On this day 23 years ago, a future UFC heavyweight champion debuted in devastating fashion.
When it comes to discussing the group of heavyweight legends in mixed martial arts, no conversation is complete without the mention of Tim Sylvia.
‘The Maine-iac’ is a former two-time heavyweight champion in the UFC, where his tally of nine title fights is tied with the great Randy Couture for the promotional record.
Sylvia’s path to greatness on MMA’s biggest stage began 23 years ago to the day, when the then-undefeated newcomer made a brutal statement at the expense of another debutant, who did not begin life in the Octagon on the front foot…
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Tim Sylvia destroyed Wesley Correira in hard-to-watch beating at UFC 39
On this day, September 27, in 2002, UFC 39 took place at Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Connecticut. The pay-per-view is notable for being the first UFC event to be released on DVD.
Before Ricco Rodriguez beat Randy Couture via TKO in round five of the championship main event, another heavyweight made his presence known in a co-headliner that would ultimately secure his shot at Rodriguez down the line.
Sylvia’s first UFC fight came against Wesley Correira, nicknamed ‘Cabbage’. The Hawaiian donned a Sean O’Malley-like colorful hairstyle, but he was left with more red than he might have hoped for after less than two full rounds in the cage with ‘The Maine-iac’.
Correira quickly turned into Sylvia’s punching bag in round one. And despite surviving to his corner, the second frame played out in similar fashion, as the then-future champion beat ‘Cabbage’ to a pulp with a vicious onslaught of punches.
The beating got so severe that Correira’s coach climbed the cage and threw in the towel just over 90 seconds into round two.
Sylvia would go on to become UFC heavyweight champion in his very next fight at UFC 41, where the Ellsworth native stopped Rodriguez in one round. After being stripped due to a failed drugs test, ‘The Maine-iac’ would return to the heavyweight throne in 2006 by knocking out Andrei Arlovski.
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Tim Sylvia claimed he would ‘destroy’ Francis Ngannou in his prime
When it comes to heavyweight fantasy fights, ‘The Maine-iac’ had little doubt about how he would fare against one of the modern greats back in 2023.
Speaking during an interview on Submission Radio a couple of years ago, Sylvia claimed he would beat Francis Ngannou in his prime, as he downplayed the Cameroonian’s overall skillset beyond his renowned power.
“I don’t think Francis is that good,” Sylvia said. “He’s a monster with heavy hands but his punches come from his hips and he swings wild and crazy.
“He hits you, you’re going to sleep but a technical fighter like (Jon) Jones (beats him). …You saw what he (Ngannou) did to (Ciryl) Gane. He wouldn’t even stand up with him. He took him down. It was an ugly fight. He talks a lot for only winning a fight then defending against Ciryl Gane.
“I’d destroy him in my prime,” Sylvia continued. “If we fought right now, he beats me. But in my prime? If we could go back in time and I’m in my prime, he’s in his prime, I destroy him. He’s too wild. I was more of a technical striker than he is.”