Mixed martial arts is coming to network television this spring!

CBS and Elite Xtreme Combat announced a partnership between the two that will bring live fights to free television for the first time. This is yet another big step as the sport continues to move to the mainstream.

CBS announced that the first installment of "CBS-EliteXC Saturday Night Fights" will take place on May 31st. CBS will broadcast four of these live events every year.

Although not as talent rich as the UFC, EliteXC does have some intriguing fighters.

One potential breakthrough star under the EliteXC banner is ex-street fighter, Kimbo Slice. He will be in the main event of the first broadcast on CBS.

Slice became an internet star after videos of his underground fights went viral. In 2007, he entered the legitimate world of fighting and fought in his first sanctioned MMA event. EliteXC is hedging their bets on the popularity of the heavyweight fighter.

Although there's no question about Kimbo Slice's budding fame, many MMA followers aren't ready to drink the Kool-Aid on him yet. There are questions about his talent in comparison to upper echelon fighters in MMA.

His most widely viewed underground battle involved his fight with fellow street brawler, Sean "The Cannon" Gannon. Gannon won their fight decisively. Sean Gannon then tried to make the jump directly from street fighting to the UFC and faced B-tiered fighter, Branden Lee Hinkle.

Sean Gannon was clearly outmatched. Hinkle beat him to a pulp in a rather brutal fight. Hinkle not only defeated him, but he sent a message out that street fighters have no place in the UFC.

Whether Kimbo Slice gets some real competition remains to be seen. Slice's first victory was against a fighter who had lost his previous four fights going in. Slice's latest fight was a victory over the 42 year old, out of shape, former UFC fighter, Tank Abbott.

Tank was imposing in his day but he had lost seven of his previous eight fights when going into the fight with Slice.

It'll be interesting to see how EliteXC will address this now that they're going to be on primetime television. They can lure better fighters for some real competition. Or they can simply sell their current stable of fighters to the audience, a network audience that's new to the sport and does not know or care of any difference.

The introduction of the sport to free tv may be good or bad for the sport. Sure a newer audience will be brought in, but at what expense?

The head of EliteXC, Gary Shaw is a long-time boxing promoter. He actually knocked on the sport of MMA years ago and finally has come around to it now that there's money in it.

Kimbo's first MMA fight last summer was a controversial one. He came in with all the hype but many question his victory over his opponent, Bo Cantrell.