Assiniboine Sioux in Fight Master

Native Sun News: Assiniboine Sioux man stars in 'Fight Master'

By David MichaudWhile he may be a star of the inaugural season of the Bellator MMA reality show Fight Master, Tim Welch will never forget where he comes from.

Welch is an Assiniboine Sioux who is an enrolled member of the tribe that hails from the Fort Peck Indian Reservation in Montana. While he is enrolled at Fort Peck he says that his family on his father’s side is from the Wolf Point Reservation, where many still live to this day.

Growing up as a wrestler in Montana it should come as no surprise to anyone that Welch decided to try his hand in MMA, starting like many others in the amateur ranks and working his way up.

“I thought I’d try it and did it for fun in college then found out you could be a professional so I had 10 amateur fights then my coach turned me pro at 19 and I made $1,000 and I couldn’t believe it,” said Welch.Comment:  For more on Native martial arts, see Walla Walla MMA Fighter and Dog Soldier MMA.