UFC legend Mark Coleman has agreed to compete against fellow-former UFC heavyweight champion Tim Sylvia under the SlapFight Championship banner.
Mark Coleman was present during Sylvia’s SlapFight debut over the weekend, acting as a “catcher” for Sylvia’s opponent, a SlapFight standout simply named ‘The Bouncer.’ Both men traded blows back and forth for five rounds before ‘The Maine-iac’ put his man down for good. Following the contest, Coleman took to Instagram, revealing that he had accepted an offer to compete opposite Sylvia in a SlapFight showdown.
“SlapFight tonight on Fire TV 
@timsylviamma1 makes his debut in Oklahoma City the pressure is on this is very serious very real tons of courage it ain’t no@bitch slap,” Coleman posted. “If Tim wins I have agreed to fight him next. Sober is cool HammerHouse4Life.”
Tim Sylvia Declines Opportunity to Face Mark Coleman in a SlapFight
Commenting on Mark Coleman’s post, Tim Sylvia was quick to squash rumors of the potential clash, suggesting Coleman stick to his job as a “catcher” for SlapFight events.
“Lol why you got to let people think we are slapping each other man,” Sylvia responded in the comments after the event. “That is not happening, you are a good buddy man. And you are a excellent catcher. Let’s keep it that way.”
Mark Coleman, 58, holds the distinction of being the UFC’s first heavyweight champion, winning the title at UFC 12 in February 1997 by defeating another legend of the sport, Dan Severn. ‘The Hammer’ also holds the record for the fastest knockout in PRIDE FC history. Coleman competed against some of the biggest names in the UFC’s 30-year history, including Gary Goodridge, Don Frye, Mauricio ‘Shogun’ Rua, Randy Couture, and the late Stephan Bonnar. He also squared off with heavyweight icon Fedor Emelianenko on two separate occasions under the PRIDE banner.
Sylvia, 47, is best known for his UFC heavyweight championship trilogy with Andrei Arlovski inside the Octagon. ‘The Maine-iac’ retired in 2015 after failing to get licensed by the Mohegan Athletic Unit in 2015. “They said that I’ve received enough damage over 16 years,” Sylvia said while commenting on the denial.