It has been over a year since Tim Kennedy last stepped into a UFC Octagon. His last fight took place September 27, 2014, where he lost a controversial fight to Yoel Romero by TKO.
Kennedy’s absence from fighting has little to do with potential injuries or health concerns, and is rooted in the UFC’s highly disputed exclusive Reebok deal. The middleweight fighter has been one of the more outspoken critics of the deal currently signed to a UFC contract.
When asked whether his harsh criticism has earned him some backlash from the promotion’s brass, Kennedy explained that there was little they could do to argue about the facts he cited.
“Here’s how much I made in my last Strikeforce fight with sponsorship money. He’s how much I made in a title fight in Strikeforce, and this is how much I’m gonna make now with the new Reebok deal Like, how can you argue that?” Keneddy told Submission Radio. “Because obviously I’m not an idiot. I’m a good business man. I own a bunch of business. And then they’re like ‘oh Tim, you’re a liar’. I’d be like ‘oh, well tough luck dude. Here’s my income tax statement, and every one of my forms of income is listed and this fantastic quick book spreadsheet, that I’ll provide to the public’.
“Like, you can’t call bullshit on me, because everything I say is true, and then you’re just going to have pie in your face. So I’m kind of like a tough one.”
Given his concerns with the direction the UFC is heading in, Kennedy made it clear that he would rather fight for Scott Coker’s Bellator. His contractual obligation to the UFC is the only thing stopping him from jumping ship.
“Scott’s awesome. I love fighting for Scott. Scott was fun, Scott made exciting fights, Scott made entertaining fights. It wasn’t quite Pride, but it was the best that you could do, without having a bunch of guys hopped up on every single steroid they put their hands on, you know, which is what Strikeforce was. It was an opportunity for people that like to entertain, to really put on and display their skillset. If I wasn’t contractually obligated to the UFC, would I go fight for Scott Coker? I think I definitely would.
“I love the guy, I love fighting for him, and I kind of miss those days.”
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