“I think I deserve to be there,” said Sylvia in a video he posted on Twitter. “For the people that hate me, I really need you to tell me why. I don’t understand it. If anything I’m basically one of you guys. I wasn’t a college athlete. I wasn’t much of an athlete at all. I had to work my ass off to get to where I am today.”

Sylvia, who is 6-2 since losing to Fedor Emelianenko, also questioned why fighters he feels he’s superior to both in terms of skill and marketability are given an opportunity in the Octagon while he can’t get a sniff. Among the names mentioned is Stefan Struve’s, the 6’11 “Skyscraper” who pounded out Dave Herman last night at UFC on Fuel 1.

Grouping Struve in with Christian Morecraft and now-released Joey Beltran, Sylvia stated, “The list goes on and on. I don’t understand why any of these guys are in the UFC. I think I’d knock them out in the first round.”

The 30-7 Sylvia also added that people who don’t like him should want to see him be proven wrong by getting his ass kicked inside the Octagon.

At 35 and with a birthday in March it seems Sylvia’s time may be running out. However, given his championship-winning history, having slimmed down to the point he can make 265 pounds, and some relative success as of late including wins in his last two fights, stranger things have certainly happened.

Check out the full video below:

PHOTO CREDIT – UFC

Five Ounces of Pain caught up with Sylvia to gauge his mindset after the upset loss and learned a few interesting things. Though the 6’8” fighter didn’t deny the damage done by Wagner’s strikes, he expressed his belief things would have happened differently had Herzog considered some of his other performances before ending the action.

“Refs need to know the fighters. Did he see my fight with Andrei Arlovski – the second one – I got dropped, got up, and KO’d him. The Randy Couture fight I got dropped and fought for twenty five minutes,” Sylvia explained while citing past examples of his ability to overcome in-ring adversity.

“It was stopped way too early…It was bullsh*t,” he continued. “(And) the sad part is the ref told the promoter and my corner he was sorry because he knew he made a mistake and stopped it a little early.”

As far as what’s in store for the 28-7 Miletich product, Sylvia cited the intent to have a doctor look at a knee injury aggravated in relation to his bout against Wagner. He also made it clear he is done fighting north of 300 pounds.

“I still love this sport and always will. I went into the fight with a bum knee and it got worse somehow during the fight so I go in for a MRI sometime this week and might need surgery. We will see,” he began.

Regarding his recent run on the hefty side of the sport, Sylvia went on to say, “I will never fight at Super Heavyweight again. I fight much better at 265 so from here on out that’s what I am going to fight at.”

During his stint in the UFC Sylvia racked up nine dubyas in the Octagon including a pair of wins over Arlovski as well as success against against Jeff Monson, Ricco Rodriguez, and Brandon Vera. Eighteen of his overall victories have come by way of TKO.

PHOTO CREDIT – UFC

Brock Lesnar Talks TUF 13 (MMAFighting.com)

Catch Up with “The Dean of Mean” (CagePotato.com)

Eleven Fights Make the Cut for UFC’s Next Appearance on Versus (Versus.com)

More than 40,000 Tickets Expected for UFC 129 (HeavyMMA.com)

FIGHT! Magazine Profiles Cain Velasquez (FIGHT! Magazine)

Pat Barry Discusses his Fight Night 23 Win (MMAScraps.com)

Join Tim Sylvia on a Ride Along (MMAConvert.com)

Mike Guymon Retires from MMA (MiddleEasy.com)

However, the organization has wasted no time in finding a replacement for Duffee, as Five Ounces of Pain has been able to confirm with former UFC heavyweight champ Tim Sylvia that he will be stepping in to scrap with Wagner at the show. News of the potential replacement was first reported by MMAFA who learned of it during a conversation with Titan Fighting Championships’ head Joe Kelly.

The 28-6 Sylvia is currently riding a four-fight win streak with all of the victories coming as the result of strikes. Though his reputation has taken a number of hits over the past few years, the 6’8 striker’s accomplishments in the ring speaks for themselves with titles in the UFC and success in the Octagon against notable opponents like Andrei Arlovski, Brandon Vera, and Jeff Monson.

Wagner has won four of his last five bouts including a first-round knockout during an in-ring appearance last month. He is 7-3 overall in his career.

Titan Fighting Championship 16 is set to be broadcast on HDNet. In addition to Sylvia vs. Wagner, the card will also feature Jason High, L.C. Davis, and Drew McFedries in earlier action.

As had been the case in Sylvia’s previous three wins, the 6’8” striker was able to procure a finish against Lucero rather than risk a point-based stumble in the ring. After dropping Lucero multiple times in the opening minutes of the match-up Sylvia worked his way into mount and then forced the 38-fight veteran to submit from the ensuing ground-and-pound. However, before fans get overly excited about Sylvia potentially returning to the form once earning him a spot as a highly ranked heavyweight, it should also be pointed out Lucero had dropped ten of thirteen bouts prior to the defeat with a draw in the mix as well.

Regardless, the performance marked the continuation of a significant turnaround for the two-time UFC champion who had dropped four of five fights before rallying back to start his current streak of in-ring success. In addition to Lucero, Sylvia has beaten Paul Buentello, Jason Riley, and Mariusz Pudzianowski during the run. He also holds past victories in his career over respected competitors like Brandon Vera, Ricco Rodriguez, Andrei Arlovski, and Jeff Monson.

Five Ounces of Pain contacted Sylvia to get his take on the performance, as well as his turnaround in the ring. According to the imposing Northeasterner, he credits a change of camp with his recent success, explaining “I train in Muncie, Indiana now with about seven new heavyweights, two that are in the UFC right now,” as well as his new striking coach Mark Lemrick.

Sylvia also feels he is ready for another shot on a grand stage, saying, “As for me being back in the big show, I am ready – it’s just up to them to give me the call.”

Perhaps most notably, former UFC heavyweight champ Tim Sylvia officially measured in at 274 pounds. The number is actually thirty pounds down from his weight in his last bout, against Mariusz Pudzianowski at Moosin last May, and only twelve pounds heavier than he was in his final Octagon appearance against Antonio Rodrigo “Minotauro” Nogueira in February 2008.

“War on the Mainland” features Sylvia and Paul Buentello locking horns over the PWP Heavyweight Championship, as well as UFC veteran Jason Lambert fighting late replacement Tony Lopez for the light heavyweight belt and former IFL 185-pound champ Matt Horwich facing submission-specialist Thales Leites for the middleweight title.

Additionally, former UFC Lightweight Champion Jens “Little Evil” Pulver and hard-hitting journeyman Terry Martin are slated for action at the show. Pulver measured in at 155.4 pounds, meaning his recent run at featherweight appears to be over, while Martin came in at an even 170 pounds in preparation for his bout against 16-6-1 Jorge Ortiz.

The official results of the weigh-ins are as follows:

A.J. Matthews (168.8 lbs) vs. Sean Choice (169.4 lbs)
Todd Willingham (154.8 lbs) vs. Cleber Luciano (153.8 lbs)
Joao Silva (153.4 lbs) vs. Erin Beach (154.4 lbs)
Jorge Ortiz (169 lbs) vs. Terry Martin (170 lbs)
Gustavo Machado (185.8 lbs) vs. Rick Reeves (183 lbs)
Jens Pulver (155.4 lbs) vs. Diego Garijo (153.8 lbs)
Matt Horwich (185.4 lbs) vs. Thales Leites (184.6 lbs)
Jason Lambert (203.8 lbs) vs. Tony Lopez (204.6 lbs)
Tim Sylvia (274.4 lbs) vs. Paul Buentello (251.6 lbs)*

* – Bout is being contested with 275-pound maximum rather than the standard 265-pound limit for heavyweights

Sylvia, who has felt the highs of headlining huge events to the lows of being knocked out by a 48-year old man making his professional MMA debut, has won back-to-back fights since losing to Ray Mercer a year ago and looks to continue the righting of his career this Saturday night against 28-12 journeyman Paul Buentello. The two men, both known for their striking, will scrap for Powerhouse World Promotion’s heavyweight title at the company’s “War on the Mainland” show in Irvine, California.

Five Ounces of Pain recently had a chance to ask “The Maine-iac” for his basic thoughts on Buentello and the bout in general. Sylvia’s level of respect for the powerful Texan was clear and understandably so given Buentello seventeen career TKOs and history of leaving it all in the cage whenever he competes.

“I think Paul is a good guy and a great fighter,” said Sylvia. “I think it’s going to be a great fight and the fans are going to love it – two stand-up guys that want to knockout someone.”

“War on the Mainland” takes place at the Bren Events Center on Saturday, August 14th, and will be available on cable/satellite PPV starting at 7:00PT/10:00ET. Beyond Sylvia and Buentello championship clash, the card also features title fights between UFC alumnus Jason Lambert and eight-time World BJJ champion Allan Goes for the light heavyweight belt, as well as former IFL 185-pound champ Matt Horwich facing submission-specialist Thales Leites for the middleweight strap. Additionally, former UFC Lightweight Champion Jens “Little Evil” Pulver and hard-hitting veteran Terry Martin are slated for action at the show.

Sylvia, a native of Eastbrook, Maine, used his experience, arm length and boxing skills to defeat Pudzianowski, who was making his U.S. debut in only his third pro fight.

“This feels great, man,” Sylvia said after the fight. “I’m back. Mariusz Pudzianowski is one helluva tough guy. This provides me with an opportunity to get another big fight, hopefully in three months. It didn’t go as I had planned. I thought I’d knock him out in the first round but I was a little cautious. My corner told me after the first round I could do anything because he was gassed. Once he failed on the takedowns, I knew I had him.”

In the co-main event, heavyweight Travis Wiuff recorded his 61st win, unloading a vicious left hook, followed by two rights that dropped Josh Barnes, which ended the fight only 34 seconds into the opening round.

Middleweight Rafael Natal (12-2-0) stopped Travis Lutter (10-6-0) by way of unanswered strikes in the opening round of their middleweight match.

Boston lightweight Mike Campbell (9-2) registered the most significant victory of his young career, taking a 3-round decision from veteran Yves Edwards (37-15-1) in a back-and-forth fight.

In a rematch featuring two of the top female MMA fighters in the world, Roxy Modafferri (15-5-0) avenged her loss, winning a split decision against Tara LaRosa (18-2-0).

Polish heavyweight Lukasz Jurkowski improved his record to 15-9, striking Ho Jin Kim with back-to-back right hands for a first-round knockout.

A full set of results from “Moosin MMA: God of Martial Arts” can be found below:

Stipe Miocic def. Paul Barry via TKO – Round 2
Anthony Lapsley def. Frederic Belleton via Submission – Round 1
Matt Lee def. Brett Oteri via TKO – Round 2
Forrest Petz def. Ralph Johnson via Unanimous Decision
Lukasz Jurkowski def. Ho Jin Kim via TKO – Round 1
Roxanne Modafferi def. Tara LaRosa via Split Decision
Mike Campbell def. Yves Edwards via Unanimous Decision
Rafael Natal def. Travis Lutter via TKO – Round 1
Travis Wiuff def. Josh Barnes via TKO – Round 1
Tim Sylvia def. Mariusz Pudzniaowski via Submission (strikes) – Round 2

Before I get into the actual “pick em” part of this article let me preclude the breakdown of bouts by saying one of the things about Mixed Martial Arts I’ve always loved is its unpredictable nature. I’ll do my best to steer you in the right direction with a little insight/opinion included in the deal, but readers would be wise to avoid laying down money on my attempts to glimpse into the future. Beyond that, please don’t hesitate to share your own thoughts on any or all of the scheduled fights in the “Comments” section below, and let’s get this show on the road…

STRIKEFORCE CHALLENGERS

Pat Healy vs. Bryan Travers

Healy may only be 22-15 as a professional Mixed Martial Artist but a closer examination reveals much more than can be derived from looking at his record on the surface. The fan-favorite and nine-year veteran of the sport has been in the ring with a number of notable opponents to say the least. He’s lost to the likes of Jay Hieron, Denis Kang, and Chris Lytle while claiming victory over Paul Daley, Dan Hardy, and Carlos Condit. Travers’ name doesn’t carry nearly the weight as any of those listed, but he’s won six consecutive fights and only felt the sting of defeat once in fourteen total bouts. However, four of his last five wins came via unanimous decision (with a kimura being #5), so I get the impression he relies on takedowns and size to hold competition down and attack from the top. Unfortunately for him, Healy is too good a grappler to be ensnared by such a trap. I expect “Bam Bam” to out-wrestle Travers and eventually find a submission to lock in.

Winner – Pat Healy via Submission Round 2

Roger Bowling vs. Bobby Voelker

Voelker has 4X the in-ring experience as Bowling, has been out-pointed more times in his 28-fight career than finished, and has thirteen TKOs to his credit. As such, he should enter the bout with a good deal of confidence in his ability exchange on his feet or when it comes to testing his cardio over fifteen full minutes. However, Bowling is undefeated and has beaten all seven of his opponents thus far in almost a Shane Carwin-like fashion. Six have fallen to strikes, while the other was submitted, and a high-percentage of the wins came in the first-round including a nine-second knockout! In the end I think his explosiveness will ultimately prevail. Voelker has been knocked out twice in his career (though granted the last time was a little more than two years ago), and he’s been out of action for six months after racking up a seven-bout-per-year average in the four years prior. The layoff and sliver-of-a-question about his chin are the factors pushing me towards Bowling, but I definitely expect this to be a very competitive fight and a great start for fans being introduced to both athletes for the first time.

Winner – Roger Bowling via TKO Round 2

Tyron Woodley vs. Nathan Coy

Coy is an above-average grappler with decent hands but lacks Woodley’s strength and athleticism. It’s important to note the three-fight win streak he’s on involves competition with a combined record equating to a single win over .500 and was preceded by back-to-back losses. On the other hand, “T-Wood” is undefeated through six fights and finished five of his opponents in the first round with the sixth only making it through about three-quarters of the second stanza. He’s definitely emerged as one of Strikeforce’s rising stars and could find himself on the cusp of a welterweight title shot with another impressive victory. Coy could weather the storm long enough to lose via decision but it won’t be an easy feat to accomplish. Woodley can be smothering, staying active enough to advance position while maintaining the focus needed to latch onto submissions when presented with the opportunity to do so. As such, I’m confident Woodley will be able to successfully defend Coy’s takedown attempts while dragging him to the mat on multiple occasions where he’ll eventually get his back and choke him out.

Winner – Tyron Woodley via Submission Round 2

Matt Lindland vs. Kevin Casey

There are few things in MMA that frighten me. Among them are life-threatening harm befalling an athlete, the public’s perception of MMA returning to that of “human cockfighting”, and Butterbean‘s wardrobe being somehow mixed up with Shonie Carter‘s. While none of those three things are at serious risk of occurring at the “Challengers” event, another equally insidious situation I fear involves reality television’s Spencer Pratt worming his way into MMA’s spotlight by riding the coattails of friend/associate Kevin Casey, and because of that shudder-inducing scenario I will be rooting for Lindland to emerge victorious in this bout with every fiber of my being.

Fortunately, the objective part of me also thinks “The Law” has a better of chance of winning the fight than being “laid down” by Casey. The 40-year old may have lost three of his last four fights but consider the competition he was facing in each – Ronaldo “Jacare” Souza (BJJ wizard and arguably a “Top 10″ middleweight), Vitor Belfort (likely next in line for a shot at the UFC Middleweight Championship and coming off a first-round TKO of Rich Franklin), and Fedor Emelianenko (if you really need me to put something in THESE particular brackets you’re watching the wrong sport). Casey, on the other hand, doesn’t have anywhere close to Lindland’s experience and is only 3-1 as a professional fighter. He is one of “Punk” Minowa‘s seven TKO wins in the Japanese star’s 83-fight career. He primarily relies on grappling to beat opponents, so it would seem he shouldn’t have much to offer against a silver-medalist Olympian like Lindland who is also well-versed in submissions. Outside of a perfectly-placed strike landing I don’t see many ways Casey can walk away from his “main event” at-bat without striking out.

Winner – Matt Lindland via Decision

MOOSIN MMA

Tara LaRosa vs. Roxanne Modafferi

As I said in this week’s “Grappling with Issues”, I’m actually looking forward to this particular contest more than the one headlining the card and featuring 4X the weight. Modafferi and LaRosa are both quality female Mixed Martial Artists with the latter deserving consideration as her gender’s best pound-for-pound competitor. LaRosa has won fifteen fights in a row and only lost once in a total of nineteen bouts over an eight-year career. She’s a respectable grappler who has finished her last eight opponents and will enter the ring as the clear favorite to win. However, Ms. Modafferi can’t be counted out as evident by her 7-1 record over the past three-plus years. Her only loss in that span was the result of a fight she took on short notice against Marloes Coenen, and though she lacks LaRosa’s power Roxanne has an incredible amount of heart and is both patient and intellectual in her approach. The stylistic pairing is nice, and I think fans are in for a treat given a sense of familiarity derived from a previous match-up likely clearing the path for more engagement than feeling out. I believe LaRosa’s stand-up should win her most if not all of the exchanges that occur and will ultimately be the difference maker in this bout given that both ladies are solid on the mat.

Winner – Tara LaRosa via Decision

Yves Edwards vs. Mike Campbell

Campbell doesn’t appear to be much of a threat to Edwards, as four of his six wins have come by way of TKO yet only equate to about a quarter of the veteran’s victories using the same method. Additionally, Yves has only been rendered unable to compete via strikes twice in a career with more than fifty fights under his belt. The “Thugjitsu” specialist has finished three straight opponents, including back-to-back first-round TKOs against two men Campbell is a few notches below on the talent scale (Kyle Jensen and Derrick Noble), and he has a lot more to work with on the ground than his adversary does. This bout is basically Moosin’s way of showcasing a fan favorite like Edwards against an underdog who happens to be from the area the event is taking place in, not an attempt at serving parity up to viewers.

Winner – Yves Edwards via TKO Round 1

Travis Lutter vs. Rafael Natal

This may be hard to believe, but tonight only marks Lutter’s third fight since losing to UFC Middleweight Champion Anderson Silva in February 2007. Natal is a Gracie-affiliated grappler so his approach to beating the Ultimate Fighter Season 4 champion should be fairly predictable. However, with Lutter also being a high-level jiujitsu practitioner a lot of Natal’s attacks will be negated, and I’m far from confident in either man’s ability to knock the other out. The push of styles, in addition to Lutter’s inactivity, makes me worry that this bout could turn out to be a relatively boring fifteen-minute stalemate. It would be perfectly at home in an ADCC tournament but may not be the type of match-up standard MMA fans want to see.

Winner – Travis Lutter via Decision

Travis Wiuff vs. Josh Barnes

This fight is custom made for Wiuff to win. Barnes, a late replacement for original opponent Mu Bae Choi, is 5-4 as a professional and owes 3/4 of his defeats to being TKO’d. On the other hand, this bout marks Wiuff’s 75th as a professional Mixed Martial Artist with nearly a 6:1 ratio of wins/losses and stats far eclipsing Barnes’. I expect both men to throw leather right off the bat and see whose chin gives first. However, unlike Barnes, if Wiuff doesn’t like what he sees he has the option to take things to the ground and work submissions. His experience and overall abundance of skills should be too much for Barnes to overcome. Outside of the old “puncher’s chance” seeping its way into the fight this victory should be the most guaranteed one in the entire lot.

Winner – Travis Wiuff via TKO Round 1

Tim Sylvia vs. Mariusz Pudzianowski

I like to think of this bout as Moosin’s way of showing some love to fans of Japanese MMA who don’t necessarily want to stay up until 6:00 AM to watch a “freak show” fight take place. After all, at a total weight of nearly 600 pounds, would Sylvia vs. Pudzianowski not be perfectly at home with iconic ring announcer Lenne Hardt screaming out their respective names during the opening ceremonies of an event?

In this case of Far East meets East Coast it seems like Sylvia should be an obvious favorite to win based on his experience and training background, but “The Maine-iac” has made it difficult to put any real vote of confidence in him due to his recent run of sloppy physical conditioning and nine-second knockout loss to Ray Mercer last June. Pudzniaowski is obviously powerful enough to crumple Tim-meh with a few well-placed strikes, and it would be very interesting to see what might happen if the Polish strong-man was able to take Sylvia down and found a way to work some ground-and-pound. However, I think his overly-muscular frame will actually be his demise, as it prevents him from having the fluidity of motion necessary for even above-average level striking. His bulk also requires a great of oxygen to power so the longer Sylvia can extend things the better chance he has of picking Pudzniaowski apart. I hope/think the former UFC Heavyweight Champion will be able to work his jab to keep his shorter, stockier opponent at bay and maybe test his takedown/submission defense if an opening presents itself. As long as Sylvia enters the bout with basic strategy and sticks to it he should find himself on a winning streak for the first time since November 2006.

Winner – Tim Sylvia via TKO Round 3

Moosin MMA’s “God of Martial Arts” takes place tonight in Worcester, Massachusetts and is available on PPV for a suggested retail price of only $29.95 starting at 9:00 PM ET / 6:00 PM PT.

The full results of the weigh-in are as follows:

PRELIMINARY CARD:

Paul Barry (245 lbs) vs. Stipe Miocic (241 lbs)
Fed Belleton (185 lbs) vs. Anthony Lapsley (185 lbs)
Matt Lee (170.5 lbs) vs. Brett Oteri (175.5 lbs)
Ralph Johnson (171 lbs) vs. Forrest Petz (170.5 lbs)
Ho Jin Kim (196 lbs) vs. Lukasz Jurkowski (214 lbs)

MAIN CARD:

Tara LaRosa (129 lbs) vs. Roxanne Modafferi (128 lbs)
Yves Edwards (157 pounds) vs. Mike Campbell (156 pounds)
Travis Lutter (185 pounds) vs. Rafael Natal (185 pounds)
Travis Wiuff (253 lbs) vs. Josh Barnes (262 lbs)
Tim Sylvia (305 lbs) vs. Mariusz Pudzianowski (273 lbs)

Former UFC heavyweight champion bounced back from three consecutive losses as he battered Jason Riley early in the first round for the convincing stoppage victory.

It became obvious that Sylvia was getting the better of the exchanges early on before dropping Riley with a big right hand and following him to the floor with punches, prompting the referee to wave the bout off at the 2:32 mark.

Alexander, who was on loan from his current contract with the UFC, also put himself back on track following three straight losses, battering Sherman Pendergast early for the much needed win.

A series of punishing leg kicks had Pendergarst in serious trouble just over a minute into the bout before Houston got absolutely midevil on the MMA veteran, swarming him with a brutal volley of strikes and forcing the stoppage just shy of the two minute mark.

It’s not that Riley feels like “The Maine-iac” is that much tougher than any of the men he has faced off with in the past, but he’s definitely the most recognizable. In this day and age it’s common knowledge: To make that move to the big leagues, you’re gong to need a big name under your belt.

That’s where Sylvia comes in for Riley. A win over a heavyweight with a name like Tim’s could do wonders for an up and coming talent such as himself, and the 6’6″, 250 pound Riley plans to make the most of it.

FiveOuncesOfPain.com had the opportunity to catch up with Riley in this exclusive interview conducted on the evening prior to tonight’s heavyweight showdown set to take place in Council Bluffs, Iowa.

FiveOuncesOfPain.com: I know that you’re decision to become involved in MMA stems from your deep-rooted love for fighting; Would you that you got into a fair amount of fights growing up?

Jason Riley: Not so much as a kid, but as a bouncer, yeah. I worked at one of the toughest night clubs on the west side of Columbus, Ohio.

FiveOuncesOfPain.com: Alright, what club was that?

Jason Riley: It used to be called Fat Jack’s.

FiveOuncesOfPain.com: Okay, so was it like a strip club, or a night club?

Jason Riley: It was a night club. It was hip hop, slash, everything else. Music and a big bar.

FiveOuncesOfPain.com: So it would just get like crazy packed normally?

Jason Riley: Oh yeah, it was crazy, and then you get a lot of people that you would usually see in jail coming in and out of there, and start fighting, so….

FiveOuncesOfPain.com: What was your major motivation behind becoming involved with MMA?

Jason Riley: Well I’ve always been a fan of the sport and wanted to try it out, and after I did, I fell in love with it even more. It’s just fun to me. You get to test yourself, and kind of see how much of a man you can really be.

FiveOuncesOfPain.com: So did you start training while you were bouncing, before, or after?

Jason Riley: Actually it was after I quit bouncing. I had a gun pulled on me and that’s why I ended up quitting bouncing. A couple years later I came across a little gym in my hometown and I started training there. Soon afterwords I took a fight on just a couple of weeks notice. I beat the guy up pretty bad, so after that I figured that, “If I could do this with no training, imagine what I could do with some people that were good”.

FiveOuncesOfPain.com: I’ve always kind of felt punching power is something that can be difficult to develop; When was the first point that you realized that you may have had some fairly heavy hands?

Jason Riley: It had to have been my first amateur fight. I fought an ex-military guy, and he was a cop, and I ended up breaking both of his eye sockets and his nose in like four minutes.

FiveOuncesOfPain.com: Were you kind of at a point in our career where you felt like you needed a big name under your belt, and Tim just happens to be that guy?

Jason Riley: Yeah, I was already moving in the right direction, but I know that the bigger organizations wouldn’t take me because I haven’t fought anyone that was well recognized. As soon as this opportunity arose, I jumped all over it. It’s a win-win situation for me.

FiveOuncesOfPain.com: What do you think about Tim’s stand-up game? Do you feel like you’re going to have a decisive edge on the feet if the fights stays there?

Jason Riley: Yeah, I think so. I think that I move a lot better than Tim does, as far as head movement and cutting angles go. I wouldn’t say that he’s one-dimensional, but he’s pretty square, and he’s kind of like a robot. I’m surprised he’s gotten as far as he has. I think the only reason that he has gotten as far as he has in the sport is because he’s such a big guy.

FiveOuncesOfPain.com: And obviously you’re a pretty big guy as well. It’s not like he hasn’t faced other big dudes in his career, but do you think your height and reach will end up giving him some problems?

Jason Riley: Oh yeah. Like he’s fought big guys before, like…. I don’t know… I don’t even want to throw his name out there because I don’t like the guy either, but Wes Sims. And Wes Sims’ stand-up is horrible.

FiveOuncesOfPain.com: Wes is a totally different fighter than you.

Jason Riley: Yeah, I don’t think Tim has fought anybody with his own height and weight that has just as good of a stand-up game as him. Also, I don ‘t stand in place for more than a second, so it’s going to be hard for him to connect.

FiveOuncesOfPain.com: Do you think his chin may be a little bit suspect following the Mercer fight?

Jason Riley: I think that Tim underestimated Mercer, which he should have never done. The last thing to go on a man is his power. Just because Mercer was like 48, it doesn’t mean that he doesn’t have punching power still. I don’t think Tim trained very hard for that fight either. He weighed in at like 310 pounds. There’s no way he could move very well at 310 pounds. I just think that this fight is going to go pretty much the same way as the Mercer fight. Maybe not as fast, but it will be the same result.

FiveOuncesOfPain.com: How do you see this fight playing out in your mind right now?

Jason Riley: I think Tim’s going to end up knocked out again. It’s been proven that he has a weak jaw. He got knocked down by Randy, Andrei, Mercer and Fedor. He’s pretty been knocked down by the same punch, or combination of punches every time. We’ll see what happens. I’m looking forward to it.

FiveOuncesOfPain.com: If the UFC comes calling after this fight with Sylvia, is that a step you’re going to be prepared to make at this point in your career?

Jason Riley: Oh yeah! Most definitely. I know I’m ready for that step, it’s just a matter of getting an opportunity to do it so that I can prove to everybody that I belong in there against the best fighters in the world.

The news of the bout comes courtesy of Jason Riley himself, who confirmed the fight on his Myspace account, stating, “I will be fighting Tim Sylvia on September 18. It will be the main event for Adrenaline. It will be aired on HDNET Fights. Over 11 million people will be watching. If interested in sponsoring me please contact me on Myspace with all your contact info and I will have my manager get a hold of you. Thanks again for everyones support.”

An heavy handed Ohio based brawler with a penchant for finishing his opponents, Riley has established himself as a heavyweight to watch out for with an impressive record of 11-1. Riley’s most recent performance was a devastating first round knockout over Justin Black at “NAAFS: Caged Vengence 4″. Riley is also the current NAAFS heavyweight title holder.

Former UFC champion Tim Sylvia will be looking to right the ship and show the MMA community he’s back following a pair of embarrassing defeats at the hands of Fedor Emelianenko and aging former champon boxer Ray Mercer. Of course Sylvia is a two-time UFC heavyweight champion and it remains to be seen if he can someday return to his old dominant form.

The report of Affliction’s decision to cut Sylvia from the event comes courtesy of MMAFanhouse.com.

The announcement comes on the heels of Sylvia’s ten second knockout loss at the hands of 48 year old former heavyweight boxing champ Ray Mercer in Birmingham, Alabama on Saturday evening. Previously slated as a boxing match, the bout inevitably failed to be sanctioned and was switched to an MMA rules bout just prior to fight time. Sylvia weighed in at 310 pounds before the loss to Mercer.

“It’s his second knockout in a row, and I don’t want to take a chance on anything,” Affliction VP Tom Atencio was quoted as saying in the report. “The fight is less than 60 days away.”

Atencio also confirmed that Paul Buentello would still be competing on the card. His opponent will most likely be the winner of the upcoming June 27 clash between Gilbert Yvel and Pedro Rizzo at “Ultimate Chaos”.

The fight was the headlining bout at Adrenaline III: Bragging Rights at the Birmingham Jefferson Civic Center.

Previously scheduled to be a boxing match between a former UFC champion and an aging former boxing champion, the bout was unable to be sanctioned as a boxing contest and was switched to MMA rules at the last moment.

Mercer was able to capitalize on a missed Sylvia kick to set up the fight ending right hand to the chin and it was lights out for “The Maine-iac” just ten seconds into the contest.

Mercer was 0-1 in amateur MMA going into the bout with Sylvia. He had one submission loss to Kimbo Slice prior to last night’s bout.

Sylvia, who came into the fight around the 310 pound mark, has been finished in his last three straight bouts, and has lost four of his last five. He is scheduled to face off with Paul Buentello at Affliction III on August . There is no news yet if Sylvia may fall under a medical suspension that could prevent him from taking place in that bout.

The bout between the two had been rumored for quite some time before MMAFanhouse was able to confirm the bout this afternoon.

Affliction III: Trilogy will take place at the Honda Center in Los Angeles, California on August 1 and is expected to be headlined by a heavyweight bout between Fedor Emelianenko and Josh Barnett.

Sylvia is set to face off with former heavyweight boxing champion Ray Mercer on June 13 in a boxing match that will be held in Birmingham, Alabama. His last appearance in mixed martial arts saw him on the receiving end of a Fedor choke at Affliction: Banned in July of 2008.

Buentello has gone undefeated in his two appearances with Affliction, defeating Gary Goodridge by decision in July before stopping Kirill Sidelnikov by TKO in January.

A full list of the bouts expected for Affliction III as of this writing are listed below:

Fedor Emelianenko vs. Josh Barnett

Tim Sylvia vs. Paul Buentello

Jay Hieron vs. Paul Daley

Chris Horodecki vs. Dan Lauzon

Of course that all changed when Randy “The Natural” Couture announced he was coming out of retirement to fight Sylvia for the UFC heavyweight title. Needless to say, Couture ended up winning the heavyweight title from Sylvia after a five-round war at UFC 68. He then went on to defeat Brandon Vera at UFC 77 via decision but dropped his last official UFC bout to Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira at UFC 81.

It was after the submission loss to Nogueira that Sylvia announced that he was leaving the UFC to explore other options in the MMA world.

Just a few weeks later, the “Affliction” clothing company had announced that they were going to promote their first MMA show. Not only that, but the main event would feature #1 heavyweight Fedor Emelianenko facing the former UFC heavyweight champion Tim Sylvia.

MMA fans all over the world were ecstatic to see Fedor finally square off against some “top 10 competition”. However, once the fight actually went down, Fedor knocked Sylvia down quickly and submitted the former champ with a rear-naked choke in just 36 seconds.

Sylvia had now dropped three out of his last four fights and was left questioning whether or not he still had what it takes to be a “top 10 heavyweight fighter”. Was Sylvia’s MMA skills diminishing or was he just a victim of bad match-ups?

We may find out soon enough. According to the UK-based “Fighters Only” magazine, Sylvia is scheduled to fight for a “very high profile” MMA organization in August. In the report, Sylvia mentions that he currently has the contract at home but he’s not allowed to give us details on which company he may be fighting for or who he may face.

If Sylvia is added to the Affliction III card, a possible opponent for him could be none other than former UFC rival Andrei Arlvoski. Sylvia still has plenty of dislike for Arlovski and has expressed an interest in facing him again in the near future. The two fighters faced each other on three separate occasions in the UFC with Sylvia winning the last two fights. However, as of right now both fighters are scheduled to compete in June. Sylvia is set to make his professional boxing debut against Ray Mercer on June 13 while Arlovski is set to face Brett Rogers at a Strikeforce show on June 6.

Other possibilities for the former UFC heavyweight champ include an unlikely return to the UFC, or a more likely signing with Strikeforce to boost their heavyweight division.

Sherdog.com is reporting that the Adrenaline III card which will feature both MMA and boxing bouts has been moved to Birmingham, Alabama and will take place June 13th. Apparently there is no athletic commission in Alabama and the fight will go on as planned.

Mercer, will turn 48 sometime in May, is a former Olympic gold medalist who is known in MMA circles for being choked out by Kimbo Slice in an exhibition MMA match.

Sylvia has been busy making hunting videos since being thoroughly dominated in 36 seconds by WAMMA heavyweight champion Fedor Emelianenko last July at Affliction’s first pay-per-view “Banned”.

Cox revealed to FiveOuncesOfPain.com that an Adrenaline event tentatively scheduled for May 30 in Atlantic City, N.J. could be headlined by former UFC heavyweight champion Tim Sylvia taking on 46-year old former WBO heavyweight champion “Merciless” Ray Mercer.

If signed, the bout would mark Sylvia’s first fight since losing to Fedor Emelianenko this past July during Affliction’s “Banned” event in a match that determined the first-ever heavyweight champion of the World Alliance of Mixed Martial Arts. Prior to that, Sylvia had lost to Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira at UFC 81 last February in a bout in which the vacant interim UFC heavyweight title was on the line.

Sylvia, who held the UFC heavyweight title on two separate occasions, has competed as a pro since 2001 and holds notable wins in his career over Ben Rothwell, Ricco Rodriguez, Andrei Arlovski, Jeff Monson, and Brandon Vera.

He’d be facing an opponent in Mercer who has just one previous MMA fight to his credit, an exhibition match against Kevin “Kimbo Slice” Ferguson that took place on a Cage Fury Fighting Championship card in June of 2007. The fought was fought under the unified rules of MMA and the bout ended after Mercer submitted to a guillotine choke.

Despite Mercer’s MMA inexperience, he still poses a unique threat to Sylvia. While the heavy-handed Slice felt it was prudent to take Mercer off his feet, Sylvia is not known for taking fights to the ground and instead may attempt to trade punches with a professional boxer that was good enough to win a Gold medal at the 1988 Olympic Games in Seoul, South Korea.

For those who might be unable to attend the proposed matchup in Atlantic City, Cox also revealed that he’s currently involved in negotiations regarding a television partner for the event.

“He’s not the best pound-for-pound fighter, not even close, but he’s one of the four or five best heavyweights,” said White, who undoubtedly would be singing Emelianenko’s praises to the heavens the moment he got the stoic Russian’s name on a UFC contract.

“But we all have to thank him for getting rid of Tim Sylvia. He’d been stinking out the joint the last couple of years and Fedor did everyone a favor by beating him so easily and getting rid of him.”

Y’know, Dana’s right. As good a fighter as Sylvia is, ever since he won the UFC heavyweight title he became an extremely tentative fighter. On his way up the heavyweight ladder, Sylvia put together a highlight reel of knockouts and earned a reputation for being aggressive and finishing fights on the feet. However, once the strap went around his waist, he was content to ride out decisions and play it safe in order to keep his status as champion. Even after he lost the title to Randy Couture, his first fight back against Brandon Vera was a snoozefest. Why? Because it was for a title shot.

Listen, I have a lot of respect for Sylvia. He’s a guy who is not athletically gifted and has made his own success from the bottom up in MMA. But nothing is worse to Dana White than a fighter who fights not to lose. To lose in exciting fashion in the UFC is better than to win in boring fashion. Sylvia has gone on record as saying that he would like to come back to the UFC someday but when your former boss thrashes you in public like that, it’s hard to believe that you’ll ever be welcome back.