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Sylvia and Massachusetts avoid embarrassment with win over 'World's Strongest Man'
By Steve Cofield
Like we said weeks ago, it was the match that should've never happened. Mariusz Pudzianowski avoided serious injury but it was clear from the opening seconds of his fight against Tim Sylvia, he didn't belong in a real mixed martial arts fight. Pudzianowski, a five-time World's Strongest Man winner, has the look of a great heavyweight but few of the necessary fighting skills. Sylvia withstood Pudzianowski's 45 second gas tank and eventually got the Polish powerhouse to tap via strikes at the 1:43 mark of the second round in the main event of Moosin: God of Fighting in Worcester, Mass
Sylvia (26-6) is a two-time UFC champion, who's run into tough times recently losing to the world's No. 1 heavyweight Fedor Emelianenko and a shocker against 48-year-old pro boxer Ray Mercer. But that doesn't mean that a guy with two professional fights had any business being in the cage with him. It was an awful statement for Massachusetts' judgement. This was just the second big MMA card in state since the sport was cleared earlier this year.
Pudzianowki (2-1) charged Sylvia in the opening minute and he scored a takedown 36 seconds into the fight. Sylvia got up almost immediately and the fighters clinched for another 90 seconds. Locked up against the cage, Pudzianowski's entire body got flush in a matter of seconds as his muscles filled up with lactic acide. The adrenaline rush was too much for the strongman as Sylvia, leaning on his experience, waited for Pudzianowski completely drain his gas tank. Then he was target practice. Sylvia landed a bunch of solid punches and knees to the body before Pudzianowski hit the deck with a minute left in the first. He survived the round but was so drained in the second that he simply fell to his back with 4:00 left after getting nailed by a few strikes.
The broadcast team on the pay-per-view had an interesting take on the victory, yelling and screaming that Sylvia was back. Of course, they also called for a Pudzianowski upset at the start of the fight saying this was going to be his "Joe Namath" moment. Color voice Bas Rutten quickly shot that nonsense down and gave his partners a dose of reality.
Sylvia never went away and all this victory did was prove that he's still a legitimate heavyweight fighter who wasn't going to a lose to a guy trying to make a little money off his fame from the Strongman world. Now Sylvia just needs to get back in shape. He wants back in the UFC or to fight for Strikeforce. The heavyweight limit in those promotions is 265 pounds and Sylvia has come to the cage the last few occasions at 300-plus pounds. It's time for him to take his career seriously and get back into high-level fighting shape.
In Massachusetts' defense, the crowd filled with casual MMA fans including many Poles, seemed to really enjoy the fight and the promoters probably made some nice cash. In the future, let's hope the state is a little more careful before it matches up fighters with such a wide experience gap.
By Steve Cofield
Like we said weeks ago, it was the match that should've never happened. Mariusz Pudzianowski avoided serious injury but it was clear from the opening seconds of his fight against Tim Sylvia, he didn't belong in a real mixed martial arts fight. Pudzianowski, a five-time World's Strongest Man winner, has the look of a great heavyweight but few of the necessary fighting skills. Sylvia withstood Pudzianowski's 45 second gas tank and eventually got the Polish powerhouse to tap via strikes at the 1:43 mark of the second round in the main event of Moosin: God of Fighting in Worcester, Mass
Sylvia (26-6) is a two-time UFC champion, who's run into tough times recently losing to the world's No. 1 heavyweight Fedor Emelianenko and a shocker against 48-year-old pro boxer Ray Mercer. But that doesn't mean that a guy with two professional fights had any business being in the cage with him. It was an awful statement for Massachusetts' judgement. This was just the second big MMA card in state since the sport was cleared earlier this year.
Pudzianowki (2-1) charged Sylvia in the opening minute and he scored a takedown 36 seconds into the fight. Sylvia got up almost immediately and the fighters clinched for another 90 seconds. Locked up against the cage, Pudzianowski's entire body got flush in a matter of seconds as his muscles filled up with lactic acide. The adrenaline rush was too much for the strongman as Sylvia, leaning on his experience, waited for Pudzianowski completely drain his gas tank. Then he was target practice. Sylvia landed a bunch of solid punches and knees to the body before Pudzianowski hit the deck with a minute left in the first. He survived the round but was so drained in the second that he simply fell to his back with 4:00 left after getting nailed by a few strikes.
The broadcast team on the pay-per-view had an interesting take on the victory, yelling and screaming that Sylvia was back. Of course, they also called for a Pudzianowski upset at the start of the fight saying this was going to be his "Joe Namath" moment. Color voice Bas Rutten quickly shot that nonsense down and gave his partners a dose of reality.
Sylvia never went away and all this victory did was prove that he's still a legitimate heavyweight fighter who wasn't going to a lose to a guy trying to make a little money off his fame from the Strongman world. Now Sylvia just needs to get back in shape. He wants back in the UFC or to fight for Strikeforce. The heavyweight limit in those promotions is 265 pounds and Sylvia has come to the cage the last few occasions at 300-plus pounds. It's time for him to take his career seriously and get back into high-level fighting shape.
In Massachusetts' defense, the crowd filled with casual MMA fans including many Poles, seemed to really enjoy the fight and the promoters probably made some nice cash. In the future, let's hope the state is a little more careful before it matches up fighters with such a wide experience gap.
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