Report: ‘Mayhem’-Kennedy Rubber Match Set for March 5

Jason “Mayhem” Miller | Dave Mandel/Sherdog.com

The bout is close to being finalized for the as-yet-unannounced Strikeforce card at Nationwide Arena in Columbus, Ohio, according to a report from MMAJunkie.com.

The fight serves as a rubber match, with the pair having split its first two meetings. In just his fifth professional fight, Kennedy took a unanimous decision against Miller at a 2003 Extreme Challenge event in Utah. Nearly five years later, in December 2007, “Mayhem” took his revenge with a unanimous verdict in Texas under the HDNet Fights banner.

Since their last meeting, Miller has become a crossover superstar thanks to his MTV program “Bully Beatdown,” and has gone 4-2 inside the ring and cage. In 2008, Miller was defeated in Japan by current Strikeforce middleweight champion Ronaldo Souza; their 2009 rematch was ruled a no-contest.

Following a five-round loss to Jake Shields in Strikeforce, Mayhem rebounded with a pair of first-round wins against MMA legend Kazushi Sakuraba in Dream and short-notice opponent Tim Stout in Stikeforce. Miller’s upcoming bout marks his first in the U.S. since being suspended by the Tennessee Athletic Commission for his involvement in an April 2010 post-fight brawl with Shields and his teammates.

Kennedy, 31, reeled off four straight wins following his loss to Miller, including victories over veterans Trevor Prangley and Nick Thompson. His streak was halted in August, when he lost a narrow decision in a five-round title match with Souza. The loss was just the third of the U.S. Army Ranger’s career, his first coming via doctor stoppage in his 2001 debut against fellow Strikeforce fighter Scott Smith.

While not yet confirmed by the promotion, Strikeforce “Columbus” is also expected to feature a light heavyweight title bout between champion Rafael Cavalcante and top contender Dan Henderson.