Interview w/ Tim Sylvia

way26 · 01-29-2008

Interview done on the Sherdog radio show.

Quote:

How do you feel?

I feel good, man. I'm just looking forward to fighting a guy that is so highly ranked, and he's looked up to alot in the MMA world. So I want to go out there and show people what I actually can do, and that is knock him out.

If you beat Nogueira, one could argue that you are the number one heavyweight in the world. What do you think?

Well, I haven't really looked that far ahead. Let's talk about that after the fight. He's definitely going to be the toughest fight I've had to date, so first things first. Let's go out there and hopefully the game plan works and he falls right into my hands and I knock him out.

What are your thoughts on the PRIDE fighters that have come over to the UFC? Are they good enough to be in the UFC?

We'll find out. Uh, I don't know if it's that they are not good enough to be in the UFC. I think some of them are just not used to the cage yet, not used to our rules, not used to the UFC itself. The crowds are alot noisier and not as respectful as Japanese fans. Over there you could hear a pin drop. I don't know what it is. I never fought in Japan so I can't say.

Cro Cop is a stud. He has just had some bad luck. Heath Herring was real good and then came over here and had some bad luck. Nogueira looked rough his last fight but he hadn't fought in a long time, and he's fought alot of tough guys. I don't know what to think.

I know Fedor hasn't fought alot of top competition lately, like the last two or three years. I don't really see how he is still ranked number one. But we will see what happens. This fight with Nogueira is going to tell alot I think.

Talk game plan a little.

We're prepared for both situations (standing and on the ground) so we have two game plans prepared. I think he is a smart fighter and he knows his best chance of winning will be to take the fight to the ground and try to submit me or control me. I think he knows if he stands up with me that he kind of plays into my hands because that's what I want to do. It would be like me going out there and trying to take him down. I'm not going to do that. But we'll see. It's fighting and you don't know what's going to happen.

Critique Nogueira's stand-up.

I truly believe I have the advantage in our stand-up match-up. Don't get me wrong. He's got good hands. He's shown them alot and he throws great combinations, nice and crisp, straight down the pipe. But he has been susceptible to guys with good hands and good stand-up, taking big punches or kicks. I just watched a tape of the fight with Josh Barnett, and Josh dropped him with a left hook. Josh has decent stand-up but is not known as a stand-up fighter.

How comfortable would you be with Nogueira on the ground?

I'm comfortable with anybody on the ground. I don't want to be there. That's where I believe I could get caught in this fight. He is one of the best, if not the best, submission MMA fighters in the world. So no need to play into his hands and give him a chance to win this fight. I think if the fight is standing the whole time, then I win the fight. So obviously, the advantage will be slightly towards him on the ground.

How's your back?

Everything is great. All fighters lie and say they never have any injuries going into a fight. We always say we feel great. When I had my back injury before Randy, I told everyone I felt great and was the best I had ever been. We all lie. (laughs) But this is the first time I have ever come into a fight without a small injury, a nagging injury, or anything. When I went into the Vera fight, I had a bad hand. I had torn ligaments in my right hand. Randy and Jeff Monson, I had the back issue. For Arlovksi, my elbows were trashed. So, come fight time, there is usually that one injury. They usually don't bother me, with the exception of the back injury in the Randy fight. It did bother me when we fought. But this will the first time I don't having nagging injuries. It's kind of weird because I've been doing this for so long and I'm the oldest right now that I've ever been. I don't know if it is because of the way I'm training, with all the extra iron man stuff and all the swimming. I don't know. But the back surgery went great and maybe alot of my injuries were tied into the bad back. But I'm happy right now. I'm blessed. I'm looking forward to putting on a good show and getting the belt wrapped around my waist for the third time.

Has your training changed over the years?

It has actually. Lately I have been doing alot more distance running, biking alot, and in the last couple of years alot of swimming because of the back surgery. I've tied all those things together. Every morning I'm up at 7 or 8am doing all that stuff before I do any weight lifting, technique grappling, boxing, all of that stuff. And my new house has a hot tub. Maybe that is working too.

Talk about your training with regards to your footwork and hand speed for this fight.

You know, I'm blessed with the fact that I'm 6'8", 285 pounds walking around, cutting to make heavyweight. If you can get a guy that big to move like a 220 pounder, then people are going to be in trouble. That's the way I've been fighting, except for the Randy fight obviously. Arlovksi was alot better of an athlete than me, and I went out there and out struck him in two meetings because I had faster hands than he did. And I out struck Brandon too. It's something I always like to work on and always need to work on. You do lose a step if you don't constantly work on that stuff.

If you beat Nogueira, do you think the fans will start warming up to you?

(laughs) I don't know. I don't care. Don't get me wrong. The more fans, the merrier. I have a great fanbase. I get over a hundred messages on my MySpace page a day. Out of a thousands messages, maybe one or two is something bad. So I think I'm starting to win the fans over...slowly. (laughs)

Is there a requirement for fans that want you to sign an autograph?

Yea. They have to know my name. I can't stand it when I get this middle-aged lady, it's usually older ladies, comes up and ask for an autograph, and I ask them what's my name and they say they don't know. "I don't know but everyone else is getting your autograph and they say you're famous." Uh, no. I'm sorry. No.

What animals have you killed this year?

This year I have killed a black bear, turkey, pheasant, quail, and six deer. And some possums, you know, but that's just pests out in my yard tearing up my lawn and digging into my apple trees. Raccoons too. And some coyotes.

What the heck do you do with a possum?

Oh, nothing. I just kill it and throw it in a ditch.

Weirdest place or situation where you have worn the belt.

I've had sex before with the belt on. That was back in the Ricco Rodriguez days. The night I won the belt I had a sexual experience with the belt on. But hey, I was 25 years old and it was the biggest thing that ever had happened to me in my life. The girl was like hey, are you going to take that thing off. And I said no, I'm not...I'm wearing it and if you have a problem with it, then I'm leaving. And I hate to say it, but if I do win the belt again, then this time it's never coming off. I'm going to wear it alot more.

For the record, what do you think about Kimbo and Tank?

Who?

Kimbo Slice?

I don't even know who you are talking about.

Good stuff from Big Tim. Should be a good fight.

MuayThai4Life · 01-29-2008

lol Timmah knows who Kimbo Slice is. Man I really hope Nog pulls off the win. But I could totally see Timmah pushing him up against the fence and having a borring 5 round fight. I'm glad he wasn't talking about KO'ing him like he has everyone else. It's a lie that just no one can believe anymore. I wonder if AA is foaming at the mouth every time he hears Timmah talk about outstriking him and beating him. The way he tells it you'd think it was a domination instead of a borring fight to watch.

Jamie · 01-30-2008

I listened to the interview, when he was talking about having sec with the belt on that really made me laugh.

It's a tough fight for Nog I hope he comes away with a big W.

MATT E · 01-30-2008

"Arlovksi was alot better of an athlete than me, and I went out there and out struck him in two meetings because I had faster hands than he did. And I out struck Brandon too"

He may off outstruck him in the third fight because of his reach and Arlovski being so tenative, it had nothing to do with Sylvia having faster hands, he's only lieing to himself by saying that he has faster hands thne AA. But in the second bought i dont think he landed 1 punch before Arlovski landed that huge right hand that put him down, then Sylvia got up and caught him with a wild uppercut.

And how can he say he outstruck Vera when he clinched with him for an entire fight, I guranteed if they stood toe to toe Vera Hands and feet would destroy him.