T. Kennedy celebrates knockout over Sapo; soldiers applaud. Photo: Josh Hedges/UFC
After several public jabs at Michael Bisping, Tim Kennedy surprised and spared no praise for the Englishman, whom he has been challenging for months to a fight on social media.
In an interview with the British website YourMMA, Kennedy explained the reasons why he has been trying to get a fight with Bisping. “I think he’s an incredible fighter. He fought the best in the world, he's above me in the rankings and he's better known than me. That's all an athlete could want. I thought he was kind of one-dimensional, but after his fight with Chael Sonnen, I have a lot of respect for him. He has the complete package for an MMA fighter”, he praised.
Additionally, Kennedy hopes to face Bisping for another reason. In February 2011, the Englishman faced Jorge Rivera, a close friend of Kennedy, in a controversial fight. After months of provocations, Bisping dominated the fight, scored a knockout in the second round, and, enraged, spat towards Rivera's corner as soon as the referee stopped the action. “When he fought one of my best friends, Jorge Rivera, I didn't like how the fight ended. And I need to support my friends. From that moment on, I wanted to fight Bisping,” Kennedy said.
Against Bisping, he hopes to continue his good form in the UFC. After two fights against Brazilians (Roger gracie and Rafael “Sapo” Natal), the North American won two victories, the last of which he considers to be the highlight of his career so far. “Man, that was probably the peak of my career. In an auditorium full of soldiers, I managed to knock out a guy like Natal like that. I have a lot of respect for him. He's very tough, underrated. It was incredible,” he celebrated.
Kennedy criticizes the use of TRT: ‘It’s horrible, it’s a cheat’
Tim Kennedy was another UFC athlete who was against the use of hormone replacement therapy (better known as TRT). The subject has gained prominence in recent years after some prominent fighters, such as Vitor belfort (next challenger for the middleweight belt, belonging to Chris Weidman), if they use practice.
“This is one of the few issues on which I agree with Michael Bisping. It's a horrible thing, it's a cheat. I can't even say it. If Chris Weidman fight with a Vitor belfort normal, I think he wins. If it is a version of Vitor belfort with steroids, then I don’t know”, he assessed.
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