Yes, you read it right. Tim Sylvia, the man who was recently paid $800,000 to fight the top Heavyweight in the world (Fedor Emelianenko) is now apparently taking a giant step down in competition.
He is set to face "The World's Most Dangerous Man" (a nickname that hardly fits anymore) Ken Shamrock at XP3, a small promotion in Texas. The fight was apparently supposed to happen on Dec. 20, but it was postponed until February.
Shamrock has dropped seven of his last eight fights and hasn't won since June of 2004. Those losses included three to Tito Ortiz and a first round KO at the hands of the relatively unknown Robert "Buzz" Berry in his last outing in March.
Shamrock was supposed to take on Kimbo Slice, but was cut open along his eyebrow on the day of the fight while rolling. This forced him out of the main event and we all know how that one ended.
So, why face a washed up Ken Shamrock after facing the like of Emelianenko, Nogueira, Vera, and Couture in his last four fights? You go from facing the best that the world has to offer in your division, to someone who lost his edge years ago.
I doubt it could be the money since it's a small show in Texas. Sylvia is only 32 years old. He has a lot of fights left in him. Affliction looks to have left him off of their upcoming second card, but he could be fighting for a show like Strikeforce or over in Japan somewhere and at least get respectable opponents.
Maybe one day we will see the old Tim come back. The Tim that was kicking Tra Telligman's head off. Or possibly the one who knocked out Andrei Arlovski in the first round? All I know is to get better, you need to fight people that are better then you, and that isn't going to happen fighting opponents like Ken Shamrock.
UPDATE: Shamrock says that his camp was approached with the fight and it was rejected, but Sylvia is still confident that it will happen on Feb. 7 at the Reliant Arena.
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