MMA News: Tim Kennedy Rips Strikeforce Fighters Who Pulled Out of January Card

By John Heinis on December 22, 2012

Former Strikeforce middleweight title challenger Tim Kennedy has no love for fellow promotional fighters who pulled out of bouts for the final card in January.

Friday morning, Kennedy took to Twitter to express his discontent:

“I guess I should pullout of my last @Strikeforce fight due to an “injury” so I can have a for sure ride to the @ufc #NotHowiRoll”

The former US Army Staff Sergeant is scheduled to fight Trevor Smith at the Jan. 12 card.

Kennedy is just 2-2 in his past four fights, though both losses were for the Strikeforce middleweight title against Ronaldo Souza and Luke Rockhold, respectively.

The promotion’s last card was supposed to feature title defenses from their lightweight, welterweight and middleweight champions. However, injuries to Gilbert Melendez (the 155-pound title holder) and Rockhold left welterweight champ Nate Marquardt as the last man standing.

He defends his title against Tarec Saffiedine in the headlining bout on the show.

Kennedy seems to be specifically targeting Melendez and Rockhold with his tweet, though other fighters, such as undefeated middleweight Lorenz Larkin, have withdrawn from the card as well. 

Is Kennedy correct is stating that certain fighters pulled out from the card to guarantee at least one shot inside the Octagon or is this simply a case of sour grapes?