Louisville head coach Pat Kelsey is never shy about turning heads with his words, but his latest comments might be his most colorful yet. Speaking at the Salute to the Game Luncheon for the annual St. Xavier vs. Trinity football rivalry, Kelsey described a vivid dream that had everyone laughing, and stirring the rivalry pot.
The dream
“The dream was there was a UFC fight. Dana White, the president of UFC, is here. This place is packed just like this with a thousand people. And I get there and I look up… weird dream. And the headliner event, the main bill: Kelsey vs. Pope,” Kelsey said.
The Louisville coach then added, “We compete on the court, we compete in recruiting. We go out. But you know what? There’s honor among thieves. We really respect each other. I think Mark Pope is one of the finest human beings in coaching — world-class father, world-class husband. And I still want to tear his face off when we play them in November.”
Tale of the tape
Mark Pope stands at 6’10”, and would have a clear physical advantage over the 5’9” Kelsey. It would be Like Lennox Lewis versus Mike Tyson all over again. Pope would just jab his way to an easy victory, much like Kentucky does on the court versus Louisville.
Fuel on the fire
The comments come on the heels of social media rumors that Kelsey and Pope had a heated exchange at Taylen Kinney’s house during the opening of the recruiting period. Whether true or exaggerated, the rivalry between the two programs has never needed help to stay white-hot. And it is certainly getting help now.
More than words
Kelsey has proven himself a strong recruiter, and Pope is rebuilding Kentucky with momentum of his own. This imagined UFC card reflects the real battles happening: for recruits, for bragging rights, and for dominance in a state that lives and breathes basketball.
Could it be for charity one day? Probably not, but as far as building hype for the November clash at the Yum! Center, Kelsey just delivered knockout promotion.
Drew Holbrook is an avid Kentucky fan who has been covering the Cats for over 10 years. In his free time he enjoyes downtime with his family and Premier League soccer.You can find him on X here.Micah 7:7. #UptheAlbion