LEWISTON, Maine — Tim “The Maine-iac” Sylvia was anxious to get back home to Iowa to spend Father’s Day with his 17-month-old son Maverick.
So the Eastbrook native and two-time former UFC heavyweight champion wasted no time in winning his first mixed martial arts fight in his home state Saturday night.
The 6-foot-8, 265-pound Sylvia needed just 12 seconds of the first round to knock out Randy “The Wolf” Smith in the main event of the 16-bout Fight Night III card held before an estimated crowd of 3,000 at the Androscoggin Bank Colisee.
“I can’t tell you how much it means to be able to fight back here in Maine,” said the 36-year-old Sylvia, just after accepting the congratulations of a gauntlet of fans upon leaving the cage. “It almost makes me cry just thinking about it.”
The much taller Sylvia came out and immediately landed a right hand to the body that backed up Smith, a ranked fighter regionally whose record dropped to 14-11-1. Sylvia pursued Smith to the side of the cage and connected with a right to the jaw that sent his opponent to the mat.
Sylvia then got on top of Smith and landed several right hands before the fight was stopped.
“I’ve trained 10 weeks for this fight,” said Sylvia, now 31-7 with 20 knockouts in his 13-year MMA career. “I just went out and executed my game plan.”
Yet Sylvia’s quick work wasn’t the shortest bout of the evening.
That honor went to Bruce Boyington of Brewer, who used two spinning leg kicks to knock out Keegan Hornstra of Farmington in 10 seconds of their 155-pound bout.
The 33-year-old Boyington, a second-degree black belt in tae kwon do, put those skills to use against Hornstra, first with a spinning kick to the ribs followed by a spinning kick to the lower right jaw and neck area that prompted an immediate end to the fight.
Boyington is now 2-2-1 as a pro, while Hornstra is 0-4.
“I expected that as soon as the bell rang he was coming at me,” said Boyington, a medical radiographer who trains out of Young’s MMA in Bangor.
“I hit him with a spinning back kick to slow him down, and he immediately came back forward so I said I was going to spin again, not to the middle this time but upstairs and hopefully it would connect. It did, and I couldn’t be happier.”
Boyington’s teammate at Young’s MMA, “The” Ryan Sanders of Brewer, bounced back from his first pro loss to Mike Winters at Fight Night II in April with a 170-pound tapout victory over Ray Shawdee of Lowell, Mass., at 0:53 of the second round.
Sanders (4-1) used a guillotine choke to force Shawdee (3-2) to submit.
“He was on top and trying to nullify me from moving, so he’s holding on tight,” said Sanders. “He kept his head right close to my body so I was able to create an open space by pushing his head away, and the second I got that space I shot my arm in and started working the choke.”
The sudden ending came after a close first five-minute round.
“I was definitely getting the better of him on standing,” said Sanders. “He took it to the ground, which I knew he eventually would do, but I was able to reverse him and get on top. He threw up a triangle choke that I was able to defend and from there it was a lot of scrambling back and forth.”
Two fighters based at Littlefield’s Gym in Oakland also were winners among the seven professional bouts on the card.
Josh Parker of Oakland (3-4) won the only fight of the night to go the full three rounds with a unanimous decision over Chris Ramos at 155 pounds. Parker used a strong finish to earn a 29-27 decision on all three judges’ scorecards.
Josh Bellows of Winslow made a successful pro debut at 170 pounds, knocking out Ryan Cowette at 46 seconds of the first round.
Windham native Jamie Harrison (3-1) knocked out Andrew Robertson of MMA of Southern Maine in 50 seconds of the first round at 155 pounds, while 135-pound Hassan Mahmood (1-0) of the New York-based Team Bombsquad used a rear naked choke to defeat Portland’s Ernie Ornelas (0-2) at 1:39 of the first round.
The nine amateur bouts featured a 145-pound clash between John “First Class” Raio of Topsham and Derek Shorey of Berwick, with the popular Raio (3-0) securing a tapout victory via guillotine choke at 22 seconds of the second round.
“I wanted to keep some space between us because he threw some good knees early on,” said Raio, who works as a mailman in Portland. “I was trying to avoid those kicks and we ended up tying up. A guillotine was something I’ve been getting better and better at and I knew I was going to throw it at some point if I could. He kind of put his neck out as I landed on the ground so I threw him into my guard and locked my legs and squeezed as hard as I could and he tapped and that was the end of it right there.”
This was a hard-fought contest through the end of the first round between the two former Maine high school wrestling champions, Raio at Gardiner Area High School in 1996 and Shorey at Foxcroft Academy of Dover-Foxcroft in 2000.
“The kid’s a tough kid,” said Raio. “Had he not had to tap out it would have been a battle right to the finish.”
Among the other amateur bouts was a 130-pound women’s contest between Portland’s Maria Rios and Kylie Zehr of New York that ended with Rios using a rear naked choke to win by tapout at 1:24 of the first round.
“My plan of attack was to clinch with her, take her down and do damage,” said Rios.
way to go Ryan, couldn’t be prouder lil bro, keep kickin @$$ now and taking names later…
great fights all the way around, i was ringside, the only problem was the photographer and a video man were continually in our line of vision i understand they have to get the shots but we got ringside tix to be close to the action. hats off to all that fought, and the woman who sang the national anthem knocked it out of the park
This is a sport?? Are you kidding me?? If this stuff happened a few feet away in the parking lot, somebody would go to jail.
whats your sport?
How many times have you cleaned your size 7 pennyloafers today?
More like Birkenstocks with wool socks.
These are athletes of the highest order. The sport is sanctioned by the state of Maine. They are generating much needed revenue for Maine’s economy. I’d expect to see fights in the parking lot at a hockey or football game but not in MMA. These fights are where skilled martial artists compete to honor to their sport, school and each other. This is absolutely a sport. We are not kidding you. And if someone jumps you in a parking lot you better hope someone like us is around to help you.
“…athletes of the highest order…”? They aren’t exactly in top physical shape… Just my personal observation. Don’t get mad.
“Skilled martial artists”? Artists?? ARTISTS? They only thing they draw is blood. I’m not impressed by people who’s only goal is to inflict pain on another person. And you seriously try to call it a “sport”?
don’t like it don’t watch it…………yes it is a sport
It is a ‘sport’ in the same sense that dog fighting is a sport and rooster fighting is a sport…..
Come on Freddie, man up for once…
Andy they call slaughtering innocent wild animals with guns a sport too.
LOL
Yes, sir. It is a sport. We aren’t kidding. Also, if a boxing match, wrestling match, tae kwon do match, or a judo match(ALL OLYMPIC SPORTS, MIND YOU) were to happen in the parking lot, someone would go to jail. If you had a NASCAR race on the street: Jail.
You do not have to enjoy, support, or fund MMA(though MMA is currently helping to fund the state’s coffers). You also don’t have to comment negatively on the article.
In all seriousness: If you would like to open your mind to the MMA lifestyle, please take my offer to come to our gym anytime. You’ll find many nice, upstanding, and welcoming people there. Including many of the people who protect you in the streets from the real ‘bad guys’.
Zackary Adams
Assistant Instructor
Young’s MMA
1576 Hammond Street.
Unit E- Cushman Plaza
Bangor, ME 04401
Phone: (207) 947-5170
Thanks for the sincere offer, Zackary. Just not my cup of tea. I looked at those BDN photos and just can’t imagine spending time to watch that in person. How can anyone look at those and not say it is extremely brutal and violent? And no head protection? The entire object is to hurt, knock-out and injure another human. How can that be ‘sport’? I’m surprised that you don’t think I should comment negatively–why not?–is not my voice as valid as yours? My negative comments are just as valid as the positive comments. Do you also not believe in free speech? And a side note: NASCAR is extremely dangerous as well–one dangerous activity doesn’t justify another. And the purpose of NASCAR isn’t to intentionally inflict serious bodily injury to another human. There is nothing about MMA that comes even close to being good. And if MMA funds contribute to the state’s coffers it still doesn’t justify it.
You have a right to your opinion. I’m not taking that from you. Amusing that between you(the anti-violence) and me(the fighter), you seem to be the one ready to strike down what you don’t like…..
I also did not say that it wasn’t violent, and yes, part of the point of a match is to try to impose your will on the opponent. What you don’t see from the action shots, is the pre-fight prayers and the post match hugs, well wishes, and thanks between guys who fight each other.
As for how it can be a sport? It encompasses several Olympic events, and though there isn’t head protection, there are many reports that find it safer than American football, a sport we spend billions on, and sign our children up for by the droves.
You are correct about one thing:NASCAR’s directive isn’t to “intentionally inflict serious bodily injury to another human”(neither is MMA’s, by the way). NASCAR just uses up huge amounts of fossil fuels to see which descendant of moonshiners car drive in a circle the best.
Zackary: You are a good spokesman for MMA–you state your points very well and kindly. I especially like your NASCAR comments. I agree totally with that as well as the football observations. As you likely guess, I don’t watch either of those ‘sports’. And knowing full well that ridicule will be heaped upon me, my sport of preference is golf. And, of course, the Red Sox.
Well, sir, I do not expect to ‘turn you’ into a fan of MMA. But I hope that I’ve at least shown you that we are not a bunch of felons, tough guys, drunks picking fights at a bar, or bloodthirsty imbeciles.
We are the people who deliver your mail, grade your children’s English homework, put out your burning house, arrest drug dealers in your neighborhoods, fight in distant lands for you, among other noble ‘day jobs’. And that’s just listing occupations of men and women at my gym.
Maine needs an awesome sport like this !!!! GO GO MMA!!!
Good deal….
The legislature acted wisely in sanctioning mixed Martial Arts competitions in Maine. I have been to every MMA event Maine has held. Each event has had a strong turnout and a positive economic impact on host communities. The promoters have wisely included several local companies producing t-shirts and selling other fight wears. Local fighters, local products and positive local economic impact. A big win for Maine. Rumford should be proud of Representative Matt Peterson for his tireless efforts to bring MMA to Maine!!
look who sylvia was fighting. the guy could pass for Santa Clause with a wig and a white beard!
Way to go Ryan. Your nickname is still hilarious to me, only you Buddy. Good luck in your next fight!!
there it is foks the real reason why Mr Freddie is so against MMA…wait for it………………………………………………………………………………………….NASCAR Fan hahahahah winning!