Anyone who thought the fate of EliteXC on network television was tied to the fortunes of Kimbo Slice is "100 percent misinformed," a CBS executive told me today.CBS Senior Executive VP for Primetime Kelly Kahl said that despite the dramatic knockout of Kimbo at the hands of Seth Petruzelli, the network has every intention of putting mixed martial arts on its airwaves again.
"We have a four-fight contract," Kahl said. "We certainly plan on coming back with fight No. 4."
I asked Kahl for his immediate reaction when he saw Kimbo go down.
"I think we all said, 'Holy,'" Kahl said, "and then you could insert a four-letter word."
But Kahl added, "It might not be the end everybody wanted, but that points out that the sport is unpredictable."
Kahl said the ratings -- which were similar to the ratings the last time Kimbo fought -- are impressive when you consider that sports fans had a lot of other options.
"The numbers last night were terrific," Kahl said. "The total viewer number was on par with May 31 and the demos were down just a little bit, but we were up against a couple good college football games and the baseball playoffs. ... Last night was a step ahead, not a step back. To do roughly the numbers we did in May against much steeper competition bodes pretty well."
When I told Kahl that some commentators suggested before last night's show that EliteXC could go off the air on CBS -- and maybe out of business altogether -- if Kimbo lost, he scoffed.
"That is 100 percent misinformed," Kahl said, "written by a lot of people who have very little inside knowledge into what's going on even though they might think they do."
Overall, Kahl said, CBS is proud to have broadcast the performances of Benji Radach, Jake Shields, Andrei Arlovski and Gina Carano. And the network's dedication to mixed martial arts on network television remains very much alive: "We're trying to put on good fights for free."
Comments (Page 1 of 1)
There seems to be a lot of severe knee-jerk reactions to Kimbo losing, as it pertains to the future of EliteXC.
All EliteXC and CBS have to do is set up a Carano/Cyborg main event, yes main event, for the next show and they'll be fine. They've both done a fantastic job promoting the womens division Lots of buzz will be generated by pushing the first womens match to headline a card for a major company, not to mention it will probably be a very exciting fight.
And please let them have 5 minute rounds.
I would hope that they make that fight for the vacant title ... there is no need to make the rounds 5 minutes if they make the fight a potential 5 rounds.
I'm not certain that EliteXC will make that fight though ... Cyborg proved that she deserves that fight, but they haven't done much to promote her ... so if Carano loses to Cyborg they would hurt the credibility of a very marketable fighter (Carano).
UFC...IFC...Women..WE ALL LOVE IT SOME FIGHT AND SOME WATCH...BUT IF WE WERE HONEST WE WOULD BE RING SIDE I WOULD BE! I HOPE I WILL BE WHEN CARANO FINALLY MEETS HER MATCH!!!!
I saw womens mma for the first time last night and wasnt too impressed. Im not saying that i am a cheauvanist or not for equal rights or anything like that. One thing i am definately for is good mma. Forget about the fact that they are wemen, they are not good technical fighters and not exciting fighters too. Because there are not a lot of women who decide to fight, there is a reflection on the talent pool. Im not saying that womens mma should be nonexistant, but if elitexc has its biggest event of the year with that match headlining and there is and the wec has a urijah faber fight on the same night and somehow elitexc gets better ratings i will prepare for the coming of the appocolipse.
Jake, you pretty much refuted your 'point' by saying that was the first womens MMA match you've watched. I'm not making excuses for poor quality MMA. Kobold is not on Carano's level. She tried to muck up the fight by repeatedly failing at a single-leg take down and throwing wide, inaccurate punches. If the fighters stink, then I don't want to see them either.
However, Carano and Cyborg about both very good fighters and their styles make for an exciting bout, I think. Cyborg has great BJJ and is just as good a striker as Carano (if not better).
Put Arlovski as a main event. Watch a true MMA maestro at work.