|
CONT'D
Brian Hemminger: Now you've been training at Greg Jackson's MMA for I believe about a year now. What's it like working with those guys alongside top middleweights like Brian Stann, obviously a fellow veteran. How has that been now that you've moved up into this top training camp?
Tim Kennedy: Embarrasing, humbling. They're so good. Every guy there is so talented, so gifted and so dedicated, it makes every workout and every practice very challenging, very painful and you've just got to go in there, put your best foot forward and keep training.
Brian Hemminger: And will Greg Jackson be in your corner in Chicago?
Tim Kennedy: Yep. He's awesome. He's a great coach, a great corner man and he knows what he's doing. I'm excited to have him.
Brian Hemminger: There was some news recently about Ranger Up not being able to sponsor fighters in the cage, and not being able to wear their logo on shorts, etc. Can you talk about that? I know they said they'd still be paying fighters and still sponsor fighters. Can you talk about how that affects you?
Tim Kennedy: I've been with Ranger Up for six years. They have been so loyal to me in every single way they possibly can, supporting me as a sponsor. Even though I can't be wearing them on my shorts, I won't be wearing anybody. I will reciprocate that. It's gonna be symbiotic and they supported me and they'll continue to support me so I'm gonna be wearing blank fight shorts. I'll be wearing a blank t-shirt. I understand Zuffa is a great company and they're very business minded and they're the bosses so I cannot argue how or why they do things. I can just do what they tell me. I won't be wearing Ranger Up but I'll definitely be supporting them in every way I can.
Brian Hemminger: You recently had a bit of a rant on twitter against people who use performance enhancing drugs, saying you'd like to fight them all. I know you're a guy that trains extremely hard. Can you talk about your mentality towards people who cheat?
Tim Kennedy: I hate cheaters. This is not like a "holier than though, I'm good, they're bad and let me show them that they're bad." That's not what it's about. I want it to be a testament that PEDs, performance enhancing drugs don't help you in MMA. They don't. One: you'll get caught and if you don't get caught? Your'e still mentally weaker than the guys that don't use them. I train three times a day, five days a week and two times a day on the days that I don't train three times. My mental state where I walk into a fight is I know I trained harder than anyone out there. I'm already in a better position than they are. You're shortchanging your ability and your potential by using performance enhancing drugs and I think I can demonstrate that by fighting the guys that cheat. I just hate cheaters. Additionally, MMA, mixed martial arts is founded upon honor and integrity. A martial artist is someone who'e dedicated and disciplined. They're not cheaters, they shouldn't be. The origin of our sport and martial arts should be integrity and guys who cheat, in my sport, it just makes me so embarrassed and disappointed. So yeah, I've kinda got a chip on my shoulder when guys are caught using drugs because it's absolutely against everything that MMA is founded on. I'll go out there and beat them up to prove that when you cheat, not only does it not benefit you but you can also get beat by the guys that don't.
Brian Hemminger: Ok Tim, we'll wrap this up. What do you think fans can expect when you get in the cage against Robbie Lawler on July 30th?
Tim Kennedy: I think they can expect one heck of a fight. Robbie is a constant competitor. He's very experienced, he's a veteran. It's not like I'm gonna go out there and control this guy. He's top 10 in the world. I've got a lot to prove with this fight. He's very dangerous so you can expect fireworks. You can expect me to really bring the fight to him. I'm hoping for the fight of the night. We're gonna go out there and leave everything out there.
To listen to the full audio of the interview, click here (55 minute mark.)
|