Sherdog’s Top 10Sherdog’s Top 10: Overachievers
Number 2
2. Tim Sylvia (31-10)
Sylvia has largely been forgotten as a top-flight fighter by the most recent generation of fans -- those that came to the UFC after Brock Lesnar and the Fox deal. To them, Sylvia is the pudgy, awkward-looking guy who was humiliatingly submitted by Fedor Emelianenko and subsequently knocked out by an over-the-hill boxer before going on a bad run that had him most recently losing a decision to Ruslan Magomedov. Even if they go back a little further than the Lesnar Era, the most salient memory would be Randy Couture dropping and dominating Sylvia in a monumental upset at UFC 68.
There was a time, however, when the 6-foot-8 Sylvia was one of the best heavyweights in the world -- and the legitimate UFC champion. What is even more notable is that he achieved all of that without much in the way of physical talent. Sylvia was at heart a lumbering and not particularly powerful striker who survived by dint of his height and a game that utilized it perfectly. At his best, Sylvia worked behind a crisp, consistent jab and a long right hand: No flashy kicks, high-amplitude takedowns or bone-crushing submissions for the longtime Miletich Fighting Systems pupil, just meat-and-potatoes boxing and outstanding takedown defense.
History, hindsight and Father Time have not been kind to Sylvia, but he is the definition of an overachiever and deserves recognition for what he was able to accomplish without the athletic abilities of his peers.
Number 1 » He is the standard next to whom all other underdogs will be judged -- a man who took his durability and cardio and built a game around them that was capable of competing with the very best in the world in the most prestigious division in the sport.
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