Big Tim is back, signs Strikeforce contract

dave1982

After a long and vocal campaign, former UFC heavyweight champion Tim Sylvia apparently is getting one last chance to make good in the big show.

Or, for now, the smaller brother to the big show.

Sources close to the event today told MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com) that Sylvia (30-7 MMA, 9-4 UFC) has signed a deal and will fight recent Strikeforce heavyweight grand prix champion Daniel Cormier (10-0 MMA, 7-0 SF) at an event planned for Sept. 29 at Power Balance Pavilion in Sacramento, Calif.

Sylvia and his manager, Monte Cox, declined to comment.

Regardless, Sylvia is now headed to Showtime for his Cormier bout.

Interestingly, Sylvia signed a multi-fight deal despite the impending close of the Strikeforce heavyweight division.

The five-time heavyweight champ has racked up three wins since a first-round TKO loss to "The Ultimate Fighter 10" veteran Abe Wagner that drastically set back his comeback. Overall, he is 7-3 since he fought Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira for the interim heavyweight title at UFC 81 and lost by third-round submission.

Since that fight, Sylvia's career has been a roller coaster of ups and downs. He's lost to Fedor Emelianenko by submission in 36 seconds and been knocked out by former boxing champ Ray Mercer in nine seconds. Since then, however, his only setback has been to Wagner, though most of his competition has been against regional talent.

Cormier is now recovering from a broken hand following his win over Josh Barnett in the grand prix finals, which took place in May.

Earlier this year, Sylvia vigorously campaigned for another shot in the UFC and urged his Twitter followers to do so. At one point, he even shot a video of a workout and posted it online, presumably to show he was fit enough to compete in the UFC.

But UFC president Dana White flatly rejected the idea of a Sylvia return.

"No," White then told MMAjunkie.com when asked whether Sylvia could possibly be seen again inside the octagon. "I don't even know what Tim Sylvia's done. The last Tim Sylvia fight I saw, he got knocked out by a boxer. What has he done since then?"

White, in fact, also denied rumors of a potential Strikeforce deal just this week.

A dearth of heavyweights in Strikeforce may have provided the golden opportunity, though. Cormier and Barnett were the only two heavyweights official to Strikeforce, and after Cormier outpointed Barnett, few options were apparent for a final Strikeforce-Showtime fight required before the disbanding of the division.

Sylvia is undoubtedly happy to take that role.

Glad to see Timmy back:D

scudzilla

dave1982 wrote: »

Glad to see Timmy back:D

I'm not, the guy bored the crap outta me

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8cAwMSx63-8

dave1982

Agreed not the most exciting fighter, but he deserves to be fighting again.

UFC really f**ked him over

Will you watch his fights?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z3_f-Jgblqk

scudzilla

dave1982 wrote: »

Agreed not the most exciting fighter, but he deserves to be fighting again.

UFC really f**ked him over

Will you watch his fights?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z3_f-Jgblqk

I'll watch the card, whatever one it is, as usual, will watch Timmy fight but will not be that interested

dave1982

To be fair he was interesting until he won the title, after that he fighting to keep his belt, not to win convincingly.

Randy V Tim was a great fight.

I think he will put on great fights he has nothing to lose now, not sure if or where he's training at the moment.


They are taking a risk should Timmy win

Mr. CooL ICE

Cormier is gonna make mince meat outta him. Tim looked good back when IMO the fighter skill level in the UFC was much lower, with the HW division a fraction of what it is today. Iirc, the only fight where I was genuinely impressed with him was against Jeff Monson, but that was pretty much it.

Meh, Ill still watch it. Car crash effect and all that

Logical Fallacy

dave1982 wrote: »

UFC really f**ked him over

How did they **** him over? He wanted to leave, they let him. He had problems with the pay, the exclusivity etc so he went to org which would provide him with "better" options for both which subsequently went under.

jayteecork

He's going to get hurt badly if they bring him back to the UFC.

He'll be the Keith Jardine of the HW division there.

Professey Chin

Dana White said hes not signed

Dana White: Tim Sylvia Not Signed to Strikeforce

Jul 21, 2012 - Tim Sylvia remains on the outside looking in.

Just hours after it was reported that the former UFC heavyweight champion had agreed to a contract to fight Daniel Cormier on Sept. 29 in Strikeforce, UFC president Dana White confirmed with MMA.tv that Sylvia had not in fact signed with the organization.

"Long story," he was quoted as saying, "but yes, Tim is not with Zuffa."
There were serious talks within the organization about bringing in Sylvia to fight Cormier, but in the end those plans never came to fruition.

Sylvia had been campaigning all year for another shot in the UFC, but White has said repeatedly, as recently as Thursday, that would not be returning to either Strikeforce or the UFC.

http://www.mmafighting.com/ufc/2012/7/21/3173590/dana-white-tim-sylvia-not-signed-to-strikeforce

jayteecork

Awww poor Tim.


Looks like he'll have to go away and try again to make that "grudge match" with Wes Sims.