Kevin Berryman Casey Jr. (born June 15, 1981) 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 ...

who most recently competed in the

Middleweight Middleweight is a weight class in combat sports. Boxing Professional In professional boxing, the middleweight division is contested above and up to . Early boxing history is less than exact, but the middleweight designation seems to have beg ...

division of

Bellator MMA Bellator MMA (formerly Bellator Fighting Championships) was an American mixed martial arts promotion (entertainment), promotion founded in 2008 by Bjorn Rebney and operated until 2025. The promotion takes its name from ''wikt:bellator, bellātor ...

. A professional competitor since 2007, he was a contestant on The Ultimate Fighter: Team Jones vs. Team Sonnen and also competed for

Strikeforce Strike Force may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Games *Strike Force (video game), ''Strike Force'' (video game), a 1991 arcade game *''Commandos: Strike Force'', a 2006 video game *''Dynasty Warriors: Strikeforce'', a 2009 video game *' ...

K-1 K-1 is a professional kickboxing promotion established in 1993 by karateka Kazuyoshi Ishii. Originally under the ownership of the Fighting and Entertainment Group (FEG), K-1 was considered to be the largest Kickboxing organization in the worl ...

, the

RFA RFA may refer to: Groups, organizations * Radio Free Asia, a private news broadcaster and publisher in East Asia, funded in part by the U.S. government * Renewable Fuels Agency, a former UK renewable fuel regulatory agency * Renewable Fuels A ...

, and 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 ...

Biography

Casey was born in

Inglewood, California Inglewood is a city in southwestern Los Angeles County, California, United States, in the Greater Los Angeles, Greater Los Angeles metropolitan area. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 U.S. census, the city had a population of 107,762. ...

. He began to study Brazilian jiu-jitsu in 1995 when he befriended Rockson Gracie, son of

Rickson Gracie Rickson Gracie (; born November 21, 1959) is a Brazilian retired mixed martial artist. He is a member of the Gracie family: the third oldest son of Hélio Gracie, brother to Rorion and Relson Gracie, and half-brother to Rolker, Royce, Robin ...

. Casey is a supporter of CHAMP, a non-profit organization founded by his brother Keith Casey that works to build the minds and bodies of inner city youth through mixed martial arts.

Mixed martial arts career

Casey made his professional mixed martial arts debut in September 2007 for the

K-1 Hero's Hero's was a Japanese mixed martial arts promotion operated by Fighting and Entertainment Group, the parent entity behind kickboxing organization K-1. Grown from and branched off of K-1's earlier experiments in MMA, including the ''K-1 Romanex' ...

promotion in Japan. He lost to

Ikuhisa Minowa is a Japanese mixed martial artist and professional wrestler currently competing in IGF as . A professional MMA competitor since 1996, he was a longtime veteran of PRIDE and Pancrase and has also competed in other mixed martial arts promotion ...

in the second round. Following his unsuccessful debut, Casey made his first North American MMA appearance in 2008. He defeated Andrew Flores and Jimmy Mills in July and October, respectively, before taking a year off from the sport. In November 2009, Casey made his Strikeforce debut on one of their ''Strikeforce Challengers'' cards. He defeated Chad Vance by submission. He made his second appearance for the promotion on May 21, 2010. He lost to

Matt Lindland Matthew James Lindland (born May 17, 1970), is an American retired mixed martial artist, Olympic wrestler, speaker, actor, coach, entrepreneur, and politician. He won the Oregon Republican Party's nomination for the Oregon House of Representati ...

via TKO in the third round.

The Ultimate Fighter

In January 2013, it was revealed that Casey was a cast member of The Ultimate Fighter: Team Jones vs. Team Sonnen. He won his preliminary bout over Eldon Sproat via rear naked choke. Casey was selected by coach Sonnen as his sixth pick (eleventh overall). In the next round, Casey was pitted against coach Jones' fifth pick Collin Hart. He lost the bout via unanimous decision. Casey was then given a second chance when he was chosen as Team Sonnen's wildcard. He fought against Team Jones' Bubba McDaniel. Despite controlling the first round, Casey lost via TKO at the end of the second round when he was unable to answer the bell for the third round. Many people, including Dana White, were shocked Kevin could just quit like that. Casey attributed this to difficulties relating to

acute kidney injury Acute kidney injury (AKI), previously called acute renal failure (ARF), is a sudden decrease in renal function, kidney function that develops within seven days, as shown by an increase in serum creatinine or a decrease in urine output, or both. ...

from his drastic weight cut for his bout.

Ultimate Fighting Championship

On April 9, 2013, it was announced that Casey would face fellow season 17 alumni Josh Samman at The Ultimate Fighter 17 Finale. He lost the fight via TKO in the second round. Following the loss Casey was released from the promotion.

Resurrection Fighting Alliance

Following his release from the UFC, Casey signed with Resurrection Fighting Alliance (RFA). He made his RFA debut on August 16, 2013, at RFA 9 against Casey Ryan. He won the fight by unanimous decision. He fought next on January 24, 2014, against former UFC veteran Eddie Mendez. He won that fight via TKO (Elbows) in the first round.

Metamoris

Casey replaced

Vinny Magalhães Vinicius "Vinny" de Magalhães (; born July 2, 1984) is a Brazilian mixed martial artist who competes in the Light heavyweight division. A professional competitor since 2006, he was a finalist in '' The Ultimate Fighter: Team Nogueira vs. Team Mi ...

on 30 minutes notice at Metamoris 3, a submission-only jiu-jitsu competition, in Los Angeles on March 29, 2014. Casey was submitted by

Keenan Cornelius Keenan Kai-James Cornelius is an American martial artist. His competitive achievements include what is called the Double Grand Slam in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, having won double gold medals at four major tournaments: the World Jiu-Jitsu Champions ...

via heel hook. In 2012, Casey himself had to pull out of a scheduled

Metamoris Metamoris is a defunct submission grappling and Brazilian jiu-jitsu promotion, founded by Ralek Gracie, and executive producer Eddie Marquez that organized events in Los Angeles, California. Live events of Metamoris were broadcast via internet pay ...

competition, making his 2014 appearance his first participation with the organization. Casey was scheduled to face

Vinny Magalhaes Vinny or Vinnie is a masculine given name, usually a shortened version of Vincent, Vincenzo, or Vicente, which may refer to: Vincents * Vinnie Anderson (born 1979), New Zealand rugby league footballer * Vinny Appice (born 1957), American rock ...

at Metamoris 5, however was forced to withdraw just a week out from the November 22, 2014, competition due to a bloodclot in his calf that required surgery.

Return to UFC

Following his championship win at Resurrection Fighting Alliance 15, Casey was re-signed by the Ultimate Fighting Championship. He faced Bubba Bush 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 ...

on July 5, 2014. He won the fight via TKO early in the first round due to a punch that dropped his opponent and subsequent elbows on the ground. However, Casey later failed a post-fight drug test for

drostanolone Drostanolone, or dromostanolone, is an anabolic–androgenic steroid (AAS) of the dihydrotestosterone (DHT) group which was never marketed. An androgen ester prodrug of drostanolone, drostanolone propionate, was formerly used in the treatmen ...

, a form of anabolic steroid. Later, he was suspended for a year and fined $5,600 by the Nevada Athletic Commission. Returning from his suspension, Casey 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 15, 2015, at UFC Fight Night 71. He won the fight by unanimous decision. Casey faced

Antônio Carlos Júnior Antônio Carlos Coelho de Figueiredo Barbosa Júnior (born 16 March 1990), also known as Antônio Carlos Jr. and professionally by his nickname Cara de Sapato (as well as its English translation Shoeface), is a Brazilian mixed martial artist wh ...

on December 10, 2015, at

UFC Fight Night 80 ''UFC Fight Night: Namajunas vs. VanZant'' (also known as ''UFC Fight Night 80'') was a mixed martial arts event held on December 10, 2015, at The Chelsea at The Cosmopolitan in Las Vegas, Nevada. Background The event was expected to be headline ...

. The bout was deemed a No Contest just 11 seconds into the first round when Júnior accidentally poked Casey in both eyes and Casey was unable to continue. Casey faced Rafael Natal on January 30, 2016, at UFC on Fox 18. He lost the fight via TKO in the third round. Casey next faced Elvis Mutapčić on June 4, 2016, at

UFC 199 ''UFC 199: Rockhold vs. Bisping 2'' was a mixed martial arts event held on June 4, 2016, at The Forum in Inglewood, California. Background While this was the first time the organization has held an event at the venue, it was the fifth time that ...

. The fight ended in a split draw. Casey faced

Sam Alvey Sam Alvey (born May 6, 1986) is an American professional mixed martial artist, who competed in the Middleweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). He is the current Karate Combat Heavyweight Champion. A professional MMA competi ...

on August 27, 2016, at

UFC on Fox 21 ''UFC on Fox: Maia vs. Condit'' (also known as ''UFC on Fox 21'') was a mixed martial arts event produced by the Ultimate Fighting Championship held on August 27, 2016, at Rogers Arena in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. Background This was t ...

. He lost the fight via TKO in the second round. On October 21, 2016, the UFC announced that they had cut Casey from the promotion.

Bellator MMA

On November 1, 2016, it was announced that Casey had signed with

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) ** ...

. He faced Keith Berry at Bellator 170 on January 21, 2017. The bout ended in a majority draw. Casey faced Chris Honeycutt at Bellator 182 on August 25, 2017. He lost the fight via TKO in the second round. On February 20, 2018, it was announced that Bellator had released Casey from the promotion.

Personal life

Casey is married to Hana Ali, the daughter of former heavyweight champion boxer

Muhammad Ali Muhammad Ali (; born Cassius Marcellus Clay Jr.; January 17, 1942 – June 3, 2016) was an American professional boxer and social activist. A global cultural icon, widely known by the nickname "The Greatest", he is often regarded as the gr ...

and sister of WBC, WIBA, IWBF and IBA female super middleweight title and IWBF light heavyweight title holder

Laila Ali Laila Amaria Ali (born December 30, 1977) is an American television personality and retired professional boxer who competed from 1999 to 2007. During her career, from which she retired undefeated, she held the World Boxing Council, WBC, Women's ...

Championships and achievements

*Resurrection Fighting Alliance **RFA Middleweight Championship (One time, first)

Mixed martial arts record

, - , Loss , align=center, , Chris Honeycutt , TKO (punches) , Bellator 182 , , align=center, 2 , align=center, 2:06 ,

Verona, New York Verona (called ''Te-o-na-ta-le'', "''pine forest''" by the Haudenosaunee The Iroquois ( ), also known as the Five Nations, and later as the Six Nations from 1722 onwards; alternatively referred to by the Endonym and exonym, endonym Haudenos ...

, United States , , - , Draw , align=center, 9–5–2 (2) , Keith Berry , Draw (majority) , Bellator 170 , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 ,

, United States , , - , Loss , align=center, 9–5–1 (2) ,

, TKO (punches) , UFC on Fox: Maia vs. Condit , , align=center, 2 , align=center, 4:56 ,

Vancouver, British Columbia Vancouver is a major city in Western Canada, located in the Lower Mainland region of British Columbia. As the List of cities in British Columbia, most populous city in the province, the 2021 Canadian census recorded 662,248 people in the cit ...

, Canada , , - , Draw , align=center, 9–4–1 (2) , Elvis Mutapčić , Draw (split) ,

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

, United States , , - , Loss , align=center, 9–4 (2) , Rafael Natal , TKO (punches) , UFC on Fox: Johnson vs. Bader , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 3:37 ,

Newark, New Jersey Newark ( , ) is the List of municipalities in New Jersey, most populous City (New Jersey), city in the U.S. state of New Jersey, the county seat of Essex County, New Jersey, Essex County, and a principal city of the New York metropolitan area. ...

, United States , , - , NC , align=center, 9–3 (2) ,

, NC (accidental eye poke) , UFC Fight Night: Namajunas vs. VanZant , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 0:11 ,

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, 9–3 (1) ,

, Decision (unanimous) , UFC Fight Night: Mir vs. Duffee , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 ,

San Diego, California San Diego ( , ) is a city on the Pacific coast of Southern California, adjacent to the Mexico–United States border. With a population of over 1.4 million, it is the List of United States cities by population, eighth-most populous city in t ...

, United States , , - , NC , align=center, 8–3 (1) , Bubba Bush , NC (overturned) ,

, , align=center, 1 , align=center, 1:01 ,

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 8–3 ,

Andrew Sanchez Andrew William Sanchez (born April 8, 1988) is an American professional mixed martial artist who competes in the Light heavyweight division. A professional competitor since 2012, he has formerly competed for the Ultimate Fighting Championship (U ...

, KO (punches) , RFA 15 , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 2:30 ,

Los Angeles, California Los Angeles, often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, most populous city in the U.S. state of California, and the commercial, Financial District, Los Angeles, financial, and Culture of Los Angeles, ...

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 7–3 , Eddie Mendez , TKO (elbows) , RFA 12 , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 3:38 ,

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 6–3 , Casey Ryan , Decision (unanimous) , RFA 9 , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 ,

, United States , , - , Loss , align=center, 5–3 ,

Josh Samman Joshua Kaleb Samman (March 14, 1988 – October 5, 2016) was an American mixed martial artist who, at the time of his death, competed in the Middleweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship, and also competed for Bellator MMA. Mixed m ...

, TKO (knees) , The Ultimate Fighter: Team Jones vs. Team Sonnen Finale , , align=center, 2 , align=center, 2:17 ,

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 5–2 , Reggie Orr , Submission (rear-naked choke) , Samurai MMA Pro 2 , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 2:53 ,

Hollywood, California Hollywood, sometimes informally called Tinseltown, is a List of districts and neighborhoods in Los Angeles, neighborhood and district in the Central Los Angeles, central region of Los Angeles County, California, within the city of Los Angeles. ...

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 4–2 , Daniel Mancha , TKO (punches) , Samurai MMA Pro 2011 , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 1:16 ,

Culver City, California Culver City is a city in Los Angeles County, California, United States. As of the 2020 census, the population was 40,779. It is mostly surrounded by Los Angeles, but also shares a border with the unincorporated area of Ladera Heights, Californi ...

, United States , , - , Loss , align=center, 3–2 ,

, TKO (punches) , Strikeforce Challengers: Lindland vs. Casey , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 3:41 ,

Portland, Oregon Portland ( ) is the List of cities in Oregon, most populous city in the U.S. state of Oregon, located in the Pacific Northwest region. Situated close to northwest Oregon at the confluence of the Willamette River, Willamette and Columbia River, ...

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 3–1 , Chad Vance , Submission (rear-naked choke) , Strikeforce Challengers: Woodley vs. Bears , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 1:41 ,

Kansas City, Kansas Kansas City (commonly known as KCK) is the third-most populous city in the U.S. state of Kansas and the county seat of Wyandotte County. It is an inner suburb of the older and more populous Kansas City, Missouri, after which it is named. As ...

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 2–1 , Jimmy Mills , Submission (rear-naked choke) , EFA: Caged Fury , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 4:27 ,

Monroe, Louisiana Monroe is the ninth-largest city in the U.S. state of Louisiana, and is the parish seat and largest city of Ouachita Parish. With a 2020 census-tabulated population of 47,702, it is the principal city of the Monroe metropolitan statistical ...

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 1–1 , Andrew Flores , Decision (unanimous) , Fist Series: SummerFist 2008 , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 ,

Irvine, California Irvine () is a Planned community, planned city in central Orange County, California, United States, in the Los Angeles metropolitan area. It was named in 1888 for the landowner James Irvine. The Irvine Company started developing the area in the ...

, United States , , - , Loss , align=center, 0–1 ,

, TKO (punches) , K-1 Hero's: Tournament Final , , align=center, 2 , align=center, 0:42 ,

Yokohama is the List of cities in Japan, second-largest city in Japan by population as well as by area, and the country's most populous Municipalities of Japan, municipality. It is the capital and most populous city in Kanagawa Prefecture, with a popu ...

, Japan ,

Mixed martial arts exhibition record

, - , Loss , align=center, 1–2 , Bubba McDaniel , TKO (corner stoppage) , TUF 17 , (airdate) , align=center, 2 , align=center, 5:00 ,

, United States , , - , Loss , align=center, 1–1 , Collin Hart , Decision (unanimous) , TUF 17 , (airdate) , align=center, 2 , align=center, 5:00 ,

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 1–0 , Eldon Sproat , Submission (rear-naked choke) , TUF 17 , (airdate) , align=center, 1 , align=center, N/A ,

, United States ,

References

External links

* *
Official website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Casey, Kevin 1981 births Living people American male mixed martial artists African-American mixed martial artists Mixed martial artists from California Middleweight mixed martial artists Mixed martial artists utilizing Brazilian jiu-jitsu Ultimate Fighting Championship male fighters Doping cases in mixed martial arts American practitioners of Brazilian jiu-jitsu People awarded a black belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu Sportspeople from Hawthorne, California American sportspeople in doping cases Family of Muhammad Ali