Loss could spell doom for EliteXC's biggest draw

By Matt Bishop

Created:
10/06/08 7:11pm

Last updated:
10/06/08 7:11pm

1 comment

When I saw last-minute replacement Seth Petruzelli put Internet fighting legend Kimbo Slice out Saturday night at EliteXC: Heat all I could do was laugh.

In all of 14 seconds, EliteXC as a company might have come crashing down.

While I enjoy EliteXC’s fighters, the fact is they don’t have many people who are big- drawing cards with the casual fan. When Petruzelli — he of a 10-4 career record (0-2 in the UFC) — made Slice go limp, EliteXC lost its biggest drawing card.

In a way, this doesn’t surprise me. I saw Kimbo get hurt by some of the punches in his YouTube videos. Now imagine actual professional fighters hitting him and not some out- of-shape, overweight bum in a Miami boatyard.

While Kimbo would’ve destroyed Ken Shamrock, who was medically disqualified from the fight the day of after getting a cut warming-up earlier in the day, Petruzelli, while not anything special, represents a legitimate mixed martial arts fighter.

Kimbo will never be an elite, or even semi-elite, heavyweight. It’s just not in the cards. He can be a draw, though, much like Butterbean was to boxing years ago.

Like Butterbean, I have no problem watching Kimbo beat up overmatched guys (like Tank Abbott and Ken Shamrock).
Watching Kimbo smash guys can be a fun thing because he’s got the charisma and that awesome beard. If there’s someone who can be the equivalent of the “King of the Four Rounders” in MMA, it’s Slice. Hopefully his fight against Shamrock gets rebooked ASAP.

Just don’t put him in there with anyone in the top 20.

I can’t wait for the next Dana White press conference. It’s going to be pure gold.

In other action at “Heat,” Roy Nelson got absolutely screwed by the referee in his fight against Andrei Arlovski.

Nelson was in side-mount working for a Kimura when the official, for some reason, stood the fight up.

See, side-mount is one of the most dominant positions in MMA. For this official to do that to Nelson is absurd. You never stand a fight up in a dominant position.

You look at a real referee like John McCarthy at UFC 68.

Randy Couture knocked Tim Sylvia down and took his back. While Couture was struggling to do much because Sylvia was defending well, McCarthy did not stand the fight up because Couture had a dominant position and could’ve finished the fight at any moment.

Nelson was wronged here and it’s unfortunate he went on to get knocked out in the second round (as predicted) because he could’ve made something of it.

Regardless, Nelson’s skills impressed me a lot in this fight and I look forward to seeing him again.

Lastly, I want to comment on the potential fight between Gina Carano and Cristiane “Cyborg” Santos.

If there’s ever a women’s fight to propel the female’s into a greater spotlight, this has to be it.

Cyborg has been featured on the last two “Saturday Night Fights” broadcasts on CBS — fighting on the main card in July and then being shown multiple times in the crowd and having her fight highlights aired on this one.

Carano has been a featured face of EliteXC ever since the promotion’s debut.

A fight between these two would give Carano her first big test while essentially crowning an EliteXC women’s champion.
I cannot wait for this fight. I love Cyborg because she’s essentially a female version of Wanderlei Silva. That is awesome.

Carano, of course, is beloved by all and has shown improved skills in her last few fights.

Whatever the case, I cannot wait for this one and EliteXC has to make it happen.

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MMASTER

(10/06/08 7:58pm)
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the only reason nelson held arlovski down was simply because hes a sloppy fat pig. he cant hold a candle to arlovski’s skill which is why he got handled.

About The KO Corner

Sports Editor Matt Bishop examines the latest in mixed martial arts three times a week in The KO Corner.

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