The former UFC heavyweight champion Tim Sylvia faced the 48-year old former WBO heavyweight boxer Ray Mercer this past Saturday night at the Adrenaline MMA 3 event. The underdog Mercer showed how good of a right hook he still had as he knocked Sylvia out in just 9 seconds into the first round.
Due to the devastating knockout by Ray Mercer, Tim Sylvia has been officially removed from the upcoming Affliction ‘Trilogy’ event. Sylvia was originally scheduled to fight Paul Buentello as part of the Affliction 3 main fight card that is set for August 1, 2009 at the Honda Center in Anaheim, California. Nonetheless, Buentello will still be fighting on the main fight card. Affliction Vice President Tom Atencio says a possible opponent could most likely be the winner between Gilbert Yvel vs. Pedro Rizzo who plan to fight in the “Ultimate Chaos” event on June 27 in Biloxi, Mississippi.
Snip from Affliction VP, Tom Atencio:
“I just think it’s too soon, and Monte (Cox, Sylvia’s manager) thinks it is too…We all agree that it should be 90 days off and I just don’t want to be that promoter that takes a chance. Tim’s a friend of mine, and even if he wasn’t a friend, it’s just too dangerous.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. [Atencio comments on the winner between Gilbert Yvel vs. Pedro Rizzo as a possible opponent for Paul Buentello] But it depends on how beat up they are, obviously…I don’t want to bring one of those guys in if they’re all beat to hell, too.”