Tim Kennedy believes he can still compete with the top middleweights in the UFC. On the other hand he doesn’t feel like the fighter he once was and isn’t interested in becoming a washed up competitor, so the 37-year-old announced his retirement from mixed martial arts Tuesday.
Kennedy’s announcement comes approximately one month after his loss to Kelvin Gastelum at UFC 206 in Toronto. It was Kennedy’s first fight in more than two years and he was finished with strikes in the third round. It was the first time he had been finished since his professional debut 15 years prior.
“I felt like I was in slow motion the entire match,” the military veteran wrote in a lengthy Facebook post. “I felt tired for the first time ever in a fight. I’m the guy that once graduated Ranger School–a place that starves you and denies you sleep for over two months–and took a fight six days later in the IFL and won. I’m the guy that is always in shape. And I was for this fight. I worked harder than I ever have before for this fight. But I wasn’t me anymore. My brain knew what to do but my body did not respond. I’ve watched other fighters arrive here. I’ve watched other fighters pretend they weren’t here. I will not be one of them.”
Kennedy was one of the driving forces behind the recently established Mixed Martial Arts Athletes Association and his involvement with the MMAAA will continue.
“To all of you fighters out there, I am not going anywhere,” Kennedy added. “I love fighting and will always have the heart of a fighter. I am committed to growing our sport and taking care of those who are a part of it. As sad as it is for me to walk away, the only thing sadder would be for me to stay because I had no other choice in order to feed my family.”
Kennedy finishes his MMA career with a record of 18-6 and holds notable victories over current UFC middleweight champion Michael Bisping and former UFC welterweight champ Robbie Lawler.
