Jeremy Kennedy

Jeremy Michael Fitz-Kennedy (born September 16, 1992)[1] is a Canadian mixed martial artist, currently competing in the Featherweight division of Bellator MMA. In addition to competing for Bellator, Kennedy has also competed in the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) and the Professional Fighters League (PFL). As of September 26, 2023, he is #3 in the Bellator Featherweight Rankings.[4]

Jeremy Kennedy
BornJeremy Michael Fitz-Kennedy[1]
(1992-09-16) September 16, 1992
Surrey, British Columbia, Canada
Other namesJBC, The Bandit
NationalityCanadian
Height5 ft 11 in (1.80 m)
Weight145 lb (66 kg; 10.4 st)
DivisionLightweight
Featherweight
Bantamweight
Reach71 in (180 cm)
StanceOrthodox
Fighting out ofSurrey, British Columbia, Canada
TeamRevolution MMA
Xtreme Couture (2018–present)[2]
RankBrown belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu under Bibiano Fernandes[3]
Years active2013–present
Mixed martial arts record
Total23
Wins19
By knockout7
By submission2
By decision10
Losses3
By knockout2
By decision1
No contests1
Other information
Mixed martial arts record from Sherdog

Background

Kennedy was born and raised in Fleetwood, Surrey, British Columbia, Canada.[5] He started training boxing and Brazilian jiu-jitsu at the age of 13 to put up with his older brother.[6][7] He graduated from Fleetwood Park Secondary School.[5]

Mixed martial arts career

Early career

Before joining the UFC, Kennedy held both the Battlefield Fight League Amateur and Professional Featherweight Championships while amassing an amateur record of 8–1 and a professional record of 8–0.[8]

Ultimate Fighting Championship

Kennedy made his promotional debut on August 27, 2016 at UFC on Fox 21 against Alessandro Ricci.[9] He won the fight by unanimous decision.[10]

Kennedy was briefly tabbed as a short notice replacement to face Mirsad Bektic on October 8, 2016 at UFC 204.[11] Subsequently, after his participation was publicly confirmed, Kennedy indicated he was injured and unable to take the fight.[12] He was replaced by Russell Doane.[13]

Kennedy next faced Rony Jason on March 11, 2017 at UFC Fight Night 106.[14] He won the bout by unanimous decision.[15]

Kennedy faced Kyle Bochniak on July 22, 2017 at UFC on Fox 25.[16] Kennedy won the fight via unanimous decision.[17]

Kennedy was scheduled to face Alexander Volkanovski at UFC Fight Night: Hunt vs. Tybura on 19 November 2017.[18] However, Kennedy pulled out of the fight on October 5 citing a back injury.[19]

The bout with Volkanovski was rescheduled and took place on February 11, 2018 at UFC 221.[20] He lost the fight via technical knockout in round two.[21]

Brave CF

Kennedy's contract with the UFC ended after the Volkanovski bout and Kennedy grew tired of the contract negotiations for renewing, eventually leading him to sign with a new promotion - Brave CF.[22] Kennedy headlined Brave 14 against Danyel Pilo on August 18, 2018.[23] He won the fight via knockout in round one.

Kennedy was expected to face Marcos Galvão at PFL 8 for the alternate spot in the Professional Fighters League's 2018 featherweight tournament. Due to a misunderstanding when making the contract with Brave CF, Kennedy assumed he was eligible to compete in other organizations' events. Just before Kennedy's fight, Brave CF officials contacted PFL to deny him from fighting.[24] Briefly after the news surfaced, Brave CF officials revealed that Kennedy had signed a bout agreement to fight Marat Magomedov at Brave 18 on November 16, 2018.[24]

Kennedy headlined Brave 21 against Magomedov on December 28, 2018. He won the fight via TKO in the third round.[25]

PFL

In 2019, Kennedy joined the Professional Fighters League as an entrant in their 2019 Featherweight tournament. He was scheduled to face Alexandre Bezerra in the opening round, but Bezerra missed weight and was replaced by Luis Rafael Laurentino.[26] Kennedy lost the fight via TKO in the first round.

In the second round of PFL 2 regular season, Kennedy faced Steven Siler at PFL 5 on July 25, 2019.[27] He won the fight by unanimous decision and advanced to the playoffs.

In the quarterfinals, Kennedy faced Luis Rafael

Laurentino at PFL 8 on October 17, 2019. He won the fight via second-round knockout and advanced to the semifinals contested later on the same day.[28] In semifinals Kennedy lost to Daniel Pineda via first round submission and was eliminated from the tournament. However, Pineda tested positive for a banned substance and the result was overturned to no contest.[29]

Bellator MMA

Kennedy signed with Bellator MMA in October 2020.[30] He made his promotional debut against Matt Bessette at Bellator 253 on November 19, 2020.[31] Kennedy won the fight by unanimous decision.

Kennedy faced Ádám Borics on April 9, 2021 at Bellator 256.[32] He lost the bout via unanimous decision.[33]

Kennedy faced Emmanuel Sanchez on December 3, 2021 at Bellator 272.[34] He won the bout via unanimous decision.[35]

Kennedy was scheduled to face Aaron Pico on April 15, 2022 at Bellator 277.[36] However, due to unknown reasons, Kennedy withdrew 8 days before the event.[37]

The bout against Aaron Pico was rebooked for October 1, 2022 at Bellator 286.[38] After Pico hurt his shoulder mid way through the first round, the bout was stopped after the first round by the doctor.[39]

Kennedy faced Pedro Carvalho on February 25, 2023 at Bellator 291.[40] He won the fight by unanimous decision.[41]

Mixed martial arts record
Professional record breakdown
23 matches 19 wins 3 losses
By knockout 7 2
By submission 2 0
By decision 10 1
No contests 1
Res. Record Opponent Method Event Date Round Time Location Notes
Win 19–3 (1) Pedro Carvalho Decision (unanimous) Bellator 291 February 25, 2023 3 5:00 Dublin, Ireland
Win 18–3 (1) Aaron Pico TKO (shoulder injury) Bellator 286 October 1, 2022 1 5:00 Long Beach, California, United States
Win 17–3 (1) Emmanuel Sanchez Decision (unanimous) Bellator 272 December 3, 2021 3 5:00 Uncasville, Connecticut, United States
Loss 16–3 (1) Ádám Borics Decision (unanimous) Bellator 256 April 9, 2021 3 5:00 Uncasville, Connecticut, United States
Win 16–2 (1) Matt Bessette Decision (unanimous) Bellator 253 November 19, 2020 3 5:00 Uncasville, Connecticut, United States
NC 15–2 (1) Daniel Pineda NC (overturned) PFL 8 October 17, 2019 1 4:00 Las Vegas, Nevada, United States 2019 PFL Featherweight Semifinal bout. Originally a submission (guillotine) loss for Kennedy; overturned after Pineda tested positive for PED.
Win 15–2 Luis Rafael Laurentino TKO (punches) 2 1:24 2019 PFL Featherweight Quarterfinal bout.
Win 14–2 Steven Siler Decision (unanimous) PFL 5 July 25, 2019 3 5:00 Atlantic City, New Jersey, United States 2019 PFL Featherweight Second Round.
Loss 13–2 Luis Rafael Laurentino TKO (punches) PFL 2 May 23, 2019 1 0:23 Uniondale, New York, United States 2019 PFL Featherweight Opening Round.
Win 13–1 Marat Magomedov TKO (punches) Brave 21 December 28, 2018 3 1:08 Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
Win 12–1 Danyel Pilo KO (elbows) Brave 14 August 8, 2018 1 2:02 Tangier, Morocco
Loss 11–1 Alexander Volkanovski TKO (punches and elbows) UFC 221 February 11, 2018 2 4:57 Perth, Australia
Win 11–0 Kyle Bochniak Decision (unanimous) UFC on Fox: Weidman vs. Gastelum July 22, 2017 3 5:00 Uniondale, New York, United States
Win 10–0 Rony Jason Decision (unanimous) UFC Fight Night: Belfort vs. Gastelum March 11, 2017 3 5:00 Fortaleza, Brazil
Win 9–0 Alessandro Ricci Decision (unanimous) UFC on Fox: Maia vs. Condit August 27, 2016 3 5:00 Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada Lightweight bout.
Win 8–0 Drew Brokenshire Decision (unanimous) BFL 43 March 7, 2016 3 5:00 Coquitlam, British Columbia, Canada
Win 7–0 Mario Pereira Decision (unanimous) BFL 34 January 24, 2015 5 5:00 Richmond, British Columbia, Canada Won the BFL Featherweight Championship.
Win 6–0 Andre Da Silva Submission (rear-naked choke) BFL 32 August 23, 2014 2 3:15 Richmond, British Columbia, Canada Featherweight debut.
Win 5–0 Matthew Middleton Submission (Peruvian necktie) CMFC: Chiang Mai Fighting Championship 4 July 26, 2014 1 2:35 Chiang Mai, Thailand
Win 4–0 Viktor Larsson TKO (punches) SMMAF: Songkran MMA Festival April 12, 2014 2 0:00 Hua Hin, Thailand Lightweight debut.
Win 3–0 Natthapol Thanaruethai KO (punches) CMFC: Chiang Mai Fighting Championship 2 March 7, 2014 1 3:58 Chiang Mai, Thailand
Win 2–0 Blake Shearing TKO (doctor stoppage) FFL 10 November 8, 2013 2 2:11 Grand Prairie, Alberta, Canada Catchweight (150 lbs) bout.
Win 1–0 Dan Lin Decision (unanimous) BFL 24 June 8, 2013 3 5:00 Penticton, British Columbia, Canada Bantamweight debut.

See also

References
  1. Mixed martial arts show results Date: October 17, 2019
  2. Myron Medcalf (May 22, 2019). "The best loss of his life: How Jeremy Kennedy found himself on a path toward $1 million". ESPN.
  3. "Jeremy Kennedy - Official UFC Profile". UFC.com. Retrieved July 30, 2017.
  4. "Bellator Rankings". www.bellator.com. Retrieved 2021-06-16.
  5. Tom Zillich (September 7, 2016). "MMA all the way: UFC dream comes true for Fleetwood-raised Jeremy Kennedy". Surrey Now-Leader.
  6. Amar Mirchandani (March 3, 2017). "Get Acquainted with UFC Fighter From Surrey; Jeremy "JBC" Kennedy". 604now.com.
  7. Jon Hernandez (August 6, 2016). "Surrey MMA fighter Jeremy Kennedy signs with the UFC". CBC.ca.
  8. E. Spencer Kyte (2016-08-24). "UFC Vancouver: Surrey's Jeremy Kennedy eager to show and prove". themmareport.com. Retrieved 2016-08-24.
  9. Staff (2016-08-19). "Alex Ricci signs with the UFC, replaces Josh Emmett against Jeremy Kennedy at UFC on FOX 21". themmareport.com. Retrieved 2016-08-19.
  10. Ben Fowlkes (2016-08-27). "UFC on FOX 21 results: Jeremy Kennedy stays unbeaten, tops Alessandro Ricci by unanimous decision". mmajunkie.com. Retrieved 2016-08-27.
  11. Staff (2016-10-01). "Jeremy Kennedy replaces Arnold Allen in next week's UFC 204 main-card opener". mmajunkie.com. Retrieved 2016-10-01.
  12. Dann Stupp and John Morgan (2016-10-01). "Replacement Jeremy Kennedy injured; yet another replacement needed for next week's UFC 204". mmajunkie.com. Retrieved 2016-10-01.
  13. Staff (2016-10-04). "Russell Doane steps in to face Mirsad Bektic on five days' notice at UFC 204". mmajunkie.com. Retrieved 2016-10-04.
  14. Tristen Critchfield (2017-01-24). "UFC Fight Night 106 update: Rony 'Jason' to face Jeremy Kennedy in Brazil". sherdog.com. Retrieved 2017-01-24.
  15. Steven Marrocco (2017-03-11). "UFC Fight Night 106 results: Big third vaults Jeremy Kennedy past Rony Jason in hostile territory". mmajunkie.com. Retrieved 2017-03-11.
  16. Tristen Critchfield (2017-05-24). "Jeremy Kennedy vs. Kyle Bochniak slated for UFC on Fox 25 in Long Island". sherdog.com. Retrieved 2017-05-24.
  17. "UFC on FOX 25 results: Jeremy Kennedy's grappling shines to remain undefeated". MMAjunkie. 2017-07-22. Retrieved 2017-07-23.
  18. "Volkanovski earns UFC Fight Night berth". Retrieved 2017-08-24.
  19. Nolan King (2017-10-05). "Jeremy Kennedy suffers back injury; out of UFC Sydney". mma-today.com. Archived from the original on 2017-10-06. Retrieved 2017-10-05.
  20. Nolan King (2017-12-21). "Jeremy Kennedy vs. Alex Volkanovski added to UFC 221 in Perth". mma-today.com. Archived from the original on 2017-12-22. Retrieved 2017-12-21.
  21. "UFC 221 results: Alex Volkanovski destroys Jeremy Kennedy with second-round TKO". MMAjunkie. 2018-02-11. Retrieved 2018-02-11.
  22. Marc Raimondi (June 16, 2018). "Featherweight prospect Jeremy Kennedy explains why he's no longer on UFC roster". mmafighting.com.
  23. Guilherme Cruz (July 12, 2018). "Jeremy Kennedy vs. Danyel Pilo headlines Brave 14 in Morocco". mmafighting.com.
  24. Alexander K. Lee (October 10, 2018). "Jeremy Kennedy explains nightmarish last-minute withdrawal from PFL 8". mmafighting.com.
  25. Guilherme Cruz (November 27, 2018). "Jeremy Kennedy vs. Marat Magomedov headlines Brave 21". mmafighting.com.
  26. "PFL 2019, Week 2 weigh-in results: One fighter pulled for 2019 season". MMA Junkie.
  27. Cole Shelton (July 23, 2019). "Jeremy Kennedy Not Focusing on Points In Second PFL Appearance". sherdog.com.
  28. "PFL 2019 8 Results: Schulte, Radzhabov, Palmer and Pineda Advance to Finals". combatpress.com. October 17, 2019.
  29. Mike Bohn (January 22, 2020). "PFL's Daniel Pineda fined, suspended and has wins overturned after drug test failure". mmajunkie.com.
  30. "Former UFC featherweight Jeremy Kennedy joins Bellator roster". MMA Junkie. 2020-10-01. Retrieved 2020-10-02.
  31. Farah Hannoun (October 30, 2020). "Jeremy Kennedy vs. Matt Bessette added to Bellator 253". MMAjunkie.com.
  32. Brand, Jeremy (26 February 2021). "Jeremy Kennedy takes on Adam Borics at Bellator 256". Retrieved 27 February 2021.
  33. Anderson, Jay (9 April 2021). "Bellator 256 Results: Striking the Difference As Adam Borics Defeats Jeremy Kennedy". Cageside Press. Retrieved 10 April 2021.
  34. "Bellator 272 adds Emmanuel Sanchez vs. Jeremy Kennedy, three other fights". MMA Junkie. 2021-10-28. Retrieved 2021-10-29.
  35. Anderson, Jay (2021-12-03). "Bellator 272: Jeremy Kennedy Wrestles His Way Past Emmanuel Sanchez". Cageside Press. Retrieved 2021-12-04.
  36. "Aaron Pico set to return at Bellator 277 vs. ex-UFC fighter Jeremy Kennedy". MMA Junkie. 2022-02-17. Retrieved 2022-02-17.
  37. "With Jeremy Kennedy out, Aaron Pico needs new opponent for Bellator 277". MMA Junkie. 2022-04-07. Retrieved 2022-04-07.
  38. Okamoto, Brett (2022-08-09). "Bellator rebooks Pico-Kennedy bout for October". ESPN.com. Retrieved 2022-08-09.
  39. Dewar, Val (2022-10-01). "Bellator 286: Aaron Pico Dislocates Shoulder, Jeremy Kennedy Picks Up TKO Win". Cageside Press. Retrieved 2022-10-02.
  40. Stevenson, Andy (2022-11-04). "Pedro Carvalho vs Jeremy Kennedy Target for Bellator Dublin on Feb 24". SevereMMA.com - UFC, Mixed Martial Arts (MMA), Irish MMA. Retrieved 2022-11-04.
  41. Rush, Dylan (25 February 2023). "Bellator 291: Jeremy Kennedy Takes Clear Decision Over Pedro Carvalho, Calls for Title Shot". Cageside Press. Retrieved 26 February 2023.
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