By Sam Jemielity

Ultimate Fighting Championship heavyweight title-holder Tim Sylvia has a high threshold for pain. In a 2004 title bout, heavyweight Frank Mir trapped the 6'8", 260-pound Sylvia with his right forearm in a submission hold. Mir put his 240 pounds into the hold, Sylvia's forearm bent in an unnatural direction and, then, simply, snapped. The ref stepped in to stop the fight, even as Sylvia lifted Mir up and smashed his head into the canvas.

As the ref declared Mir the winner, Sylvia -- nicknamed "The Maine-iac" because of his East Coast roots -- protested that he could continue. Even as Sylvia maintained his arm wasn't broken, horrified onlookers in the crowd -- which included Shaquille O'Neal -- gasped when in-house television replays showed Sylvia's forearm snap about three inches below the elbow, causing a noticeable bulge in his skin. UFC officials declared Mir winner by TKO. The gruesome footage became one of the most stomach-turning viral videos on the Net -- and made the Maine-iac, even in defeat, a UFC cult hero.

Combining swift violence, toughness, drama and showmanship, the UFC is fast becoming the hottest fight game in the country. A May 2006 UFC event at the Staples Center in Los Angeles drew celebs such as Cindy Crawford and Nicolas Cage, and reports put the total gate that night near $10 million. With more regulations and better safety standards, the sport is now sanctioned in nearly half the country, bringing the violent, fascinating world of mixed martial arts to a broader public.

Sylvia is at the top of the UFC, but it's been a rocky road. After winning the UFC heavyweight title in 2003, a shocking victory over Ricco Rodriguez, Sylvia was stripped of the belt and suspended for four months for testing positive for the steroid Winstrol. The broken arm derailed his comeback attempt to win the vacant heavyweight title against Mir. But in April 2006, Sylvia defeated Andrei "The Pit Bull" Arlovski to regain his belt.

With a 23-2 record, the towering Sylvia combines martial arts, wrestling and boxing to devastating effect. How devastating? Just ask Tra Telligman, who fought Sylvia in 2005. With seconds left in the first round, Sylvia landed a high leg kick (yes, kick) to his opponent's left temple. The 6'2" Telligman dropped like he'd been shot. On July 8, Sylvia defends his title against Arlovski. In their April 2006 fight, Arlovski (who had previously beaten Sylvia) and the Maine-iac put on a show for the ages. Midway into round one, Arlovski floored Sylvia with a vicious right cross. Sylvia sprang to his feet. Surprised by Sylvia's recovery, Arlovski flung a right cross and let his guard down. Sylvia landed a brutal right uppercut to the jaw, Arlovski's knees buckled, and he dropped face-first to the canvas. Sylvia hammered seven blows to his foe's head before the ref stopped it. In barely 10 seconds, Sylvia went from chump to champ.

With Sylvia-Arlovski III as the main event on the UFC's July 8 pay-per-view card, Playboy.com went toe-to-toe with Sylvia about his opponent's weak chin, UFC groupies and just what it feels like to have your forearm snapped like dry spaghetti.