The views and opinions in this write up are those of Krazy Mike

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KOTC Fighter Thomas Kenney Interview
May 16, 2006

Thomas Kenney
Wt.: 170
Ht.: 5'8
Location:  The Mean Streets Of Huntington Beach

KM: How did you get into Cage Fighting?
TK: I wrestled in High School and one of my coaches overheard me and some of the guys talking about some fights that we had gotten into. So he walked over to us and asked us if we thought that we were tough. Our response being the smart ass 18 year olds that we were was OF COURSE WE ARE. He told us to stay in shape and that he had something for us in 2 weeks. What he had for us was our first professional fight.

KM: What style of fighter are you?
TK: I train Jiu-Jitsu on a daily basis and on the weekends I do some Tae Bo for my stand up.

KM: Where do you train and tell us about your training partners?
TK: I train at the DeLaO Training Center in Stanton, CA. I've been training under John DeLaO going on 7 years. I have so many training partners I can't even name them all but I have a crazy bunch of guys that push me to the limit on a daily basis.

KM: Where did you grow up and did you find yourself getting into squabbles as a kid?
TK: I grew up in Huntington Beach and growing up I got into a little bit of trouble but who doesn't its a part of growing up. I did a lot of dumb stuff and I always got caught so it makes for some funny stories.

KM: What sets you off? When you are out and about what type of things make you feel like fighting?
TK: I fight everyday when I train and when I go out fighting is the last thing that I want to do. John makes sure that we conduct ourselves like professionals outside of our school if we don't then we have to deal with the consequences.

KM: Do you like to stand up and bang or are you a ground technician?
TK: I like to keep the crowd entertained and on their feet so I try to go for a KO but if it goes to the ground then I try to work some elbows. I'm always looking for a KO

KM: As you know in the fight game, opponents get injured prior to stepping in the cage, how do you feel about replacement fighters? Would you still take the fight?
TK: I've had more than a few replacement fights. There's really nothing you can do I mean you train as hard as you can for 2 months and then you get a call saying that your opponent's out and I'm not about to let 2 months of training go to waste so you take the fight.

KM: What are your aspirations as a Cage fighter?
TK: I want to fight in Japan and also to get a belt. Those are the 2 goals that I have left to accomplish.

KM: What would you tell somebody that is thinking about becoming a Cage Fighter, and what do you think someone should know before stepping in the cage?
TK: I would tell them not to do it. Everyone thinks that its the cool thing to do now since Napoleon Dynamite came out. What people need to know before they start is that it takes a lot of sacrifices to be good at fighting. You can't do all the things that you want to do or all the things that your friends are doing. Sacrifice and discipline are key.

KM: What would you tell somebody that tells you your nuts for fighting in the cage?
TK: I'd tell them that they're nuts for having a 9 to 5 job. I'm lucky enough to have fighting and Jiu-Jitsu as my full time job. I get to do something that I love to do as a job. There's no way that I'd be able to work a regular job I'd go crazy.

KM: When is your next fight?
TK: I'll be fighting June 9TH for KOTC at Soboba Casino.

KM: Do you want to pimp any of your sponsors or people that back your play?
TK: Yeah I have a couple of sponsors I'd like to thank without them I wouldn't be able to fight.

DeWALT TOOLS
Jack's Surfboards
Akram hooks me up with gear and I'm one of the only fighters that he sponsors
Sullen Clothing
These guys hook me up with gear as well and help with ticket sales
Topping Events
Jason is my first sponsor and he's been with me since day one
VitaminWater
This is the best stuff, It replenishes all your vitamins after a hard workout
ClinchGear
These are the best shorts to fight in I wear them in every fight now
Nunya Fight Wear
Brandon and Michelle really take care of the fighters that they sponsor and they have a Thomas Kenney shirt coming out soon
Sirius Athletic Wear
These guys have the best Gi's out there and they have all the gear you need to train in.
DSO Eyewear
The best glasses out there
So Cal Tiki's
The best Tattoo artist out there and he does Tiki carving too
MET-Rx Fitness Gym
Filthy Gear
Wayne hooks me up with training gear as well as getting my name out there
Champion Nutrition
Steve hooks me up with the best supplements on the market
BOWFLEX
Keith put together a package for me to up my cardio and strength with state of the art equipment
Booyaa Fight Wear
Romero hooks me up with pretty much anything that I need.

Also everyone at DeLaO Jiu-Jitsu.
Your only as good as your training partners and I have a huge group of people that push me to the limit so that I'm ready for each and every fight.

I have links to all of my sponsors on my site at www.thomaskenney.com  so check them out and help support the companies that support the fighters.

Thanks for taking the time to interview me and I'll see you guys on June 9TH at Soboba

Krazy Mike

The views and opinions in this article are strictly those of Krazy Mike.

krazymike@kingofthecage.com

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