By Mark Vester

In a strange bout that comes out of left field, former UFC heavyweight champion Tim Sylvia will face Olympic gold medal winner and former WBO heavyweight champion Ray Mercer on May 30 at the Trump Taj Mahal Resort and Casino in Atlantic City.

Mercer helped jump start the career of Kimbo Slice in July 2007 when he fought Slice under MMA rules. Slice beat him by submission in the first round. This time it's Mercer who will hold the advantage. The fight with Sylvia will NOT be fought under MMA rules. Sylvia is putting on some boxing gloves and plans to fight Mercer in a normal boxing match. Sylvia is 24-5 in MMA, and Mercer is 36-7 in boxing.

Mercer, at 47, upset Richel Hersisia last September with majority decision win. Sylvia returns for the first time since being stopped last July by Fedor Emelianenko. The fight will headline an event called Adrenaline MMA III. It was initially pitched as an MMA bout, but the event planners felt that most would see the fight as an easy win for Sylvia. Under boxing rules, the advantage gap gets tight and either guy stands a good chance of winning.

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