Chael Sonnen made a few calls, rang in a couple favors and got one of the most interesting Submission Underground matches to date... Former two-time heavyweight UFC Champion Tim Sylvia vs multiple time No-Gi World champion (masters), Fabiano Scherner.  

Scherner is a SUG Veteran (and Chael’s jiu-jitsu coach), so it’s no surprise to see the Portland resident back in the cage, but that makes the matchup no less intriguing. 

Besides his jiu-jitsu accolades, Scherner has an has an extensive MMA background with a majority of his wins coming via submission. Scherner exemplifies classic, combat tested jiu-jitsu: he wants to be on top, STAY on top, and slowly, meticulously work his way forward to the submission. 

Tim Sylvia is as experienced as they come.  He holds MMA wins over some of the biggest names in the sport in his era- including Andrei Arlosvski, Jeff Monson, and Brando Vera. 

But what do we know about his grappling?  

His official MMA record lists Sylvia as having four submission wins, but two of those victories came from his opponent tapping due to strikes; when contrasted with his 20 knockout wins, it’s clear that at least in MMA, grappling wasn’t his priority.  

However, there’s more to the story then how a fight ends. Sylvia does  have 100% takedown accuracy and 75% takedown defense. 

Sylvia sprawls on Jeff Monson’s shot at UFC 65.

What does this tell us about the match this Sunday between Scherner and Sylvia? As in most heavyweight matches, the man who gets in top position early will be in a great place end the fight.  

The fight for the takedown will be crucial, and the player who uses the cage to their advantage in getting the  match to the ground might be the deciding factor. 

In any case, the match it too close to call before it goes down. We're pumped to watch these two veterans do their thing on the big stage tomorrow! 

Watch Submission Underground 6 Dec. 3, LIVE only on FloGrappling.