Andy: Hi Tim, thanks for your time
Tim: Ready to rock?
Q: Definitely! Can you tell us a bit about yourself? How did you get involved with competitive fighting?
A: I was raised by a stern father and loving mother on a farm by Flat Lake, Alberta. Shout out to the Flat Lake Boyz. I grew up with a Brother, Ian, and a sister, Jackie. The farm is where I learned how to work hard and how to show respect always.
I got involved with fighting when I was playing Junior B hockey. I was the biggest guy on the team, so my coach, Brad Prefontaine, encouraged me to be the enforcer! I didn't really like to fight as a boy- I grew up a timid chubby kid, but once I got a taste for it, the rest was history! I fought about 60 times in Jnr. B hockey and then moved on.
Q: Is that ice hockey? What was the role of the enforcer? Sounds mean, lol
A:
Ha ha yes, ice hockey. Basically when someone gets hit inappropriately
I'd be sent out on the ice to fight someone from the other team to send a
message.
Q: That's not in the rule book, surely?
A: Well, no. People like fighting in hockey over here but once I fought I was kicked out of that game!
Q: No wonder you ended up fighting for a living, you must enjoy it?
A: Ha ha ha I only fight when I get paid for it. Otherwise it's not worth my time
Q: So how did you go from Hockey to combat sports?
A:
I began training MMA at the age of 23 while attending the University of
Alberta. I obtained my teaching degree and taught kindergarten (5 year
old's) for a year, and had four professional fights during that time. The
following year only two students were entering my class, so my position
got cut. I've been fighting MMA professionally ever since 2007. I have
also had one pro boxing match that I won. I am not a boxer, I like to
wrestle and kick, but I've always had an intense urge to test myself.
Q: How did you discover MMA and decide that was the sport for you?
A:
When I was attending university I was working part time at a steel
shop. There was a giant of a man that used to do deliveries there. He
sized me up one day and told me to come train with him Tuesday and
Thursday nights. I went and fell in love with it. A bunch of us were
wrestling and doing Jiu jitsu. Eight months later, I had my first fight.
I never had a boxing coach till I already had four fights. I haven't
boxed a whole lot but, I love it!
Q: Your MMA record and history is well documented; you're bloody good in the cage, so why bare knuckle?
A:
After my last win on March 27th, I decided to look for a big challenge,
so I called out Michael Ferry. He is the bkb Heavyweight champ and I am
a Canadian MMA Champion. I might be crazy. People say I'm insane for
doing this, but I want to challenge myself more than anything. Michael
is tough and ultra fast. I'm definitely nervous, but I am Canadian, and
we don't back down to no man. I promise to put on an amazing show for
fans worldwide, and win or lose, I plan on showing the world that this
is just as much a gentleman's sport as anything else. I'm sure many
pints will be drank after the fight. That's what it's all about for me. A
personal test and a chance to bring BBAD to the world. I want to sell
over a million Pay Per Views!
Q: Well at least you wont have to
worry about your floor game when you fight Michael Ferry! How do you
feel about relying on your fists?
A: Ha ha yes indeed. Wrestling
and kicking is a big part of what I do. Ferry is a specialist at
throwing hands. It makes me nervous, but that's part of the adrenaline
rush for me. And that's what makes the fight so intriguing. Can an MMA
fighter go into the bkb world and do well in a fight?
Q: You won
your first five fights, and the fifth win saw you crowned the Canadian
Heavyweight Champion. Bbad Promotions have seen a few fighters come
through from MMA....when you come to Nottingham next month, you will see
Jon 'Chopper' Stone make his Bbad bkb debut against Craig Amer.....that
fight should be of particular interest to you. Both men have fought in
the cage, and still do. Does it worry you that will not be able to win
by forcing a tap out?
A: Yes, tapping someone out is part of my game. Not having that ability allowed will be a challenge.
Q:
And you must be confident with your hands, or you wouldn't be going in
with our Heavyweight Champ! Or are you just mad for it?
A: I know that I hit hard and I focus on the basics. I have a lot of knockouts so I am confident in the punches I throw.
Q: Have you ever won a fight with a knockout punch?
A: Yes I've won lots of fights by knockout.
Q: Just to clarify, with a punch?
A: Yes, punch.
Q: Do you have any sort of fight plan?
A:
I just plan on putting on a great show for the fans. Ferry starts fast,
so it's going to be fucking electric. I'm just going to fight him. It's
a fight, so we're going to throw down.
Q:The fans are gonna love
to see this, trust me- as you said earlier, you are both champions,
both masters of your game- will a lot of Canadians be watching on the
PPV ( Pay per View)? Is the fight being promoted in Canada?
A:
I've put together a social media marketing team. I'm very serious about
making a lot of money off of this fight, two champions will collide. I'm
coming into Michaels' world, and I have tremendous respect for him and
all bkb fighters. It's an honour, but as I said earlier, I want to sell
as many pay per views as Mayweather! I've already caused a ruckus of
interest in North America via Facebook/twitter/instagram.
Q: That's good for the sport Tim, and obviously good for you! Win or lose, what will be the next fight for you?
A: I'm focussed on the fight with Ferry alone. I'm not looking past that fight.
Q:
Well it will no doubt be one of the most anticipated fights of the
year....it will be huge worldwide publicity for the sport, and I've no
doubt that a lot of your MMA fans will be watching. Do you think that
bareknuckle will grow as big as MMA, and how long do you think it will
take? Will MMA fans take to bkb to support you?
A: Bare knuckle
can grow bigger than MMA if done properly. The sport is more raw, and I
think the athletes need to be mentally tougher. Joe from Bbad is
definitely on the right track. He has been great to deal with.
This
WILL be the most anticipated fight of the year, and the whole world
WILL be watching! I'm not afraid to lose, because I am simply fighting
for a better life for my son. If I can make some money to better his
life then I already consider it a win.
Mma fans have already
exploded at the chance to watch me compete in bkb. Every day my fan page
on Facebook grows, the proof is in the fan page statistics already!
We
are going to blow up thanks to my social media marketing team. I'm
taking this seriously. I want to get rich and I will do just that.
Q:
Tim, would you like to tell us about your son? It won't be out of
place, the Bbad fans are very family orientated, but if you want to keep
it private then I understand.
A: My boy is 6 years old.
Everything I do in my life is to provide better for him. He is my little
angel. Smart as a whip, and likes to wrestle his daddy!
Q: Does he know that you are a fighter?
A: He knows full well that his father is a champion.
Q: Has he ever seen you come back from a fight carrying a visible injury? What's the worst you been hurt ( if ever lol) ?
A:
He has seen my face smashed up pretty badly. He told me he wants to
become a doctor so that he can fix his daddy when I'm all bashed up.
I've broken my nose about ten times. Thumbs a couple times. Concussions
twice.
Q: What an amazing thing for a six year old to say! I
reckon this will be the first interview to bring a tear to the eye of
some of our readers! Your thumbs? ....is that a typical MMA injury? From
punching or grappling, is that relative?
A: My thumbs were broke because sometimes I don't throw proper punches!
Q: Are you just saying that to build Michael Ferry's hopes up? He will be hoping you don't throw proper punches!
A: Ha ha ha ha! I think it's going to be an exciting fight. I hope it goes on a few minutes for the fans
Q: Any idea as to if it will last long, or be an early knockout or stoppage?
A:
I am never able to predict if a fight will be short or long. My last
one was scheduled for 5x5 minute rounds and I finished it in 6 seconds!
Q: Will you train differently for bkb than you do for MMA?
A: For bkb I'll focus 100% on boxing and that's about it.
Q: Who will train you, do you want to give your gym/ trainer or sponsors a mention?
A: I have a training program and coaching in place. I train out of Blacksheep MMA gym, where I am now one of the head trainers.
Q:
How do you think Ferry will train to prepare for you? Craig Amer took
some powerful body shots and went down very quickly, took us all by
surprise, but will a boxer have to defend differently against a
potential knockout punch from an MMA man?
A: I think Ferry will
do whatever his coaches see fit. I'm not concerned with what he will be
doing. I'm concerned with what I will be doing. A punch is a punch. But I
definitely know that a boxer punches hard! I'm ready to challenge him
from another part of the world for the first Bbad world title and if I
win, I'll defend it against anyone in the world. Let's fight for the
world title. I'm fuckin ready for it.
Q: If that happened, surely it would be amazing, to take the belt back to Canada?
A: It really would. The look in my son's eyes would make it all worthwhile
Q: Would you be able to defend it on home soil, what do the Canadian Authorities make of bkb?
A:
Well they haven't warmed up to it yet, but Joe Brown is doing amazing
things in getting the sport recognized as a pro sport worldwide. And I'm
going to help with raising the awareness. The more people who know
about bkb, the more will buy the pay per view, and the more money we all
make. I want the whole world to watch! Being an ex UFC fighter who fought on 2 pay per views, I think I bring something very valuable to the table.
Q:
Absolutely....the response to your facebook page speaks for itself! Do
you think your established MMA fans will enjoy seeing you fight bkb more
or less than in the cage?
A: The fans will enjoy it even more
because the chance of me getting hurt or cut or busted up seems much
higher. That's where the real excitement lies! Plus the glory of winning
will be greater
Q: And harder earn’t too?
A: Yes sir. That's the only way I like to make my money. The hard way.
Q:
Well it doesn't come much harder than bare knuckle! For anyone who
doesn't know much about the sport, why should they buy the Pay Per View and tune
in on the night?
A: People should buy the pay per view because it
is the most raw combat sport, involving the hardest men in the world.
There will be non stop action, and knockouts, there will be blood, and
there will be glory.
Q: Is there anybody you would like to thank, maybe give your sponsors a plug?
Q: I wish you the very
best of luck on the night, not that I think either you will need too
much luck, with the amount of skill that will be in the ring, I don't
think luck will come into it! Would you like to say anything else
before we call it a wrap?
A:Thank you very much Andy. I'm excited
for this opportunity. I want to buy a place for my boy and If all goes
well, I think this fight will provide me with that.
Don't
forget fight fans, Tim will be a guest at Colwick Hall on 16th May for
the Rumble in the Forest show, so you can meet him then!
Interview by Andy Juby.
Catch up with the latest from Andy on the BBAD Bulletin Website
