Tyson Veitch Hoping For Boos In Victoria Debut At "T.I.N.E. II," No Really.

A promising young fighter and friend of this site, high school senior Tyson Veitch (1-1 Amateur) will make his Victoria debut this Saturday on the Tough Is Not Enough II card presented by Curtis Lee's Gym.

The event takes place at the Eagle's Community Hall, but, as he told B.C. MMA Fan, Tyson won't be familiar with the venue, since he has not been to Vancouver Island before. He says he's looking forward to the trip, which he will begin Friday morning along with several members of his gym, Kelowna's Avatar Self Defense, who will also fight on the card.

Tyson knows little about his opponent for Saturday besides the fact that he's supposed to be a few years older, at twenty-one, and have a bit more experience, at 3-0. Veitch is undeterred, however, and explained that he actually prefers fighting against the hometown guy, saying "there's just something about being booed that makes you fight better." Tyson should know from experience. He won his first fight on the road, then, in his most recent fight at King Of The Cage Calalyst (Full Review) he became something of a media sensation in his hometown of Vernon. The pressure from that attention, which he described as "pretty nerve wracking" may have contributed to his second-round submission loss to CJ Bagg. That loss was not without its upside, though. It led Tyson to a stylistic breakthrough, "I gained more confidence in my stand-up, but for some reason when I fight I always look for a takedown."

If Tyson attempts to keep his fight standing on Saturday he might just win over the large contingent of kickboxing enthusiasts at the Eagle Ridge Community Centre. If not, he'll get a chance to redeem himself on the ground, but that's the beautiful thing about amateur MMA: it's a chance for fighters to test their skills without suffering the ramifications for future bookings that a loss in professional bouts can carry. That freedom to make mistakes is essential to a fighters growth and I look forward to seeing what the new, improved Tyson Veitch brings to the table Saturday night.