When Tim Hague lost to Matt Mitrione at the Ultimate Fighting Championship’s Fight For The Troops 2 event in January, he knew what was coming.
“The UFC is all about winning and performing well, and when I lost that fight I knew I would be released. It wasn’t a shock at all,” said Hague. Sure enough, the UFC cut the Boyle native loose for the second time in his career.
But while some fighters might have hung up their gloves and given up, Hague took the setback and turned it into a stepping stone.
He stepped away from the fight game for a while in order to make some key changes in his personal life. Then he got back in the cage and committed himself to getting back to the top of the MMA mountain, one fight at a time.
“I went through some changes over the summer. I just needed to surround myself with positive people and get rid of the negatives in my life. I just felt rejuvenated after being able to do that.”
That rejuvenation was fully on display on Sept. 16, when Hague returned to Aggression MMA and notched a decisive victory, submitting Vince Lucero in the first round with a guillotine choke.
Once the fight started, it didn’t take Hague long to take it to the mat.
“When I got him on the ground, he was in my world,” he said.
The impressive victory served as a statement that ‘The Thrashing Machine’ has renewed his quest for MMA glory. He hopes to compete at Aggression’s next fight card in November, and take another step towards a third crack at the UFC.
“When I come to fight, win or lose I want it on the highlight reel. I’m not going to dance around for three rounds. I’m coming to get in your face. If I get caught, so be it. I’m coming to put on a show.”
It’s a show that fight fans in Boyle, Athabasca and the surrounding area won’t want to miss.
