Thanks Nick for pulling out the quote. Radio Interview

Monsters : Even though you only had an hour to get ready for this fight against kimbo, what was your strategy fighting against Kimbo, uh, err, uh, were you tryin to uh, submission him out?

Seth Petruzelli: My original plan was to throw a lot of push kicks, called teeps, and try to rush in more, and then shoot in on him, obviously.

M: So you wanted to get him on the ground? There’s no way you wanted to box him standing up?

SP: Not really, but I train with lots of undefeated pro boxers, a couple guys have a belt, and my style kinda throws them off a bit, I have kind of an awkward style. So, I knew I would do alright standing up with him. THE PROMOTERS KINDA HINTED TO ME, AND THEY GAVE ME THE MONEY TO STAND AND TRADE WITH HIM. THEY DIDN’T WANT ME TO TAKE HIM DOWN. LETS JUST PUT IT THAT WAY.

M: Ahhh.. ok.

SP: It was worth my while to try and stand up and punch with him."

This is fixing a fight, make no mistake.  Using money to give a fighter an advantage is fixing a fight.  Petruzelli maybe didn't get it.  This is not a post fight bonus. The UFC gives bonus' for sub, KO, and fight of the night.  The sub and KO bonus are win bonus' so they can't be looked at as fixing.  Fight of the night is for exciting fights and both fighters involved get it.  It gives you no incentive to lose.  This type of prefight "hint" with money offered behind it to stand is fixing.  Of course I assume they thought Slice had the advantage standing and it didn't work out the way they wanted, but it seems like a clear example of trying to affect the outcome. 

The question remains about his contract structure and if he would have made more money if he had lost or less if he won on the ground.  Did they bump him up in dollars to take the main event fight or did they have an agreement for him to stand?  On the surface, it stinks.  It looks like they are fixing fights.  It sounds like he was paid to fight a certain way and was not told to lose.  That is comparable to point shaving and fixing ATS.  Handcuffing a guy and paying him to not take it to the ground changes the fight entirly.  We will have to wait to hear more...