#TapoutTuesday is a look back on some of the best submissions in MMA history.
The year: 2004.
The PPV: UFC 48 “Payback” (This was back when the UFC actually named PPV’s like they were WWE events, a trend that continued until UFC 101).
The Fight: Tim “The Maine-iac” Sylvia vs Frank Mir for the UFC Heavyweight Championship.
The Result: You’re about to find out.
Now when you think of a UFC Heavyweight Title fight you think “Main Event” but back in the early 2000’s that wasn’t always the case. The UFC gave the fight that’d not only put asses in the MGM Grand Garden Arena, but also put asses in front of the TV. Sometimes a title fight was deemed worthy of this status, sometimes it wasn’t.
In retrospect Ken Shamrock vs Kimo probably didn’t deserve the main event slot, but back then Shamrock (who was pioneer of the sport and a former WWF superstar) was considered a big draw. Shamrock sold tickets and he needed a win in a big way after getting embarrassed by Tito Ortiz back at UFC 40. Throw in another old school guy in Kimo and the UFC was probably banking on capturing the lapsed fan’s attention (who left because the sport started adding more rules to legitimize itself).
The main event lasted all of 86 seconds before Shamrock KO’d Kimo with a knee in the clinch. This was one of the quickest fights on the card, but not THE quickest. No, that title goes to said Heavweight title fight between Frank Mir and Tim Sylvia.
Frank Mir was coming off a pair of fights with Wes Sims (the first Mir won by DQ when Sims decided to and I’m not making this up, grab the top of the cage and STOMP Mir’s face. And the second fight won by Mir via KO where he was able to serve some ICE COLD revenge). Mir was granted a title fight against the 16-0 former heavyweight champ in Tim Sylvia (who himself had built quite the reputation as a no nonsense striker). Even though the fight was for the vacant title thanks to a failed drug test from Sylvia after his win over Gan McGee at UFC 44 nine months earlier, Sylvia was still the “unofficial” champion of the division. And to quote the great Ric Flair “TO BE THE MAN YOU GOTTA BEAT THE MAN!”.
Before we get into the fight I just want to add how much of a travesty it is that this fight got 3rd billing on the card. Although you could argue the advertising on this card was all over the place considering the other fight on the poster (Evan Tanner vs Phil Baroni II) opened the PPV. Absurd.
Okay now let’s breakdown the fight. The bell rings and we’re underway! Sylvia rushes Mir secures the takedown and Mir right away hunts for an arm, gets one and Herb Dean is frantically rushing in to stop the fight. “Stop! Stop! You’re arm’s f***in broken!” Dean screams as he frantically stops the fight. Everyone from Sylvia, to the crowd, to Joe Rogan are left confused. Sylvia moves his arm around to show Dean there’s no issue and he just cost him the title, Mir celebrates running around the octagon with his hands raised over his head, and the crowd is booing heavily. It isn’t until some 2ish minutes later when Rogan calls for a replay that we see an alternate angle that shows why ref Herb Dean was quick to stop the fight. As the replay is shown at the MGM Grand Garden Arena, we hear the boos die down as they now realize what they had just witnessed a possible maiming.
Once the dust settles the PPV continues. Announcer Bruce Buffer makes it official, Dana White wraps the gold around Frank Mir’s waist, and then Frank “Twinkletoes” Trigg and Dennis “Superman” Hallman go to work for all of 4:15 before Trigg puts Hallman away.
Mir would unfortunately sustain serious injuries in a motorcycle accident and was forced to vacate the title just 3 months later. Tim Sylvia after healing up and taking a fight against Wes Sims outside of the UFC would find himself again fighting for a vacant Heavyweight title, coming up short against Andrei “The Pitbull” Arlovski at UFC 51.
And now for your viewing pleasure, Frank Mir vs Tim Sylvia.