Later this month in Las Vegas, UFC middleweight Tim Kennedy will fight Yoel Romero, a silver medal-winning wrestler in the 2000 Olympics who goes by the nickname "Soldier of God."
Kennedy's official UFC bio lists his nickname as "None." But on Saturday, only one soldier enters the cage.
And while Kennedy, a former active-duty sniper with multiple war-zone deployments who's now a sergeant first class with the Texas National Guard's Special Operation Detachment-Africa, has embraced his full-time job as an elite mixed martial artist, sometimes he longs for a different type of training.
"Last month they were doing this awesome jump out of an Osprey, off of an aircraft carrier, into the Gulf of Mexico," he said. "I was at training camp. So, I was pretty pouty that I missed it."
A win over Romero (8-1 overall, 4-0 UFC), would put the 35-year-old Kennedy (18-4, 3-0 UFC) within striking distance of a title shot. His success, he hopes, will shine light on his fellow soldiers and special operators.
"I work my ass off in the gym so that I'll be able to give them what they deserve," he said. And come October, he'll be back in uniform with his Reserve unit.
Q. You've talked in the past about the tough decision to leave active duty in 2009. Do you still think about it?
A. I have a bunch of friends that left for Iraq a couple months ago. That's torture. Those are [Special Forces] guys that are going into harm's way, and I'm heading for Las Vegas. ... That's hard on my soul, but the reassuring part is the feedback from my friends, from my brothers-in-arms, where they couldn't be more proud of what I'm doing, and they're begging me to continue representing them the way that I do. You're always going to have doubts. I miss being in the team room every day. ... I'll miss that for the rest of my life.
Q. What made the Texas National Guard the best fit for you, and how supportive have your fellow guardsmen been in your UFC career?
A. It's a dream come true. I still get to do a lot of things that I'm passionate about ... spend some time with soldiers, pass along a lot of the things I do well. I teach a lot of shooting, a lot of hand-to-hand stuff. I'm really able to do things that I love, still be a part of the Special Forces community. It couldn't have worked out any better. My commander, Lt. Col. Doug O'Connell, he gets it. He understands how much time and effort it takes to be a full-time fighter. He's able to work with my schedule.
Q. How have you changed your training to prepare for an Olympic-level wrestler?
A. I never really prepare or train that much for the other guy. I watch tape, I bring in wrestlers, southpaws, all the things I can duplicate in training, but I'm a little bit more internal in my preparation. I look at what I need to do, what I need to execute, how I need to prepare. The things I changed were being able to deal with big, explosive power and rhythm changes. That's one of the things he does really well. ... He can move at like a five or a six, he explodes to a nine or a 10, being able to adjust to that.
Q. You're ranked No. 6 in the UFC at middleweight. UFC match-making isn't an exact science, but where do you see yourself next with a victory?
A. I'd definitely be in the title discussion. Maybe a title eliminator. Maybe being on the deck as a backup for Johnny Hendricks-Robbie Lawler [a title fight set for early next year at 170 pounds, a class below Kennedy's]. Maybe if Vitor Belfort doesn't make it to the December fight card [to fight Chris Weidman for the middleweight title], me being ready to go — which I will be. ... I'll be 4-0 in the UFC, 6-0 in my last six fights, I haven't lost a nontitle fight in six years. So I should be in the discussion.
Q. Do you have a favorite Ranger Up-produced video that you've starred in?
A. I'm particularly proud of my "Black Swan" interpretation. That was something I was humbled to be able to do. Katy Perry [Kennedy portrayed her in a parody of her "Part of Me" video in which she joins the Marines], that was ridiculous and over the top. I think we're going to have a few more coming in the next few months. Not everybody gets it ... the combat-arms guy, the guy that's been deployed three or four times, there's something definitely wrong with his sense of humor. So when Ranger Up does jokes or memes, there's definitely something a little off.
COMIC SIDE
Haven't seen any of Tim Kennedy's star turns in videos from Ranger Up, a service member-owned clothing maker and longtime Kennedy sponsor? The middleweight shows off his acting chops in roles ranging from Harry Potter to Ron "Anchorman" Burgundy, even a brief spin as "Crocodile" Dundee. Visit www.youtube.com/RangerUpVideo, and read more at militarytimes.com/blogs/afteraction, search Tim Kennedy.
