC Live Events President Gary Shaw said in a statement.
Slice, undefeated in the promotion after he became an underground street fighting sensation, will participate on the card, which also features middleweight champion Robbie Lawler defending his title againt Scott Smith.
''We're excited to introduce broadcast television viewers to America's fastest growing sport with this prime time event,'' Senior Executive Vice President of CBS Primetime Kelly Kahl said in a statement. ``EliteXC is putting together a lineup card that showcases the unique personalities, world-class athleticism, and raw power and emotion that characterizes mixed martial arts.''
