MMA world reacts as former two-time UFC heavyweight champion joins slap fighting

Former two-time UFC heavyweight champion Tim Sylvia is set to compete in his first slap fighting event on April 22, 2023, according to MMA Underground's John Morgan, who tweeted:

"Former #UFC champ Tim Sylvia [@timsylviamma] is making the move to Slap Fighting. 'The Maine-iac' will compete on April 22 for SlapFIGHT Championship [@SlapFIGHTUSA], the organization that preceded @powerslapleague."

Mixed martial arts fans were not thrilled with the announcement. @madflavor89 expressed their feelings on the matter by stating:

"💔😢 this is so sad"

Former UFC heavyweight contender Ben Rothwell, who faced Tim Sylvia in the Extreme Challenge promotion all the way back in 2001, also gave his take on the matter. He chimed in with an excerpt from Sylvia's Wikipedia page indicating that he was forced to retire from mixed martial arts due to the damage he had taken:

"Yeah , Um , read this … 🤦‍♂️🤦‍♂️🤦‍♂️"

@BrighamGPT pointed out that Sylvia is not competing for UFC president Dana White's slap fighting promotion:

"Interesting he’s doing it for the OTHER promotion and not Dana’s"

@whiter069 claimed Sylvia might not be making the best decision:

"Doesn’t seem like a wise decision for a 47 year old"

@TweetWithDave shared his disappointment while wishing the former heavyweight champion well:

"This post really bums me out. All power to Tim though. Hope the guys happy and healthy and makes a sh*t ton for this. Legend."

@2nahalfmenfan called out the UFC for not helping their former fighters:

"Imagine if the billy valued company that owns Tim’s former employer used some of their record breaking profits to help out the former employees who are still on this earth"

Check out some of the fan reactions to the news below:

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How did Tim Sylvia's mixed martial arts career fare before the transition to slap fighting?

Tim Sylvia has not competed in mixed martial arts in nearly a decade, as his last bout came in October 2013. The two-time heavyweight champion retired with a professional record of 31 wins, 10 losses, and one no-contest. He started his career with 16 consecutive wins but did not go out on a high note, losing his final three bouts.

Sylvia was set to make his return to the cage in 2015. However, he was unable to receive medical clearance as doctors claimed that he had taken too much damage in his career.

The two-time UFC heavyweight champion noted that his inability to receive medical clearance led to his retirement. It is unclear what has changed medically that has allowed him to participate in slap fighting.