Wednesday, February 27, 2008

EliteXC and CBS: There Will Be Blood

The Internet rumor mill sprang to life today, grinding out a doozy in the form of EliteXC teaming up with CBS for some live prime time shows. If this rumor is true, it means EliteXC will reach a greater number of viewers than the UFC ever has, and Gary Shaw's promotion will have a decent shot at usurping the long-standing industry giant as the face of mixed martial arts. Somewhere, Dana White is losing the last of his hair. Industry insiders (insiders who have been around longer than Zuffa themselves) have long held fast to the belief that White has done a great job getting MMA to where it is now, but that someone else needs to be at the UFC's helm to take the sport to the next level. Prime time television is without question the next level. If EliteXC is the first to make it to prime time on a major network while the UFC is left stubbornly clutching its creative control and ancillary rights... well, one thing is likely: within Zuffa's heavily-fortified underground lair a mile beneath Nevada's harsh desert, there will be blood. Oh yes, there will be blood.