Abu Dhabi, UAE — Casey Kenney is making a quick turnaround on Fight Island at UFC 254.
So quick, in fact, that he considered not leaving at all. Kenney (15-2-1) fought earlier this month at UFC Fight Island 4, where he picked up a unanimous decision win over Heili Alateng. By the next day, he’d secured his next bout — against Nathaniel Wood.
Speaking to reporters in attendance on Fight Island, Kenney revealed that he’d been offered the fight “before I left the island. Pretty much a few hours after I had the fight, we were sitting at breakfast, I say ‘hey, I want this match-up.’ I asked for it, I got what I asked for, so there’s no turning back now.”
Wood and Kenney are both considered prospects in the UFC’s bantamweight division. And Kenney, for his part, like how the pair match up.
“Nathaniel’s good, we’ve got identical records in the UFC, both up-and-coming guys. I figured we would probably meet at some point,” said Kenney at Tuesday’s media day. “This division’s hot, it’s deep, if you’re a prospect, you’re probably going to run into a prospect at some point.”
But there’s one thing that sets Kenney and Wood apart, the 29-year old, originally from Indiana, stated. “I like the match-up, he’s super well-rounded, however I just think he’s a basic well-rounded. I feel like I’ve showed just a small part of my game, and I feel like he’s put it all out there.”
Now, Casey is looking to open up and “as an artist, put it right onto the canvas.”
We’ll get the chance to see him try to complete his masterpiece on Saturday.
UFC 254 takes place on “Fight Island” (Yas Island) in Abu Dhabi at the Flash Forum on Saturday, October 24. The main card airs live on PPV following televised and online prelims.
