GREAT FALLS — Sean and Ryan Ibsen have spent years training together, trading punches, pointers and plenty of jokes. This Saturday, the father and son will finally get to share a fight card.
Both are scheduled to compete in bareknuckle bouts at Fusion Fight League’s event at the Pacific Steel and Recycling Four Seasons Arena.
WATCH: FATHER AND SON PREPARE TO FIGHT ON SAME CARD
Ryan will face Braeden Tovey in a professional welterweight bareknuckle boxing bout. Sean will take on Rayne Wells in a professional middleweight bareknuckle MMA bout.
For the Ibsens, it’s an opportunity they’ve talked about for years.
“We’ve been training together since I was a little boy,” Ryan said. “So getting to do it for real and take the walk together on the same night, that’s — how many times in life, you know?”
Sean began training Ryan when he was about 5 years old. Their history includes sessions on mats laid out in the family garage, eventually growing into the gym community they’re part of today at Flow State Athletics.
Ryan previously held Fusion Fight League’s amateur featherweight championship before taking time away from competition. Sean also has championship experience in bareknuckle MMA with Kill Eagle Promotions.
But their familiarity with each other doesn’t make training together easy.
“He understands all my movements and strengths, weaknesses,” Ryan said. “He can dissect my game completely.”
Sean offered a slightly different scouting report.
“It’s no fun sparring Ryan. It’s like walking into a wood chipper,” he said.
Between the punches and the teasing, their time in the gym serves another purpose.
“He works so much. This is really about the only time we get to spend quality time together,” Sean said.
At 50, Sean is preparing for his first fight in more than five years. He said getting back into fighting shape has been tougher than he remembered, but having Ryan alongside him has helped.
“This fight camp is rougher than I remember, but I’m having a blast doing it,” Sean said.
Ryan sees the work his dad is putting in — and admits watching him compete brings a different kind of nerves.
“I’m more nervous for his fight than I am mine,” Ryan said.
Sean hopes the fight order will allow him time to recover from his own bout before helping corner his son. While he’s looking forward to competing again, seeing Ryan succeed is a big part of what makes the night special.
“In fighters’ terms, I’d say he's dangerous,” Sean said when asked to describe Ryan. “But looking at him, father to son, the only word I got is proud.”
They’ve also been planning what comes after the fights.
“We’ve been talking nonstop about victory tacos since the weight cut started,” Sean said. “So we are both going to win, head to the Halftime and order a big plate of tacos.”
Doors open Saturday at 5 p.m., with preliminary bouts beginning at 6 p.m. and the main card at 7 p.m.
