Recently, there have been unconfirmed reports that Strikeforce middleweight fighter and Green Beret, Tim Kennedy, may be making his way over to the UFC.
Should these rumors prove to be true, Kennedy could cause a real stir up in the stagnant middleweight division.
With a professional record of 14-3, and victories over Robbie Lawler, Melvin Manhoef, Trevor Prangley and Jason “Mayhem” Miller, and a loss to Ronaldo “Jacare” Souza, Kennedy has certainly faced some top flight competition in his career.
So how would he stack up against the middleweight division in the UFC?
First we have to look at the current rankings of the division.
1. Anderson Silva
2. Chael Sonnen
3. Yushin Okami
4. Brian Stann
5. Vitor Belfort
6. Mark Munoz
7. Demian Maia
8. Michael Bisping
9. Chris Leben
10. Take Your Pick
Kennedy is a very well rounded fighter, and he stands a solid chance against anybody on that list.
He was able to go 25 minutes with Ronaldo Souza and not get submitted—although he did lose a decision—and he was able to go 15 minutes with Robbie Lawler and not get knocked out—in a fight which he won by unanimous decision.
Of Kennedy’s 14 wins, five have been (T)KOs, and seven have been submissions.
I think Kennedy would have a real chance of being a top five middleweight in the UFC.
Aside from just being well rounded, Kennedy trains out of Jackson’s. That gives him a big edge right there.
But that also means we wouldn’t be likely to see the two army veterans face off, the other being Brian Stann.
Should Kennedy be making his way to the UFC, I think a matchup between the winner of the Michael Bisping-Mayhem Miller fight would be a good gauge to see where he stands in the division.
A fight against Bisping would be an easy sell for obvious reasons, and a fight with Mayhem would be the third fight between the two, as their record currently stands at 1-1 against each other.
Here’s hoping they bring Kennedy—along with Ronaldo Souza and Luke Rockhold—over from Strikeforce soon.
The middleweight division needs a little shake up—Kennedy and the Strikeforce middleweights can provide that.
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