Kennedy talks to FBI about threats received

Ex-champ Penn may come back

Mixed-martial arts fighter Tim Kennedy has talked with the FBI about threats he has received online, possibly from ISIS, The Army Times reported.

Kennedy, who has trained in Albuquerque at Jackson Wink MMA, was an Army Special Forces soldier and is now a sergeant first class in the Texas National Guard.

The UFC middleweight told the military publication he receives threats on social media on a daily basis. He said he has been told by the FBI that some of those threats are credible and indeed may have come from the Islamic State group. His response: “Who would I be to be cowering to a bunch of gutless cowards acting like a bunch of tough guys online?” Kennedy told the Army Times.

Kennedy (18-5) last fought in September 2014.

PENN PALS: Former UFC lightweight and welterweight champion B.J. Penn has been training in Albuquerque at Jackson-Wink while preparing for a possible comeback.

Penn (16-10) last fought in July 2014, when he lost to Frankie Edgar — his third consecutive defeat. The Hawaii native has made no formal announcement of a comeback but has issued a challenge on Twitter to rival Nik Lentz to face him March 5 at UFC 197. That card features a fight between Meisha Tate and Albuquerque’s Holly Holm for Holm’s UFC women’s bantamweight title.

BROWN IN ACTION: Albuquerque MMA strawweight fighter Amber Brown (5-1) is scheduled to face Shino Vanhoose (4-3) on Saturday in Costa Mesa, Calif., on Invicta 15. Brown trains at FIT-NHB. The card will be streamed live on UFC Fight Pass, starting at 7 p.m.