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Nov-23-2005
Sylvia-Silva Bound to Produce Heavyweight Title Contender at UFN, Jan. 16
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Everybody loves the heavyweights. No matter who you talk to, when there’s a fight involving two big men throwing bombs, they’re tuning in.
Monday, January 16th should be no exception when former UFC heavyweight champion Tim Sylvia continues on his road back to the title at the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada, when he squares off against Assuerio Silva in the main event of Spike TV’s Ultimate Fight Night.
For the 29-year-old Sylvia, it’s an opportunity to show a national television audience why he’s still one of the premier heavyweights in the game today. An imposing 6-8 banger with dynamite in either hand, Sylvia reached the pinnacle of the game in 2003 when he stopped Ricco Rodriguez to win the UFC heavyweight title.
After a single defense against Gan McGee though, Sylvia fell on hard times as he was stripped of his title for testing positive for a banned substance and then proceeded to lose two of his next three fights (even though these losses were to standouts Frank Mir and Andrei Arlovski).
But since the defeat to Arlovski in February, Sylvia has showed a renewed dedication to the sport, which, coupled with his deadly power, makes him a very dangerous man.
As he told this reporter in May, “My goal is definitely to get back in title contention. I’m just training, making sure I’m in shape, and whoever they put up against me I’m gonna knock out.”
Mike Block and Tra Telligman found that out the hard way as they were stopped by Sylvia earlier this year.
Next on his hit list is Brazil’s Assuerio Silva, who will be making his long-awaited UFC debut after an impressive career fighting in his home country and Japan. At 5-11 and 225 pounds, Silva will be giving up a huge size and reach advantage to Sylvia, but it’s something he will attempt to make up with his impressive striking and jiu-jitsu games.
The Brazilian has also been on a hot streak, with only one loss (a split decision to heavyweight contender Aleksander Emelianenko in 2003) in the last six years. In his last fight, the 32-year-old decisioned Alessio Sakara (who recently made his UFC debut) at Jungle Fight 3 in Manaus, Brazil.
In the Ultimate Fight Night co-feature, light heavyweight contenders Stephan Bonnar and James Irvin will clash in a three round contest. The hard-hitting Bonnar is fresh off a decision win over Sam Hoger on the August installment of Ultimate Fight Night and Irvin, a former heavyweight, made his 205-pound debut with a spectacular flying knee knockout of Terry Martin at UFC 54.
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