On August 4th, Tannin Baumann stepped into the MMA arena for the first time. His debut took place at The Northern Winz, in an outdoor tent area. Tannin's journey to this moment was marked by six months of rigorous training, a testament to his unwavering dedication to the sport.
Tannin informed me, "It's a mix of boxing, kickboxing, Jiu-Jitsu, wrestling, and grappling. It's just a mix of a bunch of different fighting techniques." Tannin has found that his wrestling knowledge is a big part of MMA. Tannin said, "I've been wrestling for 15 years.
I asked how big the ring was, and he told me it wasn't a ring. He fights in an octagon surrounded by a cage.
He won his first fight. "I did win, in the first round, in the first 45 seconds. I hit the guy with a leg kick and a couple of punches." And then he got him with what's called a "standing Guillotine Choke. He tapped out, and I won."
Tannin was known for his aggressive moves when he wrestled for the Big Sandy Pioneers, so moving into MMA is a natural fit for him. "I enjoyed boxing in the past, and with this, I get to implement my wrestling skills. It just opens up a whole new world with my wrestling." Of course, the rules are different, and more aggressive moves are allowed.
"There are rules. And especially in amateur fighting, which is what I'm doing. Amateur fighting is way different from pro fighting. You can't throw any elbows like you can in Pro. You can't throw knees. There are certain locks and submissions you're not allowed to do. There's no hair pulling, eye gouges, or pinching or biting."
Tannin would like to be a pro. "I go to a gym every morning and train specifically for the sport." His next fight is on September 20th. "You're only allowed to fight one fight a night, and usually, they don't let you fight more than once a month. My fight is three rounds, and each round is two minutes, with a minute break in between."
He still needs to get a nickname. "I have not been given a nickname. I'm waiting to get a couple more fights. Nicknames usually come from the crowd, or some announcer gives me a nickname. I need a couple more fights before I deserve a nickname for myself."
Tannin said he trains at Dog Pound in Missoula. On their website, they say, "At Dogpound Fight Team in Missoula, Montana, we coach everyone from the Elite Athlete to the average person just trying to get in better shape. Our classes range from no-contact cardio to full-contact fighting. We are a Behring Jiu Jitsu affiliate, and we pride ourselves on being the number one fight team in the state, and we back it up with more than just words."
"We offer a strict training routine for our active fighters and also offer a great workout routine for anybody just wanting to get in shape and feel confident about defending themselves. As well as our regular practices, we offer a "Fighter Cardio" routine, three times a week. This is designed to get any fighter ready for the toughest battle, and it'll whip anybody in shape."
"Our coaches are:
Brandon Olsen: Top Ranked Submission Grappler, BJJ Black Belt, and Professional MMA fighter. Matthew Powers: Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Brown Belt and Striking/Clinch Coach"
