Photo credit: Lucas Noonan/ Bellator MMA
Jeremy Kennedy Aims to “Big Brother” Pedro Carvalho at Bellator 291
Jeremy Kennedy clashes with Pedro Carvalho at Bellator 291 on February 25th.
Kennedy once again appeared on Bowks Talking Bouts to discuss getting this fight after pointedly calling out his opponent, this being a title eliminator bout at 145 pounds, plus so much more. Excerpts from our chat are below.
Jeremy Kennedy
The timing of the 145-pound division with Adam Borics‘ recent title bid and AJ McKee being in the lightweight Grand Prix in the context of Kennedy vs Carvalho being a title eliminator at featherweight
“The only thing that would maybe change things up is ‘Pitbull’ wanting to go down. But then again even there, that whole division has got a lot to work out. With the grand prix and then Sergio (Pettis) being back. But he’s got Patchy (Mix) and (Raufeon) Stots on the line. So timing and landscape all matters. I can’t control any of that. I just know at 145 after I beat Pedro, I’m the guy. Can’t control much else and I’ve been told this is a number one contender fight numerous times. It makes sense and I just got to get my job done.”
“I’ve got to get through Pedro, he’s all my focus. Because all the rest of it, the title fight and everything, it’s just noise. It’s extra motivation but it’s just noise until I actually get this win that I’m gonna get… Just big brother him a little bit. Gonna have to go out there and put him in the chicken wing (laughs).”
Bellator 291
How emboldened Kennedy has historically been being the away player when competing and the context here of Carvalho being an SBG Ireland fighter competing to a partisan Dublin crowd
“That’s also been a bit of a part of my career. My last few fights have all been domestic in the US but prior to that, I was all over the place fighting guys in their hometowns. From (Alexander) Volkanovski in Australia to Rony Jason in Brazil down in Fortaleza there. (Kyle) Bochniak in New York like he’s a Boston guy. At the time, I was training, living, whatever in Canada. So I’ve just been travelling to other people’s countries. I fought under the Brave banner.”
“I was fighting Marat (Magomedov) in Saudi Araba which is a very Muslim based country and around Christmas time. Just out of my element and out of my comfort zone. So I’m used to that. Now fighting an SBG guy in Dublin, Ireland, it just makes sense. It’s fitting that I’m heading out there and doing this again… I can’t wait for that Dublin crowd. Every time Bellator has gone and I’ve watched the shows, I’m just like man, I’ve got to get out there and fight. It’s up there with Japan as one of those crowds that you have to experience before it’s all said and done.”
