Former UFC heavyweight champ Tim Sylvia has previously talked about a desire to return to the Octagon. Following One FC 9, those chances seem to be next to impossible.
Sylvia ended up losing in the third round to Tony Johnson due to doctor’s stoppage, and MMA Junkie has the details surrounding the fight-ending elbow.
…Johnson dragged Sylvia to the mat where he ended up in half guard. A follow-up short elbow from Johnson landed on Sylvia, cutting the former champion immediately over his right eyebrow. After the blood began to poor, the bout was temporarily halted and eventually called off when the officials concluded Sylvia could no longer safely continue.
The fight was controlled by Johnson throughout the first two frames. The King of the Cage veteran used his wrestling to take the big man down. Sylvia was able to avoid taking a lot of damage while on the mat, but it was clear Johnson was ahead on the scorecards.
Sylvia did show some signs of life in the final round, as it appeared Johnson began to tire. However, just as quickly as Sylvia managed to score some offense, “The Maineiac” lost the momentum due to a Johnson takedown.
Not only did Sylvia lose the fight, but he also came in six pounds overweight. The former UFC champ has a long history of weight issues, and that problem reared its ugly head once more for One FC 9.
Johnson improved his record to 7-1, with the lone loss coming to current UFC contender Daniel Cormier. Sylvia’s record dropped to 31-9, and it’s almost certain he’s nowhere near a return to the bright lights of the UFC.
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