Tim Sylvia on Francis Ngannou – “I’d destroy him in my prime”
Former UFC heavyweight champion Tim Sylvia recently returned to competition after years away from combat sports. Now trying his hand at professional slap fighting, Sylvia is approaching 50-years of age, and it has been 15 years since he fought inside the octagon.
In a recent interview with Submission Radio, “the Maine-iac” spoke about his chances against a more recent fellow former UFC heavyweight champion in Francis Ngannou.
“I don’t think Francis is that good,” Sylvia said. “He’s a monster with heavy hands but his punches come from his hips and he swings wild and crazy. He hits you, you’re going to sleep but a technical fighter like [Jon] Jones and Stipe, they beat him again.
“You saw what he did to Gane. He wouldn’t even stand up with him. He took him down. It was an ugly fight. He talks a lot for only winning a fight then defending against Ciryl Gane.
“I’d destroy him in my prime,” he continued. “If we fought right now he beats me but in my prime, if we could go back in time and I’m in my prime, he’s in his prime, I destroy him. He’s too wild. I was more of a technical striker than he is.”
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Ngannou of course, recently signed with PFL after contract negotiation issues with the UFC.
He is the first African heavyweight world champion in history, and the hardest hitting fighter in MMA history. Under the partnership, Ngannou will fight exclusively in MMA for the PFL’s new PPV Super Fight Division, joining combat sports superstars Jake Paul and Kayla Harrison.
