Kenneth Duane Robertson (born February 14, 1984) is an American

mixed martial artist Mixed martial arts (MMA) is a full-contact fighting sport based on striking and grappling; incorporating techniques from various combat sports from around the world. In the early 20th century, various inter-stylistic contests took place t ...

. A professional mixed martial artist since 2008, he has also competed for the

UFC The Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) is an American mixed martial arts (MMA) promotion company based in Las Vegas, Nevada. It is owned and operated by TKO Group Holdings, a majority owned subsidiary of Endeavor Group Holdings. The larg ...

and

Bellator Bellator, warrior in Latin, may refer to: * Bellator MMA, a mixed martial arts promotion based in the United States * Bishop Bellator of Sufetula (5th century) Taxonomy * ''Bellator'' (fish), a fish genus in the family Triglidae (sea robins) ** ...

Before MMA

In high school he wrestled for Metamora Township High School. Robertson excelled in wrestling, where he was a three time NCAA Division I qualifier for

Eastern Illinois University Eastern Illinois University (EIU) is a public university in Charleston, Illinois, United States. Established in 1895 as the Eastern Illinois State Normal School, a teacher's college offering a two-year degree, Eastern Illinois University gradual ...

. While competing for the Panthers he was a four time West Regional conference finalist. He took 3rd his freshman year, 2nd sophomore years in 2005, and then won the championship as a junior and senior in 2006 and 2007. As a junior in 2006, he was one match away from being an All American at the NCAA championships. His senior year was the last year that Eastern Illinois University sponsored a wrestling program, making Robertson the last NCAA qualifier the school ever had.

Mixed martial arts career

Early career

Robertson compiled a 10–0 professional MMA record before signing with the UFC including a submission win over TUF alum

John Kolosci John Kolosci (born November 26, 1974) is a retired American mixed martial artist. A professional from 2003 until 2011, he competed for the UFC, Bellator, Strikeforce, the XFC, and was a competitor on ''The Ultimate Fighter'', fighting for Team ...

at Bellator XXV.

Ultimate Fighting Championship

Robertson was expected to make his UFC debut against fellow unbeaten fighter, Pascal Krauss on November 13, 2010, at

UFC 122 ''UFC 122: Marquardt vs. Okami'' was a mixed martial arts event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship on November 13, 2010 at König Pilsener Arena in Oberhausen, Germany. This event aired on the same day, via tape delay, on Spike TV in ...

. However, Robertson was forced out of the bout with an injury and replaced by Mark Scanlon. Robertson eventually made his UFC debut on February 5, 2011, at

UFC 126 ''UFC 126: Silva vs. Belfort'' was a mixed martial arts pay-per-view event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship on February 5, 2011, at the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas, Nevada. Background Former Light Heavyweight Champion Vitor ...

, losing to

Mike Pierce Michael Pierce (born September 1, 1980) is a retired American professional mixed martial artist. He formerly competed as a Welterweight in the UFC and WEC. Background Pierce was born and raised in Portland, Oregon, on September 1, 1980. Pierc ...

via TKO in the second round. Following the loss, Robertson was released from the promotion.

Post-UFC

Robertson had his first post-UFC fight against fellow UFC veteran Lúcio Linhares on October 1, 2011. He won via KO due to a spinning backfist in round 1.

Return to UFC

Robertson made his UFC return against Aaron Simpson on July 11, 2012, at UFC on Fuel TV: Munoz vs. Weidman, replacing an injured

Jon Fitch Jon Fitch (born February 24, 1978) is an American retired mixed martial arts, mixed martial artist. He has competed in the Welterweight (MMA), Welterweight divisions of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), the Professional Fighters League ...

. He lost the fight via unanimous decision (30-27, 29-28, 29-28). Robertson defeated Brock Jardine on February 23, 2013, at

UFC 157 ''UFC 157: Rousey vs. Carmouche'' was a mixed martial arts event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship on February 23, 2013, at the Honda Center in Anaheim, California. Background The headline bout between Ronda Rousey and Liz Carmouche w ...

. He was victorious in the first round due to a modified kneebar from the back mount position. The submission applies pressure to the hamstring of the opponent by grabbing the ankle and hyperextending at the knee. The finish earned him the ''Submission of the Night'' bonus. Robertson faced Sean Pierson on June 15, 2013, at

UFC 161 ''UFC 161: Evans vs. Henderson'' was a mixed martial arts event held on June 15, 2013, at the MTS Centre in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. Background While the UFC has hosted several events in the past in Canada, the event was the first that the or ...

. Pierson defeated Robertson via majority decision. Robertson was expected to face Joao Zeferino on September 4, 2013, at UFC Fight Night 28. However, Robertson pulled out of the bout citing and injury and was replaced by UFC newcomer Elias Silverio. Robertson faced Thiago Perpétuo on March 23, 2014, at

UFC Fight Night 38 ''UFC Fight Night: Shogun vs. Henderson 2'' (also known as ''UFC Fight Night 38'') was a mixed martial arts event held on March 23, 2014, at the Ginásio Nélio Dias in Natal, Brazil. Background The event was headlined by the anticipated rematc ...

. He won the fight via submission in the first round. Robertson was briefly linked to a bout with

Zak Cummings Zacharry "Zak" Michael Cummings (born August 2, 1984) is an American former professional mixed martial artist, who competed in the Middleweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship. A professional competitor since 2007, he has also for ...

on July 16, 2014, at UFC Fight Night 45. However, Cummings was pulled from that fight in favor of a matchup with Gunnar Nelson a few days later at

UFC Fight Night 46 The Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) is an American mixed martial arts (MMA) promotion company based in Las Vegas, Nevada. It is owned and operated by TKO Group Holdings, a majority owned subsidiary of Endeavor Group Holdings. The large ...

after his opponent

Ryan LaFlare Ryan LaFlare (born October 1, 1983) is an American retired mixed martial artist who formerly competed in the UFC's Welterweight division. Background LaFlare was born and raised in Lindenhurst, New York, attending Lindenhurst High School wher ...

was removed from the card. Subsequently, Robertson eventually faced

Ildemar Alcântara Ildemar Alcântara (; born 7 November 1982) is a Brazilian mixed martial artist currently competing in the light heavyweight division. A professional competitor since 2005, he has formerly competed in the UFC and is the younger brother of former ...

on July 5, 2014, at

UFC 175 ''UFC 175: Weidman vs. Machida'' was a mixed martial arts event held on July 5, 2014, at Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas, Nevada. Background The event was headlined by a Middleweight Championship bout between the current champion Chris W ...

. He won the fight via unanimous decision. Robertson faced

Sultan Aliev Sultan Magomedbegovich Aliev (born September 17, 1984) is a Russian former professional mixed martial artist and active sambist. A professional from 2011 until 2019, he competed for the UFC and Bellator. Background Sultan Aliev was born ...

on January 24, 2015, at

UFC on Fox 14 ''UFC on Fox: Gustafsson vs. Johnson'' (also known as ''UFC on Fox 14'') was a mixed martial arts event held on January 24, 2015, at the Tele2 Arena in Stockholm, Sweden. Background This was the fourth event that the UFC has held in Sweden and th ...

. He won the fight via knockout in the first round. The win also earned Robertson his first ''Performance of the Night'' bonus award. Robertson was expected to face George Sullivan on April 18, 2015, at

UFC on Fox 15 ''UFC on Fox: Machida vs. Rockhold'' (also known as ''UFC on Fox 15'') was a mixed martial arts event held on April 18, 2015, at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey. Background The event was the sixth event that the UFC has hosted in New ...

. However, Robertson pulled out of the bout citing injury and was replaced by

Tim Means Tim Means (born February 20, 1984) is an American professional mixed martial artist currently competing in the Welterweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship. A professional competitor since 2004, Means has also formerly competed ...

. Robertson next faced Ben Saunders on July 25, 2015, at UFC on Fox 16. He lost the back-and-forth fight by split decision. Robertson faced

Roan Carneiro Roan Carneiro Pereira (born 2 June 1978) is a Brazilian retired professional mixed martial artist who most recently competed in the Welterweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship. A professional competitor since 2000, Carneiro was ...

on September 17, 2016, at UFC Fight Night 94. He lost the fight via split decision and was subsequently released from the promotion.

Post-UFC career

After over four years away from competition, Robertson is scheduled to challenge Dante Schiro for the Caged Aggression Welterweight Championship at Caged Aggression 30 on March 27, 2021. Robertson faced Chris Curtis on July 30, 2021, at XMMA 2. He lost the bout via unanimous decision.

Personal life

Now that his career in fighting has ended he has become a teacher at Eureka High School in

Eureka, Illinois Eureka is a city and the county seat of Woodford County, Illinois, United States. The population was 5,295 at the 2010 census. Eureka is part of the Peoria metropolitan area. Eureka is a small community centered on the intersection of what is ...

, teaching industrial arts. He has also previously taught woodshop at Metamora High School.

Championships and achievements

Ultimate Fighting Championship The Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) is an American mixed martial arts (MMA) promoter (entertainment), promotion company based in Las Vegas, Nevada. It is owned and operated by TKO Group Holdings, a majority owned subsidiary of Endeavor ( ...

** Performance of the Night (one time) vs.

** Submission of the Night (one time) vs. Brock Jardine ** 2013 **UFC.com Awards ***2013: Ranked #2 Submission of the Year & Half-Year Awards: Best Submission of the 1HY

Mixed martial arts record

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Greenville, South Carolina Greenville ( ; ) is a city in Greenville County, South Carolina, United States, and its county seat. With a population of 70,720 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is the List of municipalities in South Carolina, sixth-most pop ...

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Davenport, Iowa Davenport ( ) is a city in Scott County, Iowa, United States, and its county seat. It is situated along the Mississippi River on the eastern border of the state. Davenport had a population of 101,724 as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 cen ...

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Hidalgo, Texas Hidalgo is a city in Hidalgo County, Texas, United States. Its population was 11,198 at the 2010 United States Census, 2010 census, and in 2020, the population had risen to 13,964. History The area that is now Hidalgo was first settled by Spanis ...

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Chicago, Illinois Chicago is the List of municipalities in Illinois, most populous city in the U.S. state of Illinois and in the Midwestern United States. With a population of 2,746,388, as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is the List of Unite ...

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 15–3 ,

, KO (punches) , UFC on Fox: Gustafsson vs. Johnson , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 2:42 ,

Stockholm Stockholm (; ) is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in Sweden by population, most populous city of Sweden, as well as the List of urban areas in the Nordic countries, largest urban area in the Nordic countries. Approximately ...

, Sweden , , - , Win , align=center, 14–3 ,

, Decision (unanimous) ,

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Las Vegas, Nevada Las Vegas, colloquially referred to as Vegas, is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Nevada and the county seat of Clark County. The Las Vegas Valley metropolitan area is the largest within the greater Mojave Desert, and second-l ...

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 13–3 , Thiago Perpétuo , Submission (rear-naked choke) , UFC Fight Night: Shogun vs. Henderson 2 , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 1:45 ,

Natal NATAL or Natal may refer to: Places * Natal, Rio Grande do Norte, a city in Brazil * Natal, South Africa (disambiguation), a region in South Africa ** Natalia Republic, a former country (1839–1843) ** Colony of Natal, a former British colony ( ...

, Brazil , , - , Loss , align=center, 12–3 , Sean Pierson , Decision (majority) ,

, , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 ,

Winnipeg, Manitoba Winnipeg () is the capital and largest city of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Manitoba. It is centred on the confluence of the Red River of the North, Red and Assiniboine River, Assiniboine rivers. , Winnipeg h ...

, Canada , , - , Win , align=center, 12–2 , Brock Jardine , Submission (Suloev stretch) ,

, , align=center, 1 , align=center, 2:57 ,

Anaheim, California Anaheim ( ) is a city in northern Orange County, California, United States, part of the Greater Los Angeles area. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the city had a population of 346,824, making it the most populous city in Orang ...

, United States , , - , Loss , align=center, 11–2 , Aaron Simpson , Decision (unanimous) , UFC on Fuel TV: Munoz vs. Weidman , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 ,

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, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 11–1 , Lúcio Linhares , KO (spinning back fist) , FF 31: Fight Festival 31 , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 4:44 ,

Helsinki Helsinki () is the Capital city, capital and most populous List of cities and towns in Finland, city in Finland. It is on the shore of the Gulf of Finland and is the seat of southern Finland's Uusimaa region. About people live in the municipali ...

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, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 9–0 , Igor Almeida , TKO (punches) , MFC: Maximo Fighting Championship , , align=center, 2 , align=center, 0:50 ,

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, Puerto Rico , , - , Win , align=center, 8–0 ,

Gerald Meerschaert Gerald Edward Meerschaert III (born December 18, 1987) is an American professional mixed martial artist who currently competes in the Middleweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), where he holds the record for most finishes i ...

, Submission (kneebar) , MT 19: Madtown Throwdown 19 , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 3:15 ,

Madison, Wisconsin Madison is the List of capitals in the United States, capital city of the U.S. state of Wisconsin. It is the List of municipalities in Wisconsin by population, second-most populous city in the state, with a population of 269,840 at the 2020 Uni ...

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 7–0 , LeVon Maynard , Decision (unanimous) , C3: Domination , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 ,

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, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 6–0 , Roy Timmons , TKO (punches) , Cage Rage: Kokomo , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 1:51 ,

Kokomo, Indiana Kokomo ( ) is a city in and the county seat of Howard County, Indiana, United States. Its population was 60,093 according to the U.S. Census Bureau 2024 estimate. It is the principal city of the Kokomo, Indiana metropolitan area, Kokomo metropol ...

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Herbert Goodman Herbert Goodman (born August 31, 1977) is a retired American professional mixed martial artist and former NFL running back for the Green Bay Packers. A professional competitor from 2007 until 2011, Goodman competed for Bellator MMA, Bellator, M- ...

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Green Bay, Wisconsin Green Bay is a city in Brown County, Wisconsin, United States, and its county seat. It is located at the head of Green Bay (Lake Michigan), Green Bay (known locally as "the bay of Green Bay"), a sub-basin of Lake Michigan at the mouth of the F ...

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References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Robertson, Kenny American male mixed martial artists Welterweight mixed martial artists Mixed martial artists utilizing collegiate wrestling Living people People from East Peoria, Illinois 1984 births Ultimate Fighting Championship male fighters American male sport wrestlers