Jared Henderson
Q: Hey Jared, thanks for taking the time to chat. First off, can you give us a little backstory on yourself?
A: I was Born and raised here in The Pas, Manitoba. I moved to Brandon for a few years but as most of us know, the North has a way of bringing you back!
I’m the proud father of three beautiful daughters and I am currently enrolled in UCN in the Business Administration Diploma program.
Q: Tell us a little bit about how you first got involved with MMA.
A: I was always interested in MMA and its earlier days when it was just called NHB (no holds barred). I started boxing in my mid-twenties and then quickly progressed to MMA. I began training at Ultimate Athletics but have expanded my training to Sweat Shop Boxing here in The Pas and WAMMA (Winnipeg Academy of Mixed Martial Arts) when I'm in Winnipeg. Every day I'm getting bigger, better and stronger. I have always enjoyed combat sports and I like the idea of competing in a one-on-one scenario, not depending on a team just me, myself and I.
Q: What are some of the challenges that you face being an athlete located in the North?
A: Definitely training partners, it's hard to find competitive heavyweights or even light heavyweights for me to spar and train with. So that’s why it's been so important for me to go to Winnipeg to spar and get into the mix with the bigger guys at WAMMA. Here at home, Eugene at Sweatshop Boxing understands and has helped immensely with my stand up, fine tuning my hand speed and punching power.
Q: What are the positives of basing your career from here?
A: The positives? Definitely the support I receive from the community each and every time I have a upcoming fight. Logan at CJ1240 always gets me to come in and talk a little about my fight and helps me get the word out there. I also have a Support page on facebook with over 600 supporters. Ninety percent of them are from the North: The Pas, Thompson & surrounding regions.
People know that whether I win or lose, I always bring my best to the cage and try to finish. I want to be an exciting fighter they'll want to continue to support. I just saw a Team Henderson support shirt on a student here at UCN the other day, it was such a cool feeling.
Q: Tell us about some of the experiences in your sport?
A: I have had some great experiences in MMA. I’ve fought on the same cards as Ex-UFC fighters such as Cody Mckenzie, Joe “Diesel” Riggs & Jonathan Brookins. I have also met some great people in this sport and made some great friends. I fought the best in Canada from Tanner Boser to Nick Campbell. I am currently ranked in the Top ten in Canada by both Tapology.com & the Fight Network.
This sport has given me the opportunity to see other cities outside this province such as Calgary, Medicine Hat and most recently Montreal. I’ve also been able to compete on the highest level for promotions such as Fight Night by Z Promotions & TKO.
Probably the coolest thing was when I was recently in Montreal and I bumped into Robin Black (Fight Network commentator) we started talking about my past bouts and told me I was an exciting fighter and one he would keep his eye on. To be noticed by someone with the respect in the MMA-world like Robin Black was definitely a confidence booster.
Q: How do you find local fan support?
A: Local Fan support is great. Everytime I have support shirts to sell people buy them as fast as I can make them. People are also sending me messages and texts before a fight and let me know they have my back. That’s a great feeling when our communities support me united like that.
Q: You have an upcoming fight in Thompson, can you tell us a little about that?
A: I will be fighting for a Heavyweight Championship in Thompson Manitoba on June 3rd, 2017 against another tough Manitoban Heavyweight for the Main event of the Inaugural Throwdown in T-Town. Rick Genaille and I will be going to war for the first ever KOTN (King of the North) Heavyweight championship. I’m pretty pumped, this is my first title shot and I plan to make the best of it. Training camp starts very soon.
Q: Thank you so much for taking time out of your schedule to speak, did you have any final words for our readers?
A: I want to thank everyone that has supported me in the past and continues to support me, I plan to win the belt in June and bring it back home to The Pas. Ticket information should be out soon, if you’re on facebook please check out my support page for any updates. You can see some of my past bouts and any information on future bouts.
