Tim Means attacking Bernardo Magalhaes (right) (photo via UFC.com)

By Kelsey Mowatt

Tim Means may have come up short in his Octagon return this past May, but the vet’s head coach hasn’t lost faith in his ability to become one of the UFC’s most feared welterweights. While Tom Vaughn understands that Means is competing in mixed-martial-arts, the FIT NHB instructor doesn’t believe his fighter necessarily lost a ‘fight.’

After Means was out grappled by Danny Castillo at UFC on FOX 8, which was the 30 year-old’s second straight loss, he was let go by the UFC. After scoring stoppage wins over Pete Spratt and Artenas Young with Legacy FC, however, the noted finisher was brought back to face Neil Magny. Means lost the UFC Fight Night 40 bout fight via unanimous decision.

“Neil Magny, I didn’t really talk to him, but he seems like a really good, solid guy, and a human being, so nothing personally against him, but it looked like they circled, they circled, they picked at Timmy, hoping he’d move forward hard enough, so that they could change levels, get in, get a takedown and steal the round,” Vaughn argued on a recent episode of Full Contact Fighter Radio.

“But I look at it as far as fighting; not just who wins a points game,” furthered Vaughn, who also relayed he was surprised to see Jorge Masvidal shoot in for takedowns when he decisioned Means at UFC on FOX 7. “Who is doing more damage? Who is really controlling the fight? But, we are where we are and we’ve got to play the game the way it’s being played, so we made some adjustments coming into this fight. But still hoping for the knockout; that’s what everybody loves about Tim Means.”

Means

Of course, Vaughn isn’t the first person to question whether judges assigns too much credit for takedowns, rather than techniques that are designed to finish fights.

“The decision losses that he’s had, I didn’t see anybody being super aggressive from the top,” said Vaughn, while discussing Means’ defeats in the UFC. “What I saw was people trying to figure out what the hell they wanted to do, and what time it was in the round…I didn’t see anybody beating the crap out of Timmy from the top. I saw a takedown; I saw kind of laying and praying. There’s a difference.”

“I believe Timmy’s one of the top strikers in the UFC,” Vaughn relayed about the 6’2 tall fighter, who has recorded a TKO, KO or submission win in 19 of his 20 victories. “I really do, but everybody probably says that about their guy, but I think he’s proved how dangerous he can be.”

This Saturday, Means (20-6-1) will be looking for his third, Octagon victory, when he takes on former Shooto champ Hernani Perpetuo at UFC on FOX 12. Perpetuo is coming off an memorable, split decision loss to Jordan Mein in April, which snapped the Nova Uniao fighter’s nine fight undefeated streak.

“I think the guy’s tough, talented, and I enjoyed that fight,” Vaughn noted about Perpetuo and his bout with Mein. “So I’m hoping we have a similar type fight.”

UFC on FOX 12 will be hosted by San Jose’s SAP Center, and will feature Robbie Lawler taking on fellow welterweight contender Matt Brown in the headliner.