# Tim Means
**Tim Means** (born 1984) is an American mixed martial artist from Wilburton, Oklahoma, known by the nickname "The Dirty Bird", who competes as a welterweight in the [Ultimate Fighting Championship](https://www.edgepedia.org/ultimate-fighting-championship) (UFC) and trains at Fit NHB in [Albuquerque, New Mexico](https://www.edgepedia.org/albuquerque-new-mexico).[1](https://www.ufc.com/athlete/tim-means) Across a professional career that began in 2004 he has compiled a record of 33 wins, 17 losses, and 1 draw with 1 no-contest, and a UFC record of 15-14-0 with 1 no-contest.[2](https://www.fightmatrix.com/fighter-profile/Tim%20Means/23221/)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Born | 1984, Wilburton, Oklahoma, United States[1](https://www.ufc.com/athlete/tim-means) |
| Team / style | Fit NHB, Albuquerque, NM; striker[1](https://www.ufc.com/athlete/tim-means) |
| Pro record | 33-17-1, 1 NC; pro debut March 13, 2004[2](https://www.fightmatrix.com/fighter-profile/Tim%20Means/23221/) |
| UFC record | 15-14-0, 1 NC; Octagon debut February 15, 2012[2](https://www.fightmatrix.com/fighter-profile/Tim%20Means/23221/) |
| Win methods | 20 by KO/TKO, 5 by submission, 8 by decision[3](https://www.sherdog.com/fighter/Tim-Means-11281) |
| Championships | King of the Cage junior welterweight and lightweight titles (2010)[4](https://www.sherdog.com/news/articles/5-Defining-Moments-Tim-Means-193447) |
| Physical | 6'2" (188 cm), 75" reach, fights at 170 lbs[1](https://www.ufc.com/athlete/tim-means) • [3](https://www.sherdog.com/fighter/Tim-Means-11281) |
| Most recent bout | Loss to Court McGee, UFC 307, October 5, 2024[3](https://www.sherdog.com/fighter/Tim-Means-11281) |
## Early career and King of the Cage
Means turned professional in 2004 and compiled a 3-2 record before joining the King of the Cage (KOTC) promotion, where he went 6-1 with one draw.[4](https://www.sherdog.com/news/articles/5-Defining-Moments-Tim-Means-193447) On October 7, 2010 he challenged Bobby Green for the KOTC junior welterweight championship; the damage he accumulated left Green nearly unable to rise from the stool between rounds, and Means won by second-round technical knockout via retirement.[4](https://www.sherdog.com/news/articles/5-Defining-Moments-Tim-Means-193447) After defending the welterweight title multiple times, he faced Tye Brown for the vacant KOTC lightweight championship at KOTC: Total Destruction and won by TKO in 30 seconds, becoming a two-division champion in the promotion.[4](https://www.sherdog.com/news/articles/5-Defining-Moments-Tim-Means-193447) His single career draw came against Dom O'Grady at a KOTC event on July 30, 2010 in Edmonton, Alberta.[5](https://www.sherdog.com/news/articles/Tim-Means-By-The-Numbers-129215)
## UFC career
Means entered the UFC on a seven-fight winning streak and debuted against Bernardo Magalhaes at UFC on Fuel TV 1 on February 15, 2012, winning by unanimous decision.[4](https://www.sherdog.com/news/articles/5-Defining-Moments-Tim-Means-193447) • [2](https://www.fightmatrix.com/fighter-profile/Tim%20Means/23221/) He then defeated the surging Justin Salas in 66 seconds.[4](https://www.sherdog.com/news/articles/5-Defining-Moments-Tim-Means-193447)
**Peak run.** Between July 2014 and April 2015 Means put together his best stretch in the promotion, a four-fight winning streak: decision wins over Hernani Perpetuo and Marcio Alexandre Jr., a first-round TKO of Dhiego Lima at UFC 184, and a third-round submission of George Sullivan. The run ended with a guillotine choke loss to Matt Brown at [UFC 189](https://www.edgepedia.org/ufc-189).[4](https://www.sherdog.com/news/articles/5-Defining-Moments-Tim-Means-193447) Two of his finishes earned $50,000 "Performance of the Night" bonuses: the Lima knockout at UFC 184 and a second-round knockout of [John Howard](https://www.edgepedia.org/john-howard) at [UFC Fight Night 80](https://www.edgepedia.org/ufc-fight-night-namajunas-vs-vanzant).[5](https://www.sherdog.com/news/articles/Tim-Means-By-The-Numbers-129215)
**Longevity.** His bout against Andre Fialho at UFC Fight Night 228 on September 23, 2023 marked his 50th professional appearance in a career spanning more than 20 years, 12 of them in the UFC. After two competitive rounds he hurt Fialho with a head kick and finished the fight with a knee and follow-up strikes at 1:15 of the third round.[4](https://www.sherdog.com/news/articles/5-Defining-Moments-Tim-Means-193447) • [3](https://www.sherdog.com/fighter/Tim-Means-11281) He then lost to Uros Medic by first-round TKO at UFC on ESPN 55 on April 27, 2024, and to [Court McGee](https://www.edgepedia.org/court-mcgee) by first-round submission at UFC 307 on October 5, 2024; Sherdog records the finish as a neck crank while the UFC lists it as a rear-naked choke, both at 3:19 of round one.[3](https://www.sherdog.com/fighter/Tim-Means-11281) • [1](https://www.ufc.com/athlete/tim-means)
## Fighting style and statistics
The UFC lists Means as a striker, and he is known for close-quarters elbow strikes and a willingness to engage in firefights.[1](https://www.ufc.com/athlete/tim-means) • [5](https://www.sherdog.com/news/articles/Tim-Means-By-The-Numbers-129215) Of his 33 professional wins, 20 have come by KO or TKO, 5 by submission, and 8 by decision, a finish rate of about three quarters of his victories.[3](https://www.sherdog.com/fighter/Tim-Means-11281) • [2](https://www.fightmatrix.com/fighter-profile/Tim%20Means/23221/) He has stopped 14 opponents inside one round, with recorded finish times of 4, 9, 30, 46, 66, 67, 77, and 98 seconds.[5](https://www.sherdog.com/news/articles/Tim-Means-By-The-Numbers-129215) Per FightMetric figures published in 2017, he successfully defended 66.3 percent of significant strikes attempted against him in UFC competition, a figure that then tied for sixth among active UFC welterweights with at least five fights at 170 pounds.[5](https://www.sherdog.com/news/articles/Tim-Means-By-The-Numbers-129215)
## Career pattern
Means's career shows an early interruption and a long second act. After starting 3-2 as a professional, with his first two losses coming against future UFC veterans Spencer Fisher and Luke Caudillo, he took a four-year hiatus from the sport; since returning he has gone 30-14-1 with 1 no-contest.[1](https://www.ufc.com/athlete/tim-means) In the UFC he has alternated between winning and losing stretches, with his longest win streak of four fights (2014-2015) and a later three-fight streak (2020-2021).[2](https://www.fightmatrix.com/fighter-profile/Tim%20Means/23221/) His cumulative Octagon time through his last recorded fight is 4 hours 48 minutes 59 seconds.[2](https://www.fightmatrix.com/fighter-profile/Tim%20Means/23221/)
## References
1. [Tim Means, UFC.com athlete profile](https://www.ufc.com/athlete/tim-means)
2. [Tim Means, FightMatrix fighter profile](https://www.fightmatrix.com/fighter-profile/Tim%20Means/23221/)
3. [Tim "The Dirty Bird" Means, Sherdog Fight Finder](https://www.sherdog.com/fighter/Tim-Means-11281)
4. [5 Defining Moments: Tim Means, Sherdog (Abhishek Nambiar, April 24, 2024)](https://www.sherdog.com/news/articles/5-Defining-Moments-Tim-Means-193447)
5. [Tim Means: By The Numbers, Sherdog (Brian Knapp, November 17, 2017)](https://www.sherdog.com/news/articles/Tim-Means-By-The-Numbers-129215)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Sports, games, and recreation › Individual sports and outdoor recreation › Combat sports and professional wrestling › Mixed martial arts › Welterweight and middleweight fighters › Welterweight fighters*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Sep 30, 2026; Oct 21, 2026 · Edited: Sep 30, 2026; Oct 12, 2026; Oct 21, 2026 · Last review: Oct 21, 2026*
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License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license