Former UFC lightweight Guram Kutateladze will headline the inaugural event of the newly established Vault Fighting League, fighting Jeremy Kennedy on September 12 in Dubai, UAE. Kutateladze, 34, was released by the UFC following a loss to Kaue Fernandes and has since bounced back with a first-round knockout of Victor Hugo at ACA 194. Kennedy, a veteran of the UFC, Bellator, and PFL, rounds out the main event for VFL 1.
Guram Kutateladze and Jeremy Kennedy are reportedly set to headline the inaugural card of the newly established Vault Fighting League on September 12 in Dubai, UAE, though the matchup has not yet been officially confirmed.
Kutateladze, nicknamed "The Georgian Viking," enters the bout carrying a 13-5 record. The 34-year-old from Georgia trains out of Allstars Training Center and competes at lightweight, where he has built a reputation as a high-volume striker, averaging 3.53 significant strikes landed per minute at 45 percent accuracy. His path to this fight ran through a UFC release following a loss to Kaue Fernandes, after which he returned to form with a first-round knockout of Victor Hugo at ACA 194. He stands five-foot-eleven with a 72-inch reach.
Kennedy, a 33-year-old Canadian known as "JBC," brings a 11-1 record and experience across three major promotions — the UFC, Bellator, and PFL — making him a seasoned hand for a main event of this scale. He trains at Xtreme Couture and is an orthodox fighter who stands five-foot-eleven with a 71-inch reach. Kennedy's most distinctive attribute on paper is his wrestling, averaging 5.73 takedown attempts per 15 minutes, a rate that figures to factor heavily into the stylistic puzzle of this matchup.
Why it matters
- Vault Fighting League is a newly formed promotion, and a recognizable main event gives its debut card immediate credibility.
- Both fighters carry UFC pedigree, raising the profile of the lightweight contest on an international stage in Dubai.
- Kutateladze's striking volume against Kennedy's takedown-heavy approach sets up a clear striker-versus-wrestler dynamic.
- The bout has not been officially confirmed, and details remain subject to change ahead of the reported September 12 date.
