Tim Kennedy

Tim Kennedy is an American former mixed martial artist and soldier.

Tim Kennedy is an American former mixed martial artist and soldier. He competed professionally from 2001 to 2016, including in the UFC and Strikeforce, and is noted for serving in the U.S. Army while fighting professionally. He was one of the few fighters to simultaneously serve in the military while competing professionally, and his career included title challenges in Strikeforce. He competed in the UFC and Strikeforce, promotions that also featured fighters such as Ronda Rousey, Rampage Jackson, and Khabib Nurmagomedov.

Early life and military service

Tim Kennedy was born on September 1, 1979, in San Luis Obispo, California. He is known for his dual career as a professional mixed martial artist and a soldier in the United States Army. He served in the military while actively competing in MMA, a rare combination.

Mixed martial arts career

Kennedy began his professional MMA career in 2001 and fought for numerous promotions over 15 years. He competed in the UFC, Strikeforce, the WEC, ShoMMA, HDNet Fights, and the IFL. He fought primarily in the middleweight division and retired in 2016 after his final UFC fight.

Title challenges and notable fights

Kennedy twice challenged for the Strikeforce middleweight championship. In 2010, he lost to Ronaldo Souza, and in 2012, he lost to Luke Rockhold. His final professional fight was a win over Kelvin Gastelum at UFC 206 in December 2016.

Post-fighting work

After retiring from MMA, Kennedy pursued a career in television as a host and producer. He also became an entrepreneur and has been involved in military and tactical training roles.