November 17, 2005 – De La O Jiu-Jitsu Training Center Moving his way up thru the King of the Cage 170lb division, Tom Kenney is hoping to soon become the next in line to fight for the Welterweight Title. Although his next fight is at 155, Kenney hopes to avenge his teachers, John DeLao, recent loss and move one step closer to his ultimate goal of winning a championship belt at 170.
Brad Doerges – So your next fight is Shawn Bias from Team Fury at King of the Cage: Final Conflict. Why have you decided to go down to 155 to fight Bias when you usually fight at 170?
Tom Kenney – He fought my instructor (John DeLao) in a King of the Cage in August… and he beat my instructor… I felt that my instructor should have beat him. I was pretty upset over the way the fight went so I jumped in the ring and grabbed Terry Trebilcock and offered the challenge right then and there. I said it didn’t matter what weight or whatever. I will get to whatever weight I need to… to get the fight.
Brad – Did he agree right then and there?
Tom – Well I talked to the promoters and I told them the weight doesn’t matter. So they told me at first ok the fight will be at 160. Then a couple weeks later they said ok now its 155. I told them what ever it takes…. I will make that weight. It’s a pretty crazy weight though I haven’t been 155 since my freshman year in high school.
Brad – So is there any bad blood between you and Bias?
Tom – No, I haven’t talked to him and I have nothing against him. I was just upset that he beat my instructor. My instructor who I have trained every day with for the last 5 years and he beats the crap outta me… I just feel that my instructor should have beat him. Its’ the least I could do… he has turned a hobby of mine into a career.
Brad – I noticed that Shawn tapped in his last fight against Urijah Faber from a Guillotine Choke and that you defeated your last opponent Aaron Torres by Guillotine. Will you be looking for that submission?
Tom – No… I love doing Jiu Jitsu but I use it as more of a back ground so I know how to get out of stuff… I like to punch people… My submission of choice is punches. Come December 2nd Shawn Bias is going to be my punching bag.
Brad – Bias fought his last fight at 145 do you feel that you will have the strength advantage?
Tom – Maybe, I don’t really look at it like that. I know it will be a tough fight. There is no such thing as an easy fight. I know he is a good wrestler he has good conditioning and he will come at me real aggressive. I feel that I will be a little bit stronger than him but it will be a good fight. I guarantee its going to be an exciting fight. I don’t fight to lose and he doesn’t either. We will both be swinging for the fences.
Brad – Who do you think will win the 170lb King of the Cage title fight between James Fanshier and Thomas Denny at King of the Cage: Fianl Conflict?
Tom – I don’t know they are both very good fighters. Thomas Denny fights a lot of fight and is very experienced. Fanshier is a good striker and he is pretty good on the ground. The last fight they had was a toss up it could have gone either way but Franshier landed that big right… I think that’s why they gave it to him. It will be an entertaining fight since there is a lot of bad blood between the two. I will definitely be watching that since that’s the weight class I like to fight at.
Brad – Who would you rather fight for the belt?
Tom – Totally different fighters. It doesn’t really matter to me. I have talked to James at a few King of the Cages and he is a cool guy… Either one would be a good fight. They got a bunch of tough guys at 170 right now. I think that’s the weight class to fight at. It’s a very competitive weight class.
Brad – 155 aint bad ethier.
Tom – Forget that weight class. I like eating FOOD. A lot of FOOD.
Brad – Well I guess that brings me to my next question. If you are successful at 155 will you continue to fight at that weight class?
Tom – I dunno man it’s pretty hard to get down to that weigh class. I’m not a natural 155.
Brad – Well you wrestled in highschool…
Tom – Yeah I wrestled at 160 my freshman year and my sophomore thru senior year at 171.
Brad – So who do you think the best at 170 in KOTC is right now?
Tom – King of the Cage has a lot of tough guys – John Allesio he’s right there… Mike Guymon that guy is a stud.
Brad – What about overall?
Tom – I got Matt Hughes. He’s the man. Riggs is tough Karos tough… Right now the 170 pound division has unlimited talent and the UFC has all of it. The UFC bar none has the best 170lb weight class.
Brad – Have you been contacted for The Ultimate Fighter season three?
Tom – Well I got an email from one of the members of your website. I was trying to put together a highlight video and after it was made I was contacted by Joe Silva of the UFC. So I sent him the DVD of the Highlight and now I’m waiting.
Questions from the MMA-Fighter.com Forum
Brad – Do you know your opponents strong points?
Tom – He’s a scrappy guy… He’s a good wrestler and he doesn’t quit. As long as I push the fight and control the fight then I’ll win.
Brad – Are you happy to stay in KOTC? Would you consider leaving for another organization?
Tom – If they get in contact with me and offer me something good then of course I would be interested. Terry (Trebilcock), Tedd (Williams), and Shaun have treated me good. What I mean by that is that they tell you something and they are good for thier word. Other promoters I have fought for have promised me money, have promised me this, promised me tha,t then they don’t pay me. Or they give me a ride to the fight and not a ride back to the hotel. I have dealt with a lot of shitty promoters and Terry, Tedd, and Shaun have taken care of me… they have been a class act all the way.
Brad – Is there any dream opponent that you would like to fight?
Tom – Matt Hughes but I know he would probably destroy me… but at least I got my ass beat by the UFC champ.
Brad – How long do you plan on fighting.
Tom – As long as my body will hold up. It sounds funny but my last couple fights I was banged up pretty bad. In my last fight I couldn’t even lift my arm over my head because my shoulder was jacked up so bad. At least a couple more years but the key thing is that I want a nice shiny belt. I won a belt in grappling now I want to win one in fighting.
Brad – what level would he like to fight at before it’s all over?
Tom – I would love to go fight in Japan. It doesn’t matter where. I would go fight in some bodies back yard. Just to go over there and how they respect us as athletes. Over here in America it’s human cock fighting. They respect us as warriors…
Brad – What is your diet like right now?
Tom – Right now it’s pretty ridiculous… I’m kinda nutty right now cuz I don’t have any food in me. In the morning I have 2 scoops of oatmeal and 1 scoop of protein as a shake and then I have an hour and half of cardio…. After that eat a cliff bar then go and have two hours of Jiu Jitsu and boxing. Then I have a small spinach salad go and do a run and then have another small spinach salad. So right now I’m basically a vegetarian. I just eat all vegetables.
Tom’s Sponsors
FILTHY ATHLETICS
DeWALT TOOLS
TOPPING EVENTS
JACK’S SURFBOARDS
VITAMIN WATER
SULLEN CLOTHING
CLINCH GEAR
NUNYA FIGHT WEAR
BOOYAA FIGHT WEAR
RUCKUS FIGHT WEAR
SIRIUS ATHLETIC WEAR
DSO EYEWEAR
SO CAL TIKI’S
MET-Rx FITNESS GYM
DeLaO JIU-JITSU
Without these sponsors I wouldn’t be able to fight, these companies have helped me get to where I am today and I would like to thank them for everything.
A special thanks to John DeLaO who turned a hobby of mine into a career.
And last but not least A SPECIAL THANK YOU TO MY BIGGEST SPONSOR, SUPPORTERS AND FANS MY MOM AND DAD WITHOUT THEM AND THEIR SUPPORT I WOULDN’T BE HERE.
Brad Doerges
brad@mma-fighter.com
