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“They Thought I Was Asking For More Money…”: Former UFC Heavyweight Champ Reveals the Real Reason Why Dana White Didn’t Allow Him to “Finish” His Career in the Promotion

Published 07/02/2023, 7:14 AM EDT

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In UFC’s eventful history, many fighters have abruptly parted ways with the organization, leaving fans without the opportunity to give their favorite fighters a good farewell. One such departure was that of former UFC heavyweight champion, Tim Sylvia. Sylvia is a former two-time UFC Heavyweight Champion who left the promotion in 2008.

The former champ’s separation from the UFC and his fallout with Dana White created big controversies at the time. Now, ‘The Maine-iac’ competes in the highly controversial sport of slap fighting. Recently, the 47-year-old appeared on the Submission Radio podcast where he discussed this in heavy detail.

Tim Sylvia about Dana White changing his mind to give him another UFC run

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When asked about why Dana White changed his mind about keeping him in the UFC, Sylvia provided some insight. He believed that the decision stemmed from the fact that the UFC had talked negatively about him in the past, and allowing him to return would contradict their previous statements.

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“I understand they felt like it made them look bad. Because they talked so much sh*t about me that now all of a sudden ‘oh well we’ve talked all that sh*t but now we’re gonna let them come back’ So that’s kind of what we got from.”

Furthermore, Sylvia addressed the issue of his words being taken out of context, which potentially hindered his chances of returning to the UFC.

Read More – “Is That a Tooth That Went Flying”: MMA World Reacts as Former UFC Heavyweight Champion KO’s Opponent in a Slap Fight

“They thought I was asking for more money and stuff and I wasn’t. It’s like when they showed up I was like ‘Hey! get that checkbook out’ because I’m going for that bonus’. But I might not have said I’m going for that bonus, so I’m like get your checkbooks out boys’ and they thought I’m trying to ask for more money.”

Tim Sylvia about his desire to retire at the UFC

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Despite the challenges, Sylvia strongly desired to retire from the UFC, considering it his home. He had hoped to conclude his career in the promotion, willing to swallow his pride and focus on performing.

“I really wanted to. Ideally, I wanted to finish my career in the UFC. That was my big home. I wonder I was ready to come back and eat some humble pie and keep my head down. Just let my performances do the work.”

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Watch This Story – Take A Look At Dana White’s Six Million Worth Mansion

What are your thoughts about these revelations by the former UFC heavyweight champion? Do let us know in the comments below.

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Written by:

Sushant Sharma

920Articles

One take at a time

Sushant Sharma is a UFC writer at EssentiallySports who has a keen understanding of the complex commercial nature of the sport. With a degree in Commerce from a prestigious institute, Sushant has a unique perspective on the multi-million-dollar industry that surrounds the UFC. He is an avid fan of the sport and has been following it closely since 2016.
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Edited by:

Rupkamal Sarma