Tim Means (born February 20, 1984) is an American professional mixed martial artist currently competing in the Welterweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship.
Born in Wilburton, Oklahoma, and raised in New Mexico, Means began training at the age of 12, as he was a troubled kid and was taken under the wing of a local trainer.
In 2004, Means was involved in a shooting incident outside of a bar and suffered a nine-inch gunshot wound in the femoral artery of his thigh.
A few years after Means began using meth, he found himself in trouble with the law, and was charged with aggravated assault after punching a man who broke into his home.
[1] Means returned to MMA in 2009 and reeled off six consecutive victories via first round stoppage, including a nine-second TKO win over Matt Green at KOTC: New Breed.
He defended the belt on four occasions, most recently in a first-round TKO victory over Mario Ramos at KOTC: High Performance on Nov. 19, 2011.
[6] Means overwhelmed Justin Salas on June 8, 2012, at UFC on FX 3, knocking him down multiple times before finishing him with punches in just over a minute.
[9] On the day of the weigh-ins for the event, Means fell in a hotel sauna, injuring his head, and was replaced by Marcus LeVesseur.
[12][13] After his release from the UFC, Means was called to replace Danny Salinas in the main event against Pete Spratt on September 13, 2013, at Legacy FC 23.
Means manager Tom Vaughn when asked for statement didn't respond for comment to the allegations.
[15] Means then defeated Artenas Young via first-round technical knockout at Legacy FC 27, on January 31, 2014.
[18] Means won a split decision over Márcio Alexandre on December 20, 2014, at UFC Fight Night 58.
[19] Means earned a Performance of the Night bonus for defeating Dhiego Lima via TKO in the first round on February 28, 2015, at UFC 184.
[20][21][22] Means, replacing an injured Kenny Robertson, defeated George Sullivan via submission (arm-triangle choke) in round three on April 18, 2015, at UFC on Fox 15.
[31][32] At the conclusion of his suspension, Means was expected to face Sean Strickland on August 20, 2016, at UFC 202.
[37] The bout was halted in the first round after Means landed several knees to the head of Oliveira while he was considered a grounded opponent.
Subsequently, referee Dan Miragliotta judged that the foul was accidental, and in turn, the result was scored a no contest.
[53] In the last fight of his prevailing contract, Means faced Thiago Alves on December 7, 2019, at UFC on ESPN 7.
[67] Subsequently Means was shifted to face Nicolas Dalby at UFC Fight Night 190 on June 26, 2021.