Last week, Resurrection Fighting Alliance middleweight and The Ultimate Fighter alum Kevin “King” Casey, who sports a 7-3 professional record, called in to The Fuller Fight Factor LIVE, hosted by The MMA Corner staff writer Justin Fuller. Casey is scheduled to fight up-and-comer Andrew Sanchez, who sits at 5-1 through six fights, on Friday, June 6, in the main event for the vacant middleweight championship at RFA 15 in Culver City, Calif. The bout will air live in AXS TV.
Casey may have had mixed success during his stint on the 17th season of The Ultimate Fighter and ultimately came up short in his lone UFC bout at that season’s finale opposite TUF housemate Josh Samman, but the California-based fighter has since scored back-to-back wins on the RFA stage. The victories not only set Casey up for a shot at the promotion’s vacant title, but also created the potential for Casey to earn another shot inside the Octagon.
Casey (Jeff Sherwood/Sherdog)
“I’ve never been more excited to get into the ring and face an opponent for so many different reasons. No. 1, there’s a title on the line. There’s a lot of momentum behind the RFA fighters and the RFA organization, especially their champions with the potential of being able to move on to the UFC,” said Casey on the podcast.
When it comes to the developmental leagues of MMA, trash-talk tends to take a back seat to performance. For this fight, however, Casey feels Sanchez took the act of hyping a fight too far by making it personal.
“This particular fight, I’m very excited about because I’ve had a lot of negative comments coming back from Andrew—his camp and his direction. I’ve never been more pumped up to hurt somebody,” Casey confessed.
“I don’t take it personally to hurt [me], but on the flip side there will be consequence for the public to see what happens when you challenge ‘King.’ It’s one thing to call me out or seek the position of being the best in RFA, but it’s another thing to approach me direct on the social media. You know, reaching out to my friends and people in my camp, attacking us directly. Because then it gets a little more personal there. I’m just looking forward to putting my gloves on his face and just making a prime example of Mr. Sanchez.
“I’ve never had a bigger smile on my face. If he’s trying to get me out of my character or anything like that, he’s wrong. All he’s done is just get me laser-focused throughout my camp, and just give me the real incentive to go out there and just demolish and destroy him and just punish throughout the duration of the fight.
Casey is not only a fighter, but also a hip hop artist, and like anyone who dedicates themselves to a passion, he has pride in all endeavors of his life. He tries not to let someone else’s actions affect his own training and performance.
Casey (top) (Jeff Sherwood/Sherdog)
“I’m not too focused on what anyone’s opinion is, and everyone is entitled to their own opinion, but I’m definitely not sitting around, you know, looking up what Andrew’s doing and looking up Andrew’s history,” Casey explained. “And I’m not really concerned with what anyone else is doing, because I’m so busy with my own plans—with my own operation, with my own camp here—that I almost take it as a compliment that someone sits around and worries about what Kevin Casey is doing.”
One group that does not sit well with Casey are the trolls and haters who inevitably come out every time anyone gains some level of success from their talent, be it fighting or music. To Casey, Sanchez is not only in the same group as the anonymous people posting comments on YouTube, but he is the idol to that demographic of people.
“That’s who Andrew is fighting for,” Casey said. “He’s fighting for all the nerds out there who never thought that they could do something, and they finally have their hero, and that’s Andrew Sanchez. He’s the guy that they’re looking up to. He’s the guy that they want to see come and take out the big monster who does the rap videos. So they’re rooting for him, and I enjoy it. I’m going to enjoy this fight more than any other fight, and I’m completely pumped up. And, like I said, I’ve never had a bigger smile on my face.
“He’s going to pay the price for his own actions. He will be held accountable.”
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