Seth Petruzelli is a former MMA fighter who competed in the Heavyweight and Light Heavyweight divisions for various promotions across the USA including UFC, EliteXC, and Bellator. Petruzelli is most famously known for being an integral reason for the closure of EliteXC.
On October 4, 2008, at EliteXC: Heat, Kimbo Slice was supposed to face MMA star Ken Shamrock. However, Shamrock got injured on the day of the fight. Petruzelli was essentially a last-minute replacement in place of Shamrock.
No one in their wildest dream would have expected what was about to happen. Petruzelli knocked out Slice just 14 seconds into the bout. Petruzelli, who was outweighed by Slice by 30 lbs, drew a great deal of attention because of the unexpected outcome. Moreover, his comments after the bout led to a huge controversy.
15 years ago today: A little-known Seth Petruzelli knocked out Kimbo Slice in 14 seconds at EliteXC: Heat after filling in on short notice for Frank Shamrock. Kimbo losing the fight is considered by many a catalyst for EliteXC’s subsequent demise pic.twitter.com/Lt1HHWcWDZ
— Shakiel Mahjouri (@Shak_Fu) October 4, 2023
A few days after the fight, Petruzelli told the radio show ‘The Monsters in the Morning’, “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.”
To many, it sounded like Petruzelli was talking about match-fixing. Then-EliteXC Vice President Jared Shaw denied what could have been perceived in a negative light. However, the damage was done. The Florida State Athletic Commission launched an investigation into the fight. EliteXC seized operations in October 2008 although the Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation found no signs of wrongdoing.
Seth Petruzelli owns an MMA and karate gym with immense experience under his belt
15 years on from his infamous fight, where is Petruzelli plying his trade now? The 43-year-old is an accomplished man who owns multiple gyms and trains famed combat sports athletes.
After fighting at EliteXC, he fought in the UFC and Bellator before retiring from MMA in 2013. Earlier, in 2008, he had already started planning for life after retirement. He opened the Jungle MMA and Fitness — an MMA facility. As of 2023, the MMA facility has two locations in Florida — Orlando and Sanford.
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In January 2019, Petruzelli opened Jyanguru Dojo — a karate center. Petruzelli himself is a third-degree black belt in karate. He has also earned a second-stripe black belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu.
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The American was also part of the WWE’s coaching team. He has trained with some of the famed pro wrestlers. Reports suggest that he was also a part of the Major League Wrestling. However, as of now, Petruzelli is a proud owner of multiple combat sports facilities where he continues to train fighters.