CBS and EliteXC have partnered to bring MMA to network television, with the inaugural event taking place Saturday, May 31. The gem of that fight card is a match featuring internet legend Kimbo Slice against James Thompson.

Despite Kimbo Slice's crowd pleasing knockouts, do you think MMA will make a big enough impact on the American public to stay on network television with any regularity? Or is MMA forced to stay on cable, with networks that cater more to the young male demographic of the country? Can mixed martial arts become the primetime force that boxing once was?

Are you considering stepping into a ring or cage for the first time? Think you're ready? Are you sure about that? Before you agree to a fight, there are some very important points to take into consideration. Are you in good enough shape? Has your training fully prepared you for what might happen in the ring? Do you have an accurate estimation of your own skills and weaknesses, or are you surrounded by "yes men" who only tell you what you want to hear? This no-nonsense guide is certainly not a complete list of issues to consider before fighting, but it covers some of the most important bases to cover before you even think about taking your first match.

Matt Serra was unable to repeat the performance that won him the UFC welterweight title in his rematch against Georges St-Pierre. Looking sluggish and discouraged early on, Serra failed to put together an effective offense against St-Pierre. "Rush" on the other hand came out strong from the beginning, landing some nasty take-downs against Serra, who on paper is the better ground fighter. After some close calls, the match came down to some nasty knee strikes, and the ref ended the fight at 4:45 of the second round.

Rich Franklin looked good in his easy victory against Travis Lutter. Franklin won by TKO via ref stoppage in the second round. While fans celebrate the clean victory for Franklin, you can't help but wonder how much it really matters, since Rich Franklin has to beat Anderson Silva to re-take the title, a feat that he has been unable to accomplish so far. You can never count out Rich Franklin though, so we will just have to wait and see.

Saturday, April 19 2008 UFC 83 will go down in Montreal's Centre Bell. UFC 83 is headlined by the rematch between Georges St-Pierre and Matt Serra. This is a major bragging rights match, since Serra handed St-Pierre a stinging loss last year to take his title. Since then St-Pierre has taken on and defeated Matt Hughes and is looking to get some payback against Matt Serra. Serra won't be laying down without a fight though, as he tries to gain some permanent respect in the 170lb weight class. Also on the card is a match between Rich Franklin and Travis Lutter. The undercard also features a slew of TUF graduates.

Image © Dave Sandford/Getty Images Sport

Donruss has announced that they are launching a line of MMA trading cards called Ring Kings. They will be distributing the cards at MMA events around the country in coming months. Some of the fighters featured will be Randy Couture, Georges St.-Pierre, Matt Serra, Rich Franklin, Dan Henderson, Forrest Griffin and Houston Alexander.

Frank Shamrock fought like a champ despite being in pain from a broken arm in his match against Sanshou legend Cung Le on Showtime's EliteXC promotion. Le broke Shamrock's right arm with his powerful kicks. Shamrock requested that the fight doctor stop the fight at the end of the third round.

Despite his injuries however, Shamrock was able to give Cung Le a run for his money, rocking him with some hard shots. The EliteXC card was rounded out with wins from Drew Fickett, Gilbert Melendez, Wayne Cole and Joey Villasenor.

In honor of St. Patrick's day (March 17th), here is a profile of a unique and little known cultural treasure of Ireland - Bataireacht, or simply Bata, the Irish art of stick fighting.

Bata received a bit of attention when the movie "Gangs of New York" was released. The style is currently being researched and revived through the efforts of many dedicated enthusiasts. In this profile of Bataireacht, or Bata, learn more about the history, culture and principles of this unique style.

Dan Henderson didn't expect this type of finish. The former Olympian and PRIDE champ fell victim to a rear naked choke at the hands of Anderson Silva. Normally a striker, Silva looked perfectly comfortable on the ground, sinking the choke at 4:52 in the second round.

Another former champ had better luck. Andrei Arlovski easily won his match, which was not aired. The popular fighter might be done in the UFC though. Arlovski's contract has expired. Fans are hoping that the negotiations are successful, and that the Pitbull can return to his old, explosive fighting style.

Diego Sanchez also had no problems taking a win in his match. Sanchez defeated UFC rookie David Bielkheden in the first round via strikes.

The next UFC ppv event will be UFC 83 on April 19th, in Montreal, Canada. The headline fight is a rematch between Georges St-Pierre and Matt Serra. Rich Franklin will also be fighting, against a win hungry Travis Lutter.

Tonight, two of the best 185 pounders will meet for the first time. The dangerous striking skills of Anderson Silva will face off against the wrestling skills and formidable ground and pound of Dan Henderson. Henderson was the former PRIDE champ before Zuffa bought the promotion and disbanded it. Silva is the current UFC middleweight champion. Other fighters featured on the card include former champion Andrei Arlovski, Diego Sanchez, Josh Koscheck and Yushin Okami.

UFC 82 is taking place at the Nationwide Arena in Columbus, Ohio. The show is scheduled to begin at 10pm eastern time. As always, the event is available for purchase on pay-per-view.

Photo © Zuffa LLC.

Sexual abuse is something no one really wants to talk about or think about, especially in the martial arts world. Unfortunately, more and more martial arts instructors have been in the news lately for abusing their students. While no child can be completely safe, there are some things a parent can do to help prevent abuse, and there are some steps to take should a parent suspect or discover that their child has been abused.