Tim Kennedy ‘Pleasantly Surprised’ He Received Strikeforce Title Shot

Filed under: Strikeforce, FanHouse Exclusive, NewsWhen word first leaked that Jake Shields would be vacating his Strikeforce middleweight title en route to signing a new contract with the UFC, the thought, according to Strikeforce officials, was to set…

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When word first leaked that Jake Shields would be vacating his Strikeforce middleweight title en route to signing a new contract with the UFC, the thought, according to Strikeforce officials, was to set up a tournament to crown a new 185-pound champion.

But somewhere along the line, the plan changed, and the organization booked a vacant title fight between Tim Kennedy and Ronaldo “Jacare” Souza at Strikeforce: Houston on Aug. 21.

Kennedy stopped by The MMA Hour Monday, and said he was legitimately surprised when he heard the change of plans.