Tag: Matt Bessette

Jeremy Kennedy vs. Matt Bessette added to Bellator 253

A pair of ex-UFC featherweights, Jeremy Kennedy and Matt Bessette, will clash at Bellator 253.

A pair of ex-UFC featherweights will clash at Bellator 253.

[autotag]Jeremy Kennedy[/autotag] (15-2-1) will face [autotag]Matt Bessette[/autotag] (24-9-1 MMA, 7-2 BMMA) on Nov. 19. Both Kennedy and Bessette confirmed the booking on social media after a report from TSN.

The initial report also says a lightweight bout between [autotag]Lance Gibson Jr.[/autotag] (3-0, 1-0 BMMA) and [autotag]Shane Kruchten[/autotag] (12-5 MMA, 0-2 BMMA) has been added to the event.

Kennedy hasn’t competed since October 2019, when he was eliminated from the PFL’s featherweight tournament semifinals in a submission loss to Daniel Pineda. The loss eventually was overturned to a no-contest after Pineda was flagged for having an elevated testosterone-to-epitestosterone ratio in his system.

Since departing the UFC in 2018, Bessette has won two in a row. Most recently, he won the CES featherweight title with a third-round knockout of Charles Cheeks III in January. He will return to Bellator, where he amassed a 7-2 record with notable wins over Saul Almeida and Diego Nunes.

Matt Bessette vs. Charles Cheeks III to headline CES MMA 60 in Rhode Island

Former UFC featherweight Matt Bessette is set to compete for the second time since being released from the promotion.

Former UFC featherweight [autotag]Matt Bessette[/autotag] is set to compete for the second time since being released from the promotion.

At CES 60, Bessette (23-9 MMA) will take on [autotag]Charles Cheeks III[/autotag] for the promotion’s vacant featherweight title.

CES 60 takes place Friday Jan. 24 at Twin River Casino in Lincoln, R.I. The main card streams on UFC Fight Pass. No other bouts have been announced for the card at this time.

Bessette, 34, held the CES 145-pound strap from 2016-18. In the summer of 2017, Bessette competed in the main event of the series premiere of “Dana White’s Contender Series.” Initially ruled a first-round TKO loss, Bessette’s fight was deemed a no contest when his opponent Kurt Holobaugh admitted to illegal pre-fight IV use.

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In early 2018, Bessette signed with the UFC. A short-notice replacement in his debut, Bessette lost to Enrique Barzola by unanimous decision. In his sophomore outing, Bessette lost a split decision to Steven Peterson. He was subsequently released by the promotion.

In March, Bessette got back in the win column when he defeated Tim Dooling by unanimous decision at CES MMA 55.

Cheeks (14-7 MMA) has won three out of his most recent four outings. A veteran of Legacy FC, LFA, and Fury FC, Cheeks has picked up six of his wins inside the distance.

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