It's EliteXC week at the MMA Insider

Without a doubt, most of my coverage up to this point (both on Baltimoresun.com and here at the MMA Insider) has been UFC-centric. And with good reason -- the UFC is the biggest and the best MMA league in America (and with all the questions surrounding PRIDE these days, UFC may very well be the best organization in the world).

However, a new MMA league debuts this Saturday, February 10 and this new league has done some very good things in a short time that have me thinking it could enjoy some success as well. The league I'm talking about is Elite Xtreme Combat (EliteXC) and its first event this weekend will be held in Southaven, Miss. -- a few miles south of Memphis, Tenn.

I use the following criteria in assessing the viablity of EliteXC (or any new league):

1) Can the league attract top-flight fighters?
EliteXC has quite an impressive lineup for its first card. The main event match is Frank Shamrock vs. Renzo Gracie. Overall, the card features at least two UFC veterans (Shamrock and David Loiseau), two PRIDE veterans (Gracie and Charles "Krazy Horse" Bennett), as well as two female fighters (Gina Carano and Julie Kedzie) and one guy, Antonio Silva, who weighs so much he wouldn't qualify for the UFC heavyweight division.

This is a very good card for a first event and one that has me quite interested in seeing how all these fighters perform.

2) Can the league attract fans?
This is a question that can only be answered with time. But, so far I like the league's approach. One part of their approach is their recently launched web portal -- www.proelite.com -- which looks like it could serve as a MySpace for MMA fans. The interface is slick and fairly seamless and there is enough content to make setting up a free account (as I've done already) worthwhile.

The other part of their approach is to hold the first event in the South. UFC hasn't ventured much to the East Coast or to the South in recent years and there are a lot of fans near the Atlantic Ocean eager to join in on the top-level fun that fans in Nevada and California have been enjoying for the last 18 months or so.

So, at first glance, I think the EliteXC brass has put some quality thought into attracting the fans. Now, we'll have to wait and see how many people attend the event live and how many tune in to their TV sets Saturday night.

3) Did I say TV?
Exposure, exposure, exposure. These three ingredients are essential for any league to become successful. For example, Spike TV was instrumental in propelling UFC into the mainstream consciousness. Clearly, the executives at EliteXC understand this correlation between TV exposure and success and so the league comes nicely wrapped with a partnership with Showtime TV. Showtime will be airing the main card fights of EliteXC events. The premium cable network also announced last week that it is investing in the league's parent company, Pro Elite, Inc.

In addition to the deal with Showtime, EliteXC went one step further and decided to stream the undercard fights live on the internet for anyone to watch free.

These two features -- Showtime coverage and internet coverage -- assure EliteXC that exposure will not be an issue for the league.

Based on the totality of the above analysis, I believe EliteXC has a fair shot at being successful. There are plenty of fighters out there to choose from and plenty of fans yearning for more top-flight talent to watch. I think the MMA universe is still young enough and big enough to support two major domestic leagues but only time will tell. In the end, EliteXC's success will depend on its ability to execute its business strategy and deliver the goods in a way that fans will appreciate.

I will be in Southaven this weekend covering the EliteXC fights for Baltimoresun.com. My article based on what I see at the event will be published next week.

This week, look for an MMA Insider entry in which I preview the four main fights of this weekend's event and also look for my Baltimoresun.com Q&A article with Gary Shaw, President of EliteXC.

For more information on EliteXC, check out www.elitexc.com.