Former two time UFC Heavyweight Champion Tim Sylvia (30-7) will be fighting in his home state for the first time (as a professional) on June 16th for the New England Fight’s promotion. Looking to spoil Sylvia’s homecoming will be Randy “The Wolf” Smith (14-10-1). The heavyweight collision has been officially signed to main event NEF’s Fight Night 3 event and will take place at the The Androscoggin Bank Colisee in Lewiston, Maine.
Smith is ranked as the #5 heavyweight in the northeast and is on the New England fighting circuit, holding the American Fighting Organization’s heavyweight championship. Smith is looking to take himself to the next level of MMA competition with a win over such a prominent named opponent in Sylvia. In a press release, Smith spoke of the importance this fight holds for him:
“It’s an honor to fight Tim Sylvia, and it will be a huge win. He was a guy I used to watch before I started training. He has been at the highest level in the biggest show, and he is a guy I always dreamed of fighting. I match up well with him. Our styles are a lot alike. This is my Super Bowl. We will put on a fight that people will talk about for years.”
NEF’s match makers had a long list of possible candidates to take on the former two time UFC Heavyweight champion, fighters and managers contacted (NEF co-owner and match maker) Matt Peterson in droves. However, it was Smith who stood out above the rest.
The matchup is expcted to draw a large crowd to The Androscoggin Bank Colisee, where NEF held their inaugural fight night event on February 11th. That event drew over 3,200 fans in attendance, and that mark is to be surpassed with the high profile Sylvia in the main event. With both fighters having won by KO in over 50 percent of all their victories, a heavy handed stand up war is to ignite the crowd for the June 16th event.
Tickets for this event are on sale now at TheColisee.com or by calling the Colisee box office at 207-783-2009.