Tamikka Brents Interview

Photo Credits:
Photos 1 and 3: Hex Linc Photos
Photo 4: Tuff-N-Uff
Photo 5: Ray Kasprowicz


Tamikka Brents will take her unbeaten amateur record into her pro debut when she faces Olympic wrestling Bronze medalist Randi Miller on September 8th. Brents has been waiting a long time to make her pro debut but has had trouble getting a fight. Miller herself recently made her MMA debut a successful one and will pose a tough test against Brents.


Q: You have been waiting since forever to make your pro debut and have not fought since January, how frustrating has the wait been?
A: I hate waiting. I would rather have a fight once a month. But it is finally here so I am not gonna complain about it anymore.

Q: Could your record play a part in having trouble finding opponents?
A: Maybe, I don't know. Maybe it is my intimidating stare-down haha. A lot of girls see my record and see I haven't been beat and get a little intimidated and don't wanna take the fight anymore. I hope that's what it is and it's not just people trying to pick and choose who they fight.

Q: You are fighting Randi Miller, most see this as the wrestler against the striker, would you agree with that?
A: I think I am a pretty decent wrestler myself. I don't have the accolades that Randi Miller has but most of my fights have been won by TKO on the ground with ground and pound. I think it will be good, it will be interesting. I wanna put it on the table that if I out wrestle her, I get a piece of her Bronze medal but I don't know if she would take that.

Q: She has only had the one fight, what did you think of her performance?
A: I thought she kept her power, she had power for all three rounds. I thought she lost the first two rounds decisively. I watched the fight closely. She didn't gas out and was pushing the pace and grinding. I was impressed for it to be her first fight. I know she probably would have liked some ammy fights to get experience but am sure she couldn't find any cause of her Olympic background. That is where my experience will come in.

Q: You have been training with pro rules forever, how excited are you to finally get to use them?
A: I am definitely excited. I am throwing elbows and knees to the head everywhere. Doing ground and pound drills and using elbows like the are a second set of hands. I might as well have four hands.

Q: You mentioned it already, but you have shown you are good on the ground, if she tries to make it a wrestling match, you are confident you can hang there?
A: Oh yeah! I think my scrambling ability is up there. It wont be the first Olympic caliber wrestler I've gone against. I just think my scrambling is better and even if she does out-wrestle me, my Jiu-Jitsu is gonna be above hers for the simple fact I have way more experience training full on MMA. I think I can hold my own. I'm still putting it out there that if I out-wrestle her, I want a piece of that bronze medal.

Q: If it does stay standing and you are beating her, does she get desperate for the takedowns or is she able to stay composed?
A: I think she is just gonna try and grind it out. Keep going for her takedowns. In her first fight she wasn't going for the takedown right of the bat but she kept going and kept going. If she doesn't get it she wont quit, she wont get frustrated, she is gonna keep on charging. I think I have more power than Estes did and that I can cause problems if she charges at me. My striking has gotten better and people will be pleasantly surprised.

Q: With her being the Olympic medalist and the notoriety that comes with that, how big is a win over her for you?
A: It's huge! She represented our country against the world. She is basically the third best wrestler on the planet. So a win over her would be huge. This isn't wrestling, it's MMA and anything can happen. I respect her for what she did and am impressed with her wrestling accolades, but we are both gonna try and tear each others heads off and see who comes out on top.

Q: Is there a key for you to win this fight?
A: The key for me for this fight and all my previous and future fights is to punch her in the face and if that doesn't work, kick them in the face and knee and elbow in the face.

Q: Do you have a prediction?
A: I predict someone is getting punched in the face.

Q: Any idea what you want next or taking it one at a time?
A: We have some dealings with Canada, supposed to fight there in December. They called to see if I wanted to replace Taylor Stratford, but it was too close to this fight. That kinda sucks but hopefully I can get on Invicta 4, that would be nice. I just wanna fight period.

Q: Now the important stuff. You are stuck on an island, what are the three things you need with you?
A: My girlfriend, baby making music, and food.

Q: Also on that island is Pee Wee Herman, David Hasselhoff and Paris Hilton, who do you throw in the water first?
A: That is a tough one. I have to go with Paris Hilton because she is dumb and she will get us killed.

Q: When you die, what animal will you be re-born as?
A: A honey badger.

Q: What is your favorite flavor popsicle?
A: Red haha.

Q: Who wins a fight Jay Leno or Conan O'Brien?
A: Jay Leno, he has that chin.

Q: Justin Beiber or Brittney Spears?
A: Justin Beiber, how dare you ask me that question haha.

Q: I knew you would say that. Rocky or Rambo?
A: Rambo has weapons so I go with him.

Q: Pamela Anderson or Carmen Electra?
A: I think Carmen Electra is disease free so I go with her haha.

Q: The cast of Friends or the cast of The Brady Bunch?
A: The cast of friends cause I like Jennifer Aniston's boobs.

Q: Buggs Bunny or Daffy Duck?
A: Buggs Bunny.

Q: Han Solo or Indiana Jones?
A: I will go with Indiana Jones because he has a whip and I feel like he is a freak.

Q: Knowing you like to punch people in the face, if you can punch anyone in the world in the face, who would it be?
A: I will have to go with Ronda Rousey.

Q: Anyone you want to thank?
A: My teammates and gym family at Team Warrior Concepts, my second set of parents, head coach Scott Ward and his wife Jenn, my awesome training partners and coaches Trevor Ward, Frank Sloan, Evva Johnson, Morgan Becker, Lex James, Curt Bee, Jared Rusk and Hunter Ansell, my massage therapist Renee "Magic Hands" Dean, my amazing sponsors Complete Nutrition, AMB Construction, Keppler Environmental Management, Alliance Apparel, and JuS TeeZn RaZor ART Salon. My beautiful girlfriend Andrea AKA Scoops, my supportive friends and family and The A-Team. And special thanks to Jason Adams for continuing to interview me no matter how random I am.