Post by Overnight Sensation on Jul 2, 2007 16:30:10 GMT -5
Former UFC heavyweight champion Tim Sylvia (23-3 MMA, 8-3 UFC), who lost his belt to Randy Couture at UFC 68 in March, says he’s hoping to make a return to the UFC in October. Therefore, he’s unlikely to be a part of a Las Vegas UFC 74 event next month.
Sylvia had been a rumored part of the UFC 74 fight card for the past two months.
However, Sylvia, who began his professional career with 16 consecutive victories, posted a quick note on his Web site, www.tim-sylvia.com, over the weekend saying he plans to return to the Octagon in October.
As UFCjunkie.com (www.ufcjunkie.com) exclusively reported last week, the UFC is targeting Oct. 20 for a UFC 77 event at Cincinnati’s U.S. Bank Arena. One obstacle, though, was a Cincinnati Cyclones minor-league hockey game that was scheduled the same night. However, the Cyclones now have the Oct. 20 game with the Dayton Bombers listed as an away game, meaning the arena should be available for a UFC event.
Considering Sylvia’s strong Midwest ties, he’d be a natural fit for the fight card.
The 6-foot-8 former champ, who dropped a unanimous decision to Couture (in the first of what has become a string of major UFC upsets), hasn’t fought since that March 3 loss. In a post-fight interview, Sylvia admitted that he had entered the fight with a back injury and probably shouldn’t have taken the fight. The admission, coupled with a sometimes-hostile relationship with fans, earned Sylvia a chorus of boos.
However, the Miletich Fighting Systems team member did undergo surgery two months later for three bulging discs and a pinched sciatic nerve, and he’s been rehabilitating his back ever since. In his recent posting, he says he’s returned to the gym to begin training for his next fight.
With the UFC’s recent influx of heavyweight talent, Sylvia’s place in the division isn’t really known. The UFC has made no mention of giving him a chance to reclaim his belt — or any possible opponent, for that matter.
Regardless, Sylvia has three fights remaining on his current contract.
For the latest UFC 74 fight card and news about the possible UFC 77 event, check out the UFC Rumors section of UFCjunkie.com.
Rumors — UFC 74
Date: Aug. 25, 2007
Location: Las Vegas
Venue: Mandalay Bay Events Center
Broadcast: Pay-Per-View
* Champion Randy Couture vs. Gabriel Gonzaga (for heavyweight title)
* Georges St. Pierre vs. Josh Koscheck
* Patrick Cote vs. Kendall Grove
* Diego Sanchez vs. Hayato Sakurai
* Joe Stevenson vs. Kurt Pellegrino
* David Heath vs. Renato “Babalu” Sobral
* Ryan Jensen vs. Travis Lutter
Rumors — UFC 75: Live from London
Date: Sept. 8, 2007
Location: London, England
Venue: The O2 Arena
Broadcast: TBA
* PRIDE champion Dan Henderson vs. UFC champion Quinton Jackson
* Mirko “Cro Cop” Filipovic vs. Cheick Kongo
* Michael Bisping vs. Matt Hamill
* Houston Alexander vs. Alessio Sakara
* Jess Liaudin vs. TBA
* Dennis Siver vs. TBA
Sylvia had been a rumored part of the UFC 74 fight card for the past two months.
However, Sylvia, who began his professional career with 16 consecutive victories, posted a quick note on his Web site, www.tim-sylvia.com, over the weekend saying he plans to return to the Octagon in October.
As UFCjunkie.com (www.ufcjunkie.com) exclusively reported last week, the UFC is targeting Oct. 20 for a UFC 77 event at Cincinnati’s U.S. Bank Arena. One obstacle, though, was a Cincinnati Cyclones minor-league hockey game that was scheduled the same night. However, the Cyclones now have the Oct. 20 game with the Dayton Bombers listed as an away game, meaning the arena should be available for a UFC event.
Considering Sylvia’s strong Midwest ties, he’d be a natural fit for the fight card.
The 6-foot-8 former champ, who dropped a unanimous decision to Couture (in the first of what has become a string of major UFC upsets), hasn’t fought since that March 3 loss. In a post-fight interview, Sylvia admitted that he had entered the fight with a back injury and probably shouldn’t have taken the fight. The admission, coupled with a sometimes-hostile relationship with fans, earned Sylvia a chorus of boos.
However, the Miletich Fighting Systems team member did undergo surgery two months later for three bulging discs and a pinched sciatic nerve, and he’s been rehabilitating his back ever since. In his recent posting, he says he’s returned to the gym to begin training for his next fight.
With the UFC’s recent influx of heavyweight talent, Sylvia’s place in the division isn’t really known. The UFC has made no mention of giving him a chance to reclaim his belt — or any possible opponent, for that matter.
Regardless, Sylvia has three fights remaining on his current contract.
For the latest UFC 74 fight card and news about the possible UFC 77 event, check out the UFC Rumors section of UFCjunkie.com.
Rumors — UFC 74
Date: Aug. 25, 2007
Location: Las Vegas
Venue: Mandalay Bay Events Center
Broadcast: Pay-Per-View
* Champion Randy Couture vs. Gabriel Gonzaga (for heavyweight title)
* Georges St. Pierre vs. Josh Koscheck
* Patrick Cote vs. Kendall Grove
* Diego Sanchez vs. Hayato Sakurai
* Joe Stevenson vs. Kurt Pellegrino
* David Heath vs. Renato “Babalu” Sobral
* Ryan Jensen vs. Travis Lutter
Rumors — UFC 75: Live from London
Date: Sept. 8, 2007
Location: London, England
Venue: The O2 Arena
Broadcast: TBA
* PRIDE champion Dan Henderson vs. UFC champion Quinton Jackson
* Mirko “Cro Cop” Filipovic vs. Cheick Kongo
* Michael Bisping vs. Matt Hamill
* Houston Alexander vs. Alessio Sakara
* Jess Liaudin vs. TBA
* Dennis Siver vs. TBA
