Former heavyweight titlist Ray Mercer, who turns 48 in April, will fight ex-UFC heavyweight champion Tim Sylvia in a boxing bout in the main event of Adrenaline MMA III.
Mercer (36-7-1, 26 KO) is on a streak where he's won six of his last eight and Sylvia's manager Monte Cox is attempting to legitimize this fight by pointing out Mercer's recent record, including a win over Richel Hersisia last September in Sweden. Hersisia came in 30-2 and "ranked fifth in Europe."
For those MMA fans that might stumble upon this that are less familiar with Mercer's recent career, here's what Cox isn't talking about:
1. Hersisia's European ranking was a farce, and European rankings really don't mean much. Hersisia's never beaten anyone and even prior to his six round majority decision loss to Old Man Mercer, he had lost to the only two remotely decent fighters (Taras Bidenko and Fraudley Harrison) that he'd ever faced.
2. Mercer hasn't beaten anyone worth a crap since knocking off a fading Tim Witherspoon in 1996. We're talking 13 years here.
3. He's an old man. I don't mean for the earth, but for the sport. He's old. He's really, really, really old. He shouldn't be fighting.
Sylvia (24-5 in MMA) is coming off of a humiliating 36-second loss to Fedor Emelianenko last July, and there's one thing Cox is right about in trying to sell this as a legit fight: Mercer may be old, but he's a former Olympic gold medalist and has been boxing his whole life. Sylvia has not.
I'll say right now if this fight actually goes through, Mercer will beat Sylvia. Tim is 6'8" and weighs around 260 pounds, but he's not a boxer.