Tim Kennedy, the Admitted “Middle of the Pack” UFC Middleweight

Tim Kennedy is a man in the middle of a tough crowd.

Following his win over Rafeal Natal at UFC Fight for the Troops 3 in Fort Campbell, Ky., Kennedy said he sees himself being in the “middle of the pack” when ranking himself in the UFC’s middleweight division.

The military veteran said at the post-fight news conference that his short time in the UFC doesn’t allow him to call out the top fighters in the weight class. Not yet, anyway.

“I’m only two fights into the UFC. I’m not going to call out guys that are (top contenders),” Kennedy said. “I think I’m middle of the pack, honestly. There’s a whole bunch of guys that are on bigger, more substantial, more meaningful winning streaks than I am right now.

“I want to fight the best guys.”

In terms of fights going forward, Kennedy was conservative and wouldn’t call anyone out. When asked of a potential rematch with Luke Rockhold, whom he fought in Strikeforce for the company’s middleweight title, Kennedy said he loves the idea, but would rather fight some of the talent that he is yet to see in the UFC’s 185-pound rankings.

“I want to move forward,” Kennedy said when asked if he would be open to the Rockhold rematch. “I’d love to fight ‘Jacare,’ I’d love to fight Luke – those were both very close, competitive fights. But more importantly, I want to fight more UFC guys.”

Kennedy finished Natal in the first round of their main event on Wednesday night, earning an additional $50,000 for his effort by winning the Knockout of the Night bonus.

UFC Fight for the Troops 3 marks Kennedy’s second win since coming to the UFC, the first being his unanimous decision victory over Roger Gracie at UFC 162 last July. Wednesday’s win was his third in a row.