Tim Kennedy Interested in Testing His Grappling vs. Roger Gracie

If you fail once, try again. Or, better yet, try something else.

Strikeforce veteran Tim Kennedy most recently had his striking put to the test by middleweight champion Luke Rockhold on July 14—a test that he, by all accounts, failed.

Though the 25-minute scrap was hardly a blowout, Rockhold consistently got the better of exchanges in what was a predominantly standup bout and cruised to a unanimous decision victory.

With the failed push for Strikeforce gold firmly behind him, Kennedy is seeking a different, though certainly no less daunting, test.

On July 23, Kennedy Tweeted the following:

"

I read @cokersf said @rogergracie was the best grappler in @Strikeforce. I would love to prove that is not the case.

"

For those of you who do not speak Twitter, Kennedy is questioning Strikeforce CEO Scott Coker's assessment that middleweight contender Roger Gracie has the best grappling in the entire promotion.

Gracie made his middleweight debut the same night Kennedy was defeated by Rockhold, dominating Keith Jardine for two of three rounds, earning a unanimous decision win. At 5-1, the victory marked Gracie's first victory that did not come by submission.

Kennedy, an accomplished grappler in his own right, has notched half of his 14 career wins by making his opponent tap. But despite his track-record, I suspect the number of people who would give Kennedy the nod over Gracie in the grappling department would be few and far between.

But of course, outcomes are not decided by reputations, and the fight would be an intriguing one with title implications, should Coker grant Kennedy his wish.