Casey Kenney

Casey Kenney built his fighting career on an unusual and athletic foundation: a nine-time USA national judo champion and 2nd-degree black belt who also excelled in freestyle and Greco-Roman wrestling. Born in Portland in 1991, Kenney spent his early years climbing the regional MMA ranks, capturing titles with Tachi Palace Fights and the Legacy Fighting Alliance before earning his UFC call in 2019. His willingness to step up on short notice (famously replacing an injured fighter against Ray Borg on six days' notice) and his technical submission game earned him fan respect and a Fight of the Night bonus against Nathaniel Wood at UFC 254 in October 2020.

Inside the octagon, Kenney fought as a composed positional wrestler and grappler. He landed his significant strikes mostly at distance (89% of his output standing), maintained solid defensive metrics (58% strike defense, 61% takedown defense), and pursued submissions at every opportunity, tallying five wins via tap (two rear-naked chokes, one guillotine, one brabo choke, one armbar). His fights typically went the distance, averaging nearly 14 minutes, suggesting a grind-it-out control style rather than explosive finishes.

However, his rise plateaued when matched against elite bantamweights. Losses to Merab Dvalishvili, Dominick Cruz, and Song Yadong between 2020 and 2021 made clear that his grappling base, while excellent for his regional peers and some UFC-level opposition, lacked the finishing power or strike variety to overcome top-tier competition. His final UFC appearance came in August 2021 against Yadong, a split decision loss that marked the end of a two-year promotional run. He was released from the UFC roster in 2024 and has not competed since.