When I received word in early June that Sacramento fighter James “The Sandman” Irvin had to pull out from his Ultimate Fighting Championship Main Event card fight with undefeated Rashad Evans because of a broken foot in training, I worried that opportunity knocked and an injured Irvin couldn’t hobble to the door fast enough to answer. I’m so glad to be wrong.

The injury knocked Irvin off the UFC 85 pay-per-view card, but opened a door to an opportunity no one could have imagined.

“It would have been the biggest fight of my career,” Irvin told me last week as he prepared for something even bigger. “It just wasn’t in my best situation.”

Instead of worrying about the chance that passed through, Irvin asked to fight another Top 10 caliber fighter. He got his wish, and on July 19, will be fighting perhaps the best in the world.

“As soon as that [UFC 85] fight was over, I found out I was fighting Anderson Silva,” Irvin said. “When they asked me, I said, ‘Where do I sign?’”

Silva, labeled “pound for pound the best fighter in the world,” and unbeaten as champion in the 185-pound division, jumped up to 205 pounds for tougher competition. Irvin will be his first opponent in the heavier class.

“I personally thought a lot of fighters would be banging on the door [to fight Silva],” Irvin said. “That’s not how it was. I was disappointed when I heard guys turning it down. I don’t care if I lose an eyeball, I’m not losing this fight. And that’s what they wanted to hear, so I’m happy for it.”

Irvin, featured in the May 2 issue of The Sacramento Union, knocked out Houston Alexander in a UFC record-tying eight seconds, and now aims to use the power to do the unthinkable.

“This fight is just a bleep on their radar,” Irvin said of Silva’s camp. “I’ll be damned if I’m gonna go out there and let someone beat me up. We’ve seen him dominate. He’s a big 185-pounder, and uses his speed and strength on these guys. He’s clearly the best fighter in the world, but I’m gonna be bigger, faster and stronger. If I have to take two or three shots to give him one… mine are gonna hurt more than his.”

Irvin’s going in the underdog, no doubt. But in the UFC, it’s been proven anything can happen, and “The Sandman” is known for putting his opponents to sleep. Counting him out of this fight could prove a costly mistake, and using him as a test for the weight class could end Silva’s run of greatness in a heartbeat.

Irvin acknowledged Silva’s strengths, but in the end, said it was “The Sandman’s” house that Silva was jumping into to try out.

“He’s better than me at every aspect,” Irvin admitted. “But I’m gonna be the bully and I’m not going to take one step back. Eventually, he’s going to be in punching range and I’m gonna get a chance to knock him out.”

Tune into Spike TV on July 19 at 6 p.m. to see it happen live.

Sacramento Ties
Irvin’s training partner and friend, Scott “Hands of Steel” Smith, will also be fighting soon, headlining the Elite XC’s “Saturday Night Fights” on CBS at 9 p.m. on July 26 in a rematch of an epic battle with Middleweight champion Robbie Lawler.

Their first fight, the television station’s first attempt at showcasing Mixed Martial Arts, saw the two stand toe-to-toe in a bruising fight called in later rounds because Smith couldn’t see out of a scratched eye from an inadvertent poke. Expect the same action this time, although Irvin suggests it may be Smith coming out on top as the new champion.

“Scott’s in the best condition of his life,” Irvin said. “He hits as hard as anyone in the game. I’d put everything on that fight that Scott’s gonna win the belt. Us both winning would put Sacramento on the map. Actually, with me, Scott and Urijah Faber, Sacramento already is.”

For a more detailed story on the UFC Silva vs. Irvin event, visit http://www.SacUnion.com.