• by David Goetzl  @dgoetzl, March 12, 2008

Another network is jumping into the mixed martial arts ring. BET, which a year ago said it was developing a show, launches a reality competition version next week--with a differentiator being celebrity involvement.

The celebs won't hit the mats, but will serve as coaches on the 13-episode "Iron Ring." The weekly series will take on a team-based format--three fighters each--to be coached by boxer Floyd Mayweather and performers Nelly and Ludacris.

Sony will have a branded integration role for its PlayStation, as will Old Spice and the Summit Entertainment film "Never Back Down." Sister Viacom network Spike has a similar (and popular) reality series, "The Ultimate Fighter," which is affiliated with the Ultimate Fighting Championship. A slew of other networks carry professional MMA programming.

The BET series premieres March 18 at 11 p.m. and runs through June with a two-hour finale, with the winning trio taking home prize money. Competitors have some experience in either MMA or other fighting activities.

Under entertainment head Reginald Hudlin, the series is another step in BET's moves to upgrade its lineup of original programming and experiment with new formats.