IamA UFC fighter Tim Kennedy AMA!

How great did it feel to punch Bisping in the face?

Nothing was more satisfying than clubbing him with overhand punches. I hit that guy harder than I have hit a lot of people. You have to give him a lot of credit for staying on his feet (or on his back) for 25 minutes. I hurt both my hands smashing his brain and they are still recovering.

Hey Tim, I'm a huge fan. I think you're pre-fight trash talk is absolutely hilarious. Oh, and thanks for shutting down Bisping!

I have a few questions.

Obvious one, any news or rumors on who/when you'd be fighting next, any preference (please say Vitor)?

Do you regret not having the Machida fight go through?

If you could fight ANYONE in the world today, who would it be?

Is putting ketchup on your hotdog un-American (I think so)?

With a somewhat negative view on MMA by the masses, thanks for being a breath of fresh air in the sport. You're a great ambassador, thanks for your service and GOOD LUCK!

1) The middleweight division is complicated right now with 3 of the UFC marquee fighters failing every drug test that they take. I'll fight whoever gets me closer to a title fight and can get past a drug test. Sadly, Vitor is not currently licensed. 2) Absolutely. A win over him and I would be fighting for the championship right now. I'm 3-0 in my division and still trying to get a title eliminator fight. 3) Justin Bieber, even though I know hitting a girl is wrong. 4) I love ketchup, mustard and relish on my hotdogs. The more the merrier.

What books would you recommend?

I love sci-fi, fantasy, history, classic literature. I definitely have a reading problem, as in I read too much. Everything from Harry Potter to Edith Hamilton's Greek Mythology. Right now, I'm reading Terry Goodkind Sword of Truth series.

Hi Tim, quite a few guys have talked about your top control and have mentioned how strong you are. Is that something that was natural or is it something technical you can work on? The Bisping fight was a great display of that.

You are more than welcome to talk to us on http://www.reddit.com/r/MMA/

It is definitely something I have worked on. I have developed an anti BJJ style that works on scrambles from the bottom and wet blanket top control.

When things get really tough(like a fight or military) what coping mechanisms do you have to help you get through?

I have a lot of coping mechanism which have been developed over time a great family, a healthy body, humor, education, and determination and if that doesn't work whiskey and guns.

Can you give your perspective on the difference between active and Guard SF?

Also, would you rather fight a Bisping-sized duck or a hundred duck-sized Bispings?

There is no difference. Everybody has to go through the same training, ie selection and the Q Course. Once they complete and are selected at SFAS, they can proceed to the 12 to 18 month special forces training. Then they report to their respective units, Guard or Active Duty.

I would definitely prefer to fight 100 duck sized Bispings considering I've already fought and beaten both ducks and Bispings.

Have you ever made a pass at Ronda Rousey?

I heard her guard is very difficult to get by. Is that what you're talking about? If not, I've been married for 8 years, so no.

your thoughts on trading 5 terrorists for Berghdal? Do you think he was a deserter?

It is sad pathetic and idiotic. Watching the video of the prisoner exchange it was obvious that he has been a sympathizer. It was disturbingly dangerous for for the crew being in the valley surrounded by mountains with armed Taliban. Trading five of the most evil dudes on the planet, one of which killed over 2000 people, for one idiot of a horrible soldier is beyond my comprehension. It is a sad precedent to be set where we negotiate with terrorists. It is also frightening seen how effortlessly the president violated the constitutional law without notifying Congress.

What's the one workout that you remember that surpassed all others in how much it kicked your butt? I'm wondering what kind of workout it takes to make even you feel smoked.

The firsts time I trained with Jackson / WinkleJohn mma that took use up to the sand dunes of Albuquerque, Brian Stann was at the end of his fight camp and peaking as an athlete, but i couldn't let that Marine beat me at anything. We went head to head for an hour, the result was neither of use being able to walk for a couple of days.

Do you have any advice for someone wanting to join the military or the SOF community? Thanks for all you do.

Trying out for Special Forces was without a doubt the best decision I have ever made in my life. It changed not only me as a person, but also how I approached everything in my life from that point forward. It was been the most rewarding of a career.

You should be able to max out a PT test or at least get near 300. You should be able to run 5 miles in under 40 minutes. Your ruck time is where things get pretty tricky. You should feel comfortable walking with weight on your back for 8 hours, and should be able to walk 12 miles in under 3 hours.

Here are the only words of wisdom. Be at the right place at the right time in the right uniform. When you don’t know what to do take a knee face out and take a drink of water. Remember that you are ALWAYS being evaluated at everything you do.

If you have any specific question about the process inquire at Special Operation Recruiting Battalion. http://www.bragg.army.mil/sorb/

Do you ever walk into the octogon and feel genuine fear? Like do you ever look at a guy and just want to walk away? The few times I've fought I've won, but I've always been incredibly nervous before hand.

I think being slightly nervous and anxious is a good and healthy response during a fight, it makes you acutely aware of everything and enables me to perform at my best. When I hear my song Rooster come on I feel invincible and all I want to do is hurt things.

Hi Tim, Do you feel that GSP was accurate that the UFC and MMA in general could do more to curb PEDs? If so why are so many high profile fighters scared to say anything? GSP has already started the ball rolling so why doesn't everyone follow it?
and what percentage of fighters do you believe use PED's?

It is difficult to speak out. We can't burn any bridge that we have to cross later. I think 60-70% of pro MMA fighters are using PEDs. Every fighter that has been randomly tested, as of late, has failed. That should be the main indicator.

What is one (or more) thing(s) you learned from MMA that could be applied to (almost) any other passion/field? Thanks for doing this AMA!

Hard work, determination, and intelligence will get you further than anything you inject, ingest, or absorb.

How much weight do you cut? Or more specifically, what do you weigh fight night?

I weigh 205 on fight night. I cut about 15 pounds before a fight.

If the UFC said that you could choose anywhere in the world to fight, where would it be, and why?

The location of the current #1 Taliban leader.

Hey Tim, you once said on twitter that the five people you would like to fight are: "congress, Oprah(not a girl), lil Wayne, Kim Jung-un, Justin Beiber(but I would never hit a girl so he doesn't really count)"

Is this list still current?

Justin Beiber still definitely sits at the top of my list but i would reprioritize putting congress and the upper echelon of veterans affairs over oprah and lil wayne.

What do you fear the most?

Anyone in my family or one of my friends being hurt and me not being able to do anything to help or save them. Or anyone I know ever having to go to war.

Did you ever work with the French Foreign Legion? What are you're thoughts on them?

During one of my deployments to Afghanistan I worked for the coalition and was fortunate enough to go on missions with british, Australian, and Canadian, czech, french, and german special forces unit and so many others.

I have great respect for everybody that volunteers to serve their country and I never had an instance in which I was disappointed in the quality of men in each special forces unit.

If you could fight any fighter of any division who would that be and why is it Tito Ortiz?

If I can fight anyone in history it would be Sakuraba.

And if I had to fight somebody in any division it would be Demitrious Johnson, I realized it would be difficult to catch him but if i did all i would have to do is sit on him. Fat kid wins every time.

Hey Tim. Great job on JRE. Follow question to that show regarding the Pride gloves. Couldn't the fighters petition some sort of change (to commissions or the UFC) to use the Pride gloves so that they can be more safe and save the company money in health expenses on eye pokes? There seems to be a real problem with eye pokes with the UFC gloves.

Yes there is a real problem with eye pokes in the UFC, some people are worse than others at it. There definitely needs to be a redesign of the gloves. Hell I would prefer that they take the pride gloves, paint them black, and put UFC across the knuckles. Unfortunately the fighters have no collective power in any form particularly with the athletic commission.

Do you think beating Gegard Mousasi for example could get you a title shot?

I am 3-0 in the UFC with 2 main event wins. Just beating the perennial contender and top 5 ranked Michael Bisping. A win over another top 10 guy should definitely put me in a position to fight for the title.

What's the deal with performance enhancing drugs in MMA?

It is a big deal. Something has to change and it has to happen soon.

What kind of hand-to-hand combat do they teach you in the Special Forces? Anything applicable to MMA or just how to end someone's life quickly?

They use SOCP (special operatives combative program) and MACP (modern army combative program). They focus on the use of your tools that you have on you (knives, guns, helmet, etc), more so than the fundamentals of MMA.

What is your opinion of brock lesnar?

He's one gigantic human being, i hope i never have him on top of me and I think Jack Links are disgusting.

Youre A hilarious person and pretty Bad dude. What does one have to do to earn the privilege to train with you?

Come to Austin TX, stop by Gracie Humaita or Pinnacle. You could also come to Albuquerque and train at Jacksons / WinkleJohn MMA but that would probably be more painful.

Tim, if you could be any character from the Sword of Truth who would you be and why??

Zeddicus Zul Zorander. He is an unassuming badass that kicks ass at every opportunity. He is wise from the years of seeing so much pain.

Or Cara. She is a bad bitch that looks amazing in tight black leather (I look beautiful as a woman, google Tim Kennedy as Katy Perry).

[deleted]

I replied to that question earlier but in essence i just want to fight a top ten guy that will give me a title fight and is preferably not injecting horse testosterone into their eyeballs.

Hi Tim. First off really appreciate everything you've done as far as MMA and military service. What does the future hold for you when you retire from the UFC?

As soon as I retire I will be doing a lot of television work. I'm turning away everyone right now until I have the middleweight title. After that the only thing I'm asking these movie and tv producers is whatever they're going to ask me to do better be fun and involve guns... there will also be a lot motorcycle riding, shrugs, biceps, whiskey, explosives and skydiving.

How was fighting up here in the Great White North?

I got to dominate Bisping within the Commonwealth. The people of Quebec were wonderful and the city was beautiful. I just wish I had more time to do some sight seeing, furniture shopping and eating.

If you never became an MMA fighter, what would you be doing for a career?

I would be a Special Forces sniper.

Is there any difference in, and if there is please describe, the hurt level of getting struck by your average MMA gym goer and a professional fighter at the level of the UFC?

I sort of want you to punch me in the face so I can feel the difference...

You are a strange dude. I worry about you and the wellbeing of your brain. If I could go my entire career without someone punching me in the face, I would be very happy. With that said, there is a huge difference between the average MMA goer hits and an athlete in the UFC.

Where do you see yourself/the sport of MMA in 5 years?

I see myself around 250lbs with a beard running my companies, shooting, drinking whiskey and trying to show the world even large men can be ballet dancers too.

MMA in five years? I see the sport of MMA continue to grow, it will garner more and more fans as time goes on and will become more mainstream with each passing year.

What do you think everyone could add to their strength and conditioning program that they aren't doing that would benefit them?

This is what I did this morning, and an example of a typical workout: Roll 1. Hips/Glutes 2. Lower/ Upper back/ Posterior Shoulders 3. Trigger point traps and chest 4. Calfs/ Hamstring 5. Shoulder mobility Stretch Circuit 1. NWU 1, 2. Single leg bosu ball toss with #/letter call CC mobility 1. Leg lifts 1minx2 2. SB side dips (20each) x2 Active warm-up 1. Best stretch in the world 2. High knees 3. Butt kickers 4. Skip>reverse hip rotations over hurdle Agility Skill 1. Cone/Ladder 2. Line drill 3. Foot work Plyos 1. Box jump Strength 1. Front squat 3-5RM Workout A. 1. Explosive single leg press 10x2 2. Sumo deadlift , 10x3 3. TRX supine row ESD/METT Con Sled push, Sled TRX pull, KB swings 10, 9, 8, 7, …

Any tips on the transfer of weight/ balance when throwing hooks and straight rights? For example, when throwing a hook off a right cross and the left foot pivots.

Also, M9 or M1911a1?

I believe your foot pivoting should just be a byproduct of the weight transferrence of your hips. I was told by one of my first boxing coaches not to be a light footed fairy. "A solid base transfers more power than a fairy footed..."

In truth, I always rolled with a Glock 19 in combat. I compete with a Glock 21 and a 1911 but few things surpass the accuracy of an M9.

Hey Tim, Is there any specific diet you follow when your in training camp? I know from the JRE podcast you have a very low body fat % any tips?

I follow paleo to a degree. I don't have a sensitivity to carbs or grains, and I think that they should be used if they benefit your performance as an athlete but generally speaking eating real food is the best thing to do. Raw fruits, vegetables and lean proteins.

If you had to pick a country to live in that isn't the United States, which country would it be?

I can't imagine a world or scenario in which I wouldn't be able to live in the US. Even in the post apocalyptic world, after the alien invasion/ zombie plague, the first thing I would do in the Kennedy New World Order is create the United States of 1776.

Hey Tim, Im a huge fan. First off, thank you for your service, and you are a great inspiration for me.

What would you say is your greatest accomplishment in your life?

That is a tough one to call. I have been part of operations that eliminated some of the most evil man to walk the face of the planet. I'm a father and trying to be a good husband...

Tim, big fan. Loved your comments today on Facebook about taking a drug test whenever anyone asked for it. No athletes have the balls to do that. If you were in Dana White's chair for a day, what would you do to clean up the sport with respect to PEDs?

Thanks for being an entertaining fighter and for your service to the country.

Random tests. Often. Hitting guys at the beginning of their fight camp and one month after their fight.

Hey Tim, great to see you on here! What prefight rituals do you have, if any? Also, how often do you use the subzero chamber you talked about on JRE for recovery when you're in camp?

Everything I do prefight is proven to be the best thing to do for athletic performance the hardest thing to do is to stay relaxed in the back. I am not a superstitious person but I believe that murphy will get you every time.

I use the cryotherapy once or twice a week.

What is the weirdest thing a fan has said to you?

How many unprofessional fights have you won/lost?

A 13 year old male fan at the UFC Fan Expo told me he wanted to have a baby with me and sign his forehead with a permanent marker.

I was 30-1 in unsanctioned and amateur bouts.

What's the main difference between working for SF and then working for Dana/Zuffa? Is there a fighter that's not a teammate that you want to see under the Zuffa umbrella?

I liked the matchmaking of SF but there's nothing like being part of the biggest and best fight organization on the planet.

Bubba Bush.

Have you ever engaged in a street fight, or found yourself in a situation where you've had to defend yourself? If so, how did it turn out?

It is pretty much impossible to get me in a street fight. I've had guys spit at me and pour drinks on my head. I usually buy the guy a new drink or tell him to get some chewing gum.

Did you truly like "The Black Swan"?

Nobody likes the black swan, it's a painful transition from the white swan to the black swan. As the metamorphosis occurs darkness begins to control you.

No question, I just wanted to say that I genuinely thank you for serving our Country. I can't imagine how much hard work and energy it would take to become a UFC fighter but I can't help but feel like being a green Beret is just that much tougher. Thank you!

Edit: My comment got deleted because it wasn't a question, so I guess my question is: Which would you say was harder, the training you had to endure to become a Green Beret/Ranger or the training you had to endure to get into the UFC?

They are very different. One is preparing you to participate in a sport. The other is preparing you to endure the horrors of war.

What age is too late to start in MMA, in order to be a contender?

Most of the guys started wrestling at a very early age. It is never too early to starts but definitely there is a part where it's too late. Probably somewhere in your early to mid twenties.

Do you have any rituals that you go through on days that you fight? Also, what is your favorite color?

I'm not a superstitious person all I the things I do are pretty typical. My favorite color are the different phases of a bruise.

Hey Tim. Any advice or words of wisdom for an enlistee making his way to BUD/S later this year? Do you remember what going through SFAS and SFQC was like and how you earned your stripes? Thanks and good luck!

I answered this one earlier... This is what I said: Trying out for Special Forces was without a doubt the best decision I have ever made in my life. It changed not only me as a person, but also how I approached everything in my life from that point forward. It was been the most rewarding of a career.

You should be able to max out a PT test or at least get near 300. You should be able to run 5 miles in under 40 minutes. Your ruck time is where things get pretty tricky. You should feel comfortable walking with weight on your back for 8 hours, and should be able to walk 12 miles in under 3 hours.

Here are the only words of wisdom. Be at the right place at the right time in the right uniform. When you don’t know what to do take a knee face out and take a drink of water. Remember that you are ALWAYS being evaluated at everything you do.

If you have any specific question about the process inquire at Special Operation Recruiting Battalion. http://www.bragg.army.mil/sorb/

Have you had a chance to play EA's UFC Game? Any interesting stories with the development of that? (IE Did they show you the game, or stories of being face scanned?)

No I have not played the EA UFC game yet. I was in the EA MMA game which kind of sucked, particularly my character. I love video games and I'm looking forward to getting my hands on it.

Whats the best way i can help the Green Beret Foundation?

Retweets, likes, shares, and hashtags don't do shit. These veterans need real help. Doesn't necessarily for a foundation but it has to be something tangible and meaningful. Foundations like the green berets knows how best to do that and makes use of every cent that they get.

Hey Tim, What is an example of a recent metabolic conditioning workout you've done?

I posted an example of a workout earlier. But here is another one...

Roll 1. Hips/Glutes 2. Lower/ Upper back/ Posterior Shoulders 3. Calfs/ Hamstring 4. Quad/Hip flexor/Adductors Stretch Circuit 1. NWU 1, 2 2. FMS warm-up CC mobility/Core 1. Hip dips 2. Side Bends

Active warm-up 1. Bosu ball single leg: Knee hug>Elbow to instep> 2. Leg Cradle 3. Heel to butt/quad stretch 4. Inchworm w/ pushup 5. Skip>reverse hip rotations over hurdle Agility Skill 1. Cone/Ladder/Footwork Rings 2. X pattern cone drill

Plyos 1. SL Box jumps 3X5

ESD/METT Con Filthy 50 1. Pushups 2. Situps 3. KB Swings 4. Box jumps 5. T2B 6. MB Thrusters/or full depth jumping back squats 7. 135lbs Deadlift 8. Row 500m

Thanks for doing this, Tim! Do you have any recommendations for places to train down South? I'm located of South Lamar and have been considering getting back into martial arts. Thanks!

Gracie Humaita

Yoooooo Tim. whats your thoughts on Dan Bilzerian? and why dont you partner with him to make some serious cash? or just kick his ass. <3

First and foremost he's a Navy SEAL, I'm a Green Beret. More often than not we mix as well as oil in water. I'm not sure I can handle another man wearing as few clothes as he does as often as he does. I'm not sure I can be around a man that's naked 95% of the time.

Hey Tim, I'm a big fan! Thank you for all you've done for our country and in MMA.

What was the first submission you really fell in love with using?

Arm locks across the board are by far my favorite submission, they work in the gi or no gi and are so definitive.

Any thoughts on the economical side of warfare? https://m.youtube.com/watch?feature=youtu.be&v=kdPkaCTdxBU

I didn't watch the video because I'm trying to get through as many questions as I can. I think war is horrible regardless of what side it is.