10 MMA Moments Seconds Before Disaster
5. Tim Sylvia Throws A Leg Kick At Ray Mercer
When former UFC Heavyweight Champion Tim Slyvia took on former WBO Heavyweight Champion Ray Mercer in 2009, both men had passed their athletic primes but still had a lot to prove.
The bout was initially scheduled to be a strictly pugilistic affair, with Sylvia set to make his debut in the squared circle. However, unsurprisingly the presiding athletic commission decided not to sanction a boxing match between a former world champion and a debutant (unless there's Mayweather Vs. McGregor level money on the line) so the fight's location was moved.
After again running into sanctioning problems, the bout was moved to be contested under MMA rules, with Mercer and Sylvia reportedly agreeing prior to the contest that they would only box one another.
However, when the fight began Sylvia proved that he wasn't interested in following the terms of the agreement, immediately attacking his opponent with a leg kick. Mercer clearly wasn't happy about this, and after giving Sylvia a look of total disappointment, retaliated with a brutal overhand right that knocked the former UFC champ out cold less than ten seconds in.