USA TODAY: For UFC 162's Tim Kennedy, duty calls in Las Vegas

(This story appeared in today’s edition of USA TODAY.)

Special forces soldier Tim Kennedy would usually be celebrating the Fourth of July weekend on a pontoon boat, grilling for family and military friends in his adopted home state of Texas.

Instead, Kennedy (15-4 MMA, 0-0 UFC) will be in Las Vegas, cutting weight in preparation for a fight against fellow UFC newcomer Roger Gracie (6-1, 0-0) at UFC 162 on Saturday at MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas (pay-per-view, 10 p.m. ET).

Fighters competing at holiday weekend events get a raw deal by having to shed pounds as others grill outside and eat freely. But for Kennedy, 33, who walks into the cage as a 185-pound middleweight, it might be an even crueler twist.

In addition to his skills as a Green Beret sniper and weapons specialist, Kennedy is a budding chef who turned down offers to appear on cable TV cooking shows “Top Chef” and “Grill Masters” to make his UFC debut.

“I’m going to make it up Saturday night,” he told USA TODAY Sports and MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com).

You won’t hear any other complaints, though, from the former Strikeforce title challenger, who is assigned to the Texas National Guard’s special operations detachment after a five-year stint at Fort Bragg in North Carolina.

Growing up, Kennedy ate hot dogs and watched fireworks at his family’s home in Cambria, Calif., during the summer holiday. But Independence Day took on new meaning after his first deployment.

“It was more than just a holiday get-together where I got to see my cousins and hang out,” he said. “Watching everybody have such a fantastic time, loving life, loving America — I wish that was the feeling year-round, that it didn’t take the Fourth of July for us to be like, ‘Yeah, America is awesome.’”

Kennedy has served multiple tours in Iraq and Afghanistan and estimates he’s lost 100 friends in war. His detachment covers Africa, among other countries, and he could be called back at any moment if his services are required.

He often has expressed a desire to return to combat at the same time he pursues a goal of becoming a world champion in MMA. Although sometimes critical of his country’s policies, he’s an unabashed patriot.

“I wish that everyone that’s complaining about how things are here would shut their mouth for a little bit, go around the world and see how it is everywhere else,” Kennedy said. “Then come back and celebrate.”

And while he’ll have to delay his observance, he gets a little pleasure in noting his Brazilian opponent’s adopted home country is England.

“I’m not saying 1776 is relevant in this particular fight, but I think there’s some symbolism,” he said. “I always love beating up redcoats around the holiday.”

For the latest on UFC 162, stay tuned to the UFC Rumors section of the site.