May 20, 2016 at 5:10 p.m.

Kenney earns second first-period victory


By RAY COONEY
President, editor and publisher

LEMOORE, Calif. — Angel Hernandez wasn’t having much success on his feet, so he pulled Casey Kenney down to that mat with him.
That didn’t work out well for the Sacramento, California, based fighter either.
Kenney, a 2008 Jay County High School graduate, eventually locked in a choke hold that forced Hernandez to tap out at the 1 minute, 16-second mark of the opening period of a catchweight bout Thursday during Tachi Palace Fights 27 at Tachi Palace Hotel and Casino.
It was the second consecutive first-period submission victory for Kenney, who needed just 1 minute, 48 seconds, to finish off Anthony Torres on Feb. 18.
“I felt great the whole time,” said Kenney, who is now 5-0 as a mixed martial arts pro after winning all of his six amateur bouts for Rise Combat Sports of Tuscon, Arizona. “Really it was an almost perfect fight for me. I didn’t come out with any damage. My body feels good. I didn’t really get hit.
“I kind of slowed him down right off the bat, hitting him in the body. Every time I hit him, I could hear it come out of his breath.”
Hernandez, who had won his only previous professional bout, tried to clench with Kenney early, but wasn’t able to gain control. After the fighters separated, Kenney landed his first good kick about 50 seconds into the fight.
The 25-year-old from Portland landed a few more punches and kicks, avoided a throw attempt from Hernandez and then connected with a sharp left hand with 3:10 on the clock in the first five-minute period.
“He’s offensive minded in every position,” said announcer TJ DeSantis. “He has that wrestling base, but we see submission offense, we see very good strikes with the feet.”
Hernandez responded by pulling Kenney to the mat with him, only to get blasted with a right forearm to the face about a minute later. Kenney then worked for position, locked in a D’Arce Choke at the 1:35 mark and got the tap out submission in 3:44.
“I didn’t have the right angle on it completely,” said Kenney, adding that he still felt if he locked it in he might be able to get the submission. “I noticed I had hurt him, kind of took the fight out of him a little bit …”
His next fight is not yet set, but Kenney hopes to fight for the 125-pound TPF title no later than December.
“The coaches and the people I have around me are just one of a kind,” said Kenney. “I don’t see myself changing a thing. I’m just going to keep going on from here.”
PORTLAND WEATHER

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