Strikeforce
Strikeforce's Tim Kennedy wants Roger Gracie next, wants to prove he's a better grappler
Jul 23, 2012 - 10:15:06 PM

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By: Jamie Penick, MMATorch Editor-in-Chief

With Strikeforce's middleweight division being fairly insulated, there's a smaller group currently to pick from for matchmaker Sean Shelby. Though they ultimately don't make the matchups, the fighters themselves often have ideas about what fights they'd like to have, and fresh off a decision loss to Champ Luke Rockhold, Tim Kennedy has a name in mind for his next fight.

Taking to Twitter, Kennedy responded to comments from Strikeforce CEO Scott Coker about Roger Gracie, expressing his interest in a fight with the highly decorated jiu jitsu practitioner.

"I read [Scott Coker] said [Roger Gracie] was the best grappler in Strikeforce," Kennedy wrote. "I would love to prove that is not the case."

Gracie defeated Keith Jardine on the card Kennedy headlined with Rockhold, his first bout in the middleweight division. A fight with Kennedy could make sense as the next fight for both in the division, and it's up to Strikeforce to decide whether or not it makes enough sense for them.

Penick's Analysis: Kennedy may believe he's a better grappler than Gracie, but while he definitely has good grappling skills, he doesn't have Gracie's track record. It would certainly be an interesting fight, but he didn't out-grapple Jacare, and he didn't out-grapple Rockhold, so doing that against an even more highly decorated grappler would be a very tough task.