(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.