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Mon Oct 06, 2008 6:36 pm EDT

Petruzelli: EliteXC 'didn't want me to take [Kimbo] down'

By Steve Cofield

Kimbo killer Seth Petruzelli did his first radio interview with The Monsters in Orlando and dropped a bombshell when he said that EliteXC bumped his pay to six figures but that the increase came with a stipulation:

"The promoters kinda hinted to me and they gave me the money to stand and throw with him, they didn't want me to take him down. Let's just put it that way. It was worth my while to try and stand up punch him."

If this is true, it's terrible news for EliteXC as promoters have no business telling a fighter how to fight. It would mean that EliteXC was doing all it could to protect Kimbo against his big weakness: the ground game. In the end, it didn't matter because Kimbo is terrible on his feet as well. But imagine the reaction if Petruzelli never tried to take Kimbo down, lost the fight via KO and then let loose with this claim. The last thing the fight game needs is actual proof backing the daily fight-fixing claims that come from uninformed fans and media.

Yahoo! Sports spoke with Jared Shaw this afternoon, and the EliteXC VP said he didn't tell Petruzelli that he had to stand against Kimbo. But does that mean EliteXC Head of Operations Jeremy Lappen did?

Click below to hear Petruzelli's "no takedown rule" comment (Real 104.1):

Click below to hear the entire conversation with Petruzelli (Real 104.1): 

This was a good interview aside from the borderline racist references to the "big black guy." You could accept the Kimbo "jokes" on any other show, but, with the Monster's history of racially insensitive remarks, they were walking a fine line.

Petruzelli said he knew that the fight was won when he saw Kimbo's pre-fight interview with CBS' Karyn Bryant. The former UFC fighter said Kimbo looked nervous. Petruzelli told Kimbo in the ring that he would do a rematch to which Kimbo basically said no thanks. He also said that he toned down his victory celebration because he thought "he might get shot" moments after the win in the area. Petruzelli mentioned that his manager was getting death threats in the aftermath.

Photo via EliteXC

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139 Comments

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  1. Swift
    1. Posted by Swift Thu Sep 03, 2009 9:34 pm EDT

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    Ahahahahahahahahhahaahhaah! EliteXC is the biggest joke in the business, bar none. They should have asked Petruzelli not to throw any fade-away jabs with minimal power, clearly.
  2. Kevin S
    2. Posted by Kevin S Thu Sep 03, 2009 4:54 pm EDT

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    Isn't that illegal?
    Also, this brings the Nelson/Arlovski stand up more into question, and yes, I do know the atheletic commision pays the ref.
  3. Hi There! I'm a Racist!
    3. Posted by Hi There! I'm a Racist! Thu Sep 03, 2009 10:54 pm EDT

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    Hey Cofield!
    Why'd you change the picture, you Pu$$y!!!
  4. MJ touched hearts and kiddies private parts
    4. Posted by MJ touched hearts and kiddies private parts Thu Sep 03, 2009 9:52 pm EDT

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    " This is terrible news for EliteXC is this is true "
    Cofield, I followed your lead, and cut and pasted this sentence from the above article. Can you please explain this in English?
    If this is the kind of writing we get when you write your own stuff, please continue the plagiarising and cut and pasting of others. You cannot write for crap.
    By the way, who's playing in the showroom at the Venetian this week? It's about time for you to shill the casino isn't it?
  5. SotoMojo
    5. Posted by SotoMojo Thu Sep 03, 2009 3:04 pm EDT

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    Cofield, you f*cking susck, man. Please find other work.
  6. MALKINTENT 71
    6. Posted by MALKINTENT 71 Thu Sep 03, 2009 8:06 pm EDT

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    Kimbo farce!!!!! ha ha ha ha ha
  7. Nutcracker
    7. Posted by Nutcracker Thu Sep 03, 2009 8:22 pm EDT

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    OMG !!! Steve. Your wet dream comes true and your boy Dana is looking better by the minute. Quick, get under his desk and swallow.......
  8. MJ touched hearts and kiddies private parts
    8. Posted by MJ touched hearts and kiddies private parts Thu Sep 03, 2009 9:52 pm EDT

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    Cofield, can you do us the favor of just giving us links to the websites that you copy and paste from so that we can read their articles in factual and intelligent form.
    The crap that you try and pass off as English in between your cut and paste jobs is pathetic. Keep your input to a minimum, preferably nothing at all, and allow us to read some intelligent and insightful stuff from people who have a clue
    As for stalking Petruzelli on his myspace page, dude, come on. Are you taking journalism tips from 12 year old girls now?
  9. Cofield's garbage
    9. Posted by Cofield's garbage Thu Sep 03, 2009 3:48 pm EDT

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    Steve you are the worst, what are you going to do now that your sex buddy lost? Well Cofield i guess you will find someone else, you always do.
  10. o
    10. Posted by o Thu Sep 03, 2009 3:43 pm EDT

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    YEP...knew it all along....elites' a bunch of posers about to lose their buisness
  11. swrestler
    11. Posted by swrestler Thu Sep 03, 2009 9:08 pm EDT

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    In this interview the guys say that Petruzelli beat Bob Sapp? Petruzelli’s record says he lost to Sapp in K1?
    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seth_Petruzelli
    I believe EliteXC is crooked (telling him to stand with Kimbo) but what’s up with Seth agreeing with the interviewers when they said he beat Sapp? Does anyone know? Did Petruzelli beat Sapp?
  12. IDGAD
    12. Posted by IDGAD Thu Sep 03, 2009 8:27 pm EDT

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    Let me know when the movie from the comic book based on this farce comes out. Then I can feel good about not seeing it.
  13. GARY O
    13. Posted by GARY O Thu Sep 03, 2009 4:06 pm EDT

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    Fixing fights not cool ! pay offs i knew it was a matter of time. what a joke........
  14. Erin B
    14. Posted by Erin B Thu Sep 03, 2009 3:51 pm EDT

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    first of all i think Kimbo is a beast in the ring and everyone gets caught so why is it always a nerd with a blog site who tries to bring someone down i think kimbo getting tkoed is the best thing to happen to him now he can take that pressure off of him and really show us what he is got and you best believe cofieldin his face your words would get ate HATER so WHAT UP UP WHATS HAPPNIN ALL YOU HATTERS GET AT ME
  15. j m
    15. Posted by j m Thu Sep 03, 2009 9:33 pm EDT

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    Cotfield is to writing as Kimbo is to fighting... a complete farce and a joke to the profession. Somebody please cut this clown off from the computer keyboard or at least disable his cut and paste functions and expose him for the mental midget he is. You're a freeking moron Cotfield
  16. knuckle sandwich
    16. Posted by knuckle sandwich Thu Sep 03, 2009 3:09 pm EDT

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    I should have known something was fishy when Kimbo came out with head gear on and Seth had his right arm tied behind his back..... I just thought that was the way EliteXC rolls...
  17. JG
    17. Posted by JG Thu Sep 03, 2009 4:27 pm EDT

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    Just watch the replay in slo-mo. You can see an EliteXC official screaming when Kimbo goes down, just knowing that he is about to be punished for promoting for a company based on a side show act! Mauro Renallo should be banned from MMA for life!
  18. GARY O
    18. Posted by GARY O Thu Sep 03, 2009 4:06 pm EDT

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    Butter bean vs kimbo winner gets to fight ken shamrock with out fixing the outcome...
    just a thought ... ok maybe just fixing one fight and the public will have to guess which one is fixed. sounds like fun ! and it could be billed as the biggest mma card ever!!!!!!!!!!!!!
    keep all elite's people to call the fight.
  19. Tonka
    19. Posted by Tonka Thu Sep 03, 2009 4:15 pm EDT

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    Yeah JG I saw that too. That EliteXC guy was going NONONONONONO!!!!!!!!!!! I noticed that when I was rewatching it. He was trying to tell the ref he was hitting him in the back of the head.
  20. njgd
    20. Posted by njgd Thu Sep 03, 2009 7:40 pm EDT

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    This has to be a huge controversy.
    The FBI or other governing body should get on this.
    This is so crazy - I cannot believe they would try this baloney on a public stage.
  21. mathiasmorciglio
    21. Posted by mathiasmorciglio Thu Sep 03, 2009 7:11 pm EDT

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    it's funny that Elite XC is being exposed as the slimeballs they all appear to be, but in general it seems like it's not good for the sport.
  22. ZEUS
    22. Posted by ZEUS Thu Sep 03, 2009 4:32 pm EDT

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    JG and Tonka I heard that when I TIVO it as well. I thought when I heard that it was a cover for what happen and they were trying to protect Kimbo. The REF screwed up and he was in on it as well. Whether he was told to not take him down the ref was to make sure that Kimbo survived the rounds.
    Just look at the last fight when Kimbo kept getting nailed when he was on the canvas, the ref let him keep getting hit until he manage to take them back on their feet. ELITEXC the new MMA "ELITE Xtreme Cheater's"
  23. knuckle sandwich
    23. Posted by knuckle sandwich Thu Sep 03, 2009 3:09 pm EDT

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    Holiday is 100% right. I read Seth's interview. He said he didn't make very good contact with that first punch. And Kimbo went down like a sack of potatoes.
  24. ken b
    24. Posted by ken b Thu Sep 03, 2009 3:15 pm EDT

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    Kimbo Slouch.
  25. J.G.
    25. Posted by J.G. Thu Sep 03, 2009 4:34 pm EDT

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    Once again, the only good thing about the Elite XC show was the girl fight. But that still doesn't mean much. I'm sure Affliction is sitting back now wondering why in the hell they even bothered to help co-promote that terrible show!?!

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