Casey James Kenney (born March 20, 1991) is an American
mixed martial artist
Mixed martial arts (MMA), sometimes referred to as cage fighting, no holds barred (NHB), and ultimate fighting, and originally referred to as Vale Tudo is a full-contact combat sport based on striking, grappling and ground fighting, incorp ...
. He is currently competing in the
Bantamweight
Bantamweight is a weight class in combat sports. For boxing, the range is above and up to . In kickboxing, a bantamweight fighter generally weighs between . In mixed martial arts, MMA, bantamweight is .
The name for the class is derived from Ba ...
division in the
Ultimate Fighting Championship
The Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) is an American mixed martial arts (MMA) promotion company based in Las Vegas, Nevada. It is owned and operated by Zuffa, a wholly owned subsidiary of Endeavor Group Holdings. It is the largest MMA ...
(UFC) and he was the former
Tachi Palace Fights
Tachi Palace Fights (TPF) was an American mixed martial arts (MMA) promotion which hosted events at the Tachi Palace Hotel & Casino in Lemoore, California. Matchmaker for TPF was former fighter Richard Goodman.
Regarded as a regional promotion, ...
Flyweight champion and
Legacy Fighting Alliance
Legacy Fighting Alliance is an American mixed martial arts promotion, created as a result of the ''Legacy Fighting Championship'' and ''Resurrection Fighting Alliance'' merger in early 2017.
History Resurrection Fighting Alliance
On October 11, ...
Flyweight and Bantamweight champion.
Background
Kenney was born in 1991 to Brian Kenney and Roxanne Mosier in
Portland
Portland most commonly refers to:
* Portland, Oregon, the largest city in the state of Oregon, in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States
* Portland, Maine, the largest city in the state of Maine, in the New England region of the northeas ...
. He started training judo at the age of five, eventually becoming nine-time national champion and holds 2nd dan black belt in the sport.
Besides judo, Kenney started wrestling around the time he went to school.
Like in judo, Kenney excelled in wrestling too, winning multiple state championships in both
freestyle and
Greco-Roman wrestling
Greco-Roman (American English), Graeco-Roman (British English), classic wrestling (Euro English) or French wrestling (in Russia until 1948) is a style of wrestling that is practiced worldwide. Greco-Roman wrestling was included in the first mod ...
.
Kenney attended
Jay County High School
Jay County Jr. - Sr.High School is a public high school located on the outskirts of Portland, Indiana. It was formed in 1975 as a consolidation of Bryant, Dunkirk, Pennville, Portland, and Redkey Indiana's individual high schools for the respecti ...
in Indiana. After high school, he took his first amateur mixed martial arts bout on a whim without prior training.
He went to study at
University of Indianapolis
The University of Indianapolis (UIndy) is a private United Methodist Church-affiliated university in Indianapolis, Indiana. It offers Associate, Bachelor's, Master's, and Doctoral degrees. It was founded in 1902 as Indiana Central University and ...
, only to drop out after sophomore year to pursue his career in mixed martial arts.
In an effort to do so, Kenney moved to
Tucson
, "(at the) base of the black ill
, nicknames = "The Old Pueblo", "Optics Valley", "America's biggest small town"
, image_map =
, mapsize = 260px
, map_caption = Interactive map ...
to train at the MMA Lab in Glendale, Ariz. and turned professional in late 2014.
Mixed martial arts career
Early career
Kenney fought most of his early professional fights primarily in the
Tachi Palace Fights
Tachi Palace Fights (TPF) was an American mixed martial arts (MMA) promotion which hosted events at the Tachi Palace Hotel & Casino in Lemoore, California. Matchmaker for TPF was former fighter Richard Goodman.
Regarded as a regional promotion, ...
and Dragon House in California and Arizona. After amassing a record of 6-0 and captured the Tachi Palace Flyweight title against Alvin Cacdac, Kenney made two appearances in
Dana White's Contender Series
Dana White's Contender Series, formerly named Dana White's Tuesday Night Contender Series, is an American mixed martial arts promotion. In May 2017, the UFC announced White would hold the competition weekly on UFC Fight Pass (It has since been move ...
web-series program on July 18, 2017, facing C.J. Hamilton at
Dana White's Contender Series 2, where he won the fight via unanimous decision, but lost to Adam Antolin at
Dana White's Contender Series 8 on August 29, 2017.
Kenney went on to fought under
Legacy Fighting Alliance
Legacy Fighting Alliance is an American mixed martial arts promotion, created as a result of the ''Legacy Fighting Championship'' and ''Resurrection Fighting Alliance'' merger in early 2017.
History Resurrection Fighting Alliance
On October 11, ...
for the next four fights and he became the Flyweight and Bantamweight Legacy Fighting Alliance champion prior signed with UFC.
Ultimate Fighting Championship
In his UFC debut, Kenney faced
Ray Borg, replacing
Kyler Phillips
Kyler Phillips (born June 12, 1995) is an American mixed martial artist who competes in the Bantamweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship.
Background
At the age of 3, Phillip's father took him to the Gracie Academy out of Torrance, ...
in six day notice, on March 30, 2019 at
UFC on ESPN 2
''UFC on ESPN: Barboza vs. Gaethje'' (also known as ''UFC on ESPN 2'') was a mixed martial arts event produced by the Ultimate Fighting Championship that was held on March 30, 2019 at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
Backgr ...
. At the weigh-ins, Borg weighed in at 137.75 lbs, 1.75 pound over the bantamweight non-title fight limit of 136 lbs. He was fined 20% of his fight purse and his bout against Kenney proceeded at catchweight. Kenney won the fight via unanimous decision.
On December 29, 2018, Kenney faced
Manny Bermudez
Manny Bermudez (born July 19, 1994) is an American mixed martial artist who competed in the bantamweight and featherweight divisions. A professional mixed martial artist since 2015, Bermudez has also competed in the Ultimate Fighting Championshi ...
on August 17, 2019 at
UFC 241
''UFC 241: Cormier vs. Miocic 2'' was a mixed martial arts event produced by the Ultimate Fighting Championship that took place on August 17, 2019 at the Honda Center in Anaheim, California.
Background
A UFC Heavyweight Championship rematch betw ...
. However, the UFC decided to move the bout to a catchweight bout of 140 lbs. due to the fighters cutting substantial weight the night before weigh-ins. Kenney won the bout via unanimous decision.
Kenney faced
Merab Dvalishvili
Merab Dvalishvili (born January 10, 1991) is a Georgian professional mixed martial artist. He currently competes in the Bantamweight division in the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). As of March 13, 2023, he is #1 in the UFC bantamweight ran ...
on February 15, 2020 at
UFC Fight Night 167
The Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) is an American mixed martial arts (MMA) promotion company based in Las Vegas, Nevada. It is owned and operated by Zuffa, a wholly owned subsidiary of Endeavor Group Holdings. It is the largest MMA ...
. He lost the fight by unanimous decision.
Kenney faced
Louis Smolka
Louis Smolka (born July 16, 1991) is an American mixed martial artist who competes in the bantamweight division. A professional competitor since 2010, he has previously fought for the Ultimate Fighting Championship, California Xtreme Fighting, Kin ...
on May 30, 2020 at
UFC on ESPN: Woodley vs. Burns. He won the fight via a submission through a guillotine choke in round one.
Kenney was expected to face
Alateng Heili
Alateng Heili (; born December 14, 1991) is a Chinese mixed martial artist of Mongol ethnicity who competes in the Bantamweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship.
Background
Following his father's footsteps, Alateng started wrestling ...
on September 27, 2020 at
UFC 253
''UFC 253: Adesanya vs. Costa'' was a mixed martial arts event produced by the Ultimate Fighting Championship that took place on September 27, 2020 at the du Forum on Yas Island, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.
Background
The event was orig ...
. However, due to unknown reasons, it was moved to
UFC on ESPN: Holm vs. Aldana on October 4, 2020. He won the fight via unanimous decision.
Kenny faced
Nathaniel Wood on October 24, 2020 at
UFC 254
''UFC 254: Khabib vs. Gaethje'' was a mixed martial arts event produced by the Ultimate Fighting Championship that took place on October 24, 2020 at the du Forum on Yas Island, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.
Background
The event proceeded w ...
. He won the back-and-forth fight via unanimous decision. This fight earned him the ''
Fight of the Night'' award.
Kenney faced former
WEC and
UFC Bantamweight Champion Dominick Cruz
Dominick Cruz (born March 9, 1985) is an American professional mixed martial artist. He currently competes in the Bantamweight division in the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), where he is a former two-time UFC Bantamweight Champion. Cruz ha ...
at
UFC 259
''UFC 259: Błachowicz vs. Adesanya '' was a mixed martial arts event produced by the Ultimate Fighting Championship that took place on March 6, 2021 at the UFC Apex facility in Enterprise, Nevada, part of the Las Vegas Metropolitan Area, United ...
on March 6, 2021. He lost the fight via split decision.
Kenney faced
Song Yadong
Song Yadong (; born December 2, 1997) is a Chinese mixed martial artist who competes in the Bantamweight for the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). As of December 6, 2022, he is #8 in the UFC bantamweight rankings.
Background
Raised by a s ...
on August 7, 2021 at
UFC 265
''UFC 265: Lewis vs. Gane'' was a mixed martial arts event produced by the Ultimate Fighting Championship that took place on August 7, 2021, at the Toyota Center in Houston, Texas, United States.
Background
An interim UFC Heavyweight Championshi ...
. He lost the fight via split decision.
Championships and accomplishments
Mixed martial arts
*
Ultimate Fighting Championship
The Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) is an American mixed martial arts (MMA) promotion company based in Las Vegas, Nevada. It is owned and operated by Zuffa, a wholly owned subsidiary of Endeavor Group Holdings. It is the largest MMA ...
**
Fight of the Night (One time)
*
Tachi Palace Fights
Tachi Palace Fights (TPF) was an American mixed martial arts (MMA) promotion which hosted events at the Tachi Palace Hotel & Casino in Lemoore, California. Matchmaker for TPF was former fighter Richard Goodman.
Regarded as a regional promotion, ...
**Tachi Palace Fights
Flyweight Champion (One time)
*
Legacy Fighting Alliance
Legacy Fighting Alliance is an American mixed martial arts promotion, created as a result of the ''Legacy Fighting Championship'' and ''Resurrection Fighting Alliance'' merger in early 2017.
History Resurrection Fighting Alliance
On October 11, ...
**Legacy Fighting Alliance interim
Flyweight Champion (One time)
**Legacy Fighting Alliance interim
Bantamweight Champion (One time)
*
MMAjunkie.com
MMA Junkie is a news website that covers the sport of mixed martial arts (MMA). It was founded in 2006, and is owned by Gannett Company since 2011. The site and its content have been featured in ''Time (magazine), Time'' magazine'', ''ESPN The Ma ...
**2020 October Fight of the Month
Mixed martial arts record
, -
, Loss
, align=center, 16–4–1
,
Song Yadong
Song Yadong (; born December 2, 1997) is a Chinese mixed martial artist who competes in the Bantamweight for the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). As of December 6, 2022, he is #8 in the UFC bantamweight rankings.
Background
Raised by a s ...
, Decision (split)
,
UFC 265
''UFC 265: Lewis vs. Gane'' was a mixed martial arts event produced by the Ultimate Fighting Championship that took place on August 7, 2021, at the Toyota Center in Houston, Texas, United States.
Background
An interim UFC Heavyweight Championshi ...
,
, align=center, 3
, align=center, 5:00
,
Houston, Texas
Houston (; ) is the most populous city in Texas, the most populous city in the Southern United States, the fourth-most populous city in the United States, and the sixth-most populous city in North America, with a population of 2,304,580 in ...
, United States
,
, -
, Loss
, align=center, 16–3–1
,
Dominick Cruz
Dominick Cruz (born March 9, 1985) is an American professional mixed martial artist. He currently competes in the Bantamweight division in the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), where he is a former two-time UFC Bantamweight Champion. Cruz ha ...
, Decision (split)
,
UFC 259
''UFC 259: Błachowicz vs. Adesanya '' was a mixed martial arts event produced by the Ultimate Fighting Championship that took place on March 6, 2021 at the UFC Apex facility in Enterprise, Nevada, part of the Las Vegas Metropolitan Area, United ...
,
, align=center, 3
, align=center, 5:00
,
Las Vegas, Nevada
Las Vegas (; Spanish for "The Meadows"), often known simply as Vegas, is the 25th-most populous city in the United States, the most populous city in the state of Nevada, and the county seat of Clark County. The city anchors the Las Vegas ...
, United States
,
, -
, Win
, align=center, 16–2–1
,
Nathaniel Wood
, Decision (unanimous)
,
UFC 254
''UFC 254: Khabib vs. Gaethje'' was a mixed martial arts event produced by the Ultimate Fighting Championship that took place on October 24, 2020 at the du Forum on Yas Island, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.
Background
The event proceeded w ...
,
, align=center, 3
, align=center, 5:00
,
Abu Dhabi
Abu Dhabi (, ; ar, أَبُو ظَبْيٍ ' ) is the capital and second-most populous city (after Dubai) of the United Arab Emirates. It is also the capital of the Emirate of Abu Dhabi and the centre of the Abu Dhabi Metropolitan Area.
...
, United Arab Emirates
,
, -
, Win
, align=center, 15–2–1
,
Alateng Heili
Alateng Heili (; born December 14, 1991) is a Chinese mixed martial artist of Mongol ethnicity who competes in the Bantamweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship.
Background
Following his father's footsteps, Alateng started wrestling ...
, Decision (unanimous)
,
UFC on ESPN: Holm vs. Aldana
,
, align=center, 3
, align=center, 5:00
,
Abu Dhabi
Abu Dhabi (, ; ar, أَبُو ظَبْيٍ ' ) is the capital and second-most populous city (after Dubai) of the United Arab Emirates. It is also the capital of the Emirate of Abu Dhabi and the centre of the Abu Dhabi Metropolitan Area.
...
, United Arab Emirates
,
, -
, Win
, align=center,
,
Louis Smolka
Louis Smolka (born July 16, 1991) is an American mixed martial artist who competes in the bantamweight division. A professional competitor since 2010, he has previously fought for the Ultimate Fighting Championship, California Xtreme Fighting, Kin ...
, Submission (guillotine choke)
,
UFC on ESPN: Woodley vs. Burns
,
, align=center, 1
, align=center, 3:03
,
Las Vegas, Nevada
Las Vegas (; Spanish for "The Meadows"), often known simply as Vegas, is the 25th-most populous city in the United States, the most populous city in the state of Nevada, and the county seat of Clark County. The city anchors the Las Vegas ...
, United States
,
, -
, Loss
, align=center, 13–2–1
,
Merab Dvalishvili
Merab Dvalishvili (born January 10, 1991) is a Georgian professional mixed martial artist. He currently competes in the Bantamweight division in the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). As of March 13, 2023, he is #1 in the UFC bantamweight ran ...
, Decision (unanimous)
,
UFC Fight Night: Anderson vs. Błachowicz 2
,
, align=center, 3
, align=center, 5:00
,
Rio Rancho, New Mexico
Rio Rancho ( es, Río Rancho) is the most populous and only city in Sandoval County, New Mexico, Sandoval County, part of the expansive Albuquerque metropolitan area, in the U.S. state of New Mexico. A small portion of the city extends into north ...
, United States
,
, -
, Win
, align=center, 13–1–1
,
Manny Bermudez
Manny Bermudez (born July 19, 1994) is an American mixed martial artist who competed in the bantamweight and featherweight divisions. A professional mixed martial artist since 2015, Bermudez has also competed in the Ultimate Fighting Championshi ...
, Decision (unanimous)
,
UFC 241
''UFC 241: Cormier vs. Miocic 2'' was a mixed martial arts event produced by the Ultimate Fighting Championship that took place on August 17, 2019 at the Honda Center in Anaheim, California.
Background
A UFC Heavyweight Championship rematch betw ...
,
, align=center, 3
, align=center, 5:00
,
Anaheim, California
Anaheim ( ) is a city in northern Orange County, California, part of the Los Angeles metropolitan area. As of the 2020 United States Census, the city had a population of 346,824, making it the most populous city in Orange County, the 10th-most p ...
, United States
,
, -
, Win
, align=center, 12–1–1
,
Ray Borg
, Decision (unanimous)
,
UFC on ESPN: Barboza vs. Gaethje
,
, align=center, 3
, align=center, 5:00
,
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the sixth-largest city in the U.S., the second-largest city in both the Northeast megalopolis and Mid-Atlantic regions after New York City. Sinc ...
, United States
,
, -
, Win
, align=center, 11–1–1
, Vince Cachero
, KO (knee)
,
LFA 62
,
, align=center, 1
, align=center, 1:38
,
Dallas, Texas
Dallas () is the third largest city in Texas and the largest city in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex, the fourth-largest metropolitan area in the United States at 7.5 million people. It is the largest city in and seat of Dallas County w ...
, United States
,
, -
, Win
, align=center, 10–1–1
,
Brandon Royval
Brandon Matthew Royval (born August 6, 1992) is an American professional mixed martial artist. He currently competes in the Flyweight division in the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). A professional competitor since 2012, Royval has also forme ...
, Decision (unanimous)
,
LFA 53
,
, align=center, 5
, align=center, 5:00
,
Phoenix, Arizona
Phoenix ( ; nv, Hoozdo; es, Fénix or , yuf-x-wal, Banyà:nyuwá) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of cities and towns in Arizona#List of cities and towns, most populous city of the U.S. state of Arizona, with 1 ...
, United States
,
, -
, Win
, align=center, 9–1–1
,
Roman Salazar
Roman Salazar (born February 21, 1988) is an American professional mixed martial artist currently competing in the Bantamweight division of Bellator.
Background
Born and raised in raised in the small town of Mammoth, Arizona, Salazar worked for ...
, Decision (unanimous)
,
LFA 44
,
, align=center, 3
, align=center, 5:00
,
Phoenix, Arizona
Phoenix ( ; nv, Hoozdo; es, Fénix or , yuf-x-wal, Banyà:nyuwá) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of cities and towns in Arizona#List of cities and towns, most populous city of the U.S. state of Arizona, with 1 ...
, United States
,
, -
, Win
, align=center, 8–1–1
, Kendrick Latchman
, Decision (unanimous)
,
LFA 31
,
, align=center, 3
, align=center, 5:00
,
Phoenix, Arizona
Phoenix ( ; nv, Hoozdo; es, Fénix or , yuf-x-wal, Banyà:nyuwá) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of cities and towns in Arizona#List of cities and towns, most populous city of the U.S. state of Arizona, with 1 ...
, United States
,
, -
, Loss
, align=center, 7–1–1
, Adam Antolin
, Decision (split)
,
Dana White's Contender Series 8
,
, align=center, 3
, align=center, 5:00
,
Las Vegas, Nevada
Las Vegas (; Spanish for "The Meadows"), often known simply as Vegas, is the 25th-most populous city in the United States, the most populous city in the state of Nevada, and the county seat of Clark County. The city anchors the Las Vegas ...
, United States
,
, -
, Win
, align=center, 7–0–1
, C.J. Hamilton
, Decision (unanimous)
,
Dana White's Contender Series 2
,
, align=center, 3
, align=center, 5:00
,
Las Vegas, Nevada
Las Vegas (; Spanish for "The Meadows"), often known simply as Vegas, is the 25th-most populous city in the United States, the most populous city in the state of Nevada, and the county seat of Clark County. The city anchors the Las Vegas ...
, United States
,
, -
, Draw
, align=center, 6–0–1
,
Bruno Gustavo da Silva
Bruno Gustavo Aparecido da Silva (born 16 March 1990) is a Brazilian mixed martial artist who competes in the Flyweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship.
Mixed martial arts career Early career
Starting his career in 2011, Si ...
, Draw (split)
,
LFA 11
,
, align=center, 3
, align=center, 5:00
,
Phoenix, Arizona
Phoenix ( ; nv, Hoozdo; es, Fénix or , yuf-x-wal, Banyà:nyuwá) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of cities and towns in Arizona#List of cities and towns, most populous city of the U.S. state of Arizona, with 1 ...
, United States
,
, -
, Win
, align=center, 6–0
, Alvin Cacdac
, Submission (rear-naked choke)
, TPF 30
,
, align=center, 1
, align=center, 4:09
,
Lemoore, California
Lemoore (formerly, La Tache and Lee Moore's) is a city in Kings County, California, United States. Lemoore is located west-southwest of Hanford, at an elevation of . It is part of the Hanford-Corcoran Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA Code 2 ...
, United States
,
, -
, Win
, align=center, 5–0
, Rafael Angel Hernandez
, Submission (brabo choke)
, TPF 27
,
, align=center, 1
, align=center, 3:44
,
Lemoore, California
Lemoore (formerly, La Tache and Lee Moore's) is a city in Kings County, California, United States. Lemoore is located west-southwest of Hanford, at an elevation of . It is part of the Hanford-Corcoran Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA Code 2 ...
, United States
,
, -
, Win
, align=center, 4–0
, Anthony Torres
, Submission (armbar)
, TPF 26
,
, align=center, 1
, align=center, 1:48
,
Lemoore, California
Lemoore (formerly, La Tache and Lee Moore's) is a city in Kings County, California, United States. Lemoore is located west-southwest of Hanford, at an elevation of . It is part of the Hanford-Corcoran Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA Code 2 ...
, United States
,
, -
, Win
, align=center, 3–0
, Victor Rosas
, TKO (doctor stoppage)
, TPF 25
,
, align=center, 3
, align=center, 4:31
,
Lemoore, California
Lemoore (formerly, La Tache and Lee Moore's) is a city in Kings County, California, United States. Lemoore is located west-southwest of Hanford, at an elevation of . It is part of the Hanford-Corcoran Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA Code 2 ...
, United States
,
, -
, Win
, align=center, 2–0
, Paul Amaro
, Decision (unanimous)
, Dragon House 20
,
, align=center, 3
, align=center, 5:00
,
San Francisco, California
San Francisco (; Spanish for " Saint Francis"), officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the commercial, financial, and cultural center of Northern California. The city proper is the fourth most populous in California and 17th ...
, United States
,
, -
, Win
, align=center, 1–0
, Elijah Muhammad
, Submission (rear-naked choke)
, Duel for Domination 10
,
, align=center, 2
, align=center, 2:26
,
Mesa, Arizona
Mesa ( ) is a city in Maricopa County, Arizona, Maricopa County, in the U.S. state of Arizona. It is the most populous city in the East Valley (Phoenix metropolitan area), East Valley section of the Phoenix Metropolitan Area. It is bordered by ...
, United States
,
, -
See also
*
List of current UFC fighters
This list of current UFC fighters records current Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) fighters' information, country origins, recent fighter signings and departures, fight schedules and results and the champion of each division. , the UFC roster ...
*
List of male mixed martial artists
This is a list of notable professional male mixed martial arts fighters in alphabetical order.
__NOTOC__
A
* Shamil Abdurakhimov - ( M-1, UFC)
* Daichi Abe - (UFC, Pancrase)
* Hiroyuki Abe - (Shooto, KOTC, Cage Rage, DEEP, Pride)
* Papy Ab ...
References
External links
*
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Kenney, Casey
1991 births
Living people
American male mixed martial artists
Sportspeople from Arizona
Mixed martial artists from California
Bantamweight mixed martial artists
Mixed martial artists utilizing judo
Mixed martial artists utilizing freestyle wrestling
Mixed martial artists utilizing Greco-Roman wrestling
Mixed martial artists utilizing Brazilian jiu-jitsu
Ultimate Fighting Championship male fighters
American male judoka
American male sport wrestlers
American practitioners of Brazilian jiu-jitsu
People awarded a black belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu