Bryony ‘Killa Bee’ Tyrell 4-4-1 is an English professional Mixed Martial Artist currently competing in the Strawweight division, representing New Generation Martial Arts. She has competed for Shock n’ Awe, British Challenge MMA, 360 MMA Fight Nights, Made4TheCage Fighting Championships, Bellator MMA and Cage Warriors.
I’d like to take this opportunity to thank you for taking the time to speak with me today Bryony, and also to congratulate you on your upcoming inclusion to the CW144 card.
“Thank you, it’s such a huge opportunity for me, I’m very happy about it.”
And what a place to fight at.
“Absolutely, it’s such an amazing city, I’m very fortunate.”
I hope your preparations and training has been going well in the build-up to your scheduled return to the cage?
“Yeah it’s been very good actually, I’m off to SBG this evening in Dublin. I’ve been up to Crossface this week as well, training with Dave Lee and the Crossface guys. and obviously training back at my home gym in Southampton, I’ve got some good people helping me out.”
Great gyms, Crossface is a superb place to train, many great competitors have come out of there.
“If I was up in London I’d train there more if I could, International and get up to train with Dave as much as I can. He’s helped me since I started out on my pro career, really grateful for his help.”
What has been your main focus as you prepare to once again go to war?
“To be honest, I’ve done so much Grappling over the last couple of years, grappling competitions and Grapple Kings. I’ve just done loads of Grappling, so I’m now concentrating on my striking. Getting that back up to speed, I’m doing as much sparring as I can at the moment.”
Grapple Kings is a tremendous opportunity and Grapple Queens also. I have a colleague who works very closely with the organisation, Stuart Henderson who you previously interviewed with in regards to your participation.
“Ah, yeah I remember, tell him I said hi. Definitely, that’s why I’m out in Dublin, I was meant to be on the Grapple Queens card in the purple belt tournament. But because of my Cage Warriors bout, you can’t compete for 45 days before the bout so unfortunately I had to pull out of that. But I’m going to be there cornering my friend who has stepped in for me, it’s gonna be good to be there and watch anyway.”
It’s been 3 years since we last had the pleasure of witnessing you in the lion’s den back at Bellator 223, and fight fans will be overjoyed after hearing your plans to return. Inactivity for Mixed Martial Artist doesn’t always mean they have stepped away completely, for the readers, could you elaborate on what you have been up to since your inclusion at Wembley?
“Martial arts is what I live for so I’d never be out of training so to speak. Obviously because of Covid it was limited, but I still did as much as I could. I’m the type of person that does it because I love it, I don’t just come in, train for a fight and slack off. I’m always working hard, I’m always wanting to compete, I’m always wanting to get better. My training always intensifies when I get a fight, cardio wise particularly. But other than that I just keep learning and training as much as I can, with the best people I can. So not much changes really, I’ve just got to work that bit harder to make sure I can make it through the 3-5 minute rounds haha.”
It’s great to hear, when fighters don’t compete in the cage for a while some people just think they’ve fallen off the face of the earth haha.
“Yeah, not at all haha.”
Your return has been secured, and what a return it is set to be. Cage warriors has been the home of your arsenal in the past and is set to be once again when Graham Boylan and his team bring their band of warriors to the shores of Rome. What does it mean to you to be included in what is one of the most highly anticipated cards on the 2022 calendar?
“Oh I’m so excited about it, as I’ve not competed at Strawweight for Cage Warriors before. I did do an amateur bout at Catchweight, that was at short notice. I competed for the Flyweight world title also, again, on short notice. I’ve never fought at Flyweight either and really, I don’t think belong there I’m not strong enough. I’m back down at the weight I do well in, against an awesome opponent that I’ve followed since turning pro. Very Highly skilled, experienced opponent so it’s such an awesome opportunity. I’ve got a full fight camp, I’m going out to Rome, awesome opponent, I couldn’t be happier, I’m super chuffed about it.”
I can imagine, I also noticed it’s your birthday that day also so if I dm t catch up with you beforehand, I wish you happy birthday for then.
“Yeah haha, it’s actually on my birthday which is cool.”
That’s a great gift from Graham Boylan also, a nice holiday haha.
“Haha, very kind of him Yeah haha.”
Your return under the lights of Cage Warriors will see you take on a very well rounded opponent in Micol di Segni, In true ‘Killa bee’ fashion you take on great competition. What do you make of Micol in the build-up to your scheduled meeting on October 7th?
“I’ve followed her for some time so I’m familiar with her, and I’ve studied her fights after finding out we’d be competing. I think she’s a very strong striker, I think that’s where she’s most dangerous. She looks like she’s got a dangerous top position as well with ground and pound. I think where I’ve been doing so much grappling over the last couple of years, so I think that’s where I’m gonna be the stronger of the two of us. But she looks physically strong, difficult to take down, I’m not gonna say my game-plan as such but I’m looking at her as an all-round fighter. Looking to see where I can get the better of her.”
Agreed, another very rounded opponent for you. After watching you over the years, you’ve never taken the easy fight, I remember your bout with Molly McCann you mentioned earlier, the best of the best.
“Haha Yeah, definitely not one for easy fights, I like challenges. And Denise Kielholtz as well, her striking is amazing, she’s one of the best strikers in the world, I think everybody thought I was gonna get smashed to pieces. I’ve never actually taken the easy ones, and I’ve never been injured in a fight either. Not significantly either, I’ll touch wood there haha. I’m very confident in my skill set and being all-rounded, especially at Strawweight, Flyweight I’m too small for.”
The ‘Eternal City’ is set to a place of pure unadulterated organised violence, and what a card CW have in store for us, Other than your inclusion on the night are there any matchups in particular that you’re looking forward to witnessing?
“I watched Madars Fleminas’s last 2 fights. He’s awesome, I’m definitely looking forward to seeing him! He gets out of crazy dangerous positions then finishes his opponent! Amazing.”
I completely agree, I had the opportunity to catch his last fight at CW141 in London. Extremely talented warrior and an extremely difficult opponent for anyone.
It’s been an absolute pleasure speaking with you Bryony and I look forward to catching you out there once again.
“Oh thank you ever so much Aaron, and thank you again for asking me.”
My pleasure Bryony.
Last but not least, do you have a message for the fans that will be in attendance and anybody you’d like to give a shout-out to?
“I’d like to shout-out and thank all my coaches and training partners at New Generation Martial Arts in Southampton David Lee at the Crossface team in Watford, they’re all awesome and it’s because of both those gyms that I’m able to get back in there. Big thank you to my sponsors; Booster Fight Gear, Mr Sport and SJ Fitness and Recovery. To the fight fans in Rome, I’ve got a lot to prove with this fight because of my age. A lot of people have written me off, didn’t expect to come back and probably thought I should have retired. But I wanna prove that I still belong in the cage and at the highest level. I’m taking on a top-level opponent again and I wanna prove, especially on the Cage Warriors platform that I belong there.”
I don’t think retirement should be on the cards for you. If you weren’t on top of your game, you wouldn’t be included on such a prolific organisation as Cage Warriors as well as in a milestone of an event as CW144 to be honest.
“It’s really nice of you to say that, thank you.”
No problem at all.
Make sure to mark your calendar, for this one, Cage Warriors is well renowned for its barn-burners and these two prolific ladies definitely warrants that title. Tickets on sale from September 5th.
Feature image by Dolly Clew
Training image by Rachel Summers The Martial Arts Girl
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