Tim Sylvia Wants Back in the UFC

by Luke Thomas on Sep 3, 2009 1:05 PM EDT in News Comment 75 comments

Missed opportunities and miscalculations can produce some serious backpedaling:

"Dana's had some hard things to say about me, but I've never had anything bad to say about him," he said.

Sylvia said that not only is the UFC the best organization when it comes to money and big fights (though he earned a staggering disclosed base pay of $800,000 in the loss to Emelianenko), but he already had a few opponents in mind.

"When it comes to business, the best thing for Tim Sylvia right now is to be back in the UFC," Sylvia said. "They're the biggest organization. They have the most money, the best fights."

"There'd be some great fights if I was back in the UFC. Me against Frank (Mir), me against (Antonio Rodrigo) Nogueira, me against Randy (Couture). Those three right there. The two guys I lost to (Nogueira and Couture) that were all great fights the first time.

Let's remind ourselves for a moment what White actually said about Sylvia since The Maine-iac departed the UFC:

"He’s not the best pound-for-pound fighter, not even close, but he’s one of the four or five best heavyweights...But we all have to thank him for getting rid of Tim Sylvia. He’d been stinking out the joint the last couple of years and Fedor did everyone a favor by beating him so easily and getting rid of him."

And this, of course, doesn't include Sylvia's (and many others') less than prescient analysis that co-promotion is the future of high-level professional MMA.

Let me be clear: I have always been a Tim Sylvia fan. I will candidly admit part of that is appreciation rooted in pity given how much vitriol Sylvia seems to draw out of the MMA fanbase, hardcore and casual alike. And I tend to gloss over egregious errors in his judgment to keep a slightly manufactured impression of him. But I do respect his game. Yes, he was born with tremendous size, but very little of the natural athleticism to make effective use of it. Sylvia's had success in the MMA game and he achieved it by putting himself through fire time and again to get there. He has precipitously fallen from grace, but I have deep respect for the amount of sacrifice and punishment he endured en route to winning two UFC heavyweight titles.

But if there were ever a fighter who was error prone in terms of managing his career and image, it's Sylvia. He has positioned himself as too expensive to be compensated properly on the smaller shows, but too damaged to be picked up by anyone who can pay a former two-time UFC heavyweight champion still in his early thirties. Now Sylvia wants back in the organization he left for a competitor after losing to pick up on easy paychecks without registering what the long-term consequences would be. Worse, since leaving he has almost irreparably harmed his image and standing with two high-profile losses (high-profile for different reasons), thereby making any interest in him from the higher ups at Zuffa hard to come by. Sylvia's essentially expensive and unpopular. Throw in what appears to be fractured relationships with people in positions of power that you're trying to curry favor with and you've got one tangled mess to undo.

Stranger things have happened. In 2007, no one would've predicted Mir would be a top 10 heavyweight again while Sylvia would be disgracing himself against nearly geriatric former professional boxers desperately needing paychecks. But he is and now he has to extract himself from this precarious position. I believe and hope Sylvia can do it, but to say he's got his work cut out for him is to be charitable.

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Poor Tim.

Keep firing Assholes!

ZE GOGGLES! ZAY DO NOZING!!!!

by Ubernoober on Sep 3, 2009 1:10 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

In 2007, no one would’ve predicted Mir would be a top 10 heavyweight again while Sylvia would be disgracing himself against nearly geriatric former professional boxers desperately needing paychecks.

This is pretty amazing if you think about it. Things change so quickly in MMA.

by dumbwhiteguy on Sep 3, 2009 1:14 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Like Tito

Timmeh is better remembered for his highlight losses, rather than any highlight victories. If Tito and Timmeh somehow fought in the same cage, it would be like matter and anti-matter, creating some kind of black hole vortex.

by rzor on Sep 3, 2009 1:15 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

I was thinking the same thing

I still remember his loss to Couture like it was yesterday.

I believe in Posey.

by 49er16 on Sep 3, 2009 3:26 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

As much as I hate the guy, I feel sorry for him too.

It takes guts to call yourself a fan of Sylvia (not that I am one or that there’s anything wrong with that).

However, he is not the first person to backpedal when it comes to wanting to be back with the UFC. Pat Miletich, his coach, is someone who recently comes to mind. Randy wanted to quit and was wrangled into coming back. I’m sure there are more that will come to mind. Affliction folded their promotion to be able to advertise their shirts.

But to single out Sylvia as a poster child of miscalculation and bad career planning when there are others who have done the same seems harsh.

by cyke on Sep 3, 2009 1:17 PM EDT reply actions 1 recs

Given the events of last weekend, he dealt with Nog much better than Randy. Not even crocop made Nog look as bad as he did after that fight. We would be saying something different about him today if he had better ground skills for that fight.

by cyke on Sep 3, 2009 1:19 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Tim's ground skills aren't that bad

his fight with Monson showed some real skill on the ground.
Clearly Monson ain’t Nog, but he’s no scrub either and Timmy actually won the ground fight against Monson.

Follow me on Twitter @KidNate

by Kid Nate on Sep 3, 2009 1:23 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

I remember that fight only as being really dull.

I like using semi-colons; they make me feel smart.

by Llewdor on Sep 3, 2009 3:10 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Maybe it’s bad career planning or a miscalculation or whatever, but it’s just hard to think of a way he could have fucked up more.

by dumbwhiteguy on Sep 3, 2009 1:24 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

According to Mayhem Miller it’s like working for free.

by jrobb20 on Sep 3, 2009 1:18 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Doesn’t Tim have enough money to just disappear, maybe go to Japan?

The mat is my church, the ground is my heaven, Jiu-Jitsu is my religion. And once you hit the ground you're in my world. My world is like the ocean, I’m like a shark and most people don't even know how to swim - Draculino

by AboveThisFire on Sep 3, 2009 1:18 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

I can’t really figure it out. It sounds like he doesn’t, but he may be taking whatever he can get now to get himself back into some winning ways and increasing his confidence.

Follow me on Twitter @lelandroling
"Two things are infinite: the universe and human stupidity; and I’m not sure about the universe." - Albert Einstein

by Leland Roling on Sep 3, 2009 1:24 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

I’d pass on Tim in the ufc… his losses wouldn’t make sense for him to be back in there

by cagefightonacid on Sep 3, 2009 1:19 PM EDT via mobile reply actions 0 recs

Too bad he missed the latest season of TUF

Dont get down on Forrest, no one has moves like Anderson Silva.

by ryanwk628 on Sep 3, 2009 1:23 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

The Comeback 2

Coming 2010

by rzor on Sep 3, 2009 1:27 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

ha, you beat my comment by five seconds.

by woooburn on Sep 3, 2009 1:32 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Please tell me that’s a joke D:

by Gong on Sep 3, 2009 1:34 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Who can make up the show?

Tim Sylvia
Andrei Arlovski
Ricco Rodriguez
Pedro Rizzo
Gan McGee
Tank Abbott for a nice ratings boost
Who else?

by SanDiegoMMA.net on Sep 3, 2009 5:06 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

If Tim could put together a couple of wins while being in great shape. I could see Dana taking him back, but he shouldn’t be expecting anything near his old contract with them.

Worse than the quick loss to Fedor was weighing what he did and getting tooled by Mercer. There’s a good chance that fight could have gone the same way if he was in tip top shape, but the weight thing just made everything exponentially worse.

by Phildo on Sep 3, 2009 1:26 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

yeah, i’m curious how many small stage wins he’d have to string together to get invited back.

maybe if he manages a win over another “name” (lashley, monson, etc), thus eliminating them from strikeforce’s radar, he’ll get in the good graces of the zuffa crew again.

i guess there’s always the potential for another “comeback” season of TUF.

by woooburn on Sep 3, 2009 1:32 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

I don’t even think the name thing is a factor, right now a the problem is the weight.

To fight Brock he’d probably need to be at 265 for the weigh in and over 265 for the fight, but if he’s fighting lesser quality fighters, he’d only be doing himself favors if he came in under 265 just to prove that he’s back in shape and being serious.

by Phildo on Sep 3, 2009 1:35 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

oh yeah… absolutely. as many missteps as he’s made in the recent past, it’d be the last nail in the coffin for him if he showed up to another fight as out of shape as he looked against mercer. i give him enough credit to think he’ll show up trimmed down, looking to prove himself, at the adrenaline show.

by woooburn on Sep 3, 2009 1:44 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

and to clarify my statement about beating a name… the ufc primary goal right now is to snatch up any marketable fighters that strikeforce may have an interest in. tim is not one of them… but if he can BEAT one, thus tarnishing their marketability for a potential fedor fight, i think that’d be something that could get him back on dana’s good side (of course, assuming he’d take a huge paycut in the process).

by woooburn on Sep 3, 2009 1:49 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Two strains of though on Timmy:

1) A couple of solid wins and he should be back in the UFC. It markets itself as the major leagues (and for all intensive purposes it is) and as such if you’re good enough you should be allowed to fight in it. Just because the President doesn’t like you shouldn’t be a reason to keep you out.
2) I can’t see the UFC letting him back. What if he does good? He got tooled by Fedor. That can’t help your promotion when your fighters are loosing to the guy in the Fedor highlight reel.

by nottheface on Sep 3, 2009 4:24 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Arlovski vs. Sylvia IV for a UFC contract??? LOL

by SanDiegoMMA.net on Sep 3, 2009 1:29 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Maybe Tim should have tried to join this season of TUF.

I like using semi-colons; they make me feel smart.

by Llewdor on Sep 3, 2009 3:11 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Tim lost the fire after beating Arlovski for the belt. Then became the boring Tim we hated even more. Couture exposed him, and Fedor finished the bluprint. Tim still hasn’t learned to not throw a lazy jab or cross. Now Timmah’s fatter than ever and probably won’t regain his form. However, lets say he does, then they’ll probably feed him to Cain Velasquez.

by BrothaDarkness on Sep 3, 2009 1:29 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

After seeing his blind date episode, I feel bad for him too. He didn’t seem like a bad guy. More like a big kid who didn’t know what the hell to do with a woman (like his career).

by MMAInFeRioRiTy on Sep 3, 2009 1:30 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Yeah but he also dated that playboy chick that Arlovski dated . She’s hot . So no need to feel totally sorry for him in that department (though now that his championship days are over all the fan sluts are probably looking for better looking fighters than poor fat Tim lol)

by JoelMan on Sep 3, 2009 2:22 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Tim has to string together a bunch of impressive wins to distance himself from what happened in his last two fights. Losing to Fedor is nothing to be ashamed of, but that last fight… I know it’s not fair, but the public’s memory is short, and I confess even I have a hard time remembering what it was like to have Tim on top of the HW division in the UFC. My most impressionable memories of Tim? Randy knocking him down with that overhand, Nog choking him out, Fedor destroying him, and finally an old out of shape man clobbering an even more out of shape Tim. Granted, I was never a Tim fan, but I never hated the guy either. I know memory can be selective, but that’s a tough hill to climb for Tim.

I love me some Sexyama!

by pud333 on Sep 3, 2009 1:32 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Time has passed Tim by

He’s a guy that was good enough for the old, smaller, upstart UFC, but just cannot compete with the world class talent currently populating the HW division.

█♣█
A wise man told me don't argue with fools
Cause people from a distance can't tell who is who -- Jay-Z

by thetakeover on Sep 3, 2009 1:35 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Sadly, that goes for quite a few of the veterans, including some that people still think have a shot.

weoweoweo is the best… and I <3 Vera cause he is pogi.

by mythbuster on Sep 3, 2009 1:40 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

there's no evidence for this

I’d still like to see Tim against Carwin and Cain at some point to test your proposition.

Follow me on Twitter @KidNate

by Kid Nate on Sep 3, 2009 1:52 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

let me add

that I think you’re quite possibly right

Follow me on Twitter @KidNate

by Kid Nate on Sep 3, 2009 1:53 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

i say

shane carwin drops him with a jab and finishes with ground and pound

cain would take him down and beat him down for 3 rounds to get a decision win

by theblade on Sep 3, 2009 2:29 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Notice that Tim didn’t ask for Carwin, Cain, or any other legit heavyweight up-and-comers. Nope, he wants Randy, Nog, and Mir—old fights to relive old glories.

█♣█
A wise man told me don't argue with fools
Cause people from a distance can't tell who is who -- Jay-Z

by thetakeover on Sep 3, 2009 2:29 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

all loses for him too, though he neglects to mention that Mir snapped his arm in half

by cagefightonacid on Sep 3, 2009 2:58 PM EDT via mobile up reply actions 0 recs

If they’re serious about signing everyone with name value then they almost have to re-sign him.

by Patrick79x on Sep 3, 2009 3:31 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Negative name value

'He built his whole reputation as a waffle house chef. They’ve been serving him up ham and eggs with a side of canned tomatoes' - Don Frye on Fedor Emelianenko

by Well Read Idiot on Sep 4, 2009 8:49 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

I'm with you on the pity thing.

No one has taken as much crap over nothing than he has.

That said, nothing in his recent fights scream to me “main eventer!”. Hell, his recent career sort of whispers to me, “…undercard…”. Not sure why he thinks he should get a big money fight right away.

weoweoweo is the best… and I <3 Vera cause he is pogi.

by mythbuster on Sep 3, 2009 1:40 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Time for him to drop to LHW to stage a comeback! he just needs to cut off both legs

by pandaboy99 on Sep 3, 2009 1:41 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Interesting thought. Would he be allowed to use them as clubs?

weoweoweo is the best… and I <3 Vera cause he is pogi.

by mythbuster on Sep 3, 2009 1:43 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Only if he gnawed them off inside the octagon during the course of a round.

by Shaun32887 on Sep 3, 2009 1:46 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Im not even sure strikeforce would take him at this stage…

by pandaboy99 on Sep 3, 2009 1:47 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Not sure if this is even a possibility, but a change in camps might do wonders for ol’ Timmay. MFS hasn’t really been producing the sort of top notch fighters these past couple of years that they were originally know for (Pulver, Hughes, Lawler, etc.) Sylvia seems to be the last of that old crew still carrying the MFS torch. Maybe he needs to relocate and find better trainers (as well as a serious strength and conditioning coach) to get back in the game. I’d like to see Timmy come back from this low point in his career to the point where he can be an actual challenge to top talent once again.

by mburtoni on Sep 3, 2009 1:52 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

I’ve always sort of wondered about the hate spewn at him. In interviews he always seemed like a pretty good guy. His fighting style was a touch boring, but a decent fellow nonetheless.

But he’ll be considered by Strikeforce for sure I would imagine.

by Dooda on Sep 3, 2009 1:53 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Mousasi/Sylvia who takes it

by pandaboy99 on Sep 3, 2009 1:55 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

“There’d be some great fights if I was back in the UFC. Me against Frank (Mir), me against (Antonio Rodrigo) Nogueira, me against Randy (Couture). Those three right there. The two guys I lost to (Nogueira and Couture) that were all great fights the first time.

He does know he lost to Mir as well.

Editor - BloodyElbow.com - SBNation's mixed martial arts headquarters.

by Brent Brookhouse on Sep 3, 2009 1:57 PM EDT reply actions 2 recs

Yes he knows that..

He didn’t reference Mir in that portion of the statement because he was referencing how he was competitive with both Couture & Nog in their fights.. Mir wasn;t really a fight.. It was over quickly due to the injury..

I think Sylvia beats Mir the majority of the time to be honest.. I dont like Sylvia as a fighter either..

8-29-09

Keith Jardine is now known as "The Dean of Antihistamine" because he is always sleeping early in fights..

by MMAuthority on Sep 3, 2009 2:14 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

that injury

was inflicted by franks arm bar, it’s not like he slipped and broke his arm in half….. a totally legit win, though I agree Tim probably beats him in a eematch

by cagefightonacid on Sep 3, 2009 3:04 PM EDT via mobile up reply actions 0 recs

that injury

was inflicted by franks arm bar, it’s not like he slipped and broke his arm in half….. a totally legit win, though I agree Tim probably beats him in a rematch

by cagefightonacid on Sep 3, 2009 3:04 PM EDT via mobile up reply actions 0 recs

sorry about dble post

by cagefightonacid on Sep 3, 2009 3:05 PM EDT via mobile up reply actions 0 recs

i have to disagree about how competitive he was against randy. i dont considers being take down at will and pound for 25 mins being competitive!!

by davisj101 on Sep 3, 2009 3:09 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Agreed,
There’s nothing competitive about just surviving.

by Patrick79x on Sep 3, 2009 3:32 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

NO

"He built his whole reputation (as a) waffle house chef. They've been serving him up ham and eggs with a side of canned tomatoes." - Don Frye on Fedor Emelianenko

by Deo Wade on Sep 3, 2009 1:57 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

People dont like sylvia because hes a slow, lumbering, non athletic non, dynamic awkward fugly guy. Basically everything GPS isnt. Fans want a guy they can emulate not a guy you cringe at even if he was a former hw champion

by pandaboy99 on Sep 3, 2009 2:00 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Why is everyone trashing Tim's career decision?

Tim Sylvia made more in 1 affliction fight than he did in 4 years of UFC fighting. Eventually he will be back for another go in the org. But his best paydays were likely behind him anyway.

I’d say he was smart to get paid when he still had the chance.

" Tell me something Steve, How does a guy from Puerto Rico loose a ball in the Sun? "

by aaronb on Sep 3, 2009 2:06 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

I think the career decision people are trashing was the decision to come in 300 lbs and lose to a boxer he should have ground and pounded, teaching him what mma is all about.

by pandaboy99 on Sep 3, 2009 2:08 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

If he’s still needs/wants to fight in the UFC, it can’t have been that great a decision.

The Mercer fight is much worse than the Fedor fight, but you have to question if he made the right decision if you look at how things are right now.

by Phildo on Sep 3, 2009 2:54 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Because he completely destroyed his value long term. He made big money to get destroyed by Fedor, then got knocked out by Ray Mercer in about 10 seconds. At this point, I’d say Sylvia needs two or three quality wins before he can think about approaching the UFC again.

by Andy R on Sep 3, 2009 3:43 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

If Tim wants to get back in the UFC’s good graces here’s how:
-Change camps. He’s due for a healthier environment that will push him.
-Change agents. Monte Cox is serving his own interests too much in advising Tim to split w/UFC to chase a big paycheck and and fight on Adrenaline cards.
-Image makeover. Lose the stupid sideburns. Go full beard or nothing. Also no Mohawk, only certain people can pull that off well…Tim is not one of those.

by Reciprocity on Sep 3, 2009 2:17 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

I dont think the blame is on Monte Cox

Tim did what was in his best interest at that time.. Monte didn’t make Tim sign with Affliction, Tim was “let go” by the UFC if you remember correctly. He still had 1 fight on his contract and they decided to let him go..

He really didn’t have any choice.. The UFC was hoping he would upset Fedor at the time so they could say they had the better fighters. Such was not the case.. The UFC doesn’t need Sylvia at this point. It would take some serious career turn arounds for Sylvia to get back in the UFC.. The HW division is now flourishing more than it ever has and is now the “premier” division in the UFC.. I suspect we’ll see a higher infulx of new & young talent in the next year or 2 in that weight class..

8-29-09

Keith Jardine is now known as "The Dean of Antihistamine" because he is always sleeping early in fights..

by MMAuthority on Sep 3, 2009 2:22 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

iirc, Tim asked to be released because he was all sour grapes over the kind of scratch that Lesnar was making. The UFC just granted his request.

by drightler on Sep 3, 2009 2:35 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

I think it’s a bit of a risk to bring Timmy back b/c if he’s focused and in shape he has shown he has to tools available to him to derail some of their prospects and then you’ve got Tim Sylvia potentially in your title picture and I don’t think Dana particularly wants that.

I am the bastard love child of Junie Browning and Diamond Dave Kaplan.

by The_Gaijin on Sep 3, 2009 2:27 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

But I can definitely see the utility in bringing in Tim if they’re confident he can be used as a stepping stone for Cain, JDS, Duffee, etc. and most likely get him at a very discounted price. Sylvia has about ZERO leverage at the moment.

I am the bastard love child of Junie Browning and Diamond Dave Kaplan.

by The_Gaijin on Sep 3, 2009 2:30 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

He seems to risky just because of the injuries that he causes to people. Vera’s hand was messed up for like a year.

Spinning out solid gold, like Rumpelstiltskin.

by Heenan on Sep 3, 2009 4:51 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Maybe he hopes he can fight on the UFC Maine card….

watchkalibrun.com

by Zak Woods on Sep 3, 2009 2:36 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Is Monte Cox to blame for how his career is turning out? or is it Tim for not being realistic about his value?

by The Bronzeville Bully on Sep 3, 2009 3:20 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

It’s a little of both.

If he signed a 3 fight deal with Affliction for 800k a fight, it’s both his and his agent’s job to make sure that they can actually afford to pay him that much money, and to make sure there’s a plan for them to use him again if he loses to Fedor.

Also, it’s a little pointless now, but if he doesn’t fight or kills Mercer, he’s scheduled to fight Buentello on Affliction 3. The card probably still doesn’t happen, but at the time it was a bunch of money out the window, and if he’s actually scheduled for that card and not coming off showing up huge and getting killed, he’s a little closer to getting into the UFC, or at least getting a fight.

by Phildo on Sep 3, 2009 3:37 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

“When it comes to business, the best thing for Tim Sylvia right now is to be back in the UFC,” Sylvia said.

UGH!! Talking about yourself in the third person is douchey enough, but it’s somehow worse when Tim does it. Of course, that’s just what Patrick79x thinks about it.

by Patrick79x on Sep 3, 2009 3:30 PM EDT reply actions 1 recs

Unfortunately

When it comes to business for the UFC the best thing is for them to stay as far away as possible from a former champ who got himself knocked senseless by a geriatric boxer.

I guess I do feel slightly sorry for him but ….dude…..guy just makes dumbass decisions.

by rainmaker6 on Sep 3, 2009 10:04 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

I am with holding

judgment til Anance chimes in. Only met Timmeh once in Ellsworth, very very nice guy. I personally don’t think he belongs back, not sure what he is thinking.

by Riney on Sep 3, 2009 5:17 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Atleast someone will…I have been trying to stay out of this thread because I am close with Tim and can’t stand the hatred that is thrown his way. HERE IS THE DEAL. Tim has lost several in a row, everyone knows that. The only fight he is “embarrassed” about losing is the Mercer fight (obviously). He told me when I asked wtf happened, that he was looking past Mercer to his Affliction fight with Buentello. He was, (contrary to popular belief) training twice a day leading up to the fight, but only boxing. There was no weight limit he had to make for the first time in his career so what he didn’t do is diet. What people dont realize is how fucking big the guy is. Between his fights in the UFC Tim always was walking around hoovering the 300 lb mark. Then when it came time to diet, and cut he always made weight. He wanted to come out and set up a headkick KO, but got caught before he did. Personally, I think him getting KO’d by Mercer is the BEST thing to happen to him at this point. He is ready to start rebuilding his career from the ground up. He is taking this fight seriously and last time I asked his weight, (bout two weeks ago) he was at 290. He wants to get back into the UFC? Yes of course he does! Love or hate Tim he has always fought anybody put in front of him. That is more than I can say for a lot of fighters. I think in this sport it is important to have goals, and getting back to the UFC is his goal for now. He has been training out of town with Bas in LA and then now out East. That is one thing about his camp is they have nobody to push him in sparring matches, no one that can take him down etc. I told him “you need to go train somewhere that you aren’t the best”. Seems it worked, he knows that training with the same partners isn’t cutting it anymore. As for money, trust me, he is doing just fine. And last but not least, All these personal attacks on him and his personality are just flat out wrong. For being such an “arrogant asshole” I have never seen him turn down taking a picture or signing an autograph. Tim could very easily be a dick after reading what fans write, but he just throws that aside and keeps going out of his way for fans. The funny part is, I garauntee all the people on here bashing him (which of course is ok with the MODS because it’s Tim) would chase him down yelling his name, while scrambling for their phone to take a pic with him. I see it every time I hang with him. That’s all I got, I look forward to seeing my friend achieve his goals.

Be a man, not a child-Phil Anselmo

by ANance on Sep 4, 2009 12:18 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

I can't stand Timmah

but at the same time I can’t stand Tito, and Dana buried that hatchet. I say get him on an under card, maybe Kongo, Cain, Carwin, you know what, give him Brock in a non title fight. Nah forget it, I don’t think Timmah is a good fit in the UFC anymore.

by proflex on Sep 3, 2009 10:53 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

He needs wins

Tim talking about coming back to the UFC after 2 high profile losses is crazy. Maybe if he tried after the Fedor fight “Cuz hey its Fedor” but, after the embarrassing Mercer KO I don’t see it happening. And if it does he will get a shitty contract.
He should fight in Japan they love big dopey guys there win or lose. If he gets a couple wins there then he can knock on Dana’s door and have alittle leverage perhaps.

by TurtlesMMAspot on Sep 3, 2009 10:57 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs