UFC 189's Tim Means: Tough Times Made a Tough Fighter

LAS VEGAS — Tim Means has been waiting to land a big fight and couldn't be more excited about whom that opportunity will come against at UFC 189.

The scrappy welterweight will make his first venture into the deeper waters of the 170-pound division when he trades leather with Matt "The Immortal" Brown on Saturday night at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas.

Much like The Immortal, Means operates with an aggression-driven, high-volume style that he effectively uses to push the pace and then attack from various distances. He can use his range to keep the fight at a distance, but he's equally willing to engage in gritty exchanges inside the pocket.

The hard-nosed Ohio native possesses many of those same weapons, and the matchup between Means and Brown has many in the MMA community anticipating an action-packed affair when they collide at UFC 189.

In addition to the fight being an interesting stylistic pairing, Means also sees a tremendous opportunity to advance his career on Saturday night.

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Over the past three years, Brown has battled his way up the welterweight ladder to become a staple in the upper tier of the division, and Means knows a victory over The Ultimate Fighter alum would be the biggest win of his career. 

Those conditions have Means fired up to deliver something special, and he's confident fight fans will have something to talk about after his business with Brown is settled inside the cage.

"I've been wanting to face guys who go out there and fight for the bonus checks, and Brown is a bonus-check fighter," Means told Bleacher Report during Thursday's media day event for UFC 189. "I'm looking over at him right now across the way, and we could probably be cousins or something. We could probably be related, but every family has tensions now and then," he said with a laugh.

"That guy over there is a tough guy, and he's going to come in there looking to hurt me. I just have to react, and those are the fights I think are the coolest. I don't have to shop and look for the openings—I just have to throw back. I know he's going to be coming forward just like I am, and we are going to throw down."

Even though Means has only been competing under the UFC banner for three years, the 31-year-old welterweight has already solidified himself as a dangerous threat every time he steps into the cage.

And while he's found both success and struggles while going toe-to-toe with the world's best, the fact that he's even there at all is an accomplishment of epic proportions.

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The Fit NHB representative has never shied away from sharing the hardships of his personal life, which have included multiple near-death experiences and a stint in prison.

Yet where some who travel down dark paths never find the ability to turn things around and battle their way back to a life worth living, he used fighting as both a literal and figurative means to create a new life for himself.

While the tougher elements of his past are long behind him, the lessons learned from facing up to that adversity are always front and center in Means' mind. He keeps the chaos of his past close, and it serves as the ultimate source of motivation to push him forward toward his goals.

"Man, I've been shot and nearly died. I had my teeth knocked out with a shovel during a street fight. I have seen the light a few different times and that made me tougher because of it. I went through my prison stuff, but I don't have felonies. I had a family friend who was a judge that took the five misdemeanors I had, stacked them up and sent me to prison. He did it to open my eyes. It was either going to fix me or make me a career criminal, and that criminal life is awful.

"Going through those things makes you tougher. I remember back in high school going out and scrapping dudes in cornfields just to get some respect and take some pride. Money wasn't involved then, but getting that respect was a big thing. Even if you lost, the fact that you went out and threw down on the plywood in the cornfield, you got bragging rights. People left you alone at the end of the day.

"Not necessarily now, but when I beat Matt Brown, I won't be alone, and I'll have his respect at the end of the day," he added. "I'll also have respect from the rest of the guys in my division as well."

Duane Finley is a featured columnist for Bleacher Report. All quotes are obtained firsthand unless noted otherwise.