Kimbo Slice could soon be a household name.

ProElite Inc. and CBS are expected to announce a deal at the end of this week that will make Elite Xtreme Combat, the mixed martial arts promotional arm of ProElite, available in prime-time on major network television throughout the U.S.

Officials with ProElite and Showtime, partners in EliteXC and ShoXC cards on the premium cable television network, declined to respond to reports of the deal, originally published by MMAjunkie.com.

Sherdog.com has learned that ProElite CEO Doug Deluca had "been shopping deals literally all over the world the last few months" and was close to finalizing a deal with CBS, according to a source who asked not to be named.

An official announcement is expected either Thursday or Friday, said the same source.

Beginning in April the first of four two-hour CBS-EliteXC events is believed to be planned, according a report on Yahoo Sports. Kevin "Kimbo Slice" Ferguson is expected to be on the card slated for either Atlantic City, N.J., or Newark, N.J.

EliteXC drew its largest audience on Showtime with its Feb. 16 event from Miami, Fla., featuring a main event between Ferguson and David "Tank" Abbott.

Over 500,000 viewers tuned in to watch Slice destroy Abbott, by far the largest audience to watch MMA on Showtime. Online videos promoting the event totaled over two and a half million views on Sho.com, the network's Web site, a representative of Showtime told Sherdog.com.

It was widely reported that Viacom's CBS had been in talks with the Ultimate Fighting Championship, yet, similar to the UFC's negotiations with HBO, discussions broke down over issues of production control.

Among its many sporting events, CBS Sports produces the Masters, the NCAA men's college basketball tournament, and the NFL.

With EliteXC's close ties to Showtime, also a Viacom property, the relationship appears organic.

Wednesday's news comes at a time when CBS ratings have slipped significantly among males 18-49 when compared to the network's totals this time last year; the young male demographic is largely credited as the reason for MMA's growing television profile.

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