If any fighter was under the pressure cooker Wednesday, it was middleweight Tim Kennedy (pictured). Not only was he a heavy odds-on favorite to beat Rafael Natal, but the former Green Beret had to do it in front of his military family.
Well, Kennedy delivered in spectacular fashion with a thunderous leaping left hook. After knocking Natal out cold, Kennedy jumped on top of the Octagon cage and yelled to his peers, “I love you!”
The official stoppage came at 4:40 in the opening round.
Oddly, Kennedy’s victory was technically ruled a TKO and not a KO. Perhaps it was because he had to unload a couple of punches on the ground to seal the deal.
Either way, that’s just splitting hairs. He still pocketed an extra $50,000 for “Knockout of the Night.”
UFC Fight for the Troops 3 took place in Fort Campbell, Kentucky.
Please click the media player below to watch the highlights: