Tim Kennedy was originally lined up for a huge opportunity against Lyoto Machida, but he will now meet Rafael Natal in front of his fellow U.S. military members at UFC Fight for the Troops 3.
Despite earning a decision win over Roger Gracie in his UFC debut, Kennedy probably wasn’t quite ready for a matchup with Machida, who has historically been an awful matchup for grapplers. A bout with Natal won’t move Kennedy upward in the middleweight division, but it should give him a better chance to gain momentum before meeting a 185-pound contender.
Natal hasn’t beaten any elite middleweights, but he has won five of his past six fights. The Brazilian may be a significant underdog on Wednesday, but he won’t be a pushover for Kennedy.
As this lackluster main event approaches, here is a look at how Kennedy and Natal stack up in all areas.