SWC’s Sylvester eyes possible last fight at 135
Interview by Matt Little
1. What gym are you currently training/fighting out of?
-Hicks MMA in Lewisville, TX.
2. How long have you been training?
-I’ve been training about 5 years in total. I have spent the majority of that in BJJ and about the last 2 years focused on MMA. I also have a little experience in Judo as well.
3. What got you into the sport of of BJJ/MMA?
-I’ve pretty much been hooked since UFC 1. I always enjoyed boxing growing up (still do) but found that MMA made for a more entertaining, action-packed fight.
4. What is your current rank in BJJ?
-Blue belt (4 stripe).
5. What is your current occupation outside of fighting?
-I own and run DS3 computing solutions. We are a computer consulting company and have been in operations for 13 years.
6. You are in a unique position as a fighter and promoter of SWC. Tell us about your motivations behind SWC.
-Basically, we wanted to bring MMA back to this area. A lot of us were traveling to fight in other MMA promotions and wanted to bring MMA back to Dallas. We have no desire to be direct competition to larger organizations such as WEC, but would like to provide a promotion for fighters before they make it to that next level. We are very focused on building up our 125, 135, and 155lb divisions.
7. As a promoter, what would you say are the biggest challenges you face?
-Finances is a big one. After that, finding people to put around you that understand the MMA market. It is a constant battle to find people that can help share the work load. There is a lot involved with running a fight promotion and far too much work for one person. We have also found it somewhat difficult working with the TDLR. The rules we fall under in MMA with respect to TDLR are pretty much the same with boxing in the State of Texas. Since MMA and boxing are different that can be a challenge at times. Also,there are different interpretations of the guidelines for which we are to follow as prescribed by the TDLR.
8. Talk about your opponent and preparations for this fight?
-We have gone back to basics in preparation for this fight. My strongest points have been BJJ and boxing. I feel as though I’ve strayed away from ground game at times and plan to correct that. Using my striking to set up my ground game has been the focal point leading up to this fight. I plan to use my size and strength to my advantage in this weight class.
From what I know, Lewis McKenzie has a good wrestling background so we’ve taken that into account for our preparations.
9. What are your long-term goals as a fighter?
-I’d like to fight a lot more this year and eventually drop to 125lbs.
10. What are your long-term goals as a promoter?
-We have some big plans in store. We are looking for more investors so that we can put on more amateur shows. We’d also like to start bringing in some more ranked guys for the 135, 145, and 155lb divisions. It is a goal of ours to bring in some of the nationally ranked fighters that are on their way up to bigger promotions such as WEC and test some of our guys against them. We are also planning on purchasing our own building in Frisco. We plan to host future events from here as well as use it as a training facility under the SWC affiliation.