Interview: Tim Wilde Talks to Kindom MMA ahead of Cage Warriors 74
by Chris Houten @MrHouts |
| Copyright: Dolly Clew | Cage Warriors |
On Saturday night four lightweight battles will take place at Cage Warriors 74 and all of these could have implications on who will be next to challenge Stevie Ray for the title. With guys like Joe Duffy, Saul Rogers, Brad Wheeler all competing and trying to prove that they are the number one contender in the division it will need a performance of a lifetime to grasp that place. This will be something that undefeated lightweight Tim Wilde will be trying to do when he takes on former lightweight contender Sean Carter in what is on paper his toughest test to date. However, before the fight though we caught up with Wilde to talk about his upcoming fight.
Talk us through your training camp for this fight; we know you train out of UTC Cannock. What guys have you been working with for this fight, have you been working with guys like Lee, Roberts, etc, in Birmingham?
I have had an excellent camp for this fight. I've got a new sponsor on board, Good Fit Nutrition who has put together a gluten free diet for me specifically which has made massive changes for me, all positive. I've also got some great sparring in for this camp with all the guys up at Rough House.
You're fighting Sean Carter on November 15th at the Copper box Arena, would you think it fair to say on paper this is the toughest fight of your career?
Sean Carter is certainly on paper the toughest fight to date, whether or not it turns out to be will, we'll have to see Saturday.
Last year Sean Carter fought for the title and although he came up short that night he has since proven that he is one of the best lightweights in the country. Have you seen any footage of his fights? If so what do you think his strengths are?
I've watched his footage yes, and I agree he is at the top off the pile. The lightweight division is stacked! I do see weaknesses in his game and I will look to exploit them, but Sean is a very tough guy so I know he wont make it an easy task by any means. His strengths are definitely his beard! That is epic, oh and his sexy curls.
How excited are you to be fighting in an arena which only two years ago was used in the Olympic Games?
It's awesome, to think that we will have shared the arena with Olympians just goes to show how much the sport is growing.
What do you think it means for UK MMA to be fighting in arenas like this? Do you think it will not only help the image some people have of the sport but also make it more mainstream?
It's gonna make people take it more serious and they will recognise that we are truly dedicated athletes/sportsmen rather than thugs. the moves Cage Warriors are making are helping big time like the deal with channel 4 and the daily mail etc.
After your win at Cage Warriors 69 you told us you weren’t here to play around and you wanted to be Cage Warriors world champion. How many fights do you think it will take you to get there?
I want to make a big statement in this fight, if they was to offer it me after I win Saturday I would take it, but I'm happy to beat another couple of top contenders no worries.
After that fight at Cage Warriors 69, Graham Boylan said to me in the post event scrum that he thought you were "a beast" and he loved your fight. How pleasing is it for the boss to make these comments about you on your debut?
I was really pleased to get a little mention, he obviously liked what he saw and the best is yet to come. It's a nice feeling to see people recognising your talent and the hard work we put in.
Since that fight you haven't been back in action, what have you been working on since then? Have you been able to work on improving your skills or have you been recovering from an injury?
I was 4 weeks in to a camp to fight Tim Newman then injured my neck (blessing in disguise for him) so I had to have a couple of weeks sorting that but I train all the time developing my jiujitsu to another level.
Did you watch the lightweight title fight last weekend and if so what did you make of Stevie Rays performance?
Yes, I watched it and it was an entertaining fight, they both came out and went for it. I would have liked to have seen it carry on a bit but Stevie did a great job of gaining the finish and putting a conclusion to the trilogy. I'm sure Curt will bounce back from it.
There are several other lightweight fights on the card on Saturday such as Saul Rogers vs Sinclair, Boussuge vs Duffy, Maguire vs Wheeler etc. Do you like any of these guys as potential opponents with a win over Carter?
The card is stacked full off top lightweights, I would fight any of them. I ain't going to call any of them out, there's no point. They are each good in there own way and everyone would be a tough fight. its up to Ian Dean and I will keep fighting whoever they put in front of me till I have that belt!!
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