Kennedy Freeman has it in her DNA.
On Saturday at Cage Warriors 172, with her dad in her corner, Freeman (5-0) put opponent Gisele Libanio (2-2) on rollerskates in an exchange and then finished the job with a brutal left hand.
After the win, an elated Freeman scaled the cage and signaled for a title shot. But with the UFC always in need of budding women’s bantamweights, it’s unclear what her next move is.
A second generation fighter, her father, Ian Freeman, was the first Brit to compete in the UFC, the final Cage Rage light heavyweight champion, and the first man to defeat Frank Mir.
Kennedy bears “The Machine 2.0” nickname, an ode to her father, the original “Machine.”
🤯 Kennedy Freeman with a sensational KO in the final round of her fight.
Unreal grit and determination from one of the biggest prospects in MMA 💫📺 Watch #CW172 live on @UFCFightPass pic.twitter.com/HAxhJK99tY
— Cage Warriors (@CageWarriors) May 25, 2024
Freeman, 26, moves to 2-0 under the Cage Warriors banner. She was signed to Bellator in 2019 but never competed. It’s unclear why the two split, but her signing preceded the COVID-19 pandemic, which caused Bellator to cut ties with numerous European prospects.
