Unbeaten Ultimate Champion heavyweight’s title on line

Thursday, Sept. 25, 2003 | 9:37 a.m.

For more information, contact the Mandalay Bay box office (632-7580) or Ticketmaster (474-4000).

Fame, in the form of a group of Japanese fans who begged for photographs beside him Wednesday at UNLV, is starting to chase down ultimate fighter Tim Sylvia.

"It's fun," he said. "I love it."

The Ultimate Fighting Champion's heavyweight title-holder won't get distracted by the celebrity he has earned in forging a 17-0 career.

Sylvia, a native of Maine who favors training in the desolation of Iowa, will defend that belt for the first time Friday night, against Gan McGee (12-1), in UFC 44 at the Mandalay Bay Events Center.

"It's really crucial that I win this fight," Sylvia said. "A lot of people say you're not a champion, like my teammate Matt Hughes, until you defend your title. That's what it's all about. A lot of people out there say I don't deserve this.

"So it's crucial that, whoever they put in front of me, I kick their (rear) and let them know that I'm not a fluke, that I'm here to stay."

The Mandalay Bay octagon will also feature the unification of the light heavyweight crown when Tito Ortiz (11-2) battles Randy Couture (8-4).

Seven other fights fill the undercard of an event that is scheduled to begin at 5:30 p.m.

Sylvia dropped the last ounces of 65 pounds, to get to his current 265, off his 6-foot-8 frame a year ago.

"I had a lot to cut out," he said. "It was a lot of hard work, fasting, and finally overcame it all."

Sylvia started taking karate lessons in grammar school, then he honed a variety of tactics, to subdue malcontents as quickly as possible, when he became a bouncer.

In his first no-holds-barred, open-handed fight as an amateur, Sylvia knocked out his foe in 12 seconds.

"I thought, 'Wow, this is kind of fun. I kinda like doing this. I don't get in trouble for it and it's a great way to release stress,' " Sylvia told FCFighter.com.

Sylvia said he expects McGee, a fine wrestler, will want to get him down on the canvas as quickly as possible.

"As soon as I hit him a few times, I have an idea that he'll try to take me down," Sylvia said. "But I feel very confident that I'll get back up with no problem at all. Right now, I'm at the highest level and, basically, I want to knock out everyone who stands in front of me.

"I want everyone to know that there's a reason I'm the champion."