Tim Kennedy rips Strikeforce, fighters, matchmakers
Highly decorated former Army Ranger Tim Kennedy left the military to pursue a full-time career in mixed martial arts. But…
Highly decorated former Army Ranger Tim Kennedy left the military to pursue a full-time career in mixed martial arts. But the Strikeforce fighter got only three fights between 2011 and 1012, a situation Kennedy characterized as ‘ridiculous’.
I’m a business owner,” said Kennedy on MMA Weekly Radio. “I have employees and there’s been transitional periods where we’re moving from one warehouse to another, or we’re maybe being bought out by another company, but regardless, I’m going to take care of my employees. I think your first obligation as an employer is to the people that work for you.”
Fighting one time in a year is ridiculous. Especially because the reason I left active duty service was to fight. I love special forces, I love everything about being a sniper, I love jumping out of airplanes, I love wearing a green beret, and I love being surrounded by a bunch of bad asses. I left what I loved so I could fight, and since I left I’ve fought like two times.
Kennedy also took issue with the process by which some Strikeforce fighters were offered UFC contracts, while others Saturday night will be literally fighting for a job.
I have no idea how they work,” said Kennedy. “Sean Shelby and Joe Silva, I’m sure they have a method and a process to it, but sometimes I think they just s— in one hand, and they have this big dry erase board with all these names on it, and they just throw poo on one dude’s name and then the other name they like highlight it and circle it and draw happy faces and like little golden stars.
The third point of contention for Kennedy is the fighters who dropped off the Strikeforce Finale ostensibly due to injury, after a UFC contract was imminent or offered.
I don’t know why Strikeforce would go out and say, ‘Hey, all these guys are going to be on this card,’ and then a week later all these guys aren’t on the card,” said Kennedy. “From Luke Rockhold to Gilbert Melendez to Masvidal, it’s like all the marquee guys that you know are going over to the UFC are conveniently injured.”
I’m going over there (to the UFC) but I don’t care. I’m still going to go out and fight, I’m going to fight a risky fight against a guy that’s dangerous that nobody knows on the last Strikeforce card. If you’re a fighter, act like a fighter and go out and fight, and stop acting like a little p—- and go out and fight.
Fighting is an industry where you could get cut for anything. It’s an industry depending on how your performance is you could get cut, medicals, anything you could get cut. There’s no telling.”
Bottom line, it comes down to if you’re a fighter you should fight. You shouldn’t be poising yourself to leap to start the next segment of your career in a different promotion. Your loyalty has to lie with who is taking care of you. Strikeforce has taken care of me. I could have easily been like, ‘Oh, my vagina hurts too. I’m not going to fight,’ and then just get on a February card because I was miraculously healed.”
I’m not. I’m going to go out and fight cause that’s what I think people should do.
Tim Kennedy fights Trevor Smith on the undercard of Strikeforce: Marquardt vs. Saffiedine on Showtime. Kennedy’s fight will probably air on the Showtime: Extreme portion of the card, which begins at 8 p.m. ET. The card switches to Showtime at 10 p.m., with prelim fights frequently airing if the main card bouts end early.
Listen to entire interview…