Ellsworth native Tim Sylvia will fight Rocco Rodriguez for the Ultimate Fighting Championship heavyweight title Friday night during UCF41: Onslaught at 10 at the Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City, N.J.

The UCF combines a variety of martial arts with wrestling and boxing. Fights take place in an octagon ring.

The 27-year-old Sylvia is listed in an UCF press release as stand 6-foot-8 and weighing 255 pounds. He currently lives in Davenport, Iowa and has an UCF record of 16-0-0.

Sylvia says he began fighting “a couple of years ago,” and wrestled in high school. He played football in the Eastern Football League for three years.

Since then he said he started grappling to stay in shape.

Sylvia last fought in UCF 39 and defeated Wesley “Cabbage” Correira when the referee stopped the contest in the second round.

Sylvia says he trains 2-3 hours each morning and another 2-3 hours each evening. He spars 2-3 times per week and also includes 2-3 times each week and grappling 3-4 times per week in his regimen.

Sylvia said that since he began his training program he has dropped from 337 pounds to his current weight and from 26 percent body fat to 13 percent.

He says his strengths are standup and takedown defenses.

UCF 41: Onslaught is available on some pay per view services and on DirecTV and Dish Network beginning at 10 p.m. The eight-fight card includes four heavyweight fights, three involving lightweights and a middleweight fight.