Jeremy Kennedy is confident that he will have a physical edge over the Bellator featherweight champion, Patricio Freire.
In the co-headliner of Bellator Champion Series: Belfast happening at the SSE Arena in Northern Ireland, Kennedy (19-3) will face Freire (34-7).
Freire has recently faced two consecutive losses for the first time in his career. However, these losses were not in the featherweight category, making it challenging for Kennedy to predict Freire’s current form.
“I train as if I’m preparing to face the best ‘pit bull,'” Kennedy stated on MMA Junkie Radio. “That’s my mindset going into every fight. It’s tricky because there’s much speculation surrounding his recent losses. Even at 145, he hasn’t been defeated. So, in my view, he remains the undisputed champion multiple times over. Who has matched him at 145?”
One of Freire’s losses occurred in June this year during a bantamweight title clash against Sergio Pettis in his division debut. Shortly after, in a 154-pound catchweight bout, he was knocked out by Chihiro Suzuki but quickly made a comeback.
Kennedy is not overly focused on Freire’s decline but feels that the recent drop to 135 pounds could be a contributing factor.
“The significant point for me was the move to 135,” Kennedy remarked. “It’s not age or wear and tear, but rather frame and size. Knowing that I am a larger individual than him, I am confident in my physical abilities compared to his since I never even considered dropping to 140 pounds.
“Seeing that he managed to achieve that weight, and actually did so, less than a year ago, to actually be able to match up with me physically. I doubt he’ll be able to put on any muscle. What disappoints me the most is that he’s likely too small. Although he’s been competing as a senior his whole life, he’s slightly undersized and I believe this will result in him being outperformed physically and dominating across the board.”
For more details on this event, check out MMA Junkie’s Bellator Champions Series: Belfast event hub.
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