After next Army deployment Tim Kennedy is ready to fight anyone
Middleweight contender Tim Kennedy hasn't competed since Sep. of 2014, but has not ruled out a return to the Octagon. In fact, the soldier recently told Submission Radio that he wants to make a run for the title.
"I still want the title. You know, I'm ranked number five right now, and I think, let's say if Bisping loses, Anderson wins, he's going to probably slip into that three or four slot," he said.
"So Anderson [Silva] coming off a win and that would be a perfect fight for a kind of title eliminator for me. I'm not saying the UFC would give me a title fight after beating - I'd be what, 4-1? With the one loss being a super controversial loss to a nasty-ass cheater. So maybe? So the Anderson fight would really put me in the position for title contendership, you know. I would be in the mix, if not the contender, which is one of the reasons I'm lobbying so heavily for it."
This all may come as somewhat of a surprise to Kennedy fans as he has sounded a bit uninterested in fighting again, after a controversial end to his last bout, against Yoel Romero, and his complaints about the UFC's uniform deal and fighters doping. Furthermore, there were reports a bit ago that he specifically turned down a fight with former champion Lyoto Machida.
Kennedy said he is actively trying to get a fight, but that he his U.S. Army deployment schedule precluded that proposed fight date. "I was in Las Vegas last week and I was trying to link up with [UFC matchmaker and vice-president] Joe [Silva] for a lunch. Unfortunately, he was at a fight so I missed him, but it was not a question about who I want to fight or when I want to fight," he explained.
"They offered me Lyoto Machida at the end of March, but I'm going to be deployed for the military and it's for the U.S. Army, and they're really hard to say 'no' to. Like, by hard, I mean they'll put me in prison if I say 'no.' Yeah. So, I couldn't fight at the end of March. I asked for a different date.
"Lyoto would be a fun fight. Anderson would be a really easy fight. So, obviously I'd prefer to beat up a former champ, steroid user, and stylistically it's an easier match. But, either way, as soon as I get back from this deployment, I would love to fight whoever they want."
