Seth Petruzelli Returns at UFC 116

Jake Russell | June 5, 2010 | Reply

Seth “The Silverback” Petruzelli will make his long awaited Octagon return this July at UFC 116 against Ricardo Romero. Having been a contestant on TUF season two and fought for the UFC before, Petruzelli (12-4) is a familiar face to the organization and MMA fans alike. Though he was cut from the UFC after two back-to-back losses to Matt Hamill and Wilson Gouveia, Petruzelli made his mark in other places.

During its short-lived glory as a promotion, EliteXC was able to put together big fights. One of the promotions key signings was Kimbo Slice, who made his professional MMA debut with EliteXC. After going 3-0 as a pro, Slice was set to fight UFC Hall of Famer Ken Shamrock. A last minute injury forced Shamrock out of the fight and Petruzelli was taken from the undercard and put into the main event. Though Slice was the heavy favorite, “The Silverback” shocked the world when he knocked out the former backyard brawler in just 14 seconds. Now, with four straight first round finishes, Petruzelli looks to make the best of his second chance inside the Octagon.

Ricardo Romero is a relatively unknown fighter who will be making his UFC debut against Petruzelli. Romero (10-1) has fought all of his professional fights with Ring of Combat. His only loss came by disqualification due to an illegal soccer kick. In June 2009 Romero won the Ring of Combat Light Heavyweight Championship and defended it twice before signing with the UFC.

Both fighters are looking to make a statement when they step into the cage next month. Will Petruzelli be able to get his first win inside the Octagon or will Romero add another win to his impressive record?

UFC 116 takes place on July 3,2010 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada. The card is headlined by the biggest heavyweight matchup in history as Heavyweight Champion Brock Lesnar and Interim Heavyweight Champion Shane Carwin go to war to determine the Undisputed Heavyweight Champion.

Tags: EliteXC, Kimbo Slice, MMA, Ricardo Romero, Seth Petruzelli, UFC