Sep 2, 2009 - 2:42:44 PM By Wade Keller, MMATorch Supervising Editor
A while back we posted a question to MMATorch readers regarding Tim Sylvia getting knocked out by Ray Mercer in ten seconds earlier this summer. The results were:
(1) The top answer, getting 33 percent, was: "It's further evidence that Sylvia was never a top tier MMA fighter, but says nothing about MMA vs. boxing otherwise."
(2) The second answer, which reflects the hostility MMA fans feel toward the gawky, awkward, clumsy-looking, pudgy, uncharismatic, often boring former UFC Heavyweight Champion, with 23 percent of the vote, was: "I was very happy to see Silvia go down no matter how it reflects on MMA."
(3) Next, with 20 percent of the vote, it was: "It's a blow to the credibility of MMA since Sylvia held his own and beat some top MMA champions."
(4) Then at 16 percent, "It's completely irrelevent given all circumstances and I barely care."
(5) And finally, at just 8 percent of the vote: "It was a fluke loss for Sylvia who could have won with a smarter strategy."
There's a little bit of truth in most if not all of these options, I believe. For one, I imagine Sylvia would do better in a second and third fight than that first fight. He totally underestimated the speed and power of the former boxing champ relative to the speed of the punches he's faced against bigger heavyweight mixed martial artists. He shouldn't have used the "strategy" he used, such as it was a "strategy" at all. Any other strategy might have actually given him a chance.
Working up the list, there is a definitely something to this being totally irrelevant given the circumstances. This fight is one small piece in a puzzle that will never be fully assembled regarding how top MMA fighters would do against top boxers. There are too many variables even with two current champion fighters of the same weight class in their prime. But throw in the size-speed mismatch, Sylvia being anything but a top tier heavyweight (he benefited from a very thin heavyweight roster and an overrated Andre Arlovski), and Mercer being a retired long-past-prime boxer, this isn't exactly a key test of that question.
As for it being a blow to the credibility of MMA, it can't help but be a small blow. It was largely off the radar, which is good, but no MMA fanatic can deny that Sylvia was a champion and did hold his own against top MMA fighters over the years, plus Mercer is hardly in his prime nor did he have a size advantage. So it's a blow to MMA, although small.
As for being happy he lost no matter how it reflects on MMA, I wouldn't say I had those thoughts, but I can understand people voting for that option given the hostility toward him. I feel bad for him because he really wanted to be accepted by MMA fans and the Fedor and Mercer loses cost him any chance at that. I also do understand people taking pleasure in seeing him lose only because it means they won't have to suffer through him being in a headlining match in MMA again in all likelihood.
As for the top option, I agree that this probably is the most applicable. Sylvia was never truly a top MMA guy, and he's a great opponent for someone like Mercer despite the size difference which added up to a disadvantage for Sylvia in this situation the way he approached the fight.
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It shows no matter how good you are at the MMA SPORT, competing in boxing
is a different animal. Different movement, different speed and different
power with different things (or less things to worry about). This is why
no matter how good Anderson Silva is at standup, the same thing will happen
if he faces Roy Jones. Its a different sport all together
Kimbo Slice anyone?
02 Sep 2009, 18:44
Kimbo submitted Mercer in the first round.
Mercer had a terrible experience in K-1 as well.
It's amazing how ONE WIN against Sylvia, and people start this debate as if
he'd beaten Fedor. I mean, did anyone SEE what he looked like before the
fight?
Daniel H. M.
02 Sep 2009, 23:31
I think a major fact absent from this article and comments is that Sylvia
is now far away from the fighter he was when in the UFC.
Just looking at him, you can see he's not training and working out as he
used to.
He was never very lean or muscular, and always looked a little awkward, but
he was never out of shape like he is now.
That doesn't happen if you're training intensively as you should be when
you're a MMA fighter.
He probably wouldn't stand a better chance against any of the top 10
heavyweights in the UFC right now.
