"He hasn't fought this style before" - Jeremy Kennedy fires warning ahead of Bellator featherweight title shot against Patricio 'Pitbull' Freire
Jeremy Kennedy is dialed in for his long-awaited featherweight title shot against Patricio 'Pitbull' Freire as he fired a warning to the champion ahead of their bout at Bellator Champions Series: Belfast. It will take place tomorrow night.
The Canadian has been quite patient with the promotion as he was regarded as the next contender in line for a title shot, but waited while Freire attempted to become the first-ever three-division champion when he fought Sergio Pettis. The reigning featherweight champion was unsuccessful in his quest, but later accepted a short-notice fight in Rizin, which he also lost.
During the Bellator Champions Series: Belfast pre-fight media day, 'JBC' warned 'Pitbull' that he poses a much different threat than anybody he has fought so far. He also mentioned that the trajectory of their respective careers is very different.
Kennedy said:
"He's [Patricio Freire] on that decline and I'm on the incline. I'm constantly getting better, I'm hungry, I'm young, I'm on a win streak, and I think my [fighting] style is just something he hasn't dealt with before."
"So yeah, he's the Bellator GOAT, but nobody's really brought him what I bring to the table, so I think he's got a lot more to worry about than people think...He's fighting a guy that he hasn't fought this style before," he added.
It will be interesting to see whether Kennedy will dethrone Freire and join the list of Canadian fighters to win a championship in a major MMA promotion.
What is Jeremy Kennedy's record since joining Bellator?
Jeremy Kennedy has been successful since joining Bellator in 2020 following his tenures in promotions like UFC, PFL, and Brave.
The Canadian immediately inserted his name in the title conversations after earning a unanimous decision win over Matt Bessette in his promotional debut. He then suffered a setback as he lost a unanimous decision against Adam Borics, but has since regrouped and experienced a surge up the rankings.
'JBC' is currently riding a three-fight victory streak that includes wins over Aaron Pico and former title challengers Emmanuel Sanchez and Pedro Carvalho, which improved his record to 4-1 inside the Bellator cage.