Substitute Seth Petruzelli stuns Kimbo Slice in elite XC MMA main event

You simply can’t beat professional fighting for drama, and that was evidenced once again on Elite XC’s nationally televised CBS card Saturday night.  Seth Petruzelli came to the arena prepared to face Aaron Rosa but due to a strange turn of events would up in the main event across the cage from Kimbo Slice.  He made the most of this strange twist of fate, overwhelming Slice from the opening bell en route to a quick stoppage and an improbable TKO victory. 

First, the backstory:  Ken Shamrock, who was scheduled to face Kimbo Slice in the main event, suffered a cut above his eye during a light workout this morning.  According to Shamrock, he was rolling with a training partner who cut him with an accidental headbutt.  Shamrock was taken to The Cleveland Clinic and needed six stitches to close the cut.  Shamrock wanted to fight despite the injury, but none of the three doctors who examined him would clear him to do so.

At this point, EliteXC scrambled to salvage their main event by approaching Petruzelli.  Though he had cut to make a 205 pound limit, he was willing to take the fight on a couple of hours notice.  Obviously, he was in a position where he had nothing to lose but that wasn’t the case for Camp Kimbo—Slice’s team was initially opposed to fighting a new opponent but at some point (likely due to pressure and/or financial inducement) they agreed.

In the prefight interview, Slice was noticeably shaken by the change in plans suggesting that it wasn’t “the sort of thing that should happen in professional fighting”.  His concerned was well founded—instead of a 44 year old Shamrock, considered by many to be well past his prime to the point of being “washed up”, Slice instead would face a 29 year old opponent.  Instead of Shamrock, who would have entered on a 5 fight losing streak and with a 3-8 W/L record this decade he was facing a highly competitive, experienced opponent who had competed in a variety of promotions including the UFC.

As he made his way to the cage, Petruzelli looked to not have a care in the world with his hair dyed pink in a strange patchwork pattern.  Slice followed to a superstar reaction, and it was difficult to tell if his face registered concern or focus at that point.  The EliteXC announce team sold the event as the “ultimate Rocky Balboa story”, while commentator Frank Shamrock quipped that Petruzelli had been “handed a lottery ticket” and it was now up to him if he would “cash it or not”.

Cash it he did.  Petruzelli rushed across the cage at the opening bell, while Slice prepared to greet him with a haymaker.  Unfortunately for Slice, he slipped in the process and quickly ate a leg kick from Petruzelli followed by a straight right hand that sent Kimbo crashing to the canvas.  Petruzelli quickly pressed his advantage, unleashing an uncontested barrage of punches to his downed opponent until the ref jumped in and stopped the fight after only 11 seconds awarding the unlikely challenger a TKO victory over the Internet street fighter phenom.

Slice, while obviously shaken by the loss, was gracious though uncharacteristically taciturn as he praised his opponent and reassured his fans that it was “all good” and that the “after party was still going on at Art Bar”.  While it remains to be seen where Slice goes from here, the Elite XC announce team—and even Petruzelli himself—were quick to spin the loss as the byproduct of having prepared for Shamrock.  The jury will be out as to whether the casual MMA fans who have flocked to Kimbo buy that explanation, or whether this will seriously undermine his popularity.