Former UFC heavyweight champion Tim Sylvia will face Ray Mercer in pro boxing debut

April 10, 6:53 PMMixed Martial Arts ExaminerEddie Graveline

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Sylvia is hoping to start a new career in boxing

Even though the New Jersey State Athletic Commission refused to sanction it, the controversial Tim Sylvia vs. Ray Mercer fight is going to happen. The two aging heavyweights will face each other in a six-round professional boxing match that will serve as the main event of Adrenaline III: "Bragging Rights" in Birmingham, Alabama on June 13th.

Adrenaline is the organization run by promoter/agent Monte Cox. This particular event will have an MMA undercard. The Sylvia/Mercer fight will serve as the main event, but will take place in a cage as opposed to a traditional boxing ring.

Sylvia has a 24-5 record in MMA, including 16 knockouts. Mercer is 36-7 in his professional boxing career. He is a former Olympic gold medalist, but that medal came in 1988...21 years ago. As mentioned, Sylvia is the former UFC Heavyweight champion, but his MMA career has been in decline for the past couple of years. Both fighters are hoping to spark their own renaissance.

Sylvia is not the first high profile MMA fighter to toy with the idea of testing his striking skills against professional boxers. There is some debate between the two sports as to which holds the better fighters. Boxers traditionally claim that MMA fighters are much less skilled on their feet. Andrei Arlovski, Anderson Silva and Pat Miletich are among the MMA stars who have publicly considered crossing over to prove a point.

Mercer hasn't been considered a top level heavyweight in the boxing world for a few years, so this may be a good strategic move for Sylvia. In Mercer he gets a guy with definite name recognition, but doesn't have to face him in his prime. Sylvia's past several fights have not endeared him to fans, mostly because he employs a conservative, defensive style. That doesn't make sense to many observers, since he is usually the bigger man in his fights. There's a chance that in boxing, where he only has to worry about striking, Sylvia could be very effective. His power should still be intact, so the matter of whether he's enjoyable to watch as a boxer will come down to style. Should he lose to Mercer, though, he's going to have to think long and hard about what to do next.