Tim Sylvia is Boring? Not According to This Math

by Luke Thomas on May 13, 2008 11:38 AM EDT in News Comment 6 comments

The numbers don't lie (for the most part):

Two-time UFC champion Tim Sylvia holds the highest knockout percentage among the world's premier heavyweights. The 32-year-old product of the Miletich Fighting Systems camp has delivered 16 of his 28 career wins (57 percent) by knockout or technical knockout. His percentage is followed by Mirko "Cro Cop" Filipovic (52 percent), Ben Rothwell (50 percent), former UFC titleholder Andrei Arlovski (47 percent), Aleksander Emelianenko (44 percent), UFC Hall-of-Fame Randy Couture (29 percent), Gabriel Gonzaga (27 percent), Fedor Emelianenko (21 percent), Fabricio Werdum (21 percent), Heath Herring (17 percent), Josh Barnett (15 percent) and interim UFC heavyweight champion Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira (8 percent).

Yes, yes, I know. Sylvia's become more boring as his career has progressed. I get that. I just thought the data was interesting.

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Re: Tim Sylvia Is Boring? Not According to This Ma

You could make the same argument for Jake O Brien not being boring. Actually, a significantly better one.

by catch on May 13, 2008 12:02 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Re: Tim Sylvia Is Boring? Not According to This Ma

If the universe of those we are evaluating is premier MMA heavyweights, then you couldn't make this argument at all. I see what you're driving at and there are a lot of lesser fighters with KO or TKO wins on their record, but the stats are measuring what the greats have done over the course of their career. Some of Sylvia's wins are over nobodies at Superbrawl, but some of those wins are over Ricco in his prime, Tre Telligman and Gan McGee. Not so bad.

by Luke Thomas on May 13, 2008 12:21 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Re: Tim Sylvia Is Boring? Not According to This Ma

I actually have that Gan McGee fight on my computer; I watch it once in a while to remind myself that there was a time when Sylvia would engage with someone who could match his size and strength and had the striking to actually knock them out. Somewhere along the line, he started tentatively pawing at guys half his size. My beef with Sylvia has never been that he's better or worse than a half dozen other guys. It's that he's worse than himself, and we have the video evidence to prove it.

by AJB on May 13, 2008 1:09 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs