FACEBOOK TWITTER RSS APP PODCAST Opinion & Analysis : Keller's Take KELLER BLOG: Tim Sylvia vs. Ray Mercer fallout - results of our reader poll and analysis of what it all indicates

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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