Former UFC heavyweight champion Tim Sylvia is “bummed out” after losing his title to Randy Couture at UFC 68, according to his first post-fight interview with the Baltimore Sun.
However, he still “loves to fight” and looks forward to reclaiming the coveted belt.
Here’s a snip mash:
“Um, I was pretty bummed out — [I] couldn’t believe I lost. But I went home for a week to Maine and hung out with a lot of close friends and family and they were really supportive…. I want to win my next fight. I’m on the road back to the belt. That’s what I want to get. Every fight is one step closer to the belt.”
As for an opponent, Sylvia believes that he should receive and instant rematch. Of course, if that does happen, it’ll be after Couture faces the winner of Mirko “Cro Cop” Filipovic and Gabriel Gonzaga, who are throwing down at UFC 70 on April 21.
And, Sylvia will have to recover from a herniated disc, which has him on the shelf for at least one month. It’s an injury he now admits he “shouldn’t have even brought up” in his post-fight comments inside the Octagon.
Here’s another snip mash:
“I would like to think so [deserve an immediate title fight]. I think I do. But, I don’t know if they are going to give it to me or not. I don’t know. I just got my MRI yesterday and I got diagnosed with everything so they put me on the pain medication — some oral steroids, [I] go in for a cortisone shot [March 16] — and they’re hoping if I take one month off from training that it should get better.”
If things don’t workout, Sylvia still wants to avenge his loss to the man who took his belt the first time around and snapped his forearm in process, Frank Mir.
Sylvia also touched on his “image problem,” but admits that he doesn’t even know what that means. He does, however, mention once again that he does have lingering self-esteem issues from an abusive childhood.
Final snip:
“I always have a self-esteem problem. I was physically and mentally abused as a child, growing up with my mother. So, I think it still sticks with me to this day that I have a problem with that.”
Sylvia is currently in his hometown back in Maine, making appearances and visiting with family and friends — perhaps the best medicine for him under the circumstances.
47 Comments »
Timmy let it go man, you got beat by the better man/fighter. It dosen’t do Timmy any good making more excuse’s just say how great Randy is and think about your next fight.
I actually felt bad for him after the loss. But he brings it all on himself. I have no desire to see him beat up ‘Mir Belly.’ I have no desire to see him fight again, really.
I would have loved to see him call anyone out besides Mir…Mirs not the same fighter as he was when he snapped his arm..so if he wants to be champ agan…there are other guys he could have called out to try to prove his skills…Cro Cop for one.
Image problem? Just because you got beat by your mommy? Is that why you pooed your pants? I’m just kidding…. Tim is a good fighter (boring) but good. He got beat up by a better fighter and i think he has accepted it. Its ok he just has to take the road back. Randy took his beatings like a man and look how hes done…
I am so sick of listening to him whine.If it isn’t this,it’s that…Tim,you got your ass kicked,BAD,get OVER IT!!!I think he is the most over rated fighter in MMA,I also think he should NOT get another title shot until he can prove himself.I would go one step further,he should not even be in the UFC,go to KOTC or better yet the IFL,you might get some respect there…
I think I’m more of a Tim Sylvia fan now that he lost.
I could be very wrong, but I think Tim’s self-esteem issues play a much bigger role than UFC fans or even Tim realize.
If he was abused as he intimates, the scarring from that does not go away with time or achievement. Those certainly help, but physical and mental abuse at a young age tattoos a person’s identity. I believe his buring desire to win and more importantly, “prove everyone wrong”, stems from his self-esteem challenges.
As a fan, I think he’ll be a better person, fighter, and UFC champ (if he ever gets the belt back) when he tackles those demons once and for all. You can’t live your whole life trying to one up critics as a way to overcome the torments of abuse. But change that and you’re a brand new man.
Now that he’s home, I wonder what his mother had to say about the loss….
Man, talk about kicking a guy while he’s down. Pretty cutthroat.
FRom what I saw Randy will beat his ass again, or he will fight cro cop, either way he wont be champ
Does this guy ever get tired of crying? Ever get tired of excuses and sob stories? Aww was little timmy abused as a kiddy? Personally I think his mom shoulda beat him some more. For once Dude we are together on this one. Why call out an obviously changed for the worse fighter like Mir right now? Hell put this clown in with Vera now and watch him lose. I love how he simply figured out a way to keep saying he was injured in the fight, ‘but he wishes he never brought it up.’
The mental aspect of MMA is so important, its hard to maintain a positive focus with so many negatives in your past and present. Tim needs to get his head right, take some time off to heal, them come back and prove all the pseudo-fans wrong.
I just find it funny how he goes from saying he is the best striker in the ufc he’s gonna re-retire Randy ect…to oh my back hurt…oh my mommy used to abuse me…oh I want to fight Mir….oh oh oh. You weren’t talkin about your momma when you fought AA or Monson but as soon as you lose you have a childhood sob story. We All have childhood sob stories. Thats life.
You guys truely are ruthless. I thought when he fought randy he looked off, kind of defeated or deflated…..I think he does have issues with fighting friends, like randy said tim is emotional and he felt he had a mental edge. I totally can see he has serious confidence problems, not that one should use excuses but he needs to deal with it, ufc will eat you alive. When tim was originally fighting randy I felt randy was the under dog and was going to get his ass kicked and was rooting for him. Tim is the underdog now and kind of feel sorry for him getting humiliated like that, I’ve always rooted for the underdog. Keep your chin up tim and learn to deal with your demons and come back stronger.
“I had a bad night” That must be script for Milletich Fighters
Timmay didn’t look defeated or deflated until Randy knocked him on his ass and continued to pound on him standing up and on the ground.
He had ZERO defense against any take down.He had ZERO stand up offense.Where did his will to fight go? THAT is why he needs to EXIT the UFC!!! IF he does’t want to fight,STAY the bleep home!!!
Randy destroyed any confidense tim had when he KOed him with the first punch. what a pansy
Tommy is right. Tim should fight Brandon Vera next to see who gets the winner of Cro cop/ Couture. He wants to fight Mir cause he saw how bad Vera fucked him up. Tim is tall and what not, but i still see vera muay thai clinching and delivering the knees to his mouth
MOTHER OF ALL CREATURES BIG AND SMALL…WHEN WILL TIM “THE LAME-IAC” JUST SHUT HIS BIG FAT PIE HOLE?
FEED THAT MOTHER TO MIRKO! I’LL PAY 3 TIMES THE PPV TO WATCH THAT WELL DESERVED BEATING.
I SWEAR, IF I EVER SEE TIM ON THE STREET, I WILL RIP HIS ARM OFF AND BEAT HIM WITH THE WET END!
Wouldn’t it be great if this shlub and Mir fought and Mir kicked his ass again? Maybe then we would never have to hear about this annoying whiny giant again.
that would be a great ending for poopie - but unfortunately, Mir is not the same. Man I really miss the old Frank Mir!
[quote comment=”13454″]I actually felt bad for him after the loss. But he brings it all on himself. I have no desire to see him beat up ‘Mir Belly.’ I have no desire to see him fight again, really.[/quote]
Hahaha, same here. Any guy that walks around in his chapionship belt inside of Walmart deserves to burn!
Thinking about it, the Vera vs Silvia fight is ideal for everyone including the ufc. I mean everyone wants to see it first and foremost. However if the ufc is looking to try to embarrass Vera how better to do it then if he losses to Mr. Tim’id himself. If Vera wins so what, he only beat ole poopy pants anyway. Seems like a good way to maximize the drawing power of tim and Vera without to much to lose. Just makes sense to me.
Goodluck getting that belt back son.
Wait… did PW say he didn’t look defeated until Couture knocked him on his ass? He knocked him on his ass 12 seconds into the first round! So I guess that is right. He didn’t look defeated for the first 12 seconds of the first round.
Sylvia isn’t that exciting of a fighter to me. I mean I’ve seen his last 4 fights and they were all lame, and I even told this to his manager at the weigh-ins. “The biggest thing that will kill your popularity is the media, what you say and how you back it up is what people form a picture of you.”
I will actually say that I’ve lost interest in Tim as fighter, I waited 20 minutes at the bar glued to the TV just waiting for Tim to finish Monson.
No one will support Tim’s next title shot, especially after all the wave of Randy fans converting the small fraction of Sylvia fans. If you say your going to waste your apponent with bombs, at least mess the guy up a little if your going to lose. Oh well props to Randy, you did awsome and cant wait to spare with the new champ.
I agree with Franklins left arm aka Jorge Gurel
your exactly right Tommy, I want to see Vera vs Sylvia for Vera’s last fight in UFC. I think vera will win but even if he does i wont hurt the ufc that bad
I hate this automatic rematch stuff I think any one who loses there title needs to PROVE there the number one contender first let tim fight vera.
especially if they lose badly like the milletich trio.
Yeah Vera will knock all that poopie outta him.
Well Nathan I think it depends on the fight. If a title fight ends in a quick ko, or if the fight is really close than i think a quick rematch is in order. For example when Tim sylvia beat Arlovski the first time i was all for the quick rematch, because in my opinion it was a fluke. I personally believe Andrei would beat Tim 8 out of 10 times.
On the other hand if the fight ends in a decision after a full on war and it is completely one sided (Couture taking the belt from Sylvia or Belfort or Ortiz), or if it is a hardcore beatdown ending in a convincing tko(GSP vs Hughes) then theres a definate need for the ex champ to prove themself before a rematch.
yeah i agree i think Sylvia vs. Vera is the most logical match right now…i think if tim got his shit together he would beat vera…I think Vera is the Kevin Federline of MMA, walking around with an unearned sense of accomplishment thinking he deserves something that he doesnt..atleast Tim was the champion…neither of them will be ufc champ ever or again
I want to see Vera vs Sylvia, Jardine vs Irvin, Hughes vs Sanchez UFC MAKE IT HAPPEN !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Good way to sum it up Jesse, I agree. Now personally I like Vera. He is the Truth. I mean he beat Mir what did he say? I was scared man thats Frank Mir. Gotta respect what he says is real and he has proved himself over every fighter so far. I like him Way over Tim.
all on one card, that would be a great PPV without any title fights. Cant believe I agree with you Jesse1 - LOL
[quote comment=”15259″]Well Nathan I think it depends on the fight. If a title fight ends in a quick ko, or if the fight is really close than i think a quick rematch is in order. For example when Tim sylvia beat Arlovski the first time i was all for the quick rematch, because in my opinion it was a fluke. I personally believe Andrei would beat Tim 8 out of 10 times.
On the other hand if the fight ends in a decision after a full on war and it is completely one sided (Couture taking the belt from Sylvia or Belfort or Ortiz), or if it is a hardcore beatdown ending in a convincing tko(GSP vs Hughes) then theres a definate need for the ex champ to prove themself before a rematch.[/quote]
well said I agree with you jesse, I was more referring to the hughes/sylvia/franklin fights. These guys got owned, they looked like shit out there and I feel they need to convince the fans there the number one contenders. Of course it depends upon the situation, like you said…..I totally agree.
[quote comment=”15266″]all on one card, that would be a great PPV without any title fights. Cant believe I agree with you Jesse1 - LOL[/quote]
whats this suppossed to mean? Is this haterism?
[quote comment=”15262″]I want to see Vera vs Sylvia, Jardine vs Irvin, Hughes vs Sanchez
UFC MAKE IT HAPPEN !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!![/quote]
yes
You had a bad night? You had a bad night? You’re a cry baby.
Tim Sylvia will never hold the high rank at the UFC ever again. Since he wants to retire at 35 or whatever just send him to KOTC and have him beat up guys there until he wants to retire.
We all would want to see that happen invasion.
the overall fact of the matter is Tim lost Randy was the better fighter that night as a true champ sylvia will take a lil bit time off get back into training and now has nothing to lose and everything to gain
Well for starters i think tim is a very great fighter..And i am sure he could take all of you.. TOMMY YOU NEED TO GET A LIFE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Tim is good fighter but he is not top of class fighter.
Sylvia was a much better fighter when he didn’t cut quite so much weight to make the division. One of the negatives of getting older. I think if there was a UFC super heavyweight division he could train properly and be physically alot tougher and able to entertain better.
The problem was like with Monson, his reach meant most fighters couldn’t close and when they did they were usually too tired to pull anything off so he just kept them there and jabbed, letting it go to decision.
I don’t think he’ll be heavyweight champ again because as a challenger, you really have to totally dominate the champ to take it by decision and I really don’t think Sylvia has the energy in him after cutting to make the weight class to achieve a knockout, nor the skills to make a submission.
Given the number of big heavyweight names now in UFC suddenly, from Couture himself through the rising star Gonzaga, the admittedly slightly humbled Mirko Cro Cop, recently signed Nogueira, Arlovski, Werdum etc. and with Zuffa now owning PRIDE which means the Emelianenko brothers, the heavyweight possibilities out there are amazing now, and I don’t think anyone would get particularly excited about a heavyweight Sylvia in any of them, I honestly don’t think he’d have a chance against most of those names.
hahahhaahhaahhahaahahah!!! I just got done reading Tim’s little excuse… lets put it this way. Tim is just a pushover. in reality Tim has no skill at all. the only reason he wins any fights at all is because he is really big. i could understand if he was really big and was in good shape but look at him hes fat!!! Randy is just plain and simple the better fighter. and also Randy is what a 43 year old man? come on Tim just face it the only reason you where ever the champ was becuse of your size and you have no skill at all. and every time you face someone who has real skill and is not a little puss you get your ass handed to you. dont be saying you had an off night ether Randy just plain and simple beat your ass.