Tim Sylvia: ‘The old Tim is back’ against Brandon Vera at UF

Former heavyweight champion Tim Sylvia is injury-free and has a new boxing coach, declaring to the Canadian Pressthat the “Old Tim is Back.”
You know, the guy who punted Tre Telligman’s head into the third row at UFC 54 and stopped guys like Andrei Arlovski, Ricco Rodriguez, Gan McGee and Wes Sims with strikes? Not the one who was content grinding out snooze-fests against Arlovski, Assuerio Silva and Jeff Monson.
That Tim.
Here’s a snip:

“… the game plans we put together (against Andrei Arlovski and Jeff Monson) were to go out there and win, at all costs, but do it safely [under former boxing coach Matt Pena]. Some of my last few fights haven’t been that exciting so I just hired a new boxing coach (Teddy Mueller). I’m doing a few different things and I think the old Tim’s back, the guy that went out there and knocked people out the first and second round. So I’m going to go out there and give it my best and try and knock Brandon out. Being the fighter that I am, I’m not the type of guy that likes to go to a decision. I’m not the kind of guy that likes to do ground and pound or submissions, I want to knock the guy out standing up.”

“The Mainiac” will have the opportunity to showcase his refined skills against undefeated talent Brandon Vera at UFC 77: “Hostile Territory” this weekend during the co main event at the U.S. Bank Arena in Cincinnati, Ohio.
It’s a fight that pits perhaps the biggest fighter in the division (6′8″, 265 pounds) against it’s smallest (6′2″, 220 pounds). In fact, Vera admits that he can make the 205-pound light heavyweight limit “without even trying.”
The size difference is something that clearly doesn’t concern “The Truth” much. And it may not be such a huge factor since it is just a three-round bout.
But the “old” Sylvia has demonstrated that if he hits you on the button, more often than not, he puts you to sleep. Furthermore, he has never been knocked out — just two submission defeats and a unanimous decision loss are the only blemishes on his record.
Put simply, this is a very difficult fight for Vera if indeed the old Tim is back.

source: http://ufcmania.com/