MMA fighter Jeremy Kennedy is set to fight Bellator featherweight champion Patricio Pitbull after Pitbull’s original opponent dropped out, and Kennedy believes he is well-prepared for the match, having already been training for a potential showdown with Pitbull.
Jeremy Kennedy was all set for his Bellator return. He’d made peace with the fact that he wasn’t getting a title shot this time around. But then, fate had other plans.
He was initially slated to fight James Gallagher in Belfast on Friday. Kennedy was itching to get back in the ring, so he didn’t hesitate to take the fight. Meanwhile, he was keeping tabs on Bellator featherweight champ, Patricio Pitbull.
Pitbull had a fight lined up against PFL champ Jesus Pinedo in February. But then, just days before the event, the fight was called off. Pinedo had to bow out, and a last-ditch attempt to replace him with PFL veteran Gabriel Braga also fell through.
That’s when Kennedy got the call he’d been waiting for. “When Braga stepped in for the PFL vs. Bellator match, I thought Pitbull had the advantage,” Kennedy shared with MMA Fighting. “I was rooting for him because I knew I’d be his next opponent. I wanted him to win and maintain his reputation. I wanted him at his best.”
Then came the unexpected call. “It was weigh-in day in Saudi Arabia, late Thursday night here, and I got the call. ‘Pitbull’s opponent isn’t weighing in, he’s not fighting.’ They knew Pitbull wanted to fight regardless. ‘Are you interested?’ I was like, ‘Don’t even ask me! Just say yes!'”
The only significant change for Kennedy was the shift from a three-round to a five-round title fight. But he’d been preparing for a showdown with Pitbull for a while. He’s more than ready to seize the title from the reigning champ.
“I was already training for the fight, already training for that date,” he said. “I got a bigger fight, a bigger opponent. It’s what I’ve been waiting for. I was ready to go for him, and the switch worked in my favor. I was ready to go.”
Kennedy will face Pitbull at a critical juncture in the Brazilian’s career. Pitbull is looking to recover from two consecutive losses, including a first-round knockout in a short-notice fight against Chihiro Suzuki in RIZIN. That fight was at 154 pounds, just six weeks after Pitbull lost a one-sided decision to Sergio Pettis in a failed bid to become bantamweight champion.
Moreover, Pitbull turns 37 in July and has over 40 fights under his belt. Kennedy isn’t banking on a weakened Pitbull in the cage on Friday, but he expects to quickly gauge if the Brazilian has indeed lost his edge.
“Any time you see a guy in the lighter weight classes, getting up there in age and with that many fights — that’s wear and tear, weight cuts, training camps — nobody stays young forever,” Kennedy said. “Father time is undefeated.”
“[But] I don’t think his performances have indicated that he’s washed up or anything. That fight in Japan, he had fought six weeks earlier, two weight classes down, on three-day notice. I think Chihiro is a highly decorated kickboxer that flew under the radar. In a ring, on short notice, I don’t put much stock in it, other than it’s good for my confidence. He is human.”
Kennedy hopes Pitbull is still the same beast that knocked out future UFC title contender Michael Chandler in 61 seconds. It would mean more to take the belt from that Pitbull than a shadow of the fighter often hailed as the Bellator GOAT.
“I’ve always felt that I matched up well with him,” Kennedy said. “Now I get to prove it. Timing is everything. I don’t think it’s done him any favors. I’m expecting the best, but I could very well go out there and steamroll him, or it could be the [best] Pitbull, and I’m in trouble and it’s a long, five-round fight. I still believe I’m better than him everywhere.”