Kevin Berryman Casey Jr. (born June 15, 1981) 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, incorpo ...

who most recently competed in the

Middleweight Middleweight is a weight class in combat sports. Boxing Professional In professional boxing, the middleweight division is contested above and up to . Early boxing history is less than exact, but the middleweight designation seems to have be ...

division of

Bellator MMA Bellator MMA (formerly Bellator Fighting Championships) is an American mixed martial arts promotion founded in 2008 and based in Santa Monica, California, owned and operated as a subsidiary of television and media conglomerate Paramount Global. ...

. A professional competitor since 2007, he was a contestant on The Ultimate Fighter: Team Jones vs. Team Sonnen and also competed for Strikeforce,

K-1 K-1 is a professional kickboxing promotion established in 1993, well known worldwide mainly for its heavyweight division fights and Grand Prix tournaments. In January 2012, K-1 Global Holdings Limited, a company registered in Hong Kong, acquired ...

, the RFA, and the UFC.

Biography

Casey was born in

Inglewood, California Inglewood is a city in southwestern Los Angeles County, California, in the Los Angeles metropolitan area. As of the 2020 U.S. Census, the city had a population of 107,762. It was incorporated on February 14, 1908. The city is in the South Bay ...

. He began to study

Brazilian jiu-jitsu Brazilian jiu-jitsu (BJJ; pt, jiu-jitsu brasileiro ) is a self-defence martial art and combat sport based on grappling, ground fighting (ne-waza) and submission holds. BJJ focuses on the skill of taking an opponent to the ground, control ...

in 1995 when he befriended Rockson Gracie, son of

Rickson Gracie Rickson Gracie (; born November 21, 1958) is a Brazilian 9th-degree red belt in Gracie Jiu-Jitsu and a retired mixed martial artist. He is a member of the Gracie family: the third oldest son of Hélio Gracie, brother to Rorion and Relson Grac ...

. Casey is a supporter of CHAMP, a non-profit organization founded by his brother Keith Casey that works to build the minds and bodies of inner city youth through mixed martial arts.

Mixed martial arts career

Casey made his professional mixed martial arts debut in September 2007 for the K-1 Hero's promotion in Japan. He lost to

Ikuhisa Minowa is a Japanese mixed martial artist and professional wrestler currently competing in IGF as . A professional MMA competitor since 1996, he was a longtime veteran of PRIDE and Pancrase and has also competed in other mixed martial arts promotions ...

in the second round. Following his unsuccessful debut, Casey made his first North American MMA appearance in 2008. He defeated Andrew Flores and Jimmy Mills in July and October, respectively, before taking a year off from the sport. In November 2009, Casey made his Strikeforce debut on one of their ''Strikeforce Challengers'' cards. He defeated Chad Vance by submission. He made his second appearance for the promotion on May 21, 2010. He lost to

Matt Lindland Matthew James Lindland (born May 17, 1970), also known as The Law, is an American retired mixed martial artist, Olympic wrestler, speaker, actor, coach, entrepreneur and politician. He won the Oregon Republican Party's nomination for t ...

via TKO in the third round.

The Ultimate Fighter

In January 2013, it was revealed that Casey was a cast member of The Ultimate Fighter: Team Jones vs. Team Sonnen. He won his preliminary bout over Eldon Sproat via rear naked choke. Casey was selected by coach Sonnen as his sixth pick (eleventh overall). In the next round, Casey was pitted against coach Jones' fifth pick Collin Hart. He lost the bout via unanimous decision. Casey was then given a second chance when he was chosen as Team Sonnen's wildcard. He fought against Team Jones' Bubba McDaniel. Despite controlling the first round, Casey lost via TKO at the end of the second round when he was unable to answer the bell for the third round. Many people, including Dana White, were shocked Kevin could just quit like that. Casey attributed this to difficulties relating to

acute kidney injury Acute kidney injury (AKI), previously called acute renal failure (ARF), is a sudden decrease in kidney function that develops within 7 days, as shown by an increase in serum creatinine or a decrease in urine output, or both. Causes of AKI are c ...

from his drastic weight cut for his bout.

Ultimate Fighting Championship

On April 9, 2013, it was announced that Casey would face fellow season 17 alumni Josh Samman at The Ultimate Fighter 17 Finale. He lost the fight via TKO in the second round. Following the loss Casey was released from the promotion.

Resurrection Fighting Alliance

Following his release from the UFC, Casey signed with Resurrection Fighting Alliance (RFA). He made his RFA debut on August 16, 2013 at RFA 9 against Casey Ryan. He won the fight by unanimous decision. He fought next on January 24, 2014 against former UFC veteran Eddie Mendez. He won that fight via TKO (Elbows) in the first round.

Metamoris

Casey replaced Vinny Magalhães on 30 minutes notice at Metamoris 3, a submission-only jiu-jitsu competition, in Los Angeles on March 29, 2014. Casey was submitted by

Keenan Cornelius Keenan Kai-James Cornelius is an American martial artist. His competitive achievements include what has been called a "grand slam" in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, having won double ...

via heel hook. In 2012, Casey himself had to pull out of a scheduled

Metamoris Metamoris was a Brazilian jiu-jitsu promotion, founded by Ralek Gracie, and executive producer Eddie Marquez that organized events in Los Angeles, California. Live events of Metamoris were broadcast via internet pay-per-view around the world and v ...

competition, making his 2014 appearance his first participation with the organization. Casey was scheduled to face Vinny Magalhaes at Metamoris 5, however was forced to withdraw just a week out from the November 22, 2014, competition due to a bloodclot in his calf that required surgery.

Return to UFC

Following his championship win at Resurrection Fighting Alliance 15, Casey was re-signed by the Ultimate Fighting Championship. He faced Bubba Bush at UFC 175 on July 5, 2014. He won the fight via TKO early in the first round due to a punch that dropped his opponent and subsequent elbows on the ground. However, Casey later failed a post-fight drug test for

drostanolone Drostanolone, or dromostanolone, is an anabolic–androgenic steroid (AAS) of the dihydrotestosterone (DHT) group which was never marketed. An androgen ester prodrug of drostanolone, drostanolone propionate, was formerly used in the treatment ...

, a form of anabolic steroid. Later, he was suspended for a year and fined $5,600 by the Nevada Athletic Commission. Returning from his suspension, Casey faced Ildemar Alcântara on July 15, 2015, at UFC Fight Night 71. He won the fight by unanimous decision. Casey faced

Antônio Carlos Júnior Antônio Carlos Coelho de Figueiredo Barbosa Júnior (born 16 March 1990), also known as Antônio Carlos Jr. and professionally by his ring name Cara de Sapato (as well as its English translation Shoeface), is a Brazilian mixed martial artist w ...

on December 10, 2015, at UFC Fight Night 80. The bout was deemed a No Contest just 11 seconds into the first round when Júnior accidentally poked Casey in both eyes and Casey was unable to continue. Casey faced

Rafael Natal Rafael Natal Diniz Franca () is a retired Brazilian mixed martial artist. A professional from 2005 until 2017, he is best known for his 17-fight stint competing for the UFC. Mixed martial arts career Background Natal started Brazilian Jiu-Jits ...

on January 30, 2016, at

UFC on Fox 18 ''UFC on Fox: Johnson vs. Bader'' (also known as ''UFC on Fox 18'') was a mixed martial arts event held on January 30, 2016, at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey. Background The event was headlined by a potential UFC Light Heavyweight ...

. He lost the fight via TKO in the third round. Casey next faced

Elvis Mutapčić Elvis Mutapčić (born July 19, 1986) is a Bosnian-American former mixed martial artist who competed in the Middleweight and the Light Heavyweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). Mixed martial arts career Early career Mutap ...

on June 4, 2016, at UFC 199. The fight ended in a split draw. Casey faced

Sam Alvey Samuel William Alvey (born May 6, 1986) is an American professional mixed martial artist, who competed in the Middleweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). A professional MMA competitor since 2008, Alvey has also formerly co ...

on August 27, 2016 at UFC on Fox 21. He lost the fight via TKO in the second round. On October 21, 2016, the UFC announced that they had cut Casey from the promotion.

Bellator MMA

On November 1, 2016, it was announced that Casey had signed with Bellator. He faced Keith Berry at Bellator 170 on January 21, 2017. The bout ended in a majority draw. Casey faced Chris Honeycutt at Bellator 182 on August 25, 2017. He lost the fight via TKO in the second round. On February 20, 2018 it was announced that Bellator had released Casey from the promotion.

Personal life

Casey is married to Hana Ali, the daughter of former heavyweight champion boxer

Muhammad Ali Muhammad Ali (; born Cassius Marcellus Clay Jr.; January 17, 1942 – June 3, 2016) was an American professional boxer and activist. Nicknamed "The Greatest", he is regarded as one of the most significant sports figures of the 20th century, ...

and sister of WBC, WIBA, IWBF and IBA female super middleweight title and IWBF light heavyweight title holder Laila Ali.

Championships and achievements

*Resurrection Fighting Alliance **RFA Middleweight Championship (One time, first)

Mixed martial arts record

, - , Loss , align=center, 9–6–2 (2) , Chris Honeycutt , TKO (punches) , Bellator 182 , , align=center, 2 , align=center, 2:06 ,

Verona, New York Verona (called ''Te-o-na-ta-le'', "''pine forest''" by the Haudenosaunee) is a town in southwestern Oneida County, New York, United States. The population was 6,293 at the 2010 census. The town was named after Verona, Italy. Verona is located ...

, United States , , - , Draw , align=center, 9–5–2 (2) , Keith Berry , Draw (majority) , Bellator 170 , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 ,

, United States , , - , Loss , align=center, 9–5–1 (2) ,

, TKO (punches) , UFC on Fox: Maia vs. Condit , , align=center, 2 , align=center, 4:56 ,

Vancouver, British Columbia Vancouver ( ) is a major city in western Canada, located in the Lower Mainland region of British Columbia. As the most populous city in the province, the 2021 Canadian census recorded 662,248 people in the city, up from 631,486 in 2016. The ...

, Canada , , - , Draw , align=center, 9–4–1 (2) ,

, Draw (split) , UFC 199 , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 ,

, United States , , - , Loss , align=center, 9–4 (2) ,

, TKO (punches) , UFC on Fox: Johnson vs. Bader , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 3:37 ,

Newark, New Jersey Newark ( , ) is the List of municipalities in New Jersey, most populous City (New Jersey), city in the U.S. state of New Jersey and the county seat, seat of Essex County, New Jersey, Essex County and the second largest city within the New Yo ...

, United States , , - , NC , align=center, 9–3 (2) ,

, NC (accidental eye poke) , UFC Fight Night: Namajunas vs. VanZant , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 0:11 ,

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 Vega ...

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 9–3 (1) , Ildemar Alcântara , Decision (unanimous) , UFC Fight Night: Mir vs. Duffee , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 ,

San Diego, California San Diego ( , ; ) is a city on the Pacific Ocean coast of Southern California located immediately adjacent to the Mexico–United States border. With a 2020 population of 1,386,932, it is the eighth most populous city in the United Stat ...

, United States , , - , NC , align=center, 8–3 (1) , Bubba Bush , NC (overturned) , UFC 175 , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 1:01 ,

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 8–3 ,

Andrew Sanchez Andrew William Sanchez (born April 8, 1988) is an American professional mixed martial artist currently competing in the Middleweight division. A professional competitor since 2012, he has formerly competed for the Ultimate Fighting Championship ...

, KO (punches) , RFA 15 , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 2:30 ,

Los Angeles, California Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, largest city in the U.S. state, state of California and the List of United States cities by population, sec ...

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 7–3 , Eddie Mendez , TKO (elbows) , RFA 12 , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 3:38 ,

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 6–3 , Casey Ryan , Decision (unanimous) , RFA 9 , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 ,

, United States , , - , Loss , align=center, 5–3 ,

Josh Samman Joshua Kaleb Samman (March 14, 1988 – October 5, 2016) was an American mixed martial artist who, at the time of his death, competed in the Middleweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship, and also competed for Bellator MMA. Mixed m ...

, TKO (knees) , The Ultimate Fighter: Team Jones vs. Team Sonnen Finale , , align=center, 2 , align=center, 2:17 ,

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 5–2 , Reggie Orr , Submission (rear-naked choke) , Samurai MMA Pro 2 , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 2:53 ,

Hollywood, California Hollywood is a neighborhood in the central region of Los Angeles, California. Its name has come to be a shorthand reference for the U.S. film industry and the people associated with it. Many notable film studios, such as Columbia Picture ...

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 4–2 , Daniel Mancha , TKO (punches) , Samurai MMA Pro 2011 , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 1:16 ,

Culver City, California Culver City is a city in Los Angeles County, California, United States. As of the 2020 census, the population was 40,779. Founded in 1917 as a "whites only" sundown town, it is now an ethnically diverse city with what was called the "third-most ...

, United States , , - , Loss , align=center, 3–2 ,

, TKO (punches) , Strikeforce Challengers: Lindland vs. Casey , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 3:41 ,

Portland, Oregon Portland (, ) is a port city in the Pacific Northwest and the largest city in the U.S. state of Oregon. Situated at the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia rivers, Portland is the county seat of Multnomah County, the most populous ...

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 3–1 , Chad Vance , Submission (rear-naked choke) , Strikeforce Challengers: Woodley vs. Bears , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 1:41 ,

Kansas City, Kansas Kansas City, abbreviated as "KCK", is the third-largest city in the U.S. state of Kansas, and the county seat of Wyandotte County. It is an inner suburb of the older and more populous Kansas City, Missouri, after which it is named. As of ...

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 2–1 , Jimmy Mills , Submission (rear-naked choke) , EFA: Caged Fury , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 4:27 ,

Monroe, Louisiana Monroe (historically french: Poste-du-Ouachita) is the list of municipalities in Louisiana#List of Municipalities, eighth-largest city in the U.S. state of Louisiana, and parish seat of Ouachita Parish, Louisiana, Ouachita Parish. With a 2020 Unit ...

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 1–1 , Andrew Flores , Decision (unanimous) , Fist Series: SummerFist 2008 , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 ,

Irvine, California Irvine () is a master-planned city in South Orange County, California, United States, in the Los Angeles metropolitan area. The Irvine Company started developing the area in the 1960s and the city was formally incorporated on December 28, 197 ...

, United States , , - , Loss , align=center, 0–1 ,

, TKO (punches) , K-1 Hero's: Tournament Final , , align=center, 2 , align=center, 0:42 ,

Yokohama is the second-largest city in Japan by population and the most populous municipality of Japan. It is the capital city and the most populous city in Kanagawa Prefecture, with a 2020 population of 3.8 million. It lies on Tokyo Bay, south of T ...

, Japan ,

Mixed martial arts exhibition record

, - , Loss , align=center, 1–2 , Bubba McDaniel , TKO (corner stoppage) , TUF 17 , (airdate) , align=center, 2 , align=center, 5:00 ,

, United States , , - , Loss , align=center, 1–1 , Collin Hart , Decision (unanimous) , TUF 17 , (airdate) , align=center, 2 , align=center, 5:00 ,

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 1–0 , Eldon Sproat , Submission (rear-naked choke) , TUF 17 , (airdate) , align=center, 1 , align=center, N/A ,

, United States ,

References

External links

* *
Official website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Casey, Kevin 1981 births Living people American male mixed martial artists African-American mixed martial artists Mixed martial artists from California Middleweight mixed martial artists Mixed martial artists utilizing Brazilian jiu-jitsu Ultimate Fighting Championship male fighters Doping cases in mixed martial arts American practitioners of Brazilian jiu-jitsu People awarded a black belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu Sportspeople from Hawthorne, California American sportspeople in doping cases Muhammad Ali family