Kenzie Morrison was all the time proud to comply with in his father’s footsteps when he determined to change into an expert boxer however the state of affairs within the sport he’s all the time beloved left him a bit jaded.
Because the son of former heavyweight champion Tommy Morrison, who additionally rose to fame for his look alongside Sylvester Stallone in Rocky V, the 34-year-old fighter undoubtedly bought extra consideration than the typical fighter making his manner up the ranks. However regardless of placing collectively a 22-1-2 file, Morrison says delays in reserving fights and the stagnant nature of sport pressured him to search for different choices exterior of boxing.
So now Morrison is signed with BKFC the place he hopes to make an entire totally different sort of impression when he takes the gloves off for his first bare-knuckle struggle on Friday.
“All of it simply actually began with the state of boxing being the place it’s,” Morrison instructed MMA Combating about leaving boxing for BKFC. “There’s simply plenty of issues that they want to determine and within the midst of that, I really feel like there’s plenty of nice fighters with plenty of expertise which are being shelved because of the state of it.
“It’s actually simply the YouTube influencer boxing and it’s modified to the place it’s not the perfect struggle the perfect. It’s extra about essentially the most adopted struggle essentially the most adopted for essentially the most cash. All people is making it a facet present. I believe BKFC is the place I’m speculated to be. I prayed about it and I’m disillusioned that I’ve to go away boxing in a manner however I additionally know I’ve the chance of a lifetime.”
As a lot as he didn’t benefit from the rise of influencer boxing, Morrison admits he tried to embrace it after he first noticed Jake Paul make an impression together with his devastating knockout on the undercard of an occasion headlined by Mike Tyson and Roy Jones Jr.
He tried to pursue that chance largely out of necessity as a result of there simply weren’t significant fights out there to him inside the rankings of the heavyweight division.
“Everytime you couldn’t take the fights that you just have been speculated to take to enhance your rankings as a result of these fights are drug out so lengthy, these obligatory challenges after a defeat they usually take a yr and these prime 10 guys struggle yearly,” Morrison defined. “So in case you’re within the prime 20 and also you’re sitting there ready, it’s only a loopy deal.
“So I used to be ready and I noticed Jake Paul come into the game and I used to be really sitting in a deer stand each time he fought Nate Robinson and knocked him out, I known as him out on a YouTube video manner again when. I simply did it for shits and giggles. Because it grew and grew, it was like hell yeah and I used to be difficult him and I stated I’d struggle him totally free simply to sort of finish the entire ordeal. Simply because I knew what it was doing to the game. My purpose all alongside was to change into a conventional boxing champion the way in which that my dad did and the way in which that my brother was making an attempt to comply with his profession. To chase the household legacy and depart one thing for my son.”
Whereas he’ll all the time love boxing as a result of it’s the game he shared together with his father and his brother, Morrison can be pleased to stroll his personal path beginning together with his debut at BKFC 76.
He’s proud to hold on his household’s title as a result of he loves being often called Tommy Morrisons’s son however Kenzie can be excited for the prospect to assert a championship in bare-knuckle preventing.
“I used to be fortunate sufficient for [my dad] to be so profitable that he left me a legacy,” Morrison stated. “Carved me a option to attempt boxing. If he was right here, I believe that entire factor would have went totally different. However I’m additionally grateful to have the ability to create my very own legacy. I’m grateful that David Feldman was in a position to assist me out. He’s enthusiastic about it. I believe all people’s enthusiastic about it and I simply need to make it value it.
“My entire purpose of preventing isn’t just as a result of I find it irresistible however as a result of I take advantage of it to handle my household. I need to make my mother and my dad proud. That’s actually the drive that I’ve on a regular basis after I get up.”
In fact competing at heavyweight in bare-knuckle, Morrison is aware of there’s loads of potential hazard awaiting him however he’s embraced each facet of his new job.
He’s definitely not oblivious to the variations between conventional boxing and bare-knuckle preventing so he took his time preparing and now Morrison plans to unleash fury on Friday evening.
“It solely takes one,” Morrison stated about getting hit at heavyweight. “I simply preserve telling all people I’m a little bit bit nervous however I’m an entire lot decided. I’ve been preventing lengthy sufficient to know that I attempt to be skilled about it, I don’t let plenty of feelings become involved. However yeah, it’s nerve-racking and totally different however we’re coming.”
