Casey Kenney, a former UFC bantamweight contender, was arrested on July 21 in connection with a serious incident in Phoenix, Arizona. The 33-year-old fighter is facing a range of charges, including two felonies and four misdemeanors.
Phoenix Police took Kenney into custody on a Friday. He is charged with one count of kidnapping and one count of aggravated assault, specifically strangulation. In addition to these felony charges, Kenney faces three misdemeanor assault charges and one for disorderly conduct.
Kenney made his initial appearance in court on Saturday. He is scheduled to return to Maricopa County court this Thursday for a status conference and has a preliminary hearing set for Monday.
The situation began with a domestic violence call that Phoenix Police responded to on July 22, 2024. Brian Bower, a spokesperson for the Phoenix Police Department, shared details about the incident. According to Bower, officers arrived at the scene around 12:15 p.m. to find an adult woman with visible injuries. Paramedics treated her at the location.
Bower’s statement outlined the events: “Officers located an adult female victim with some visible abrasions reporting a domestic violence assault. The female was treated by paramedics and interviewed by investigators. No contact was made with the suspect at that time. This case is still active.”
Former UFC Fighter Casey Kenney Arrested on Kidnapping Charge
The initial report on Kenney’s arrest came from The Scrap, with additional details provided by a probable cause statement obtained by MMA Fighting. According to this statement, Kenney allegedly assaulted the woman over a period of 13 hours. The alleged violence included striking, slapping, biting, head-butting, and choking. During this time, Kenney reportedly did not allow the woman to leave his residence and threatened to kill anyone who attempted to intervene.
Updates about the case have been shared by a woman who claims to be the mother of the alleged victim. She has posted information about the situation on Instagram over the past few weeks.
Kenney, who once showed promise as a bantamweight contender in the UFC, competed in the organization from 2019 to 2021. He also appeared twice on Dana White’s Contender Series in 2017. Kenney’s last fight was a loss to Song Yadong in August 2021. Since then, he has remained out of the spotlight and has not been active on social media. Kenney is currently listed as “not fighting” on the UFC roster.
At this point, Kenney has not publicly commented on the charges or the ongoing legal proceedings. The situation remains under investigation, and further updates are expected as the legal process unfolds.
