‘Just Rev And Go’ – Inside Ben Tynan’s Adrenaline-Fueled Dirt Biking Obsession
There are safer ways to spend time between training camps, but Canadian heavyweight MMA star Ben “Vanilla Thunder” Tynan prefers strapping on a helmet and exploring America’s backcountry on two wheels.
For the past seven years, the 31-year-old has been adding to his bike collection and exploring trails when he’s not inside the gym, an adrenaline-fueled escape that keeps him physically conditioned, mentally strong, and occasionally covered in dust from head to toe.
Now, as Tynan prepares for his return against Ryugo Takeuchi at ONE Fight Night 40: Buntan vs. Hemetsberger II on Prime Video, live in U.S. primetime from Bangkok’s iconic Lumpinee Stadium on Friday, February 13, his unconventional hobby has become an essential part of his routine – even if it comes with some risks his coaches probably don’t love hearing about.
“Vanilla Thunder” didn’t grow up racing motorcycles through the wilderness. His love affair with dirt biking started soon after he graduated college from North Dakota State University.
While living in Washington, a friend invited him to tag along and hit the trails. What began as casual trail rides quickly snowballed into something much bigger.
Tynan recalled:
“My buddy got a bike, and that’s kind of when the magic started. Once a couple of friends get bikes and go riding, the next thing you know, all your other buddies are getting bikes. So, we just started hitting up the trails there in Washington. And since I came up here to Colorado, I convinced a couple of friends to get bikes as well.”
Though he loves spending time with his friends and the adrenaline rush that trailing riding provides, there’s something else that has kept Tynan hooked – the exploration.
Living in Denver with the Rocky Mountains practically in his backyard, he’s discovered ghost towns, hidden trails, and breathtaking vistas that most people never see. The open trail represents pure freedom for the heavyweight, who spends most of his time grinding at High Altitude Martial Arts and Pound 4 Pound Muay Thai.
The Canadian martial artist shared:
“Living in Colorado, there’s so much natural beauty. I love ‘the exploring part’ whenever we ride. I’m stuck in the city, so I just love getting out there. You load your truck up, head out, and then you come across really cool, small little ghost towns or neat stuff that you wouldn’t realize was out there.”
Dirt biking is more than just scenic cruising for Tynan, though.
There’s a primal connection “Vanilla Thunder” feels when he twists the throttle and takes off, something he believes is hardwired into human nature.
Tynan said:
“I feel like it’s in our DNA to like riding bikes because when you think of human history, what was our escape? Our big freedom was riding a horse, right? You mount a crazy, powerful monster, and you just take off. That’s what I relate biking to. You just rev and go, and you feel free doing it. It’s nice.”
Wild Adventures And Close Calls
That sense of freedom, however, has come with some close calls that would make any head coach nervous. A couple of summers ago, Ben Tynan loaded up his 450cc dirt bike and headed to St. Anthony’s Sand Dunes in Idaho to meet some friends who’d been raving about the terrain.
What he didn’t realize was that he’d be the only one on two wheels while everyone else cruised in turbocharged side-by-sides – four-wheeled UTVs better known as SxS – built for the kind of punishment that desert riding dishes out.
His competitive nature kicked in immediately:
“I’m redlining my bike the whole time trying to keep up with these guys. In my head, I’m thinking, ‘Dude, if the engine goes, it goes. But I gotta keep up.’ So, I’m hauling, and I took some nasty spills on that dune.”
The worst came when he crested a ridge and realized too late what awaited him on the other side. He bailed off the handlebars mid-air, watched his bike flip toward him as he rotated forward, and landed helmet-first with 450 pounds of motorcycle crashing down on top of him.
The impact was severe enough that “Vanilla Thunder” knew immediately something could have gone horribly wrong. But somehow, years of neck training and conditioning from wrestling and MMA saved him from what should’ve been a catastrophic injury.
Tynan shared:
“I landed on my head, and I took a few weeks off training after that. I was like, ‘Thank God I have such an iron neck,’ because I was like, ‘How did I not break it?’ I busted my helmet. I broke the helmet. I mean, it was absolutely wild.”
The crash happened during a windstorm that left him with sand in his mouth and eyes, redlining his engine just to keep his friends in sight.
Since that incident, Tynan’s learned his lesson about being the only bike rider in a pack of side-by-sides. But he hasn’t stopped riding – he’s just gotten smarter about when and where he pushes the limits.
He recalled:
“I told them, ‘I’ll go riding with you guys, but I’m not gonna be the only one on a bike anymore.’ But yeah, that was probably my closest call.”
Despite the occasional crash and busted helmet, the heavyweight insists the benefits far outweigh the risks. Trail riding isn’t just an escape – it’s a genuine workout that complements his MMA training in ways people don’t realize until they experience it firsthand.
Now, as he prepares to face Takeuchi in Bangkok, Tynan will bring the same fearless mentality to his opponents that he takes to the trails.
Whether he’s throttling through America’s backcountry or trading leather inside the squared circle, “Vanilla Thunder” approaches both with the same philosophy: rev it up and go.
The Canadian said:
“It keeps you sharp. When you’re doing advanced trails, your core work, everything about it – you get a really good workout. It’s physically demanding, so that’s pretty cool. And you look cool, so that’s kind of a benefit.”
