Tim Sylvia is now 47-years-old.
Former UFC heavyweight champion Tim Sylvia retired back in 2015, after failing to get licensed by the athletic commission due to an MRI issue.
“They said that I’ve received enough damage over 16 years,” Sylvia said when he announced his retirement.
If Sylvia’s manager saying his MRI showed “damage from blunt force trauma” back in 2015 isn’t concerning enough, the former UFC champion is unfortunately signing on for more head trauma eight years later.
Sylvia, who is now 47-years-old, isn’t unretiring for an MMA contest either. According to a recent announcement, Sylvia has signed signed a “multi-fight” deal for slap fights, where defense isn’t allowed and head trauma can almost be guaranteed.
Sylvia has joined SlapFIGHT, which is another slap promotion, different from Dana White’s Power Slap league. The former MMA champion will face a guy called “Bulldozer.”
The Main Event for SlapFIGHT 25 has been announced. Former UFC Heavyweight Champion Tim Sylvia will compete vs ‘Bulldozer’ in a Super Heavyweight Clash!#SlapFIGHT #SlapFighting #SlapFightChampionship #SlapCompetition #SlapContest #Slap #SlapKnockout #SlapTournament #Slapping pic.twitter.com/SLbFtogqsH
— SlapFIGHT Championship (@SlapFIGHTUSA) March 30, 2023
Sylvia was already badly out of shape in 2015, where he reportedly ballooned to 371 lbs during his last weigh-in. Sylvia has been inactive since retirement, but SlapFIGHT organizers are spinning it as a good thing, touting that the match “promises fireworks” because the pair has a “combined weight of over 650 pounds.”
With the serious dangers of slap fighting and its unimpeded head strikes, many are already reacting to the news with real concern for the former UFC champion. Sylvia has since responded, claiming he is healthy enough to compete and that “I am not doing it for the money.”
Yeah , Um , read this … ♂️ ♂️ ♂️ pic.twitter.com/npOQCBbAg6
— Big Ben Rothwell (@RothwellFighter) March 30, 2023
Well very sorry to hear about the knees , glad your heads ok. Typically those type of things don’t just go away. Hope you win the coin toss
— Big Ben Rothwell (@RothwellFighter) March 30, 2023
Ben thx for your concern. Like i said there is nothing wrong with my brain. I am willing to bet our mri would look the same. As you know Mohegan Sun is the worth athletic commission on the planet.
— Tim Sylvia (@timsylviamma) March 30, 2023
Cause i can’t get in that kind of shape anymore. My knees are shot. The training would be to rough on my body. I am just lifting heavy and doing 20 min of cardio for this. https://t.co/6rgMOQV9cW
— Tim Sylvia (@timsylviamma) March 30, 2023
Sylvia’s long term manager Monte Cox detailed the health issues shown on the MRI results back in 2015, when the former UFC champion couldn’t be licensed.
“Basically what they’re saying is there’s damage from blunt force trauma,” Cox said almost eight years ago. “He’s got damage there. Does it affect his everyday life? Not so far. Not that he can tell — but it’s certainly something to pay attention to.”
“I think it’s the end. He had gotten to a point where his body, through all the wars, just wasn’t able to get in the kind of shape he used to. Obviously, you could see that in his weight. He just can’t get into competitive form. I think [retirement] is good. With this MRI, why go on, when you’re only getting paid a fraction of what you’re worth?”
Sylvia now claims those statements about his MRI were “taken out of context.” He says there is “nothing wrong with my brain” and it “looks just like any other fighter competing that long.”
Sylvia has 42 pro MMA bouts to his name after making his debut 22 years ago. He went winless in his final four bouts, with his last victory coming against journeyman Randy Smith 11 years ago.
In 2020, Sylvia’s family started a crowd funding campaign to pay for arm surgery, claiming UFC turned down his request to pay for the complications he sustained from a broken arm courtesy of Frank Mir in 2004.
