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CBS EliteXC Saturday Night Fights brings mixed martial arts to prime time network television for the first time on May 31, airing live at 9 p.m. ET. The show is headlined by popular heavyweight prospect Kevin "Kimbo Slice" Ferguson against James Thompson. Also, EliteXC middleweight champion Robbie Lawler defends his belt against knockout artist Scott Smith and female fighting sensation Gina Carano battles Kaitlin Young.
Here is a look at the fight card for the May 31 event, including analysis and predictions from our MMA writers.
Fighter photos courtesy of ProElite.com and EliteXC.
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| Heavyweight Bout: |
 | KEVIN FERGUSON | vs. | JAMES THOMPSON |  |
| "Kimbo Slice" | Nickname | "Colossus" |
| 33 | Age | 29 |
| 6-2 | Height | 6-5 |
| 2-0 (2-0 EliteXC) | Record | 14-8 (0-1 EliteXC) |
| 1 | KO/TKOs | 9 |
| 1 | Submissions | 4 |
| 2 wins | Streak | 2 losses |
def. Tank Abbott
EliteXC Street Certified
2/16/2008 | Last Fight | lost to Brett Rogers
EliteXC Street Certified
2/16/2008 |
| Writers' Picks |
 Denny Burkholder: Kimbo claims he wants to show off more ground skills, and Thompson says he would like to take the fight to the ground. Don't listen to either of them. Once the fight begins, they'll both be throwing bombs. Kimbo is being cultivated as EliteXC's superstar fighter, and Thompson was recently knocked out by Brett Rogers. It's not a coincidence that Thompson's glass jaw earned him a spot in the main event. Kimbo will flatten Thompson in the first round, and we'll still wonder about his ground game come Sunday. |
 Sam Caplan: I thought we'd see a different James Thompson when he took on Brett Rogers at "Street Certified" in February. And while he did try and take Rogers down, Thompson still opened the fight with his famous "Gong 'N Dash" tactic of bum rushing his opponent right after the bell. No longer training with Xtreme Couture, I doubt we're going to see Thompson display well-rounded MMA skills. This will be a brawl, and the man with the tougher chin is far and away Kimbo. Slice via first round knockout. |
 Gregg Doyel: Thompson fancies himself a slugger, and I suppose he is. But he's a slugger with the glassiest jaw I've ever seen -- seven of his eight losses have come by KO or TKO -- and Kimbo Slice will tap it until it shatters. And then we'll still wonder if Kimbo Slice is for real. And it will be a fair question. |
 Todd Martin: Thompson was selected to be a scary looking guy for Kimbo to knock out. It will be a disaster for EliteXC if anything else happens. Luckily for them, I don’t expect that. Thompson has more fighting spirit than other Kimbo opponents, but he may have the worst chin in heavyweight MMA. |
 Ben Fowlkes: Let's not pretend we don't know why Elite XC chose Thompson as Slice's next opponent. It's because "The Colossus" is a big, intimidating-looking guy, and because he has something of a flash chin. They're hoping this will equal a highlight reel knockout for Kimbo, and they're probably right. Thompson has the ability to cause problems with his size and his strength, but rarely does he use them effectively. If Slice doesn't make any major mistakes, he takes Thompson out in the first, making him the third person in a row to do so. |
| EliteXC Middleweight Title Bout: |
 | ROBBIE LAWLER | vs. | SCOTT SMITH |  |
| "Ruthless" | Nickname | "Hands of Steel" |
| 25 | Age | 28 |
| 5-11 | Height | 6-0 |
| 15-4 (1-0 EliteXC) | Record | 13-4 (1-0 EliteXC) |
| 12 (1 EliteXC) | KO/TKOs | 11 (1 EliteXC) |
| 1 | Submissions | 2 |
| 4 wins | Streak | 2 wins |
def. Murilo Rua
EliteXC Uprising
9/15/2007 | Last Fight | def. Kyle Noke
EliteXC Street Certified
2/16/2008 |
| Writers' Picks |
| Denny Burkholder: Scott Smith tends to start off slowly in fights, but his punches are crisp and precise. He can do more damage with less overall effort than the average fighter simply because he connects with more solid shots. Both men have a long list of TKO/KO wins, with Lawler facing a better crop of opponents. This fight can honestly go either way, but I will go with Lawler retaining via TKO. |
Sam Caplan: Scott Smith is an easy guy to root for, but he faces an opponent in Robbie Lawler who has really come into his own. Lawler is not the same fighter he was in the UFC, as he's become more well-rounded. As for Smith, he's been training on the ground longer than his standup, but we've rarely seen those all-around skills. I expect this to be another brawl, and while Smith has a puncher's chance, I believe the percentages are in Lawler's favor of walking away the winner. Lawler via first round TKO. |
Gregg Doyel: This is a lot like the Kimbo fight. Lawler is Colossus, a slugger susceptible to being finished. Scott Smith is Kimbo -- a guy with steel for a jaw, and lead for hands. These guys will swing until one of them goes out, and Lawler will be the one. Unlike the Kimbo fight, this might go into the second round. |
Todd Martin: This is the most evenly matched fight of the card. Lawler and Smith have similar styles. They like to stand and bang and possess real knockout power. In a fight like that, either man can win if he lands the right shot. I’m expecting a fun middleweight battle, ending with Lawler scoring the knockout. |
Ben Fowlkes: This has the potential to be the best fight of the night. Both guys like to battle on the feet, and both have great punching power. If it plays out as a Rock-em, Sock-em robots match, though, Lawler has the edge. He has tremendous punching power and he can take it as well as dish it out. Smith will have to stick and move and wear Lawler down, but I think eventually his ego will get the better of him and he'll want to stand and trade. That's when Lawler puts him to sleep, late in the second or third round. |
| EliteXC Women's Bout: |
 | GINA CARANO | vs. | KAITLIN YOUNG |  |
| "Conviction" | Nickname | n/a |
| 25 | Age | 27 |
| 5-8 | Height | 5-9 |
| 5-0 (2-0 EliteXC) | Record | 4-1 (EliteXC debut) |
| 2 (0 EliteXC) | KO/TKOs | 4 |
| 1 (1 EliteXC) | Submissions | 0 |
| 5 wins | Streak | 1 loss |
def. Tonya Evinger
EliteXC Uprising
9/15/2007 | Last Fight | lost to Sara Schneider
Bodog Fight
2/1/2008 |
| Writers' Picks |
| Denny Burkholder: By most accounts, Carano comes into this fight with her training time significantly truncated by her busy schedule. Pile that on top of all of Carano's distractions -- being a two-network star and a media darling most definitely comes with a price -- and the fact that Young is a dangerous, fully-prepared opponent, and Carano could be looking at her first EliteXC loss. Kaitlin Young via decision. |
Sam Caplan: If Carano had given herself 9-10 weeks to fully prepare for this fight, I would expect her to take this fight based on experience. However, she was pre-occupied for much of the time leading up to this fight with her committment to American Gladiators. Kaitlin Young is a dangerous fighter and not someone you can pull double duty against and get away with it. In a battle of Muay Thai, I give the advantage under the current conditions to Young. She's had more time to prepare for this fight and I expect her timing to be much better. Young via unanimous decision. |
Gregg Doyel: Kaitlin isn't the name of a fighter. Kaitlin is the name of a kindergarten girlie with pigtails, or a baby-sitter with braces. Nobody named Kaitlin can beat Gina Carano, that's for damn sure. If you wanted better analysis than this, sorry. I can't get into women fighting. Am I sexist? Perhaps. |
Todd Martin: Carano is ripe for an upset here. She has many outside commitments which have taken away from her training, and she has spoken of her stress going into this fight. Young is going to be hungry for what will easily be the biggest fight of her career, and I think she will score the win. |
Ben Fowlkes: Young is certainly better than people are giving her credit for, and she has the potential to be more than just another girl playing a supporting role to Gina Carano's superstar routine. That said, she may still be too young and inexperienced (not to mention too dazzled by the primetime lights) to pull off the upset here. Carano has the edge in every department that matters, and while Young will put up a good fight she'll lose a decision in the end. |
| Middleweight Bout: |
 | PHIL BARONI | vs. | JOEY VILLASENOR |  |
| "New York Bad Ass" | Nickname | "Dream Smasher" |
| 32 | Age | 32 |
| 5-11 | Height | 6-0 |
| 10-9 (0-2 EliteXC) | Record | 25-6 (3-1 EliteXC) |
| 7 | KO/TKOs | 11 (1 EliteXC) |
| 2 | Submissions | 10 (0 EliteXC) |
| 2 losses | Streak | 2 wins |
lost to Kala Kolohe Hose
Icon Sport
3/15/2008 | Last Fight | def. Ryan Jensen
EXC/Strikeforce
3/29/2008 |
| Writers' Picks |
| Denny Burkholder: Baroni is one of those guys with the look and charisma to be one of MMA's biggest stars, but he's had trouble winning the big fights. He's always dangerous standing, but he's repeatedly shown that his lack of cardio can be exploited in a longer fight. Baroni could very well stun Villasenor for an early stoppage, but I think it's more likely that Villasenor wears Baroni down for an eventual tapout. |
Sam Caplan: Baroni's power can't be overlooked; he might be the hardest hitter at 185 lbs. in the world right now. And while his ground game is a lot better than people realize, the knocks against his cardio are justified. Against Kala Kolohe Hose in March, Baroni did nothing to dispel the notion that stamina is his biggest downfall. I believe that Villasenor has the well-rounded skills, tactical ability, and experience needed to weather any storm that Baroni can throw at him. Villasenor via third round TKO. |
Gregg Doyel: Please tell me Baroni is in better shape than he was for his painful-to-watch TKO loss to Kala Hose in March. Baroni's heart -- if not his cardio -- was impressive to see, but that said, he's over the hill. Villasenor is much more versatile, having knocked out 11 opponents and submitted 10 others, and he'll tire out Baroni in the first round before choking him out in the second. |
Todd Martin: Phil Baroni tends to rotate between good performances and bad performances. He will look like a world beater one fight and like a bum the next. He has been struggling of late, and he’s due for a win. Plus, Villasenor stylistically is a good opponent for Baroni. Villasenor can be rocked by punches, and Baroni should be able to keep it standing. Baroni is the pick via KO. |
Ben Fowlkes: Baroni's reputation as a fighter is secure at this point: he's more flash than he is fierce, a knockout artist with questionable cardio who will fold if he doesn't win early. If Villasenor has a good game plan (and coming from Greg Jackson's you have to expect that he will) he'll work toward those weakness, get Baroni on the mat, and grind away at him. If he does that he wins by submission in the third. |
| Heavyweight Bout: |
 | BRETT ROGERS | vs. | JON MURPHY |  |
| "The Grim" | Nickname | n/a |
| 27 | Age | 30 |
| 6-5 | Height | 6-3 |
| 6-0 (2-0 EliteXC) | Record | 4-2 (1-0 EliteXC) |
| 5 (1 EliteXC) | KO/TKOs | 3 (1 EliteXC) |
| 1 (1 EliteXC) | Submissions | 1 (0 EliteXC) |
| 6 wins | Streak | 1 win |
def. James Thompson
EliteXC Street Certified
2/16/2008 | Last Fight | def. Dave Huckaba
ShoXC
8/25/2007 |
| Writers' Picks |
| Denny Burkholder: Rogers earned his way onto the main CBS card with a KO win over James Thompson in February. All but one of his wins came via KO, and the other one was a submission from strikes. Murphy will be better off looking for a submission on Rogers, but since Rogers hasn't lost, it's anyone's guess how difficult that task will be. I'm going with Rogers via TKO, but it will probably be his toughest test to date. |
Sam Caplan: This could be the sleeper for fight of the night. These two young heavyweight prospects match up well with each other. I could see this fight going either way, but I will give the nod to Murphy. He's been receiving some excellent training and I think his striking is about to reach a whole new level. I'm impressed by Rogers' strength and determination, but I don't think he's fought a fighter the caliber of Murphy. Murphy via second round TKO. |
Gregg Doyel: Rogers is a gigantic wrecking machine who once wrecked headliner James Thompson, but Jon Murphy is no stepping stone. Murphy definitely is going to confront Rogers with more ground game than "The Grim" has ever seen, and this former Syracuse football player won't be intimidated by Rogers' size or strength. If this is an upset, so be it. But Murphy's going to submit him. |
Todd Martin: This is just a fight to round out the card, with little in the way of repercussions. Rogers has heavy hands, and he’ll finish Murphy with punches more likely than not. |
Ben Fowlkes: Both these guys are fairly green, but Rogers has shown a lot of raw potential so far. He's bigger and stronger than Murphy, and he's always just one punch away from ending any fight. Murphy will have to beat him on technique, which isn't terribly likely. Rogers wins by KO in the first. |
| Writer's Prediction Records for 2008: |
| Ordered from best to worst -- records through May 29, 2008. |
| Sam Caplan: 39-20 (66%) |
| Denny Burkholder: 45-26 (63%) |
| Todd Martin: 45-26 (63%) |
| Ben Fowlkes: 43-28 (61%) |
| Gregg Doyel: 32-28 (53%) |
About the writers:
Denny Burkholder is the MMA and boxing producer and staff writer for CBSSports.com.
Sam Caplan is an MMA contributor for CBSSports.com and the publisher of FiveOuncesOfPain.com.
CBSSports.com national columnist Gregg Doyel sucks at picking fights, but he's 2-0 as an amateur boxer out of UFC lightweight Jorge Gurgel's gym in Ohio.
Todd Martin has covered mixed martial arts for the Los Angeles Times, Wrestling Observer, SI.com and CBSSports.com.
Ben Fowlkes is an MMA contributor for SI.com, CagePotato.com and CBSSports.com.
| Talk Back |
Reputation:93
Level:All-Star
Since:Dec 26, 2006
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July 18, 2008 5:11 pm
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(POLL)
If you had a choice of seeing either live, which would you attend?
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