Kimbo Slice fight under investigation

The strange turn of events surrounding the Kimbo Slice loss to unheralded replacement Seth Petruzelli has gotten even stranger.  Following some postfight comments by Petruzelli that suggested that EliteXC officials promised him a financial incentive to stand and trade with Kimbo, the regulatory body in Florida responsible for oversight of boxing and MMA has opened an investigation into the matter.

Following his improbable 14 second KO victory over Internet street brawler turned professional MMA fighter Slice, Petruzelli commented on a radio show that EliteXC President Jared Shaw told him that it would be “worth his while” to stand and trade with his opponent rather than take him to the ground.  He later backtracked, saying that he meant that he thought Slice has vulnerable to a knockout and that he wanted to get the bonus for doing so.  Nevertheless, the Florida regulatory authorities have decided to investigate the allegation.

At the crux of the matter is what, if any, financial incentive Petruzelli was offered to “stand and trade” with Kimbo.  While it was obvious to everyone that a standup fight is what the promotion wanted if Shaw specifically offered to pay Petruzelli to keep the fight off the ground it would be a low grade version of fight fixing and would run afoul of Florida MMA/boxing regulations.  If, on the other hand, Petruzelli was simply offered and/or paid a bonus for a knockout everything is perfectly legit.  Many promotions, including the UFC, offer their fighters financial incentives for knockout or submission victories.

The entire situation is likely a case of the Kimbo hype getting a little out of hand among the mainstream sports media and making a big deal out of something that is ultimately irrelevant.  No time frame has been given for Florida’s investigation into the matter to be completed.

For the time being, Petruzelli has become something of a celebrity based on his victory over the heavily hyped Kimbo.  While nothing has been officially stated by either Slice or EliteXC, every expectation is that he’ll continue his nascent MMA career despite the recent setback.