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Mon Jun 15, 2009 11:10 pm EDT

MMA loses face, Sylvia loses his next fight

By Steve Cofield

Don't say we didn't tell you so. Cagewriter started crowing about Tim Sylvia fighting Ray Mercer in mid-May. It was a no-win situation for the former UFC heavyweight champ. The 33-year-old, who believes he has 4-5 good years in front of him, took a fight against 48-year-old Mercer. Why? We told you back on May 31, a win would mean nothing and a loss would make the Sylvia the laughing stock of both the MMA and boxing worlds:

How will the casual sports and boxing fans react if they see Mercer beat a 33-year-old former UFC heavyweight champ just 26 months removed from his title reign? The ridicule will be unbearable.

Give him credit, he's confident it'll be an easy win. He's also got his next MMA fight scheduled just seven weeks later on Aug. 1 at Affliction 3 against Paul Buentello. He's risking a huge payday at Affliction 3.

His Miletich Fighting System stablemate Jen Pulver predicted exactly what could happen to Sylvia against a former boxing heavyweight champ. He told Cagewriter Sylvia wasn't taking Mercer seriously and that boxers are a whole different breed.  

It was even worse than I had imagined. Mercer weighing 256 pounds (35 pounds over his prime fighting weight) walked across the cage and snuffed out Sylvia in nine seconds. In a world where bloggers will always find a contrarian angle, some did on Sunday saying that the loss wasn't a big deal. Sure, he was out of shape. No big deal. It's a big deal. Sylvia, a former UFC champ, losing to a 48-year-old is a travesty from an appearance standpoint. Perception is reality with many sports fans. Not a big story? I guess that changed today when Affliction told the "Maine-iac" to hit the bricks. Affliction VP Tom Atencio said a Sylvia fight with Paul Buentello is longer viable:

"It's his second knockout in a row, and I don't want to take a chance on anything. The fight is less than 60 days away."

Which all means, "how can we sell a guy who just got knocked out in nine seconds by an overweight 48-year-old boxer with little MMA experience?" This is a disaster.

Buentello said the same thing before Affliction officially dumped Sylvia:

"He definitely made a mistake or got caught. Is Affliction going to use someone who just came off of a loss? Is the fight still going to happen now that he lost? I wish he never took the fight. I don't know if the hype is still there after him getting beat. I hope Affliction still allows the fight to happen because it's still going to be a great a fight, but I don't control those pens and papers over there."

Poor Buentello, the guy can never get a break. Sylvia will get more fights in the future but for now, he's ruined his status as a top 10 heavyweight. It also may tell us an awful lot about the Sylvia-Andrei Arlovski era of dominance in the UFC from 2004-2007. It's looking more like folks complaining that the promotion's heavyweight division sucked, are vindicated. Arlovski was smoked two weeks ago by mid-level heavyweight Brett Rogers and now Sylvia has brought into question the majority of MMA heavyweight strikers. Who's to say Ray Mercer couldn't finish many of the elite MMA heavyweights? Boxing fans will certainly say so and they absolutely have a good argument.

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53 Comments

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  1. gottagotowork3
    1. Posted by gottagotowork3 Mon Jun 15, 2009 11:37 pm EDT

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    Sylvia sucks anyway... haha
    Buentello VS Mercer
    Why not? Let them swing'em both can right... "Word"
    LAKERS BABY!!!
  2. mike5o
    2. Posted by mike5o Mon Jun 15, 2009 11:51 pm EDT

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    Still wonder why UFC "contains" their fighters?...?
  3. CJ
    3. Posted by CJ Tue Jun 16, 2009 12:17 am EDT

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    Bret Rogers is a bit better than a mid-level HW. The USA today meta rankings or whatever had him at #26 before the Arlovski fight, but I think he'd have gone into a fight with most of the 15-25 crowd as a favorite and after the win, he's clearly going to jump fighters like Ben Rothwell and Jeff Monson. At what point does one go from mid-level to world-class? top 10 in the world? top 5?
    Kimbo did destroy Mercer... If anything it shows that before any MMA training at all, Kimbo was a smarter fighter than Sylvia. Sylvia was talking up a Ken Shamrock fight at one point. That seems spot on where his career is heading. What ever happened to Butterbean? That fight needs to happen!
  4. Fyuk Yiu
    4. Posted by Fyuk Yiu Tue Jun 16, 2009 12:46 am EDT

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    Sylvia is slow and old for his age and anyone notice the Fedor curse here? Fedor finishes off Sylvia and Arlovski and then they get finished quick by guys their "suppose" beat easily in their next fights! Or maybe it's nothing, You gotta give Mercer credit though, he came in knowing what he had to do and did it. One more round? Great story too not like the whack stories we get from MMMaggie! Thanks CageWriter.
  5. Arthur G
    5. Posted by Arthur G Tue Jun 16, 2009 12:52 am EDT

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    Kimbo did not destroy Mercer, he did not throw one punch as he knew he would end up like Sylvia. He went for a double leg take down and choke right away. Fact is Mercer can still knock out any heavyweight mma or boxer with one punch, he just doesn't have the shape and speed to go 12 rounds anymore. In pure striking, very few mma guys can rate to boxers, otherwise they would be making $$$ with DeLaHoya, Don King and Bob Arum. mma is a place for wrestlers, judo, jui-jitsu guys to make $$$ where there is none in their amateur backgrounds, like pro boxing is to amateur boxing. Before it was just pro wrestling for amateur wrestlers to go into like wwe, which is the business model the ufc has copied.
  6. xmptd
    6. Posted by xmptd Tue Jun 16, 2009 1:14 am EDT

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    its going to take a few generations for MMA striking to be more than wild hooks and haymaykers... i think in about 15-20 years we will see a significant improvement. machida who is arguably the best striker in the game could be the blue print.. the dude has the hand/leg speed and actually employs tactics to his game. he doesnt just swing for the fences every time. but even he keeps his hands low and his chin out, and will get ko'd sooner or later when he faces someone who isnt scared of him like rashad evans was.
    but as others have stated if theyre was an elite striker in mma he would definately bolt to pro boxing where he can make the 7 figure salaries a night...
  7. PaddyRite
    7. Posted by PaddyRite Tue Jun 16, 2009 1:14 am EDT

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    Yeah, it makes one wonder about Fedor period. that 30-0 record is looking weaker than a soprano's sporting good store these days. Even brocop and minotauro look average now.
  8. Daniel W
    8. Posted by Daniel W Tue Jun 16, 2009 1:18 am EDT

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    The level of striking mma does not compare to the level of striking in boxing,K-1,Elite Karate,that is basically all this fight proves. Look what Machida is able to do to guys just because he's at the elite level of Karate. This by no means makes mma look bad,the way that fight ended was supposed to happen like that. Tim Silvia is a stand up fighter with all right hand skill,Mercer is a former pro boxer with great hand skill compared to Tims,so go figure. That doesn't mean if you put a pro boxer in there with a guy like Fedor,Lesnar,Mir that uses clinch,knees,elbows,throws,takedowns,mat work,submissions on them,that there going to win every time. I'm sorry but Tim Silvia is not the mold for mma in my eyes,a guy like Machida resembles that mold better than any one. So people shouldn't judge mma as a whole because Tim Silvia lost to former pro boxer Ray Mercer.
  9. Caligulus
    9. Posted by Caligulus Tue Jun 16, 2009 1:18 am EDT

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    I think any intelligent person fanboy or not would know that MMA hands have a long way to go before getting up to speed with boxing hands. Boxers have the luxury of being able to stand 1 foot away from their opponent without having to worry about getting taken down, clinched, or kicked.
    .
    Still, Tim Sylvia is a fat slob who should be driving a truck somewhere. Ray Mercer has some hands.
  10. Caligulus
    10. Posted by Caligulus Tue Jun 16, 2009 1:22 am EDT

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    Fedor would probably lose to a pro boxer also. Machida would lose also, but guys like him and Fedor build their games to beat MMAers.
  11. swrestler
    11. Posted by swrestler Tue Jun 16, 2009 1:28 am EDT

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    Puddyrite,
    Let me ask you a question… When Fedor was dominating in Pride, which HW division was tougher? UFC’s or Pride’s?
    …I’ll answer it for you. Back when Fedor was dominating Pride, the only legit HW’s the UFC had to offer were (Sylvia, Mir, Couture, AA). At the same time, in Pride Fedor beat Herring, Nogueira, Fugita, Randleman, Nogueira again, Cro Cop, Zuluzinho (who was undefeated before Fedor mauled him in 26 seconds), Coleman then Hunt.
    It’s black and white. Had Fedor jumped to the UFC and fought and beat Sylvia, Mir, Couture, AA… then you guys would be saying. “Well, he left Pride to avoid guys like Herring, Nogueira, Fugita, Randleman, Cro Cop, Zuluzinho, Coleman and Hunt.” It’s simple. At the time Fedor was dominating in Pride, Pride had a more difficult HW division then UFC or anybody else. Fedor dominated the toughest competition at the toughest time.
    Fedor already beat Sylvia and AA. He would have mauled Mir, especially after the accident (when Mir lost to Vera and Cruz). The only decent opponent in the UFC at the time Fedor was dominating Pride’s HW division is Couture…
    You got one name…Couture. That’s it. All your talk about Fedor’s past opponents being weak is smoke and mirrors. Fedor would have sat on the throne of the UFC HW division had he jumped ship from Japan and landed in Vegas years ago. He would have reigned easily. Only Couture would have challenged him, barely. Fedor would have been too much for Couture, and Couture knew it. Couture saw Fedor drop Sylvia, a guy he couldn’t finish in 25 minutes, then he ran back to the UFC and never mentioned Fedor’s name again.
    How’s that for facts. All you Fedor haters get over your inferiority complex, give the man his due, and jump off.
  12. Peter H
    12. Posted by Peter H Tue Jun 16, 2009 2:09 am EDT

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    I was driving out in amish country with my wife yesterday in Ohio and I saw a poster for a Butterbean fight at a local fairground haha!
  13. ballztothewall
    13. Posted by ballztothewall Tue Jun 16, 2009 2:22 am EDT

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    Thank you OneUp for explaining that one to Paddy. Some of the guys OneUp mentined have had long careers in K1 and moved on to MMA and none of them were slouches. CroCop won an OWGP and you're saying he's average? That's a years worth of fights in ONE night? Are you even an MMA fan? These guys that came from Pride have had a long layoff and hard time transitioning to UFC. The game has evolved in the past 3 years. And anybody questioning Fedor's record and opponents need to chill. He beat Sylvia after people questioned his ability to fight a "real" UFC heavyweight. Beat AA and he's still being doubted. Fedor should be given respect where respect is due. And these guys that are dropping like flies, it's a part of MMA. You never know what's going to happen. You win some, you lose some.
  14. swrestler
    14. Posted by swrestler Tue Jun 16, 2009 2:31 am EDT

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    no problem.
  15. PaddyRite
    15. Posted by PaddyRite Tue Jun 16, 2009 2:47 am EDT

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    Exactly, Fedor beat Silvia and Arlovski, and here they are holding up like really great opponents, and falling faster than Frieda on friday night!.... hahahahahaha!!
  16. swrestler
    16. Posted by swrestler Tue Jun 16, 2009 3:33 am EDT

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    Pud,
    This is an intelligent blog for intelligent adults…people who can deduct without giving themselves a permanent headache. Do yourself a favor and go find a kiddy blog somewhere.
  17. event horizon
    17. Posted by event horizon Tue Jun 16, 2009 6:13 am EDT

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    Sheesh, I've said it before and I will say it again..Sylvia suks and suks bad..he was never champion stock in the ufc...the ufc contrived and handed him the belt until they could build that division...
    Now, all the doubt is removed couldn't hold a candle to a washed up old ass boxer, what a sham.... No diffrent then Liddell being marketed to be a champion during his reign what a farse I hope he fights one more round I like seeing his head bounce off the canvas...
    Not sure who has the biggest beer gut Liddell or Timmy Sylvia...
  18. Ron M
    18. Posted by Ron M Tue Jun 16, 2009 10:10 am EDT

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    Nut, the boxing vs MMA argument is tired and old buddy. You sound like a broken record. Everyone knows a boxer is better at boxing than an MMA guy. I mean, shouldn't they be? Tthat's what they do. That's all they do. They don't have to train anything else. So basically you're just stating the obvious aren't you. I'm sure you're well aware of that. I suspect you just enjoy jerking people's chains.
    Anyway, Sylvia's loss will have zero impact on MMA as whole. Sylvia, obviously has sold himself out for money and completely destroyed the rest of his reputation and career.
    So sports fans, let's move on. I can't wait for GSP vs Alves. The key to that fight will be whether or not GSP can get the fight to the ground. If he can't I think he's in big trouble. Alves is a freakin monster at 170.
  19. Smart_People_Fear_Me
    19. Posted by Smart_People_Fear_Me Tue Jun 16, 2009 10:36 am EDT

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    Sylvia's a bum. Plain and simple.
    But the sad part is, he's a well paid bum.
    There's always tough man contests for him, or maybe a bouncer in an Iowa college town bar.
    And being a big fan of both boxing and MMA, it is comparing apples to oranges, baseball to football, nascar to golf.
    Watch what you like and leave it at that. It's obvious that the boxing trolls come in to rile up the MMA fans with all powerful speeches about how great boxing is. Well it is not.
    Boxing had it's heyday when there was nothing else in the line of combative sports to listen to or watch. They had their larger than life stars. They had center stage in the Olympics. Now it's tainted and unpure.
    And as for which is better, using soup cans and has beens, that were let go from the biggest MMA promotion in the states, getting knocked out by fat, out of shape boxers is hardly an arguement.
    What these 2 did the other night received way more coverage than it should have.
    It was nothing more then pathetic.
  20. Donald_Cerise
    20. Posted by Donald_Cerise Tue Jun 16, 2009 10:43 am EDT

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    On that picture, Sylvia looks like gomer pyle from full metal jacket.
  21. .
    21. Posted by . Tue Jun 16, 2009 11:17 am EDT

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    Have to disagree, this is a huge slap in the face for MMA. Like it or not your always gonna see comparisons (whether it's fair or not) to boxing or discussions on which sport has the better atheletes. The fact that an out of shape 48 year old destroyed a former UFC champion who's 15 years younger will only add fuel to the fire like the writer says.
  22. Ron M
    22. Posted by Ron M Tue Jun 16, 2009 11:41 am EDT

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    Rob1173, fuel to what fire. Don't see any fires. This fight will be forgotten by tomorrow. It was a circus act. I don't think anyone really cares. It's not gonna hurt MMA ticket sales or revenue one bit. What you think people are all of sudden gonna stop watching MMA and run back to boxing cuz of this??? So what now people are gonna demand their money back for their tickets to UFC 100 because of this. Of course not. That show is sold out and I'll bet the ranch that the PPV sales will set records.
  23. penn
    23. Posted by penn Tue Jun 16, 2009 11:52 am EDT

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    Heavyweight division in ufc is the weakest. it is getting better but was terrible when Syliva was ruling it. all the real athletes that have size played football. Therefore i dont want to hear anyone talking about syliva being 26months removed from the heavyweight crown, he sucks. clay guida would give him a run for his money... haha
  24. .
    24. Posted by . Tue Jun 16, 2009 12:53 pm EDT

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    Forgotten by tomorrow? Don't think so, otherwise it would have been forgotten already. May not stop the die hard viewers from watching but it certainly puts into question how good these "heavyweights" really are. Not that boxing's heavyweight division is watchable either. They're gonna have a tough time selling the heavyweight division, just like boxing. Maybe worse. In any case the Sylvia era of "dominance" now looks like a farse.
  25. PaddyRite
    25. Posted by PaddyRite Tue Jun 16, 2009 1:03 pm EDT

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    Uh...... OneDown, Ive seen you and Steve W's posts and your just a couple of thugs with nothing better to do than jump on anyone that doesn't praise in every way your hero Fedor. And you do it in a way that is far from an Intelligent adult, IE; disgusting, foul mouthed, homophobic insults, racist epitaphs and even threats of physical violence.
    So, please, drop out of your fantasy world for a minute, your not in charge anywhere, much less here. Your just another big mouth on the keyboard and Im going to ignore you along with all the others.
    And that is good advice to everyone. If you ever want to be taken seriously as an intelligent MMA fan. I would suggest you ignore the negative trolls. As long as you acknowledge them you give them power over you. If you pretend they don't exist then they fade away like a bad memory!

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