Editing Ray Mercer (section)

==Mixed martial arts career==
Mercer had planned to attempt a dabble in mixed martial arts as early as 2003; he was scheduled to [[Kazuyuki Fujita]], who was 9-4 in the sport, in Kobe, Japan as the main event of the [[:ja:INOKI_BOM-BA-YE_2003|Inoki Bom-Ba-Ye]]. The fight was to be in a MMA ring. However the bout was cancelled after Mercer missed his flight to the country.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Ray Mercer vs. Kazuyuki Fujita, Inoki Bom-Ba-Ye 2003 {{!}} MMA Bout |url=https://www.tapology.com/fightcenter/bouts/686581-inoki-bom-ba-ye-2003-ray-merciless-mercer-vs-kazuyuki-ol-ironhead-fujita |access-date=2023-07-09 |website=Tapology |language=en}}</ref>

After a series of scheduled boxing matchups fell through (including a proposed bout against former champion [[Hasim Rahman]]), Mercer decided to try [[Mixed Martial Arts|mixed martial arts (MMA)]] and approached Felix Martinez, co-founder of [[Cage Fury Fighting Championships]], about working with the promotion. On March 21, 2007, Cage Fury announced that Mercer had signed to face underground street fighter and Internet legend [[Kimbo Slice]] at Atlantic City's Boardwalk Hall on June 23, 2007, as part of ''[[Cage Fury Fighting Championship 5]]''. The bout was a non-sanctioned exhibition under the New Jersey Unified MMA rules,<ref name="mmaw">{{cite web
 |url         = http://mmaweekly.com/absolutenm/templates/dailynews.asp?articleid=4196&zoneid=1
 |title       = Freak Show or Convert? Kimbo Slice Interview
 |date        = June 22, 2007
 |publisher   = MMAWeekly
 |url-status     = dead
 |archive-url  = https://web.archive.org/web/20070929111320/http://mmaweekly.com/absolutenm/templates/dailynews.asp?articleid=4196&zoneid=1
 |archive-date = September 29, 2007
 |df          = mdy-all
}}</ref> with both men making their professional MMA debut respectively. 

Slice won the fight in the first round with a [[guillotine choke]] submission. Mercer later stated in the press conference at Adrenaline III: Bragging Rights, that he had expected Kimbo Slice to box with him, and said that he did not really train in any other aspect of [[Mixed martial arts|MMA]] and was unprepared for the [[guillotine choke]].

Though he originally planned to give up on MMA, circumstances pushed Mercer into a comeback; On June 13, 2009, he made a big splash when he defeated former UFC Heavyweight Champion Tim Sylvia at Adrenaline III: Bragging Rights. He won the fight via knockout in 9 seconds with a huge right hand to the chin, becoming the first man to ever defeat Sylvia by knockout. Sylvia threw a kick, for the opponents agreed to keep the fight standing, but Mercer was visibly agitated as he threw a light jab. He delivered his overhand right to Sylvia, stunning him, and threw a second right hand on the ground.

In March 2010, it was announced that Mercer had signed with the [[King of the Cage]] organization, although no bouts would materialize.<ref name="kotc">{{cite web
  | url       = http://www.mmafighting.com/2010/03/12/ray-mercer-returns-to-fight-undefeated-ron-sparks/
  | title     = Ray Mercer Returns to Fight Undefeated Ron Sparks
  | date      = March 12, 2010
  | publisher = MMAFighting.com
}}</ref> At 1-0, he was scheduled to face at the time undefeated MMA fighter and Kickboxer [[Ron Sparks (fighter)|Ron Sparks]], but the bout was cancelled because a longtime injury Mercer sustained 13 years earlier.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Ron Sparks vs. Ray Mercer, KOTC {{!}} MMA Bout |url=https://www.tapology.com/fightcenter/bouts/440057-kotc-ron-the-monster-sparks-vs-ray-merciless-mercer |access-date=2023-03-28 |website=Tapology |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2010-09-17 |title=Ray Mercer is out of his King of the Cage bout against Ron Sparks |url=https://middleeasy.com/mma-news/ray-mercer-is-out-of-his-king-of-the-cage-bout-against-ron-sparks-2/ |access-date=2023-03-28 |website=MiddleEasy |language=en-US}}</ref>