Jeremy Kennedy had already accepted that he wasn’t getting a title shot in his Bellator return, however an unlucky set of circumstances modified his fortune at a second’s discover.
Initially scheduled to battle James Gallagher on the upcoming Bellator card in Belfast on Friday, Kennedy felt like he couldn’t wait any longer for a possible title shot, so he jumped on the likelihood to battle once more. Within the meantime, he stored a watchful eye on Bellator featherweight champion Patricio Pitbull, who booked a battle in opposition to PFL champion Jesus Pinedo in February. Then the matchup fell aside simply days earlier than the occasion.
Pinedo needed to drop off the cardboard, and a last-minute effort to place PFL veteran Gabriel Braga within the battle was scrapped as effectively. That’s when Kennedy lastly acquired the decision he all the time needed.
“When Braga stepped in to do the PFL vs. Bellator factor, I assumed it was a greater matchup for Pitbull,” Kennedy informed MMA Preventing. “I used to be rooting for Pitbull as a result of I knew I’d be preventing him subsequent. I needed him to be coming off a win and never lose any inventory. I needed him to look his finest.
“It was that Friday morning, weigh-in day in Saudi Arabia and late Thursday evening right here, and I acquired the decision, ‘Pitbull’s opponent isn’t weighing in, he’s not preventing,’ and so they know Pitbull needs to battle regardless. ‘Would you have an interest?’ I used to be like, ‘Don’t even ask me! Simply say sure!’”
The one actual change for Kennedy was switching from three rounds to 5 rounds for a title battle, however he had already ready for an eventual showdown with Pitbull lengthy earlier than that.
Kennedy guarantees to be greater than able to take the title from the incumbent champion.
“I used to be already coaching for the battle, already coaching for that date,” he stated. “I acquired an even bigger battle, an even bigger opponent. It’s what I’ve been ready for. I used to be able to go for him and so the change favored me, it benefited me. I used to be able to go.”
Kennedy attracts Pitbull at an attention-grabbing crossroads within the Brazilian’s profession; Pitbull seems to be to bounce again from two straight losses, together with a first-round knockout he suffered in a short-notice battle in opposition to Chihiro Suzuki in RIZIN. That battle came about at 154 kilos, which got here barely six weeks after Pitbull misplaced a lopsided resolution to Sergio Pettis in a failed try and turn out to be bantamweight champion.
So as to add to that, Pitbull turns 37 in July and has greater than 40 fights on his résumé.
Kennedy isn’t relying on a diminished model of Pitbull greeting him within the cage on Friday, although he expects to seek out out slightly shortly if the Brazilian actually has misplaced a step or not.
“Any time you see a man within the lighter weight lessons, getting up there within the 30s and the quantity of fights — that’s miles, that’s weight cuts, that’s coaching camps — no person is younger without end,” Kennedy stated. “Father time guidelines.
“[But] I don’t assume his performances have [shown] he’s washed now or he’s shot or something. That battle in Japan, he had fought six weeks earlier down two weight lessons primarily after which a three-day discover [fight]. I believe Chihiro is a extremely, actually adorned kickboxer that no person actually knew about. In a hoop, quick discover, I don’t actually maintain a lot weight outdoors of bodily seeing him get damage, is sweet for my confidence. He’s human.”
Fact be informed, Kennedy hopes Pitbull remains to be the identical savage that knocked out future UFC title contender Michael Chandler in 61 seconds. It could imply much more to take the belt off that man than a husk of the fighter routinely known as the Bellator GOAT.
“I’ve all the time all alongside felt that I matched up effectively with him,” Kennedy stated. “Now I get to show that. Timing is all the things. I don’t assume it’s finished him any favors. I’m anticipating the perfect however I might very effectively go on the market and blast proper by means of him, or it may very well be the [best] Pitbull, and he’s doing this factor and I’m in hassle and it’s an extended, five-round battle. I nonetheless consider I’m higher than him in all places.”
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