411 Fighter Profile: Tim Sylvia
Posted by Ryan Seymour on 07.16.2008
Tim Sylvia has a chance to shock the world on July 19th when he faces off against #1 Heavyweight Fedor Emelianenko. Before he has the biggest fight in his life, have a look back on how he has gone throughout his MMA career. Join 411's Ryan Seymour as he goes through the highs and lows of Tim Sylvia's MMA career - which involved steroids, UFC gold, a broken arm and more!!!
Tim Sylvia
Nickname: "The Maine-iac" Record: 24-4 Weight: 260 lbs. Height: 6' 8" Hometown: Ellsworth, Maine Ranking #6 Heavyweight Association: Miletich Martial Arts Organizations: Affliction (current), UFC, Extreme Challenge Accomplishments: 2 time UFC Heavyweight Champion
Introduction
Tim ‘The Maine-iac' Sylvia is a fighter that the casual fans just love to hate. Reasons that some fans hate him are his unusual body figure and his recent inability to finish fights. Sylvia cops a lot of heat from fans but people seem to forget the great MMA ability that Tim Sylvia contains. Sylvia has an advantage over most fighters with his massive height and reach, which equals great stand up. Sylvia is not just a tall fighter but he also has some great skills (unlike other tall fighters in Giant Silva and Hong-Man Choi). It is well known that Tim Sylvia's ground game isn't that great but he isn't the easiest fighter to take down. Being 6'8 helps but Tim Sylvia has also shown some good sprawl techniques and that has helped him to win fights. It is fair to say that Tim Sylvia is one of few tall heavyweights who are fluent with there strikes and can also react quickly to stop takedowns.
Early Life
Tim Sylvia was born March 5, 1976. Sylvia as a young boy was joined into karate classes and then when he got into high school, he joined the wrestling team. Sylvia constructed a strong relationship with now UFC welterweight Marcus Davis, bot of them joined a MMA camp. One evening Sylvia went to a UFC PPV at the Trump Taj Mahal in Atlantic City, New Jersey – the UFC event was entitled UFC 28: High Stakes. While at the Trump Taj Mahal, Sylvia met with Pat Miletich (who at the time was UFC welterweight champion). While talking, Pat Miletich invited Tim Sylvia to come down to Iowa to train with the Miletich Martial Arts camp.
Before fighting in the UFC, Tim Sylvia fought in small organizations such as Extreme Challenge, Superbrawl and the IFC. Sylvia faced some good competitors though. Fighters like Ben Rothwell, Mike Whitehead and Jason Lambert all faced defeat when they stepped up against Tim Sylvia. Sylvia then entered the UFC and had a good relationship the UFC. Sylvia would have 13 of his next 15 fights under the UFC organization. While fighting with the UFC he would become UFC heavyweight champion twice, be banned for six months for using anabolic steroids, have his arm snapped in a fight and more.
MMA Career
(format goes like this: Win, Randy Durant, TKO, Round 1, 2:05 IFC - Battleground 2001, 01.19.01 Win, Gabe Beauperthy, Submission, Round 2, 4:16 GC 3: Showdown at Soboba, 04.07.01 Win, Greg Wikan, TKO, Round 1, 5:00 UW - Ultimate Fight Minnesota, 06.02.01 Win, Ben Rothwell, Decision, Round 3, 5:00 Extreme Challenge 42, 08.24.01 Win, Greg Wikan, Submission, Round 3, 2:20 Extreme Challenge Trials, 11.17.01 Win, Ernest Henderson, TKO, Round 1, 0:36 Extreme Challenge 46, 02.16.02 Win, Gino De La Cruz, TKO, Round 1, 0:43 Extreme Challenge 47, 03.16.02 Win, Matt Fremmbling , Decision, Round 2, 5:00 Extreme Challenge 47, 03.16.02 Win, Mike Whitehead, TKO, Round 1, 3:46 Superbrawl 24: ROTC 1, 04.26.02 Win, Boyd Ballard, KO, Round 1, 3:21 Superbrawl 24: ROTH 2. 04.27.02 Win, Jason Lambert, TKO, Round 2, 4:13 Superbrawl 24: ROTH 2. 04.27.02 Win, Mike Whitehead, TKO, Round 1, 2:38 Superbrawl 24: ROTH 2. 04.27.02
-This marked the second time Sylvia faced of against Mike Whitehead, only one day ago was there first meeting. This also marked the fourth MMA fight Sylvia had fought in, in the last two days. Win, Jeff Gerlick, TKO, Round 1, 3:17 Extreme Challenge 48, 07.27.02 Win, Wesley Correira, TKO, Round 2, 1:43 UFC 39: The Warriors Return, Uncasville, Connecticut, 09.27.02 Win, Ricco Rodriguez, KO, Round 1, 3:09 - UFC Heavyweight Championship UFC 41: Onslaught, Atlantic City, NJ, 02.28.03
-Overwhelms Ricco Rodriguez to become the new UFC Heavyweight Champion. This win came as a big shock to many as Rodriguez had recently beaten Randy Couture to obtain the title. Win, Gan McGee, KO, Round 1, 1:54 – UFC Heavyweight Championship UFC 44: Undisputed, Las Vegas, Nevada, 09.26.03
- Was stripped of the title after winning this bout. Sylvia tested positive for the banned substance Stanozolol, an anabolic steroid. Sylvia said that he used the steroids to help lose weight as well as make his look stronger, because his awkward style and look.
Loss, Frank Mir, Technical Submission, Round 1, 0:50 – UFC Heavyweight Championship UFC 48: Payback, Las Vegas, Nevada, 06.19.04
Referee Herb Dean stepped in when Frank Mir had Tim Sylvia in an arm bar. Sylvia did not tap but it was evident that Sylvia's arm had been broken while in the arm bar. This was Tim Sylvia's very first loss and his record was 16-1. Win, Wes Sims, TKO, Round 1, 1:32 Superbrawl 38, 12.12.04
Loss, Andrei Arlovski, Submission, Round 1, 0:47 - UFC Interim Heavyweight Championship. UFC 51: Super Saturday, Las Vegas, Nevada, 02.05.05
- Arlovski dropped Sylvia with a big right hand and then jumped on Sylvia and submitted him with a leg lock. Win, Mike Block, TKO, Round 1, 1:26 IFC - Caged Combat, 05.21.05 Win, Tra Telligman, KO, Round 1, 4:59 UFC 54: Boiling Point, Las Vegas, Nevada, 08.20.05 Win, Assuerio Silva, Decision (Unanimous), Round 3, 5:00 UFC Ultimate Fight Night 3, Las Vegas, Nevada, 01.16.06 Win, Andrei Arlovski, TKO, Round 1, 2:43 – UFC Heavyweight Championship UFC 59: Reality Check, Anaheim, CA, 04.15.06
- Tim Sylvia was knocked down early, in similar fashion to there first meeting. This time Big Tim was able to recover and knock out Andrei Arlovski, many believed before this fight that Arlovski would be champion for a very long time. Win, Andrei Arlovski, Decision (Unanimous), Round 5, 5:00 UFC 61: Bitter Rivals, Las Vegas, Nevada, 07.08.06
- Big Tim showed his first victory over Arlovski was no fluke, Sylvia outlasted Arlovski in a fight which wasn't the most entertaining fight in then world. Win, Jeff Monson, Decision (Unanimous), Round 5, 5:00 – UFC Heavyweight Championship UFC 65: Bad Intentions, Sacramento, CA, 11.18.06
-Sylvia showed some decent ground skills against the black belt BJJ fighter Jeff Monson. This fight was a lackluster fight to watch and during the final announcement, the crowd showed what the thought of the fight by booing the fighters.
Loss, Randy Couture, Decision (Unanimous), Round 5, 5:00 – UFC Heavyweight Championship UFC 68: The Uprising, Columbus, Ohio, 03.03.07
- Randy Couture came out of retirement to face of against Tim Sylvia who was the heavyweight champion. It wasn't a great night for Sylvia as he was hit with a big punch in the opening seconds of the fight and was never able to recover.
MMA Videos | MMA Betting Win, Brandon Vera, Decision (Unanimous), Round 3, 5:00 UFC 77: Hostile Territory, Cincinnati, Ohio, 10.20.07
- This fight again went to decision but Sylvia was able to get the win, this would be the last time Sylvia has gone to a decision. Although a lot of people believe Tim Sylvia always has lackluster fights, this would only be his sixth time going to decision out of 28 fights.
Visit Fightindex.tv Loss, Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira, Submission. Round 3, 1:28 – UFC Interim Heavyweight Championship UFC 81: Breaking Point, Las Vegas, Nevada, 02.02.08
- Sylvia was going great in this fight up until Nogueira got him to the ground. In the first two rounds, Sylvia was stuffing Nogueira's takedowns and picking him apart in the stand up exchanges. In the third round Nogueira pulled guard on Sylvia and then was able to win the fight with a guillotine choke.
The Future
Tim Sylvia has a big opportunity to shock the world and lay his claim in MMA history. Tim Sylvia will face of against Fedor Emelianenko on July 19th and Sylvia could shut up a lot of his critics if he is able to defeat the #1 heavyweight in the world. It seems like a simple game plan for Sylvia, if he keeps the fight standing he should win, if the fight goes to the ground he is in big trouble. People are already talking about Fedor Emelianenko's next opponent who is rumored to be Josh Barnett. Although Sylvia hasn't had the best of runs lately, a win over Fedor would sky rocket him in the heavyweight rankings and he would also get a WAMMA Heavyweight belt. Who's to say Sylvia won't be back in the UFC after his little stint with Affliction/Adrenaline MMA. Sylvia has nothing to lose in this fight with Fedor and a win for Sylvia would shake up the whole MMA world.
while anyone with half a brain would tell u that fedor is a shoe in to win on sat i'm not so sure. like ryan said sylvia has nothing to lose in this fight and everything in the world to gain. if and this is a big if given his recent fights, if sylvia comes out of the gate like a bat outta hell throwin everything hes got at fedor, he could most certainly pull this off. fedor claims his toughest opponent ever was mirko cro cop and we all know mirko has zero ground game. now while mirko is a superior striker to tim, i'm still noticing some strong similarities and sylvia could potentially exploit the same weakness that mirko tried to hammer on.
don't get me wrong my money will be bet on fedor but i will be routing for sylvia and if sylvia pulls it off i will be one of the lesser shocked individuals.
Posted By: stronelis (Guest) on July 16, 2008 at 12:34 PM
Fedor is so gonna make Sylvia tap out like a little bitch can't wait for it !
Posted By: Van Daminator (Guest) on July 17, 2008 at 04:07 PM
