The UFC heavyweight landscape is one littered with towering mountains, turbulent storms, and unpredictable weather. It plays host to the baddest mixed martial artists in the world. While many champions have come and gone, the division has nonetheless produced countless barbarians. But the violent nature of the weight class as a whole has ultimately prohibited
The UFC heavyweight landscape is one littered with towering mountains, turbulent storms, and unpredictable weather. It plays host to the baddest mixed martial artists in the world.
While many champions have come and gone, the division has nonetheless produced countless barbarians. But the violent nature of the weight class as a whole has ultimately prohibited any one titleholder from ever defending the belt more than twice.
That sort of divisional hot potato may differ from other UFC factions, but it subsequently produces some of the best championship overthrows the promotion has ever seen. And considering many of those contests end in devastating fashion, the watching gets good.
Based on divisional importance, overall performances, and long-lasting worth, here are the 10 greatest heavyweights title fights in UFC history.
The Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) has seen a rather large, overarching upheaval in recent times, and indeed it has not been overstated. Every champion at the start of 2014 except dominant flyweight champion Demetrious Johnson is now gone, with a new crop of talented – and perhaps unexpected – new titleholders set to usher in
The Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) has seen a rather large, overarching upheaval in recent times, and indeed it has not been overstated.
Every champion at the start of 2014 except dominant flyweight champion Demetrious Johnson is now gone, with a new crop of talented – and perhaps unexpected – new titleholders set to usher in a new and prosperous era for the promotion.
While that’s obviously great news for the UFC as a business (especially since one of the new champions is Conor McGregor), it also begs to question as to whether or not these supposedly dominant champions that were, in certain cases, built up to almost unattainable levels in UFC promos, were actually far from the indestructible machines they may have appeared to be at that time.
There’ve been a number of UFC champions who, while no doubt wholly talented and effective fighters in their own right, just didn’t quite deliver the goods as champion due to one reason or another. Let’s take a look back at the most overrated champions in UFC history.
That moment when you’re eyeing down a ten point buck, then shit yourself in excitement. (What? The joke was there and I took it. I regret nothing.)
Ever since Tim Sylvia decided to retire from mixed martial arts competition due to…erm…let’s call them “health problems,” the world has waited on baited breath to see what the former UFC heavyweight champion’s next project would be. Triathlons? Hot dog eating competitions? Or would he, as we suspected, return to the quiet life of an Illinois police officer, only to be forced back into competition to avenge his brother’s death/take down a ruthless drug lord? The possibilities were literally endless.
Well, as it turns out, the answer is a bit simpler than we might have predicted, but arguably just as glorious. That’s because Sylvia will stepping away from the octagon and into the forest to host a hunting show, Hit Squad Outdoors with Tim Sylvia, and wouldn’t you know it, we’ve managed to get our hands on the glorious trailer.
That moment when you’re eyeing down a ten point buck, then shit yourself in excitement. (What? The joke was there and I took it. I regret nothing.)
Ever since Tim Sylvia decided to retire from mixed martial arts competition due to…erm…let’s call them “health problems,” the world has waited on baited breath to see what the former UFC heavyweight champion’s next project would be. Triathlons? Hot dog eating competitions? Or would he, as we suspected, return to the quiet life of an Illinois police officer, only to be forced back into competition to avenge his brother’s death/take down a ruthless drug lord? The possibilities were literally endless.
Well, as it turns out, the answer is a bit simpler than we might have predicted, but arguably just as glorious. That’s because Sylvia will stepping away from the octagon and into the forest to host a hunting show, Hit Squad Outdoors with Tim Sylvia, and wouldn’t you know it, we’ve managed to get our hands on the glorious trailer.
My God, I haven’t seen such intense music juxtaposed with such hushed dialogue since the final act of…any movie I’ve watched on my HDTV because I can’t figure out the correct audio settings.
On the real though, it’s good to see that Sylvia, like Ken Shamrock before him, has found gainful employment in a career that does not involve getting repeatedly kicked, punched, and kneed in the head. In fact, we dare say that he might have even found his true calling. Let’s just hope that, like Ken Shamrock before him, this secondary career isn’t just a ploy that sets up his return to MMA/freak show fight with Kimbo Slice. Lord knows our boy K Ferg has enough of those on his hands these days.
Hit Squad Outdoors With Tim Sylvia airs on the Pursuit channel at 5 pm central tomorrow. Head over to the show’s Facebook page to learn more.
It’s hard to remember an MMA career more turbulent than Tim Sylvia’s.
The two-time UFC heavyweight champion, who pairs wins over Andrei Arlovski and Ben Rothwell with losses to Abe Wagner and aged ex-boxer Ray Mercer, has degenerated into something of …
It’s hard to remember an MMA career more turbulent than Tim Sylvia’s.
The two-time UFC heavyweight champion, who pairs wins over Andrei Arlovski and Ben Rothwell with losses to Abe Wagner and aged ex-boxer Ray Mercer, has degenerated into something of a laughingstock in recent years.
But the retired 41-year-old still has some strong opinions about the way his UFC career ended, and he aired those feelings Wednesday on Chael Sonnen’s You’re Welcomepodcast (h/t David St. Martin of MMA Fighting).
Perhaps not surprisingly, Sylvia (31-10-1) saved his choicest words for UFC President Dana White, who he maintains blackballed him after he left the UFC to fight for the rival Affliction promotion:
You know Dana White. He’s just a f–king d–k. He’s just holding a grudge. They’re pissed off because I went to support Affliction. I was sponsored by [Affliction] for three years before that fight. Dana’s just a d–k. He holds grudges. They blackballed Andrei Arlovski as well, but he was smart, went to a good camp, started picking and choosing who he fought and put eight or 10 wins together. They had no choice but to bring him back to the UFC.
Intentionally or otherwise, Sylvia’s comments do more than blame White. They point a finger at the man in the mirror, given that Sylvia racked up a 7-6-1 record against a collection of misfit toys and aging celebrities after leaving the UFC. Meanwhile, Arlovski went 8-5-1 against higher-level competition.
Sylvia also revealed the opponent that he wanted but never got from the UFC: Brock Lesnar. Sylvia noted that his pay, which was very low in comparison to that of the pro wrestling superstar, and the UFC’s refusal to make the fight led him to sign with the rival company:
I was making $100,000 [to show] and $100,000 [to win] in the UFC. I would have to win four fights in the UFC to make the $800,000 to get what I was paid [at Affliction]. I had one fight on my contract left and I wanted to fight Brock Lesnar next. They wouldn’t let me do it…I was like, ‘I’m the [former] f–king heavyweight champ and this guy comes in and he’s making this kind of money? He’s only fought once in his career.’ I was very bitter, very pissed off. [The UFC] said they were going to have me fight Cheick Kongo over in Europe and I said I wasn’t interested. I asked them to release me from my contract, they did and the next day I signed with Affliction.
Historically a fan favorite, Sylvia last fought in 2013, ending his career on a three-fight losing streak. He has vigorously campaigned on social media to return to the UFC, but to no avail.
(“Half the game is 90% mental” — Timothy Deane Sylvia)
Over the weekend, we received the disheartening news that former UFC heavyweight champion Tim Sylvia had decided to retire from MMA after showing up at a whopping 371 pounds and being declared medically unfit to compete in his scheduled super-heavyweight contest at Reality Fighting 53. It was the latest in a series of depressing setbacks for the former champion, who its hard to believe was angling for another shot in the UFC as recently as last year.
And we know what you’re thinking, “You’re just setting this all up so you can rip on Sylvia’s weight for 1000 words.” And to be honest, we considered it. But rather than kick a man while he’s down, we’re going to play it straight with this: A tribute to the most memorable performances (for better or for worse) from one of the UFC’s most memorable heavyweight champions.
He is Fatty Boom-Boom “The Maine-iac”, hear him roar.
Sylvia vs. Cabbage Correia
Heading into his UFC debut at UFC 39: The Warriors Return, Sylvia was riding a ridiculous 13 fight win streak that included victories over future UFC alums Jason Lambert, Ben Rothwell, and Mike Whitehead. Paired against the similarly debuting Cabbage Correira, Sylvia brought a near perfect gameplan with him, blistering his iron-jawed foe with stiff jabs and uppercuts from the clinch until Cabbage’s corner was forced to throw in the towel early in the second round. It was such a dominant win that Sylvia was immediately given a title shot against the OG coke-snorting champion, Ricco Rodriguez.
(“Half the game is 90% mental” — Timothy Deane Sylvia)
Over the weekend, we received the disheartening news that former UFC heavyweight champion Tim Sylvia had decided to retire from MMA after showing up at a whopping 371 pounds and being declared medically unfit to compete in his scheduled super-heavyweight contest at Reality Fighting 53. It was the latest in a series of depressing setbacks for the former champion, who its hard to believe was angling for another shot in the UFC as recently as last year.
And we know what you’re thinking, “You’re just setting this all up so you can rip on Sylvia’s weight for 1000 words.” And to be honest, we considered it. But rather than kick a man while he’s down, we’re going to play it straight with this: A tribute to the most memorable performances (for better or for worse) from one of the UFC’s most memorable heavyweight champions.
He is Fatty Boom-Boom ”The Maine-iac”, hear him roar.
Sylvia vs. Cabbage Correia
Heading into his UFC debut at UFC 39: The Warriors Return, Sylvia was riding a ridiculous 13 fight win streak that included victories over future UFC alums Jason Lambert, Ben Rothwell, and Mike Whitehead. Paired against the similarly debuting Cabbage Correira, Sylvia brought a near perfect gameplan with him, blistering his iron-jawed foe with stiff jabs and uppercuts from the clinch until Cabbage’s corner was forced to throw in the towel early in the second round. It was such a dominant win that Sylvia was immediately given a title shot against the OG coke-snorting champion, Ricco Rodriguez.
Sylvia vs. Ricco Rodriguez
(Check out Sylvia vs. Rodriguez in its entirety here.)
Although it was only his first title defense, Ricco Rodriguez would have already been given G.O.A.T status heading into his UFC 41 fight against Sylvia had he been fighting in today’s UFC. His five previous appearances had all resulted in stoppage wins over seasoned veterans like Jeff Monson and Pete Williams, and he had captured the belt by elbowing Randy Couture into submission (!!) at the very event where Sylvia made his debut.
But against Sylvia, Rodriguez looked like little more than a punching bag with finely-defined sideburns. Unable to get inside Sylvia’s long arms and mount the smallest semblance of offense (save an armbar attempt early in the fight), Rodriguez was simply biding his time.
“Rico’s dangerously backing up and not covering up,” noted Ken Shamrock from cageside. “He’s allowing [Sylvia’s] right hand to get through.”
It was an ominous moment for Rodriguez, who would be dropped and finished by Sylvia less than 30 seconds later. In the blink of an eye, Tim Sylvia had scored the upset of a lifetime and become the ultimate boss in a promotion filled with Tyson Punch Out-level bosses.
Sylvia vs. Frank Mir
Hard times would befall Sylvia following his title win over Rodriguez. In his first defense, Sylvia would defeat fellow giant Gan McGee via first round TKO, only to test positive for Stanozolol in his post-fight drug test and be stripped of his title thereafter.
Sylvia returned to the octagon some nine months later with the hopes of reclaiming the title he had lost. The only thing standing in his way: Frank Mir. Less than a minute into their fight, Sylvia would find himself caught in the beartrap that is Mir’s guard and on the receiving end of an armbar so brutal that it nearly gave Herb Dean a heart attack. With a sickening pop, Mir broke Sylvia’s forearm in half, but Sylvia — the stubborn sumbitch — refused to believe it, even waving his arm around in an act of futile demonstration.
While reflecting on the “disappointing” end to his career in a recent interview with MMAFighting, Sylvia stated that a rematch with Mir “was the one left I would have liked to have done.” For what it’s worth, I’d be interested in seeing that fight…but only if it was held in Japan under Super Hluk rules.
Sylvia vs. Tra Telligman
Heartbreak would follow heartbreak for Sylvia, who would once again return from a lengthy layoff to suffer a quick defeat to future rival Andrei Arlovski at UFC 51. His heavyweight title (or at least, the interim title) having once again escaped him, Sylvia was matched against journeyman Tra Telligman at UFC 54. In what would be Telligman’s final MMA fight, Sylvia would DESTROY the Lion’s Den fighter with a head kick in the closing seconds of the first round. It was a highlight reel KO that would earn Sylvia a spot on UFC Ultimate Knockouts compilations for years to come.
On the next page: Sylvia recaptures gold in one of the greatest comebacks of all time (seriously), then suffers a reverse of fate against a PRIDE legend…
Although surely aware his heyday had since passed, former UFC heavyweight champ Tim Sylvia still fully committed to taking his 42nd pro fight on Saturday at Reality Fighting at the Mohegan Sun Arena in Connecticut.
Instead, a surprise c…
Although surely aware his heyday had since passed, former UFC heavyweight champ Tim Sylvia still fully committed to taking his 42nd pro fight on Saturday at Reality Fighting at the Mohegan Sun Arena in Connecticut.
Instead, a surprise chain reaction that began just three days before Saturday’s scheduled fight with JulianoCoutinho persuaded Sylvia to announce his retirement from the sport.
According to a report from ESPN.com’s Brett Okamoto, the Mohegan Department of Athletic Regulation (MDAR) didn’t discover that Sylvia was 40 years old until three days before his fight. Several websites, including Sherdog and Wikipedia, had Sylvia listed as 38.
In light of its discovery, and according to its policies for fighters 40 and older, the MDAR required Sylvia to undergo further testing—which included an MRI—in order to get licensed.
Sylvia’s MRI revealed an issue that prompted the MDAR to reject his application for a license, a decision that ultimately prompted the Iowa resident to retire from a career that began in early 2001.
Sylvia’s manager, Monte Cox, expanded on the findings of the MRI to Okamoto by saying, “He can go back and get another MRI in a year, but basically what they’re saying is there’s damage from blunt force trauma. He’s got damage there. Does it affect his everyday life? Not so far. Not that he can tell—but it’s certainly something to pay attention to.”
Sylvia hadn’t competed in the Octagon since getting choked (guillotine) by Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira in an interim heavyweight title fight at UFC 81 in early 2008.
Cox said Sylvia, who has suffered three TKO/KO losses since leaving the UFC, hadn’t underwent an MRI since 2005.
“The commission didn’t realize Tim was over 40 until three days before the event. There were some things on the MRI that weren’t on another MRI we had on file from 2003, meaning something happened over the course of the last 11 years. A neurologist said it could be something or it could be nothing.”
Sylvia dropped his last three bouts and hadn’t scored a win since TKO’ing journeyman Randy Smith at NEF Fight Night 3 in his home state of Maine in 2012. Since leaving the UFC, Sylvia was finished by FedorEmelianenko (rear-naked choke), Ray Mercer (KO), Abe Wagner (TKO) and Tony Johnson (TKO).
Cox pointed out that it was more than just a concerning MRI that caused the resilient Sylvia to call it quits.
I think it’s the end. He had gotten to a point where his body, through all the wars, just wasn’t able to get in the kind of shape he used to. Obviously, you could see that in his weight. He just can’t get into competitive form. I think (retirement) is good. With this MRI, why go on, when you’re only getting paid a fraction of what you’re worth?
Sylvia won the heavyweight title in just his second fight with the promotion by KO’ingRicco Rodriguez in the first round at UFC 41 in 2003. Sylvia finished with a 5-4 mark in UFC title fights and a 9-4 record in UFC competition.
Although surely aware his heyday had since passed, former UFC heavyweight champ Tim Sylvia still fully committed to taking his 42nd pro fight on Saturday at Reality Fighting at the Mohegan Sun Arena in Connecticut. 