Tim
Means has stood the test of time and been around the block
longer than his counterparts. His secret to his longevity? An
ability to turn things around when the circumstances are not
working in his favor, coupled with steady evolution. The
Ultimate Fighting Championship veteran has been a consistent
presence in the welterweight division, but his most recent Octagon
outing celebrated something exceptional. His bout against
Andre
Fialho at UFC Fight Night 228 marked his 50th professional
appearance in a career spanning over 20 years, with 12 of those
years spent in the Las Vegas-based promotion. Progression,
conscious efforts toward recovery and fighting for a greater
purpose have helped Means steer clear of stagnancy.
As Means prepares to take on
Uros Medic
at
UFC on ESPN 55 this Saturday in Las Vegas, a look at five of
the many moments that have come to define him:
1. Crowned in Gold
Means compiled a 3-2 record after he turned professional in 2004
before testing himself in the
King of
the Cage MMA promotion. There, he collated a 6-1 record with
one draw before taking on
Bobby Green
for the KOTC junior welterweight championship. That same year,
“King” laid claim to the title with a TKO victory over
Ricky Legere
Jr. and defended it against
Daron
Cruickshank. The stage was set on Oct. 7, 2010 for Means to
challenge Green’s reign. The accumulated damage inflicted on Green
rendered him almost incapable of getting back on the stool in
between rounds, which led to a Round 2 technical knockout via
retirement for Means.
2. Two Times the Glory
Having defended the welterweight strap multiple times, “The Dirty
Bird” faced
Tye Brown at
KOTC:
Total Destruction for the vacant lightweight championship. In a
mere 30 seconds, he vanquished Brown by TKO and was crowned a
two-division champion of the revered feeder organization. Following
that, he went on to sign with the UFC and would make his
promotional debut on Feb. 15, 2012.
3. Breaking Ground
Backed by a seven-fight winning streak, Means set foot on the grand
stage of the UFC against
Bernardo
Magalhaes at
UFC on Fuel TV 1. He won the fight by unanimous decision and
went on to face
Justin
Salas next. Salas, at that time, was a surging contender
carrying the momentum of a six-fight winning streak. It took the
Oklahoma native 66 seconds to outclass Salas, unleashing carnage on
his foe by dropping him and finishing the fight thanks to his
discernible killer instinct.
4. Peak Performance
Between July 2014 and April 2015, Means accumulated his peak run in
the UFC, consolidating four wins in the process. He scored
unanimous and split decision victories over
Hernani
Perpetuo and
Marcio
Alexandre Jr. In his first major UFC pay-per-view appearance at
UFC
184, he locked horns with
Dhiego Lima,
triumphing over the Brazilian with a first-round TKO. He carried
forward the momentum with a third-round submission victory over
George
Sullivan before succumbing to a guillotine choke loss to
Matt
Brown at
UFC
189.
5. Fifty Fights Strong
Means had plenty of reasons to celebrate his aforementioned TKO
victory over Fialho. The American was coming off his first-ever
three-fight losing skid in the UFC and carried the weight of
rendering a sound performance in his 50th professional fight. Means
stayed patient throughout the course of the fight, even during
moments when Fialho was visibly getting the better of the striking
exchanges. Means’ striking defense stood the test through two
rounds, as he mixed up takedown attempts and punishing strikes to
score heavily on the judges’ scorecards. In the third round, he
hurt Fialho with a head kick and followed up with a barrage of
blows. The finishing sequence came courtesy of a knee up the middle
that wrecked Fialho’s chin and pinpoint follow-up strikes, churning
out the finish at the 1:15 mark of the third round.