Kenneth Duane Robertson (born February 14, 1984) 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 ...

. A professional mixed martial artist since 2008, he has also competed for the

UFC 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 ...

and Bellator.

Before MMA

In high school he wrestled for

Metamora Township High School Metamora Township High School (often referred to as MTHS) is a public high school located in Metamora, Illinois, United States, with an enrollment of approximately 1,000 students. The school's athletic teams compete in the Mid-Illini Conference.< ...

. Robertson excelled in wrestling, where he was a three time NCAA Division I qualifier for Eastern Illinois University. While competing for the Panthers he was a four time West Regional conference finalist. He took 3rd his freshman year, 2nd sophomore years in 2005, and then won the championship as a junior and senior in 2006 and 2007. As a junior in 2006, he was one match away from being an All American at the NCAA championships. His senior year was the last year that Eastern Illinois University sponsored a wrestling program, making Robertson the last NCAA qualifier the school ever had.

Mixed martial arts career

Early career

Robertson compiled a 10–0 professional MMA record before signing with the UFC including a submission win over TUF alum

John Kolosci John Kolosci (born November 26, 1974) is a retired American mixed martial artist. A professional from 2003 until 2011, he competed for the UFC, Bellator, Strikeforce, the XFC, and was a competitor on ''The Ultimate Fighter'', fighting for Team ...

at Bellator XXV.

Ultimate Fighting Championship

Robertson was expected to make his UFC debut against fellow unbeaten fighter,

Pascal Krauss Pascal "Panzer" Krauss (born April 19, 1987) is a retired German mixed martial artist who competed in the welterweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). His German nickname translates to 'tank' in English. Early life and educ ...

on November 13, 2010, at

UFC 122 ''UFC 122: Marquardt vs. Okami'' was a mixed martial arts event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship on November 13, 2010 at König Pilsener Arena in Oberhausen, Germany. This event aired on the same day, via tape delay, on Spike TV in the ...

. However, Robertson was forced out of the bout with an injury and replaced by Mark Scanlon. Robertson eventually made his UFC debut on February 5, 2011 at

UFC 126 ''UFC 126: Silva vs. Belfort'' was a mixed martial arts pay-per-view event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship on February 5, 2011 at the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas, Nevada. Background Former Light Heavyweight Champion Vitor B ...

, losing to

Mike Pierce Michael Pierce (born September 1, 1980) is a retired American professional mixed martial artist. He formerly competed as a Welterweight in the UFC and also competed in a one-fight stint in the WEC. Personal life Pierce is married and has two c ...

via TKO in the second round. Following the loss, Robertson was released from the promotion.

Post-UFC

Robertson had his first post-UFC fight against fellow UFC veteran Lúcio Linhares on October 1, 2011. He won via KO due to a spinning backfist in round 1.

Return to UFC

Robertson made his UFC return against Aaron Simpson on July 11, 2012 at UFC on Fuel TV: Munoz vs. Weidman, replacing an injured

Jon Fitch Jonathan Parker Fitch (born February 24, 1978) is an American retired mixed martial artist. He has competed in the Welterweight divisions of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), the Professional Fighters League (PFL), and most recently for ...

. He lost the fight via unanimous decision (30-27, 29-28, 29-28). Robertson defeated Brock Jardine on February 23, 2013, at

UFC 157 ''UFC 157: Rousey vs. Carmouche'' was a mixed martial arts event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship on February 23, 2013, at the Honda Center in Anaheim, California. Background The headline bout between Ronda Rousey and Liz Carmouche was ...

. He was victorious in the first round due to a modified kneebar from the back mount position. The submission applies pressure to the hamstring of the opponent by grabbing the ankle and hyperextending at the knee. The finish earned him the ''Submission of the Night'' bonus. Robertson faced

Sean Pierson Sean Ian Pierson (born March 10, 1976) is a retired Canadian mixed martial artist. A professional from 1999 until 2013, he fought for the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) and Bellator. Background Pierson began wrestling in the fourth grade ...

on June 15, 2013 at

UFC 161 ''UFC 161: Evans vs. Henderson'' was a mixed martial arts event held on June 15, 2013, at the MTS Centre in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. Background While the UFC has hosted several events in the past in Canada, the event was the first that the or ...

. Pierson defeated Robertson via majority decision. Robertson was expected to face Joao Zeferino on September 4, 2013 at UFC Fight Night 28. However, Robertson pulled out of the bout citing and injury and was replaced by UFC newcomer Elias Silverio. Robertson faced

Thiago Perpétuo Thiago de Oliveira Perpétuo (born December 14, 1986) is a Brazilian mixed martial artist who last competed in 2015. A professional since 2009, he has competed for the UFC, XFC, and was a competitor on '' The Ultimate Fighter: Brazil''. Mixed m ...

on March 23, 2014 at

UFC Fight Night 38 ''UFC Fight Night: Shogun vs. Henderson 2'' (also known as ''UFC Fight Night 38'') was a mixed martial arts event held on March 23, 2014, at the Ginásio Nélio Dias in Natal, Brazil. Background The event was headlined by the anticipated rematch ...

. He won the fight via submission in the first round. Robertson was briefly linked to a bout with

Zak Cummings Zacharry "Zak" Michael Cummings (born August 2, 1984) is an American mixed martial artist, who currently competes in the Middleweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship. A professional competitor since 2007, he has also formerly comp ...

on July 16, 2014 at

UFC Fight Night 45 ''UFC Fight Night: Cowboy vs. Miller'' (also known as ''UFC Fight Night 45'') was a mixed martial arts event held on July 16, 2014, at Revel Casino Hotel in Atlantic City, New Jersey. Background The event was headlined by a lightweight bout bet ...

. However, Cummings was pulled from that fight in favor of a matchup with Gunnar Nelson a few days later at

UFC Fight Night 46 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 ...

after his opponent

Ryan LaFlare Ryan LaFlare (born October 1, 1983) is a retired American mixed martial artist who formerly competed in the UFC's Welterweight division. Background LaFlare was born and raised in Lindenhurst, New York, attending Lindenhurst High School where he ...

was removed from the card. Subsequently, Robertson eventually faced

Ildemar Alcântara Ildemar Alcântara Cardoso (; born 7 November 1982) is a Brazilian mixed martial artist currently competing in the light heavyweight division. A professional competitor since 2005, he has formerly competed in the UFC and is the younger brothe ...

on July 5, 2014 at

UFC 175 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 won the fight via unanimous decision. Robertson faced Sultan Aliev on January 24, 2015 at

UFC on Fox 14 ''UFC on Fox: Gustafsson vs. Johnson'' (also known as ''UFC on Fox 14'') was a mixed martial arts event held on January 24, 2015, at the Tele2 Arena in Stockholm, Sweden. Background This was the fourth event that the UFC has held in Sweden and t ...

. He won the fight via knockout in the first round. The win also earned Robertson his first ''Performance of the Night'' bonus award. Robertson was expected to face George Sullivan on April 18, 2015 at

UFC on Fox 15 ''UFC on Fox: Machida vs. Rockhold'' (also known as ''UFC on Fox 15'') was a mixed martial arts event held on April 18, 2015, at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey. Background The event was the sixth event that the UFC has hosted in New ...

. However, Robertson pulled out of the bout citing injury and was replaced by

Tim Means Timothy Carl Means (born February 20, 1984) is an American professional mixed martial artist from Moriarty, New Mexico currently competing in the Welterweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship. A professional competitor since 2004, ...

. Robertson next faced Ben Saunders on July 25, 2015 at

UFC on Fox 16 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 back-and-forth fight by split decision. Robertson faced

Roan Carneiro Roan Carneiro Pereira (born 2 June 1978) is a Brazilian retired professional mixed martial artist who most recently competed in the Welterweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship. A professional competitor since 2000, Carneiro was ...

on September 17, 2016 at UFC Fight Night 94. He lost the fight via split decision and was subsequently released from the promotion.

Post-UFC career

After over four years away from competition, Robertson is scheduled to challenge Dante Schiro for the Caged Aggression Welterweight Championship at Caged Aggression 30 on March 27, 2021. Robertson faced

Chris Curtis Chris Curtis (born Christopher Crummey; 26 August 1941 – 28 February 2005) was an English drummer and singer who was best known for being with the 1960s Beat music, beat band The Searchers (band), The Searchers. He originated the concept be ...

on July 30, 2021 at XMMA 2. He lost the bout via unanimous decision.

Personal life

Now that his career in fighting has ended he has become a teacher at Eureka High School in

Eureka, Illinois Eureka is a city in Olio Township, Woodford County, Illinois, United States. The population was 5,295 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Woodford County. Eureka is part of the Peoria, Illinois Metropolitan Statistical Area. Eureka is ...

, teaching industrial arts. He has also previously taught woodshop at

Metamora High School Metamora Township High School (often referred to as MTHS) is a public high school located in Metamora, Illinois, United States, with an enrollment of approximately 1,000 students. The school's athletic teams compete in the Mid-Illini Conference. ...

Championships and achievements

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 ...

Performance of the Night UFC Bonus Awards are three separate cash bonuses usually awarded to four fighters after each UFC event, based on internal decisions by UFC management. More/fewer bonuses have been awarded at some events, especially when no knockouts or submissions ...

(one time) vs. Sultan Aliev ** Submission of the Night (one time) vs. Brock Jardine

Mixed martial arts record

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Greenville, South Carolina Greenville (; locally ) is a city in and the seat of Greenville County, South Carolina, United States. With a population of 70,720 at the 2020 census, it is the sixth-largest city in the state. Greenville is located approximately halfway be ...

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Davenport, Iowa Davenport is a city in and the county seat of Scott County, Iowa, United States. Located along the Mississippi River on the eastern border of the state, it is the largest of the Quad Cities, a metropolitan area with a population of 384,324 and a ...

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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 ...

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Natal NATAL or Natal may refer to: Places * Natal, Rio Grande do Norte, a city in Brazil * Natal, South Africa (disambiguation), a region in South Africa ** Natalia Republic, a former country (1839–1843) ** Colony of Natal, a former British colony ( ...

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Winnipeg, Manitoba Winnipeg () is the capital and largest city of the province of Manitoba in Canada. It is centred on the confluence of the Red and Assiniboine rivers, near the longitudinal centre of North America. , Winnipeg had a city population of 749,6 ...

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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 ...

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San Jose, California San Jose, officially San José (; ; ), is a major city in the U.S. state of California that is the cultural, financial, and political center of Silicon Valley and largest city in Northern California by both population and area. With a 2020 popul ...

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 11–1 , Lúcio Linhares , KO (spinning back fist) , FF 31: Fight Festival 31 , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 4:44 ,

Helsinki Helsinki ( or ; ; sv, Helsingfors, ) is the Capital city, capital, primate city, primate, and List of cities and towns in Finland, most populous city of Finland. Located on the shore of the Gulf of Finland, it is the seat of the region of U ...

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Bellator 25 2010 in Bellator MMA was the second installment of the Bellator Fighting Championships (Bellator FC)-produced series. It started on April 8, 2010 and ended June 24, 2010. Tournaments were held in the featherweight, lightweight, welterweight and m ...

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Gerald Meerschaert Gerald Edward Meerschaert III (born December 18, 1987) is an American mixed martial artist currently competing in the Middleweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship. A professional competitor since 2007, he formerly competed for the ...

, Submission (kneebar) , MT 19: Madtown Throwdown 19 , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 3:15 ,

Madison, Wisconsin Madison is the county seat of Dane County and the capital city of the U.S. state of Wisconsin. As of the 2020 census the population was 269,840, making it the second-largest city in Wisconsin by population, after Milwaukee, and the 80th-lar ...

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Hammond, Indiana Hammond ( ) is a city in Lake County, Indiana. It is part of the Chicago metropolitan area, and the only city in Indiana to border Chicago. First settled in the mid-19th century, it is one of the oldest cities of northern Lake County. As of the ...

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 6–0 , Roy Timmons , TKO (punches) , Cage Rage: Kokomo , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 1:51 ,

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Herbert Goodman Herbert Goodman (born August 31, 1977) is a retired American professional mixed martial artist and former NFL running back for the Green Bay Packers. A professional competitor from 2007 until 2011, Goodman competed for Bellator, M-1 Global and ...

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Green Bay, Wisconsin Green Bay is a city in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. The county seat of Brown County, it is at the head of Green Bay (known locally as "the bay of Green Bay"), a sub-basin of Lake Michigan, at the mouth of the Fox River. It is above sea lev ...

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References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Robertson, Kenny American male mixed martial artists Welterweight mixed martial artists Mixed martial artists utilizing collegiate wrestling Living people People from East Peoria, Illinois 1984 births Ultimate Fighting Championship male fighters American male sport wrestlers