Robertson

By Kelsey Mowatt

Although Kenny Robertson continues to develop a reputation for his grappling abilities, thanks to a pair of quick submission wins in the Octagon, the welterweight maintains he’s much more than just a ground specialist. Case in point, following Robertson’s victory over Thiago Perpetuo at UFC Fight Night 38, the experienced wrestler was quick to point out how he began his attack that evening.

“I think so, but I don’t really worry about that stuff, I just try to win,” Robertson relayed on Full Contact Fighter Radio recently, while discussing the attention his ground skills have been receiving. “I was actually happy I landed a pretty solid head kick.”

“I guess I probably should have kicked him a little harder,” added Robertson, who buzzed the MMA world last February with his modified, kneebar victory over Brock Jardine at UFC 157. “But I think that’s something that’s improved quite a bit in my career, my striking, which makes it easier to take people down and do the submissions.”

Robertson wobbled Perpetuo with a headkick just seconds into the bout, but after losing his balance, the fight ended up on the ground. After taking Perpetuo’s back not long after, however, Robertson finished the fight with a rear-naked-choke.

“Maybe,” said Robertson, when asked if he believes Perpetuo might have been expecting a takedown attempt, rather than a kick. “That’s something that’s great about being a good grappler, and improving your hands, your striking, so you can actually throw people off guard.”

Robertson

The March 23rd bout returned Robertson (13-3) to the win column, after he dropped a competitive, majority decision to Sean Pierson at UFC 161 in Winnipeg last June.

“Well I saw him in the hotel afterwards and I definitely looked better than him,” said Robertson, while discussing the loss to the Canadian vet. “So, I had thought that I had won the fight, but I knew I wasn’t going to get my hand raised, just because being in Canada and everything.”

“I had that same mentality when I was in Brazil,” Robertson furthered about his win over Perpetuo, which took place in Natal. “So I was little more relaxed; a little more aggressive.”

Heading into his bout with Perpetuo, Robertson had gone 1-3 to date in the Octagon, and a fourth loss may have ended his latest run with the promotion.

“I kind of thought that the loser of that fight was going to go home, and get cut,” said Robertson. “This fight I was actually probably more relaxed than I’ve ever been. Just because it was a different mindset, I was trying to have more fun, more fun with training…trying different things.”

And now that Robertson has his first win of the year out of the way, what are his aspirations for 2014?

“I never think about the rankings, or anything like that, or who I want to fight, I just like tough fights and getting the W,” the Illinois fighter noted. “I like to finish; I don’t care if I knock him out, TKO, or submission. I’ve had bad luck with decisions so I don’t really want to go through them anymore.”