Brad ' One Punch' PickettTom Kong Watson - UK MMA Icon
Tom Kong Watson - UK MMA Icon
Words and photography by Lee Whitehead.
Tom Watson is probably one of the most well known British fighters at the moment on account of his long-running on/off fight agreement with Alex Reid at Bamma. But he is much more than that, he is a veteran of the sport with an undefeated streak that spans nearly 3 years and wins over international competition.
Originally starting life as a boxer at 16, it wasn’t long before he found his true calling in MMA; he picks up the tale:
“Having boxed for a couple of years, I then started working the door at 18, a couple of guys brought in some UFC DVDs and it caught my interest. I was already doing Judo as well and the instructor let us roll without a Gi – that’s how I started” he offers, adding that the “Sweet Science” was too limiting for his tastes.
“Boxing is quite arrogant, they think they are purists, but when I would go and spar with Thai kickboxers or grapplers I started to see its limitations”
A student of the sport as a whole, and in individual pieces, Watson took himself off to the fabled Jacksons MMA academy to refine his skills. His development is clear to see in his victory list, but what lies unseen is his continual pursuit of experience through grappling and Muay Thai competitions. He just won the IKSA kickboxing title to add to his silverware collection.
“My early fight training in the UK was in a barn, with a group of friends, it was very haphazard, but things got serious at Jacksons. I like the way they train, really push hard and have less distractions. The wrestling for one is light years beyond the UK and as it was the weakest part of my game I wanted to fix that”
Fast forward a couple of years, collection of titles and a cabinet full of trophies and it was clear to Watson that he needed another leap in performance. Uprooting again, he took himself off to Montreal and became part of George St-Pierre’s camp - he hasn’t looked back since.
Tom Watson now finds himself making waves in the MFC Middleweight division and is only a few fights away from title contention. He has a plan for the next five years that will hopefully pit him against the best in the world and he intends to follow that dream with all his heart.
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