White is Right: Investigate EliteXC
Published by Staff on October 14th, 2008 in Current Events

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By Dave Sholler

Many people inside the mixed martial arts industry were appalled to learn that heavyweight Seth Petruzelli may have been paid to keep his Oct. 4 fight against Kimbo Slice standing.

Considering the time it took for the sport to become mainstream, most longtime MMA executives wondered if the rumored fix would fatally damage the burgeoning industry.

One man took the allegations a bit harder than most. Ultimate Fighting Championship President Dana White, a businessman who many believe saved the sport over the past decade, responded harshly to the contention that EliteXC officials paid Petruzelli to avoid taking the fight to the ground.

After the UFC spent millions of dollars in recent years trying to secure the longevity of the sport, White told MMAReport that he was incensed to hear that EliteXC officials reportedly tried to alter the outcome of a bout. The bout, which is currently being investigated by the Florida State Athletic Commission, shows just how crooked EliteXC management is, White says.

“They don’t care about mixed martial arts,” White said in reference to the EliteXC management team. “These (expletives) are in it for the money. They want to come in and take a piece of the pie. And in it, they don’t give a (expletive) if they destroy the whole sport.

“They are being investigated by the Florida Athletic Commission,” an angry White continued. “They ought to be investigated by the FBI. Mandalay Bay and The Venetian both had betting on this. Anybody that’s going to bet on this fight is going to think, ‘well, if Seth Petruzelli can get him on the ground, the fight’s over.’ But you don’t know the scumbag promoters behind the scenes went in and paid him (Petruzelli) to not go to the ground. They paid him to standup. That’s (expletive) illegal.”

If the allegations hold true, White is absolutely correct. Even though Petruzelli backed off his initial statements that he may have been paid to remain standing with Slice, it is a comment that is hard to ignore. If Petruzelli was indeed instructed to avoid ground fighting, officials at EliteXC not only defrauded consumers, but it also cheated other industry personnel. In essence, by paying the former Ultimate Fighter series contestant to compete in a veiled boxing match, they seriously jeopardized the integrity of the sport. It may even serve as an insurmountable hurdle.

Once referred to as “human cockfighting” by an uninformed, warmongering Presidential candidate named John McCain, the sport of MMA has forever had its identity questioned. Some have called it barbaric. Others have called it street fighting. A few have even compared it to professional wrestling. Yet amidst all the criticisms and false statements, MMA has always risen to the surface. Still, MMA nearly failed because of similar misconceptions, unfair analysis, ignorance, and assumptions.

With that said, mixed martial arts – deemed by many to still be in the growth stage of the business model – does not need accusations questioning the honesty of its bouts. The sport does not need the authenticity of its matches doubted, nor can consumers be led to believe that the bouts can, in any way, be altered.

If and when EliteXC is proven guilty of turning the Petruzelli-Slice bout into a boxing match, athletic commissions worldwide should revoke its promoters’ license. Simply put, MMA consists of multiple forms and disciplines of combat. Any attempt to limit one fighter from using a particular aspect of fighting goes against the foundations of the sport. The variety of disciplines used serves as the major reason it is called “mixed” martial arts. If you can’t use a plethora of skills, then you can’t be considered a “mixed” martial artist.

Perhaps White said it best when he asserted that EliteXC officials should consider promoting kickboxing if they want fights to stay off the ground. After all, MMA is a sport made famous by the likes of Royce Gracie, Dan Severn, and Ken Shamrock. All three combatants were superior submission fighters and grapplers. They knew that the sport consisted of much more than standup fighting when they signed up to compete. Therefore, all three should and would be offended to know that the future of MMA was jeopardized by some money-hungry, inept fight promoters.

Here’s to hoping that EliteXC did not pay Petruzelli to stay on his feet. Otherwise, the EliteXC organization will feel what it’s like to fight on the ground. If EliteXC officials are found guilty, not even a boat load of money could help them stay on their feet.