Kevin Casey (fighter) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Kevin Casey |
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|---|---|
| Born | Kevin Berryman Casey Jr. June 15, 1981 Inglewood, California, U.S. |
| Other names | King |
| Nationality | American |
| Height | 5 ft 11 in (1.80 m) |
| Weight | 185 lb (84 kg; 13.2 st) |
| Division | Middleweight (2007–present) |
| Reach | 76 in (193 cm) |
| Style | Brazilian jiu-jitsu |
| Fighting out of | Hawthorne, California, U.S. |
| Team | Black House Rickson Gracie Jiu-Jitsu |
| Rank | Black belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu |
| Years active | 2007–present (MMA) |
| Mixed martial arts record | |
| Total | 19 |
| Wins | 9 |
| By knockout | 3 |
| By submission | 3 |
| By decision | 3 |
| Losses | 6 |
| By knockout | 6 |
| Draws | 2 |
| No contests | 2 |
| Other information | |
| Notable relatives | Muhammad Ali (father-in-law) Laila Ali (sister-in-law) |
Kevin Berryman Casey Jr. (born June 15, 1981) is an American mixed martial artist. He has competed in the Middleweight division. He was most recently part of Bellator MMA. Kevin Casey has been a professional fighter since 2007. He was also a contestant on the TV show The Ultimate Fighter: Team Jones vs. Team Sonnen. He has fought for other big organizations like Strikeforce, K-1, the RFA, and the UFC.
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Biography
Kevin Casey was born in Inglewood, California. He started learning Brazilian jiu-jitsu in 1995. He became friends with Rockson Gracie, who is the son of famous jiu-jitsu master Rickson Gracie.
Casey supports CHAMP, a non-profit group. His brother, Keith Casey, started this organization. CHAMP helps young people in cities grow stronger in their minds and bodies. They do this through mixed martial arts training.
Mixed Martial Arts Career
Kevin Casey started his professional mixed martial arts career in September 2007. His first fight was in Japan for the K-1 Hero's promotion. He lost his first match to Ikuhisa Minowa in the second round.
After this, Casey fought in North America in 2008. He won against Andrew Flores and Jimmy Mills. Then, he took a break from fighting for a year.
In November 2009, Casey joined Strikeforce. He won his first fight there by submission against Chad Vance. He fought again for Strikeforce in May 2010. In that fight, he lost to Matt Lindland in the third round.
The Ultimate Fighter
In January 2013, Kevin Casey became a contestant on The Ultimate Fighter: Team Jones vs. Team Sonnen. This is a reality TV show where fighters compete to win a contract with the UFC. He won his first fight on the show against Eldon Sproat. He won by using a rear naked choke, which is a type of submission hold.
Coach Sonnen chose Casey for his team. In the next round, Casey fought Collin Hart from Coach Jones's team. Casey lost this fight by decision.
Casey then got a second chance as a "wildcard" fighter. He fought Bubba McDaniel. Casey controlled the first round of the fight. However, he could not continue after the second round. This was due to health problems from losing too much weight quickly for the fight.
Ultimate Fighting Championship
After The Ultimate Fighter, Casey got a chance to fight in the UFC. On April 9, 2013, it was announced he would fight Josh Samman. This fight was at The Ultimate Fighter 17 Finale. Casey lost this fight in the second round. After this loss, he was released from the UFC.
Resurrection Fighting Alliance
After leaving the UFC, Casey signed with the Resurrection Fighting Alliance (RFA). He made his RFA debut on August 16, 2013. He fought Casey Ryan at RFA 9 and won by unanimous decision.
His next fight was on January 24, 2014, against Eddie Mendez. Casey won this fight in the first round.
Metamoris
Metamoris is a special competition focused only on jiu-jitsu submissions. On March 29, 2014, Casey stepped in to fight at Metamoris 3 with only 30 minutes' notice. He was submitted by Keenan Cornelius using a heel hook. Casey was supposed to fight at Metamoris in 2012 but had to pull out. So, his 2014 appearance was his first time competing there.
Casey was also scheduled to fight at Metamoris 5. However, he had to withdraw a week before the event. This was because of a blood clot in his leg that needed surgery.
Return to UFC
After winning a championship at RFA 15, Kevin Casey signed with the UFC again. He fought Bubba Bush at UFC 175 on July 5, 2014. Casey won the fight early in the first round. The win was later changed to a "No Contest."
After a break, Casey returned to fight Ildemar Alcântara on July 15, 2015. This fight was at UFC Fight Night 71. Casey won the fight by unanimous decision.
Casey then faced Antônio Carlos Júnior on December 10, 2015. This fight was at UFC Fight Night 80. The fight was stopped after only 11 seconds. Júnior accidentally poked Casey in both eyes, and Casey could not continue. So, the fight was ruled a "No Contest."
On January 30, 2016, Casey fought Rafael Natal at UFC on Fox 18. He lost this fight in the third round.
Casey's next fight was against Elvis Mutapčić on June 4, 2016, at UFC 199. The fight ended in a split draw, meaning the judges had different opinions.
Casey faced Sam Alvey on August 27, 2016, at UFC on Fox 21. He lost this fight in the second round.
On October 21, 2016, the UFC announced that Kevin Casey was no longer fighting for them.
Bellator MMA
On November 1, 2016, it was announced that Casey had signed with Bellator. He fought Keith Berry at Bellator 170 on January 21, 2017. This fight ended in a majority draw.
Casey faced Chris Honeycutt at Bellator 182 on August 25, 2017. He lost this fight in the second round.
On February 20, 2018, Bellator announced that they had released Kevin Casey.
Personal Life
Kevin Casey is married to Hana Ali. Hana is the daughter of the famous heavyweight boxing champion Muhammad Ali. She is also the sister of Laila Ali, who is a well-known female boxing champion.
Championships and Achievements
- Resurrection Fighting Alliance
- RFA Middleweight Championship (He was the first person to win this title, and he won it one time)
Mixed martial arts record
| Professional record breakdown | ||
| 19 matches | 9 wins | 6 losses |
| By knockout | 3 | 6 |
| By submission | 3 | 0 |
| By decision | 3 | 0 |
| Draws | 2 | |
| No contests | 2 | |
| Res. | Record | Opponent | Method | Event | Date | Round | Time | Location | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Loss | 9–6–2 (2) | Chris Honeycutt | TKO (punches) | Bellator 182 | August 25, 2017 | 2 | 2:06 | Verona, New York, United States | |
| Draw | 9–5–2 (2) | Keith Berry | Draw (majority) | Bellator 170 | January 21, 2017 | 3 | 5:00 | Inglewood, California, United States | |
| Loss | 9–5–1 (2) | Sam Alvey | TKO (punches) | UFC on Fox: Maia vs. Condit | August 27, 2016 | 2 | 4:56 | Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada | |
| Draw | 9–4–1 (2) | Elvis Mutapčić | Draw (split) | UFC 199 | June 4, 2016 | 3 | 5:00 | Inglewood, California, United States | |
| Loss | 9–4 (2) | Rafael Natal | TKO (punches) | UFC on Fox: Johnson vs. Bader | January 30, 2016 | 3 | 3:37 | Newark, New Jersey, United States | |
| NC | 9–3 (2) | Antônio Carlos Júnior | NC (accidental eye poke) | UFC Fight Night: Namajunas vs. VanZant | December 10, 2015 | 1 | 0:11 | Las Vegas, Nevada, United States | Casey was rendered unable to continue. |
| Win | 9–3 (1) | Ildemar Alcântara | Decision (unanimous) | UFC Fight Night: Mir vs. Duffee | July 15, 2015 | 3 | 5:00 | San Diego, California, United States | |
| NC | 8–3 (1) | Bubba Bush | NC (overturned) | UFC 175 | July 5, 2014 | 1 | 1:01 | Las Vegas, Nevada, United States | Originally a KO (elbows) win for Casey; overturned. |
| Win | 8–3 | Andrew Sanchez | KO (punches) | RFA 15 | June 6, 2014 | 1 | 2:30 | Los Angeles, California, United States | Won the inaugural RFA Middleweight Championship. |
| Win | 7–3 | Eddie Mendez | TKO (elbows) | RFA 12 | January 24, 2014 | 1 | 3:38 | Los Angeles, California, United States | |
| Win | 6–3 | Casey Ryan | Decision (unanimous) | RFA 9 | August 16, 2013 | 3 | 5:00 | Los Angeles, California, United States | |
| Loss | 5–3 | Josh Samman | TKO (knees) | The Ultimate Fighter: Team Jones vs. Team Sonnen Finale | April 13, 2013 | 2 | 2:17 | Las Vegas, Nevada, United States | |
| Win | 5–2 | Reggie Orr | Submission (rear-naked choke) | Samurai MMA Pro 2 | April 15, 2012 | 1 | 2:53 | Hollywood, California, United States | |
| Win | 4–2 | Daniel Mancha | TKO (punches) | Samurai MMA Pro 2011 | October 22, 2011 | 1 | 1:16 | Culver City, California, United States | |
| Loss | 3–2 | Matt Lindland | TKO (punches) | Strikeforce Challengers: Lindland vs. Casey | May 21, 2010 | 3 | 3:41 | Portland, Oregon, United States | |
| Win | 3–1 | Chad Vance | Submission (rear-naked choke) | Strikeforce Challengers: Woodley vs. Bears | November 20, 2009 | 1 | 1:41 | Kansas City, Kansas, United States | |
| Win | 2–1 | Jimmy Mills | Submission (rear-naked choke) | EFA: Caged Fury | October 25, 2008 | 1 | 4:27 | Monroe, Louisiana, United States | |
| Win | 1–1 | Andrew Flores | Decision (unanimous) | Fist Series: SummerFist 2008 | July 27, 2008 | 3 | 5:00 | Irvine, California, United States | |
| Loss | 0–1 | Ikuhisa Minowa | TKO (punches) | K-1 Hero's: Tournament Final | September 17, 2007 | 2 | 0:42 | Yokohama, Japan |
Mixed martial arts exhibition record
| Exhibition record breakdown | ||
| 3 matches | 1 win | 2 losses |
| By knockout | 0 | 1 |
| By submission | 1 | 0 |
| By decision | 0 | 1 |
| Res. | Record | Opponent | Method | Event | Date | Round | Time | Location | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Loss | 1–2 | Bubba McDaniel | TKO (corner stoppage) | TUF 17 | March 19, 2013 (airdate) | 2 | 5:00 | Las Vegas, Nevada, United States | Wildcard fight |
| Loss | 1–1 | Collin Hart | Decision (unanimous) | TUF 17 | February 12, 2013 (airdate) | 2 | 5:00 | Las Vegas, Nevada, United States | |
| Win | 1–0 | Eldon Sproat | Submission (rear-naked choke) | TUF 17 | January 22, 2013 (airdate) | 1 | N/A | Las Vegas, Nevada, United States | Preliminary round |
See also
- List of current Bellator fighters
- List of male mixed martial artists
