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Tim Kennedy Likely Challenger for Luke Rockhold’s First Title Defense


(Photos: MMAMania.com & CombatLifestyle.com)

It looks like all of the circumstantial evidence suggesting that Tim Kennedy was packing his rucksack and heading to the UFC was a false alarm. That, or Zuffa realized that Strikeforce’s middleweight herd was thin on credible challengers and decided to keep their most decorated fighter on the roster for a bit longer. Tatame.com reports that the bout is likely to take place in January of next year.

Luke Rockhold returned to action last September, shaking off seventeen months of ring rust in a title bout with Strikeforce Middleweight Champion Ronaldo Souza. Rockhold was predictably a massive underdog, but he got the better of “Jacare” throughout the five round affair and took the belt in a unanimous decision. That “W” marked Rockhold’s seventh straight victory.

Kennedy was unsuccessful in his own title bid against Jacare last October, taking the champ the distance but coming up short on all three judges’ scorecards. Since then he’s racked up wins over Melvin Manhoef and Robbie Lawler.

This is second time the pair has been scheduled to fight. Their original bout was scrapped back in February when Rockhold suffered a leg injury in training.

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Pen Fifteen- November 27, 2011 at 7:09 am

XENO: You make no case for why the UFC champ wouldn’t be the best in the world, other than gesturing to the ‘unknown unknowns’ that are endemic to any form of knowledge. For example, you suggest that Pele could be better than Anderson Silva, and give some bullshit story about how Silva might crumble before his sensei, while completely overlooking the fact that Pele has a 8-10 record over the past 10 years (would be 4-10 had he not beaten 4 cans in his last 4 fights), while losing to guys like Silva victims Travis Lutter and Thales Leites, and even getting KOed by welterweight Jake Ellenberger.
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I know the batshit crazy thing is your schtick, but it behooves you to not act like you’ve done anything other than pull out a bunch of conditionals that can’t be proven one way or another. Your analogy between religion and cagefighting is inherently faulty, because one of them relies on a claim about the material world and one relies on a claim about the non-material world. If you want to think about how belief works in regard to the production of a priori knowledge, I’d recommend Bruno Latour’s ‘Laboratory Life.’

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XENOPHON- November 27, 2011 at 12:09 am

@Todd M
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Your right, likely few – and the odd Veteran or two who watches MMA – oh and maybe Pen Fifteen.

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Todd M- November 26, 2011 at 7:28 pm

Pen 15 says, ‘I agree with Iskander, this fight has “who gives a shit” written all over it.’
Ha, funny and true. I’ve never been impressed with either of them and they will both be gatekeepers once they make it to the UFC.

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XENOPHON- November 26, 2011 at 6:09 pm

@Pen Fifteen
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That’s a bit if a stretch claiming that the UFC belt by default has the best “exchange value.” I didn’t know the UFC has grown every fighter they promote under and is signed under contract? Nor did I know that the UFC rankings are transparent (some the Soviet Union was not.)
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You are right there are many types of values that can be injected into this thread. One is the number of PPV’s a fight draws to the promotions event. Others might be the volume of toys sold, or the number of times a video game user selects a specific fighters profile, as his own players profile.
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I would think most of that is the marketing-brand value. You seem to think the “UFC Belt” is a heuristic for measuring the best world fighter – you yourself admit MMA is considered the only sport in the world that you have found you enjoy.

Fair enough, but as far as I know there is no title called “Best in the World.” I have to ask, which governing body (aside from you and me) has ever come to the same or opposite conclusion over who is the best?
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If New York is the center of the world in terms of banking (or at least in the U.S.), how is it that the UFC is not recognized and is actually forbidden from promote events there – considered the best in the world?
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As I exampled earlier, MMA relating to the UFC Belt is like religion. Every knows Allah is bigger and more powerful than Jesus and Yahweh put together. And using your “exchange value” I would say that the shear size of adherents “exchanging” daily with Sunni Islam and their imaginative vision of Mohammed, not only trumps but squashes all other religions and the people who exchange with their version of the “worlds best.”
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I get it Pen Fifteen. Your either a UFC fanatic (which is fine) or you work for the UFC – as I have stated in my past post over the UFC conspiracy theories. (Grin)
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No fouls, no harm here bro.
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Ps. I have read Marx, nearly 10 years again when I studied for a Masters of Arts in National Security Studies and Masters in Strategic Intelligence. Marx like most others had a few good things to say, and a lot of bullshit. If you want to read something yourself, try reading Xenophon! (Big GRIN)

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Pen Fifteen- November 26, 2011 at 3:24 pm

XENO: There seem to be different definition of “value” going on here (you may want to consider Marx as part of your graduate studies). Assuming ‘use value’ is your measurement, then yes, all belts are worthless. However, if you are talking about ‘exchange value,’ then the UFC belt clearly means something. Given that the belt is a heuristic for establishing who is the best figher in the world, I’m perfectly happy with the exchange value placed on the UFC title. This is also why I like MMA and could really give two shits about other professional sports.

Again, if you’d prefer to go with essential definitions rather than consensus, we’re not even having the same conversation. Like noted above, all other belts are about equally worthless by comparison, with Strikeforce beign perhaps the lowest on the ladder because it’s widely known that it’s only a matter of time before the organization is dissolved just like the IFL, Pride, and other competetors the UFC has purchased.

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Iskander Neptu- November 26, 2011 at 3:20 pm

@ XENOPHON – A toothpick it is! no wait.. two toothpicks.. no, two thousand dollars !! aaargh!!!

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XENOPHON- November 26, 2011 at 1:39 pm

@Iskander Neptu
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Ok, my bad. I used to drink hard and party with all the complements. Would not want to destabilize a reformed gambler. If not, a buck how about something without much monetary value. How about a tooth pick? A tooth pick for the right pick?
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Actually some of those champs are random champs – no. Each has been defeated in the past. In most cases, it was a random stike, a random choke, or the random unannimous decision.
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Think not, just ask Cain Velasquez why he lost his worthless title to JDS – and 9 out of 10 times, I will bet (a tooth pick) the Brown Pride answers that he he got dazed by a random strike, and was unable to recover.

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@Irishwolfhound
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Funny, only today the 10 year old asked about getting another dog. I suggest and showed pictures of a Blue Heller, or if we can import one a African Wild Dog. The last suggestion to Google an “Irish Wolf Hound” as I have a friend that breed them in Riverside California. Do you own one?

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Skeletor
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Yep, it would be a great spin on nationalism. Good to see im not all fucked up and the only one who would take Kennedy.

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XENOPHON- November 26, 2011 at 1:18 pm

@Pen Fifteen
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Hahaha I know, i spend way to much time online. I did well enough in business to not sweat the 9-5 hassle. Did it for about 15 years and not enthusiastic to get back in the rut. Plus I got a young blond with bolt-on’s in corner.
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Right now I am on a small ranch – and its too far from the beach. Besides that, the ranch is in California – so Lesnar style target shooting is risky with gun control. Find some more people to call terrorists, and I can be back in actions in less than 72 hours. I do love to sling led. It trumps building patents.
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I looked at building a half pipe off my front porch, but at 44 the once broken neck and lower back say “fuck no.” So for now, its me, you, CP, my broke dick 4G cellular modem, and some advanced graduate studies to keep be occupied.
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I see your point of view about how others see something in the UFC belt. I know others that see similar value in a book. Jews called Torah, Muslims call it Koran, and others call it a bible. Like the UFC belt, or the golden pair of wings and the pearle gates – I see them all as worthless. Doesn’t mean you must see it the same way.
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Since you think the UFC belt is so worthy, like those that believe the same about the arc of the covenant or the golden challis…tell me something Pen Fifteen.
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Which belt(s) is worth second, third, forth, or fifth best? Is the Strike Farce belt more valuable than the Bellator belt?

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Iskander Neptu- November 26, 2011 at 12:51 pm

Irish
I saw Jacaré with the stronger blows and Rockhold with a bit more control. Damage beats control for me. I thought it was a biased decision for the American fighter, to please the crowd. But that one’s in the books.

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Pen Fifteen- November 26, 2011 at 12:47 pm

XENO, first off: how the fuck do you have this much free time? Don’t you have any hobbies? You should try pornography, it’s really fun.
Second, obviously no title/honorary designation/status marker means anything without a system of belief behind it. The UFC title means something because people believe that they contract the best fighters in the world, which isn’t really an earth-shattering conclusion. I know you probably fancy yourself as an expert in cultural anthropology, among your many other areas of expertise, but nothing you’ve said has fuck-all to do with the fact that the Strikeforce belt system has nil cultural value in comparison to the UFC belt.

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Irishwolfhound491- November 26, 2011 at 12:39 pm

Iskander

I saw the Rockhold Jacare fight and it seemed pretty clear to me that Souza lost. Rockhold is still young and he’s got a pretty good striking game. He might not ever be a champ but I could easily see him in the top ten.

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skeletor- November 26, 2011 at 12:10 pm

I thing Kennedy is more well rounded, but they match up well with each other. i just think amount of liberty and patriotism involved might be to much for the octagon to handle. Would be an awesome main event for a fight for the troops card though. I would probably take Kennedy by UD if Stann couldn’t put him away first.

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Iskander Neptu- November 26, 2011 at 12:09 pm

@ Xeno – Ah, you’re a fellow surfer.. now i get the bizarre surfing-mma reference. phew!
As for the buck, no gambling for me thanks, i’ve had trouble with that in the past.
Your belt talk is a bit bizarre as well. The UFC champs at the moment are Cruz, Aldo, Edgar, GSP, Silva, Jones and JDS. Are u saying that these are just random dudes?

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XENOPHON- November 26, 2011 at 12:01 pm

@skeletor
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The Kennedy – Stann fight, is a fight I would like to see also. I’d take Kennedy for biased reasons. What about you?

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XENOPHON- November 26, 2011 at 11:57 am

@Iskander Neptu
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I didn’t see the Rockhold fight, only read that it was a UD. I’ll tell you what. Since your taking Kennedy, and I will stick with the fellow surfer. Lets put a buck on it. At least then wasting my time at this cheap-ass webportal means something.
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@Pen Fifteen
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True the SF belt is only something to those in SF, but for a minute do you really think the One FC, Bellator, Bodog, or UFC belts mean anything either?
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I will grant you that Zuffa pays more to its fighters than others, but I know people who paid $1 million for a second home thinking it was better than their $700k first home. Only later to realize both homes are only worth $300k.

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Like a belt (from any promotion) its all in the eye of the beholder…the value is in the fighters and their records. If a UFC title holder beats a SF champ, most will say that the UFC belt means something.
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But it means nothing the day a guy from Bellator beats the UFC. Only that one man was a better fighter on any given day. Kind like Tito beating Shamrock in their played out trilogy. It meant nothing.
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After watching Pele, I could see that Pele might be to one man to beat Anderson Silva at a fight game Pele may actually be better at, as the master always has the psychological advantage over his minions.
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If that were to happen, one could only conclude that Pele’s fight promotions (KMMAC, FC, BFL, KOC, or Bodog) are better than Silva’s (UFC). That would be nonsense. Neither promotion’s belt is better than any others – only difference is the pay, and the man getting his hand raised at the end of the fight.
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That’s my take.

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skeletor- November 26, 2011 at 11:22 am

I wanna see Kennedy V Stann.

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XENOPHON- November 26, 2011 at 11:06 am

Kennedy the Staff Sargent from Austin has nearly twice the professional fights (14-3), but standing at 5-11″ and at age 32 the mornings first call during reveille is going to give the edge to Rockhold.

Rockhold is only (8-`1), yet he is 6-3″ and this should give him a reach advantage. Being 27 year old could be a benefit. Also, Rockhold is a surfer from Santa Cruz.
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Surfers are one of the best all around conditioned athletes. Mixed with MMA and its a potent pedigree

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Iskander Neptu- November 26, 2011 at 10:46 am

Just get rid of Strikeforce already.. Keep the ref-cam and Pat Miletich and just chuck the rest.
The best fight in Strikeforce featured a red-haired dude getting jumped by five homeboys, after the bell.
Good riddance.

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Pen Fifteen- November 26, 2011 at 10:42 am

I agree with Iskander, this fight has “who gives a shit” written all over it. It has already been established that the UFC is bringing over all of Strikeforce’s top talent, so why act like the belt is meaningful at all? Rockhold and Kennedy would both be better served to prove where they stand against better competition than to fight for a paper championship.

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Iskander Neptu- November 26, 2011 at 10:38 am

I don’t think either of these dudes, Rockhold especially, would make much of a splash in the UFC.
As for the fight.. I think, Xeno, that this one will be a snoozy grapple-fest. Kennedy by UD.
Rockhold should’nt even be the champion, Jacaré got robbed.

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XENOPHON- November 26, 2011 at 10:19 am

This will be a good fight. Even better that its free.

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