Mike Chiappetta • E-mail

The second time around for EliteXC, the buzz has subsided and the attention has been spread thin, making it perhaps an even better test case for MMA’s future on network TV.

If the newest edition of CBS’s Saturday night fights can do decent ratings without the promotional push that the presence of Kimbo Slice gave the first card, it will be a validation as well as create momentum for the future.

If the event bombs, EliteXC, which has faced financial difficulties, will have a much tougher time riding out the year.

The fate of the event rests squarely on the shoulders of the rematch between current EliteXC middleweight champion Robbie Lawler and challenger Scott Smith. The pair fought on the May 31 card, with the match considered a no-contest after Smith suffered an accidental third-round eyepoke that left him unable to continue. Last time around, their bout was on the undercard of an event that was heavy on the Kimbo-mania. Now, they're the headliners in an event that is counting on more steak than sizzle.

“We certainly are managing all of our expectations,” said company executive chairman Doug DeLuca, who added that the fact the first event was maiden voyage for the sport on primetime network TV drew many who might not otherwise be interested.

“We understand the numbers might not be as big as the first time, but (still) we're all expecting to do some good numbers,” he added. “I really couldn't tell you what a success is, or what a success isn't.  I'm just looking forward to putting on the best event possible and getting as many people out to watch it as we can get.”

Lawler-Smith I was a high-energy affair that was shaping into a memorable slugfest. Lawler took control of the first round before Smith came back with a strong second. Things appeared even as they headed into the third of five scheduled rounds, and with them trading punches, Lawler tried to block a Smith shot and ending up landing a finger in his right eye at 3:26 of the round.

Smith was unable to see and with concerns about his vision, the fight was ruled a no-contest. At the time, it was also believed that Smith broke his foot during a kick, but he later learned it was not broken.

Now, all healed up, he hopes the second time around things swing his way.

“I made some big mistakes in that fight,” he said. “Obviously, in the first round of the last fight Robbie kicked my butt. And I felt throughout the fight I improved a little bit. And I'm just trying to keep that going and be ready for Saturday night as a different, better fighter.”

As it was the first time around, Lawler will be favored again. Prior to their match, he’d won four straight fights, all by knockout, and the onetime prodigy seemed to be finding his true stride at 26 years old.

Lawler is a soft-spoken man who concentrates on fighting above all else. In recent months, he became a partner in a gym, the H.I.T. Squad, opened up with Matt Hughes in Granite City, Ill.

“I don’t care about the last fight,” he says. “I look at it as a new fight, and I kind of look at it as if we’ve never fought before.”

The fight will take place at the new Stockton Arena in Stockton, Calif., where hometown boy Nick Diaz will take on Thomas “Wildman” Denny.

Denny is a longtime veteran of the sport who’s won four of his last five, but now faces Diaz on his home turf.

“You know what, it doesn't matter.  It's just him and I when we get in there,” he said. “Obviously he's going to feel a little more pressure than I am, because that's all his friends and fans. They all hate me as it is. So do I have pressure? Not really.”

Another interesting match should be the 170-pound championship between Jake Shields and Nick Thompson.

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Thompson is one of the more interesting characters in the sport, an extremely active fighter who holds wins over Josh Neer and highly touted Eddie Alvarez. The most impressive part of Thompson’s resume, however, might be the fact that he has won 12 bouts in a row while juggling law school and studying for the bar exam.

“I think there's a lot more similarities than most people would expect,” he said. “Just because both of them are technical chess matches. One, you're using your body, the other you're using rhetoric. But in either case, you're picking out a strategy and trying to beat your opponent [like in a] chess match.”

His matchup with Shields could end up being the night’s showstopper. Shields (20-4) holds wins over name fighters like Carlos Condit, Yushin Okami and Mike Pyle, and has won nine consecutive bouts.

“When you're on a winning streak like I'm on, I just feel completely confident and unbeatable,” he said. “I've been running through people. 

I'll let Nick speak for himself, but I have the feeling he feels the same. We're two fighters going in there confident, at the top of our games. Neither one of us feels like we can lose right now.”

The CBS card will be preceded by an hour broadcast on showtime, featuring an EliteXC heavyweight title match between Antonio “Bigfoot” Silva and Justin Eilers. In addition, dynamic 140-pound newcomer Wilson Reis will look to move to a perfect 5-0 when he takes on Brian Caraway.