As it turned out, Jeremy Kennedy didn鈥檛 even need his go-to gaunch during his Ultimate Fighting Championship debut Saturday.
The Vancouver-by-way-of-Surrey Mixed Martial Arts fighter copped his first win in the UFC at Saturday鈥檚 card in 麻豆传媒映画despite not adhering to one of his oldest pre-fight superstitions: wearing the same set of underwear to the pre-fight weigh-in that he鈥檚 worn consistently over the last seven years.
Because the UFC has an exclusive apparel deal with Reebok, the 23-year-old stood on the scale in a new set of skivvies.
It didn鈥檛 matter in the end, as Kennedy upped his record to 9-0 MMA, 1-0 UFC after a unanimous decision over fellow Canuck Alessandro Ricci.
Speaking to the Courier 48 hours after his historic debut, Kennedy was still coming to grips with the win and the overall experience of fighting in the big leagues.
鈥淚t鈥檚 been pretty crazy and now that it鈥檚 completely done, it鈥檚 nice, man,鈥� he said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 a nice load off my mind 鈥� I was so stressed out, anxious and nervous for so long. It didn鈥檛 really hit me until Sunday afternoon because I was so hyped up from the fight. Now I get to relax and eat some good food.鈥�
A teacher at Vancouver鈥檚 Budo Mixed Martial Arts, Kennedy fought up a weight class on Saturday: traditionally a 145-pound featherweight, he moved up to the 155-pound lightweight class.
鈥淏ecause he was clearly bigger than me, I had to make that into a positive,鈥� Kennedy said of his modified game plan. 鈥淚 was in his face the whole time, kept moving and made him carry my weight. I couldn鈥檛 stop or slow down.鈥� 聽
Kennedy figured the first round was too close to call, while the second belonged to him. Looking across the octagon headed into the third and final round, he saw tell-tale signs that blood was in the water and victory was there for the taking.聽
鈥淚 was ready to go [into the third round] and my corner told me to look over at [Ricci],鈥� Kennedy recalled. 鈥淚 peeked over their shoulders and he was sitting there with his head on his coach鈥檚 corner. He was just exhausted. I thought, 鈥楾his is it.鈥� That was a good feeling going into that third round.鈥澛�
Being the first fight on the card at 2 p.m. presented unique challenges for a competitor who鈥檚 used to kicking things off around 9 or 10 p.m. Nerves racing, he made his way down to the octagon in front of a partisan home crowd numbering well into the thousands at a time when he鈥檚 usually just getting into his fight-day routine.
Cue the lights, and his arrival into the biggest fight game on the planet.
鈥淭hat was the hardest part 鈥� trying to build it up in my head that it鈥檚 just another fight, it鈥檚 just another opponent on any other stage just like all my other fights,鈥� he said. 鈥淵ou have [famous UFC announcer] Bruce Buffer announcing your name, you have the bright lights of Rogers Arena, you have your official Reebok kit on. It鈥檚 pretty hard to change pace like that but I think I handled it well.鈥�
That Kennedy even found himself in the octagon Saturday is surprising given where he was last year. Injuries, coupled with a series of fights that fell through, saw him abandon full-time training and take up work at an oil refinery.
Twelve-hour work days didn鈥檛 leave much in the tank for a sport that requires hours of high-intensity training every day. But when presented with a chance to teach martial arts full time in Vancouver, Kennedy opted to give his dream another shot.聽
鈥淟ast year I was thinking to myself, what鈥檚 the end game here? Fighting became almost a hobby where if a fight would come up, I would take it, but if not, I wouldn鈥檛 care,鈥� he said. 鈥淚 thought I鈥檇 give it one more go. I was able to teach and train full time and make a living, although it wasn鈥檛 as much money at the oil refinery. That said, I was teaching something I love rather than slinging mud.鈥�
Kennedy鈥檚 arrival in the world of combat sports came after a youth filled with soccer, rugby and baseball when he soon found solace in solitude. And by the age of 16, he was a fighter.
鈥淚 became really drawn to the individual sports 鈥� I liked team sports but I didn鈥檛 like the responsibility being on everybody, I prefer to it just be on me,鈥� he said. 鈥淭he work I put in gave me the results I wanted personally. That was a big part.鈥�
His roots in the fight game don鈥檛 fall far from the proverbial family tree. His dad boxed and practised martial arts, while Kennedy honed his jiu jitsu skills as a means to keep up with his older, bigger brother.
His dad was the one who first introduced him to boxing and MMA, while his mom is a case of different strokes for different folks.
鈥淢y dad doesn鈥檛 like me getting hurt, but he sees it as a sport. My mom on the other hand, she鈥檚 been against it since day one. But as it became more important in my life, and my fights began to get more serious, she kind of put that worry to the side,鈥� he said.
With a newly-signed, four-fight contract in tow, Kennedy now aims for a bout in November or December against fellow featherweight Artem Lobov.
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