T
here’s an old saying that goes “there’s
nothing new under the sun” and film critics and writers will tell you that there are
only seven stories to tell, so coming up
with something original in the modern
age is very rare indeed as virtually everything can be traced back to something
that came before. With this knowledge
in mind the key is a fresh perspective, a
way of adapting and adding to an original
concept so that it is given a new lease of
life and appears new and fresh. The ideas
that succeed are often the simplest, the
ones that make people go “why didn’t I
think of that?” and this is the case with
KTMMA (Kick-Thai Mixed Martial Arts)
which simply fuses the traditional standup arts with the modern MMA rules set
to create a fast-paced and enthralling
hybrid over two five minute rounds of
Izli earned his credibility the hard way,
first as a World renowned Thai boxer and
then as a universally respected coach,
gym owner and fight promoter. During
this time Tim has dedicated his career
to bringing professional fightsports to a
wider public a desire that has seen him
involved with numerous prestigious
organisations and entrepreneurial individuals. Over the years this passion has
seen Tim involved with numerous organisations and entrepreneurial individuals
but he is now at a stage in his life where
he feels he wants to be in total control of
his career once more whilst working on
something that would be bold, fresh and
innovative within the fight arena. This desire has seen him amicably leave the high
profile Urban Kings gym in Kings Cross
and return to his roots with the famous
Cobra gym that he founded over twenty
years ago. At the same time Tim decided
that he wanted to pioneer a new concept
and build it from the ground up, a challenge to truly excite him as a promoter
once more.
34 BRAWL SPORTS DECEMBER 2014
The KTMMA concept sprung from the mind of
Martial Arts fighter, promoter and entrepreneur
Tim Izli, a renowned and respected veteran of the
combat arts. Looking for a bold and fresh initiative for the 21st Century Tim decided to combine
two of the most popular and fast growing formats
in the World, K-1 and MMA, combining the
upright and the grappling arts into a fast-paced
fight system. The first round follows stand-up
rules, wearing 10oz gloves and the combatants
kick, punch, knee, elbow, grab and throw but do
not go to ground. Similarly, the clinch must be
used to strike or throw, not to stand- up grapple,
keeping the action fast and flowing. The second
round follows MMA rules and a change of gloves
to 4oz MMA gloves replicates a motor racing
pit-stop whilst the return of knees to the head on
the ground takes MMA back to a more “full” rules
set.
It is an ambitious concept looking to thrive in a
very competitive marketplace but it is here that
Tim’s experience comes into play as he has developed a network of contacts with real influence
within the industry that has enabled him to put
together a formidable team capable of mixing it at
the highest level. Paul Hennessy is an event promoter respected Worldwide and his knowledge,
experience and contacts are an integral part of the
team behind the company. Paul has successfully
worked alongside major companies throughout
his long career and as a result he is an enormous
asset to the company, as is pioneering MMA
legend Lee Hasdell, another hugely experienced
veteran working with the team. Organising officials and rules, Lee has also been a fighter, trainer
and promoter in the past and has earned massive
respect in the MMA world.