12.17.07 I JUST PLAY A TOUGH GUY ON TV
Maybe it was the upgraded fight card, or it could have been the free “Halloween” DVD giveaway that brought in 16,754 people to the American Airlines Center for the second HDNet Fights event.
Either way, there was a special energy as the show came out swinging with a card that did not disappoint.
The main event between Jason Miller and Tim Kennedy lived up to all the pre-fight hype.
They came from very different places. Kennedy is a fighter and Army Ranger who lives in a very serious world. Miller, on the other hand, never takes anything seriously. “Mayhem” wore a wrestling mask and a glittering cape to the ring while he tossed candy to the crowd.
Once the fight was underway, both men were all business, engaging in a battle that covered just about every MMA angle possible. The first round went to Kennedy, who didn’t have trouble closing the distance. Kennedy tended to hunch down on his back foot and load up on his punches, and they had no trouble finding Miller’s face, turning his head at times.
While it was a fairly even fight going back-and-forth for all three rounds, Miller took over in the second after opening up a major cut on the bridge of Kennedy’s nose. Twice the fight was stopped to look at the bloody injury, but Kennedy was adamant about continuing and the doctor agreed he was OK.
Kennedy tried for several submissions, but “Mayhem” was always able to sneak out and deliver damaging blows, even throwing out a crowd-pleasing Mongolian chop that landed flush on Kennedy’s face. Miller finished strong, taking over in the final moments to win the fight by unanimous decision.
“I just play a tough guy on TV,” Miller said afterward. “Kennedy is a real American hero.”
Kennedy knew he would have his hands full with Miller. “I knew he was tough,” he said. “I knew he was going to be wiry, squirmy, irritating and he definitely did all those things.”
Kennedy made no excuses and thought that he should have been more aggressive. “I was pretty sure I was going to destroy him,” he said. “I trained so that I could do that, so I have nothing to say but phenomenal job to Jason Miller.”
Miller called it a “tough fight” but also added that he has a good record against fighting Army guys, now that he can beat up his dad. Earlier Miller was asked whom he would like to fight next, and he responded by saying that he wanted to fight Mark Cuban for “wallets,” meaning that the winner gets what’s in the other’s pocket. Clearly he had enjoyed himself fighting for HDNet Fights.