Tim Kennedy: Bisping actions an ‘atrocity’
John Joe O’Regan: Theres an old military saying, no plan survives contact with the enemy. Is that true of the…
John Joe O’Regan: Theres an old military saying, no plan survives contact with the enemy. Is that true of the fight game too?
Tim Kennedy: No, I think you can… actually I don’t even agree with that quote. I have had a thousand operations that have gone perfectly to plan and then I have had a whole bunch that haven’t.
So, aside from a plan its about how well prepared you are to execute that plan. I think I am well-prepared to execute my plans for a fight in the same way that I am prepared for every possible contingency when I go on a [military] mission.
Strikeforce and Showtime didn’t want to promote the [rubber match] so it was out of mine and Jason’s hands. I was ready for the fight but they chose to have me fight someone else.
JJO: Australia this weekend, with Bisping spitting at Rivera’s corner man after the fight and all that; is it all being blown out of proportion or is it bringing the sport into disrepute? (* Kennedy part-owns Ranger Up, sponsors of Rivera)
TK: That was an atrocity. I was so embarrassed to be a fighter that night! I couldn’t imagine… oh man, it was terrible. Bisping spitting on someone and a very blatant, intentional illegal knee. The athletic commission, the sanctioning body, didn’t disqualify him right there and actually let the fight continue?
It is very clear to everyone that Jorge didn’t recover from that knee. And Bisping grabbing the fence during the fight… its terrible. What a despicable way to represent your country and your sport in front of the world.
I don’t think its being blown out of proportion. On the contrary I think its not been given the attention it deserves. There were three very blatant fouls that should have been taken care of by the referee and weren’t and now they need to be taken care of by the promotion or by the sanctioning body. Terrible stuff right there.
JJO: Like UFC fighter Paulo Thiago you have worked in an incredibly dangerous day to day environment. He says that working in armed conflict zones makes MMA competition comparatively less stressful. Is it the same for you? Do you get pre-fight nerves or are you cool as a cucumber?
TK: I don’t really have pre-fight jitters, I am pretty chilled. I think its a combination of my experiences in life and how I am as a person. Its just a fight, I’m not nervous at all.