Two-time UFC heavyweight champion Tim Sylvia sheds 125 pounds with 20 still to go

Tim Sylvia, a two-time UFC heavyweight champion who competed in the Octagon 13 times between 2002 and 2008, has shared a shirtless mirror selfie on Instagram documenting a weight loss of more than 125 pounds — and says he is not finished yet.

The caption on Sylvia’s post read: “Slowly getting there. 20 lbs to go and I will be 265 lbs. Over 125lbs down.” His stated target of 265 pounds is not an arbitrary figure — it is precisely the current non-championship weight limit in the UFC heavyweight division.

Sylvia, nicknamed “The Maine-iac”, made his Octagon debut by finishing Wesley Correira before claiming his first UFC heavyweight title at UFC 41, defeating Ricco Rodriguez. He successfully defended the belt against Gan McGee but was subsequently stripped of the championship following a failed drug test.

He fell short in back-to-back title bids against Frank Mir and Andrei Arlovski, fought once outside the UFC, then returned to the promotion and strung together two victories before reclaiming the heavyweight crown in a rematch with Arlovski at UFC 59. Sylvia retired from competition in 2013 with a professional record of 31-10 with one no-contest.