Jeremy Kennedy traps Emmanuel Sanchez on the ground to get the win at Bellator 272.
It was a statement win for Bellator featherweight contender Jeremy Kennedy at Bellator 272, as he smothered Emmanuel Sanchez on the ground to earn a decision win.
It was a grappling battle from start to finish between Kennedy and Sanchez, as both men came close to securing submissions throughout the bout. But, it was Kennedy who was the more active fighter with his takedowns and ground-and-pound attack.
Sanchez nearly secured a triangle choke in the first round, but Kennedy was able to squeeze out of it and avoid the submission. Sanchez also had him in a guillotine in the closing seconds of the fight, but Kennedy popped his head out of it and kept the pressure on.
After three rounds, the judges gave Kennedy the unanimous decision win as he was able to rebound after a tough loss in his previous outing.
Jeremy Kennedy could be a dark horse in the Bellator featherweight division
Sanchez entered Bellator 272 in desperate need of a win after losing back-to-back fights to Mads Burnell and former featherweight champion Patricio “Pitbull” Freire. He’s been a mainstay contender in the featherweight division but has constantly fallen short of the Bellator title.
Kennedy had impressed after an up-and-down tenure in the PFL and Brave CF. Despite a recent loss to Adam Borics at Bellator 256, he put on a dominant performance against Matt Bessette at Bellator 253 and proved he belonged.
It’s unclear what could happen with the featherweight title, as the champion AJ McKee has been non-committal about his future at 145 pounds. If he ends up vacating the title, Kennedy could be on the verge of a potential title shot sooner rather than later.