For 25 minutes, Strikeforce middleweight challenger Tim Kennedy (12-3 MMA, 3-1 SF) did everything he could to claim the promotion's vacant belt.

The military veteran outstruck Ronaldo "Jacare" Souza (13-2 MMA, 3-0 SF) for the five-round contest – both in volume and efficiency. He scored takedowns while defending the grappling advances of the decorated grappler that stood across the cage.

Yet in the end, it wasn't enough. Now Kennedy wants another chance to prove it should have been.

"I know I don't really have an objective opinion, but I'm pretty accurate in how I view how fights went, and I thought I landed more strikes," Kennedy told MMAjunkie. "I thought I landed more kicks. I knew I stuffed both of his takedowns. I knew I was the only one that scored takedowns. I knew I was the one that was controlling the center of the ring. In my understanding of the scoring of MMA, that means I won the fight."

Unfortunately for Kennedy, the three judges in charge of Saturday's "Strikeforce: Houston" co-main event felt differently, and Souza was awarded a unanimous-decision win – and the 185-pound title.

Kennedy said as the scores were being read at the conclusion of the contest, he had difficulty believing his ears.

"Before they announced the decision, I looked up, and I saw the statistics of me having landed more shots, more kicks, a higher percentage of the strikes and stuffing both of his takedowns and scoring the only two takedowns of the fight," Kennedy said. "At the conclusion of the fight, I was surprised.

According to a FightMetric report, Kennedy landed 69 total strikes to Souza's 48. But the Brazilian did hold the edge in strikes to the head, 36 to 31.

And it was "Jacare's" aggression on the feet that Kennedy said was most surprising...

Strikeforce's Tim Kennedy: "I want another five rounds with that guy"