It will be Showtime for the sport of mixed martial arts in Hawai'i next month.

The Showtime cable network is scheduled to broadcast a MMA event live across the nation from the Blaisdell Center Arena on Sept. 15.

Iowa's Robbie Lawler — who has fought in Hawai'i several times — is scheduled to face Brazil's Murilo "Ninja" Rua in the main event.

The card will be produced by the EliteXC organization, with assistance from Hawai'i's top two MMA organizations — Icon Sport and Rumble on the Rock. It will be the first MMA event from Hawai'i to be televised live across the nation.

Icon Sport co-promoter Patrick Freitas said the deal is expected to be completed this week, and a press conference has been scheduled for Thursday afternoon at the Blaisdell Arena.

"There are a lot of rumors about Icon Sport being sold and what's going to happen," Freitas said. "Everything will be answered at the press conference."

Three bouts are already being listed for the Sept. 15 card on the Showtime Web site: Lawler vs. Rua; K.J. Noons from the Big Island against California's Nick Diaz; Renato "Charuto" Verissimo from the Big Island against California's Jake Shields.

Freitas said other Hawai'i fighters from both the Icon Sport and Rumble on the Rock organizations are scheduled to appear on the card, although he said matchups will not be announced until Thursday. He confirmed that Wai'anae's Kala Kolohe Hose will be featured in a bout on the Sept. 15 card.

Hose and Lawler were scheduled to fight for the Icon Sport's middleweight world championship on Sept. 15 at the Blaisdell Arena.

Instead, Lawler will take on Rua for the EliteXC's middleweight world championship on that date. Rua is the current EliteXC champ in the 185-pound class, and Lawler is the Icon Sport champ in that class.

Freitas emphasized that Icon Sport will continue to produce its own shows in the future, and Hose is still expected to fight Lawler later this year on an Icon Sport card.

Reach Dayton Morinaga at dmorinaga@honoluluadvertiser.com.