Author: By E. Spencer Kyte

For a long time, Kenny Florian’s days were structured and scheduled, blocks of time invested in the pursuit of becoming a better fighter. There was a routine. Specific days and times were allotted to specific tasks – Muay Thai, wrestling, jiu-jitsu, conditioning, rest.

Now that he’s retired, the 36-year-old Florian is still learning how to fill up his days.

“Retirement’s good, man; everything has been going well,” admits Florian. “I’ve been doing some travel, obviously, with the UFC, and doing the weekly show, UFC Tonight. I’m doing my best to stay busy. It’s definitely not the same as fighting every day and training every day, but I’m enjoying it.”

Making the move into television was a natural transition for Florian.

Before he set foot in the cage, “KenFlo” earned a degree in Communications from Boston College, and spent time behind the mic and in front of the camera as an analyst on ESPN’s MMA Live and various UFC and WEC broadcasts. Behind the desk on UFC Tonight with Todd Harris and alongside his broadcast partner Jon Anik, Florian is a natural, and getting more acclimated and accustomed to the role with each passing week.

“You definitely get a different perspective on things,” says Florian of his new role as an analyst. “For me, I feel a little bit more comfortable now breaking down a fight, and possibly critiquing a fighter or a fight, and just looking at it with a fresh pair of eyes. When you’re not in it, I think it is helpful for doing what I do as an analyst and doing commentary, just kind of blending my experience, and seeing what guys are doing now – where the sport is heading technique-wise, what the different training camps are doing – it’s very helpful.”

In addition to the new set of skills Florian has to continually sharpen and hone in order to maintain the lofty standard of excellence he sets for himself in everything he does, the nouveau commentator has also had to deal with occasional bouts of backlash from fighters who weren’t fond of the things he’s said during their bouts.

“I have had a little bit of that, for sure,” Florian admits with a laugh. “I know as fighters, we have a lot of pride, and it can be really difficult hearing a critique. When I am criticizing a fighter, it’s not out of bias; it’s not out of anything but giving my perspective on what I’m seeing, and trying to break it down for the fans. That’s it. That’s the best that I can do. I’m never biased.

“If anything, if I know a fighter or have trained with a fighter, I’ll go the other way (laughs) and talk more about the other guy. It is challenging, and I have heard a little bit from the fighters on some of the things I’ve said – not a lot; I haven’t heard a lot – but I know that that comes with the territory.”

As funny as it may sound, Florian’s biggest challenge since shifting careers is finding ways to fill up his day.

“I would like to stay busier; I do like to have something going on every day. I am enjoying (broadcasting) when I’m working – I love talking about the sport; that’s always fun – but I’m hoping to get into some other things and do some other things, and stay busier.”
 
He outlines his ongoing pursuit of opening a gym in Los Angeles, and the struggles that come with such a venture. He mentions hosting, acting, and doing some writing, stopping short of finishing his list of possible pursuits with “but what I really want to do is direct.”

“I’m going to be getting my blog going soon,” he adds, explaining that the site will cover a number of topics including eating well, fashion, and MMA. “It’s going to be a hodge-podge of a bunch of different things, so I’m looking forward to doing that.”

One thing he’s not looking to do is return to the cage.

“Right now, coming back and fighting is not on my mind at all. (When I retired) it just wasn’t fun anymore. I couldn’t train the way I wanted, and if anything, if I had came back, I would have wanted to train harder. I’ve always done things to do it to the best of my ability, and I wasn’t able to be at my best.

“In the last couple months, I’ve really started to improve. I’ve started to go through the rehabilitation process with a buddy of mine here in LA, Scottie Epstein, and he’s been very, very helpful in strengthening my back and the muscles around it to the point that I haven’t experienced that same pain, and I’ve been able to work out.”

Florian officially retired in May with a professional record of 16-6, including a 12-5 mark in the UFC. In addition to making 17 trips into the Octagon, he was a cast member on the groundbreaking first season of The Ultimate Fighter, and the first fighter in UFC history to compete in four different weight classes, starting with his bout against Diego Sanchez in the middleweight finale on The Ultimate Fighter, and finishing his career with a loss to featherweight champion Jose Aldo.

“I really had a great career,” Florian says correctly when asked to pick out his personal highlights. “Fighting a great guy like Clay Guida, a guy who I looked up to so much like Takanori Gomi was cool. Getting to fight a legend in BJ Penn was awesome; a lot of great moments. Fighting one of the best pound-for-pound guys in the world, Jose Aldo. Those were big moments – wins and losses.

“If there is one regret, I wish that I came to compete against Diego Sanchez,” admits Florian. “I feel like I beat myself before anyone else. I feel like I went out there and let the moment beat me. I don’t know what would have happened in that fight, but I didn’t compete; that was not me out there. I went out there and I was a nervous wreck. Before I knew what was happening, I was mounted and bloodied up. I wish that – if there was one thing I could take back – that I could just go out there and compete, and just fight him.

“It was always about challenging myself against the best guys that I could find,” Florian says, summing up his career in the cage succinctly. “The UFC provided that, and gave me much more than just martial arts. You learn so much about yourself through the process.”

We’ve seen countless athletes announce their retirement, only to return to their chosen sport for one last kick at the can, but don’t expect that from Florian.

“I don’t think there’s ever going to be a time when I don’t want to compete, and I don’t want to challenge myself – I just have to do it in other ways.”

Much to the delight of his parents, those new ways involve using his college degree and not getting punched in the face.

 

Next month, when Georges St-Pierre and Carlos Condit enter the Octagon at UFC 154, it will be the first time in more than two years that both men will make the walk to the cage with championship gold in their possession.

Their bout to unify the welterweight titles will be followed in 2013 by a similar battle in the bantamweight division. Interim champion Renan Barao has elected to wait patiently for the return of Dominick Cruz, the injured 135-pound titleholder who was forced to the sidelines by a torn ACL earlier in the year.

With those two “Champion vs. Champion” bouts in our future, we thought it was only fitting to look back at the previous “Champion vs. Champion” encounters that have taken place in the UFC.

Tito Ortiz vs. Randy Couture – UFC 44 (September 26, 2003)

The bout between the two UFC Hall of Famers was a light heavyweight title unification bout.

Couture entered as the interim champion, having won the title three months earlier in his first of three battles with Chuck Liddell. Ortiz, meanwhile, had been champion since April 2000, having successfully defended the belt five times prior to going on hiatus following his UFC 40 win over Ken Shamrock.

What looked like a great battle on paper turned into a one-sided drubbing in the cage, as Couture dominated the action, and earned a unanimous decision win with scores of 50-44, 50-44, and 50-45.

“The Natural” spanked Ortiz, literally, humiliating “The Huntington Beach Bad Boy” with a few playful taps on the backside in the closing seconds of the bout.

Quinton “Rampage” Jackson vs. Dan Henderson – UFC 75 (September 8, 2007)

Henderson returned to the UFC as both the PRIDE welterweight (183-pound) and middleweight (205-pound) champion, and walked right into a light heavyweight championship match with Jackson, who had won the belt four months earlier at UFC 71.

In an entertaining and competitive bout, “Rampage” cemented himself as the top light heavyweight in the world, defeating Henderson by unanimous decision. Jackson would go on to lose the belt in his next fight, dropping the title to Forrest Griffin at UFC 86, while Henderson would move down the scale and into another title unification bout.

Anderson Silva vs. Dan Henderson – UFC 82 (March 1, 2008)

Six months after losing to Jackson, Henderson found himself standing across the cage from another UFC champion. This time, his PRIDE welterweight title was on the line against Silva’s UFC middleweight belt.

Silva was just three fights into his reign atop the 185-pound weight class, and many believed Henderson had the right style to defeat the Brazilian striking specialist. Henderson controlled Silva on the ground during the opening round, riding out most of the frame from half-guard, doing little from top position while Silva was content to clinch from the bottom.

In the second round, Silva solidified his standing as the best middleweight in the world by forcing Henderson to tap to a rear naked choke with just 10 seconds left in the frame. The victory gave Silva six straight wins in the UFC (he’s up to 16 after his win over Stephan Bonnar at UFC 153) and gave Henderson his second consecutive championship defeat since returning from Japan.

Matt Serra vs. Georges St-Pierre, Part II – UFC 83 (April 19, 2008)

After losing the title to Matt Serra at UFC 69, St-Pierre earned an interim title by defeating Matt Hughes for a second time at UFC 79 when Serra was unable to defend his belt.

Four months later, Serra marched into hostile territory at the Bell Centre in Montreal, Quebec for his rematch with the French-Canadian superstar. Much to the delight of the then-record crowd, this was a one-sided affair in favor of St-Pierre, who dominated Serra throughout the first round before earning a stoppage late in the second.

The two rivals buried the hatchet after the bout, and St-Pierre hasn’t looked back since, defending the welterweight title six times, including once against another champion.

Georges St-Pierre vs. BJ Penn – UFC 94 (January 31, 2009)

BJ Penn was UFC lightweight champion at the time, having most recently left former champion Sean Sherk crumpled against the cage at UFC 84. But the proud Hawaiian was still frustrated by his controversial split decision loss to St-Pierre at UFC 58, and so the UFC lined up the two title holders in the first true battle pitting champions from two different divisions against one another.

The second fight was nothing like the first. Where their initial encounter was a closely contested affair people still debate to this day, St-Pierre dominated the second bout, punishing Penn on the ground for 20 minutes before the lightweight champion’s corner said, “No Mas” after the fourth round.

Brock Lesnar vs. Frank Mir, Part II – UFC 100 (July 11, 2009)

Frank Mir welcomed Brock Lesnar to the UFC by catching the former NCAA Division I National champion in a kneebar midway through the first round at UFC 81. Over the next few months, both would earn titles.

After a win over Heath Herring, Lesnar was tabbed to welcome Randy Couture back to the Octagon, and became heavyweight champion after earning a second-round TKO win over “The Natural” at UFC 91. Meanwhile Mir parlayed a successful turn as a coach on The Ultimate Fighter into an interim title victory over his fellow coach Antonio Rodrigio “Minotauro” Nogueira, setting the stage for their epic rematch.

The bout became the main event of UFC 100, and the biggest fight on the biggest card in UFC history delivered. Lesnar avenged his prior loss with a dominant performance, stopping Mir in the second round.

Brock Lesnar vs. Shane Carwin – UFC 116 (July 3, 2010)

Following his win over Mir, Lesnar was slated to defend his title against Shane Carwin, first at UFC 106, and then at UFC 108. Both were postponed as Lesnar later came down with a mysterious illness that was later diagnosed as diverticulitis.

With the champion sidelined, Carwin bested Lesnar’s nemesis Frank Mir at UFC 111 to become the interim heavyweight champion. The recovering Lesnar congratulated him in the cage, and the two were once again slated to face each other.

The two behemoths took to the cage at UFC 116, almost a year to the day after Lesnar had first unified the titles against Mir. Carwin dominated the first round, pummeling Lesnar to the point that many believed a new champion was about to be crowned. But the fight continued, and when the second round began, Carwin was spent, and Lesnar quickly took him down, clamped on an arm triangle choke, and earned what proved to be his only successful title defense.

Heading into 2011, Rick Story was on a roll.

The Vancouver, Washington resident was coming off the biggest win of his career, an upset decision over the previously undefeated Johny Hendricks. The victory extended Story’s winning streak to five, and established the compact and powerful welterweight as one to watch in the deep and dangerous 170-pound ranks. Five months later, Story pushed his winning streak to six with a unanimous decision victory over former title contender Thiago Alves at UFC 130.

Sitting on the fringes of contention after defeating Alves, Story’s momentum came to a screeching halt a month later.

He accepted a short notice, main event assignment opposite Nate Marquardt, filling in for the injured Anthony Johnson. He was the talk of the division; a former prospect that could push his way into the top 10 with another impressive win. Featured on the marquee for the first time in his career, the attention increased when Marquardt was pulled from the bout 24 hours before the event. Charlie Brenneman was tabbed to replace Marquardt, and the whirlwind of changes and stress and vastly different styles got the better of Story.

Just as quickly as he had put himself in a position to break into the upper echelon of the division, Brenneman knocked him back down the divisional ladder, halting his winning streak at six by out-wrestling Story for 15 minutes.

“Taking fights on short notice is definitely not something I was prepared to do,” admits Story. “Even though I was in shape, all the hype and stress and interviews and everything like that, it’s normally something you work yourself into, but with me, I got a dump truck load of all-new stress put right on my shoulders. It would have been cool if I would have been seasoned enough to have been able to handle that, but I’m chalking it up as a learning experience because I wasn’t seasoned, and wasn’t used to all the interviews and all the pressures that it takes to be a main event or co-main event.”

With his loss coming under such unusual circumstances, Story was given a chance to redeem himself and remain in the welterweight conversation five months later at UFC 139. He’d be facing an opponent who knew all about “hard luck losses,” Martin Kampmann. The Dutch veteran entered the fight on a two-fight losing streak, though a case could be made for “The Hitman” having won both fights, especially his March encounter with Diego Sanchez.

Story was no match for Kampmann’s technically precise striking, and lost a unanimous decision.

“The Kampmann fight, you know, it was just a tough fight,” says Story with a laugh, correctly assessing the bout in the simplest way possible. “He’s a tough guy. I would have liked to have gotten the win, but it didn’t happen that night.”

A year that started out with so much promise ended with back-to-back losses, and a plethora of questions about where the once-surging welterweight stood in the division. Nearly a year later, Story is once again making his case for being a contender, and he’s getting a little help from a pair of former opponents as well.

Hendricks and Kampmann have both been on a roll since their bouts with Story. After tasting defeat for the first time, Hendricks has rattled off four consecutive wins, including back-to-back victories over former title challengers Jon Fitch and Josh Koscheck, while Kampmann added wins against Alves and Jake Ellenberger to push his winning streak to three. The two are slated to meet at UFC 154 in November, with the winner expected to earn a shot at the welterweight title in 2013.

“I don’t really think about it too much,” Story says of his history with the division’s top two contenders. “It is a cool feeling to know that I’m competitive with these guys, and I know that I belong with them in the top of the rankings.”

The Brave Legion product began working his way back up the ladder in May with a one-sided decision win over Brock Jardine, a late replacement for Papy Abedi, who was a late replacement for Rich Attonito. Though not completely satisfied with his showing, the now 14-5 Story wanted to make sure he didn’t do anything careless in an effort to earn cheers from the crowd.

“It was a good feeling to get back in the win column,” offers Story, who was able to control the contest with his wrestling. “I would have liked to have gotten a little bit more – I’m not going to say wild and crazy – but be a little more aggressive towards getting a finish. I just didn’t want to do anything stupid because I know people get a little over confident, they get caught, and then they end up losing the fight on some freak knockout or something. I was being a little bit more conservative than I really like to be.

“You keep your job if you win; that’s kind of about it,” Story answers when asked about the fine line between fighting to win and fighting to entertain. “You definitely don’t want to be the guy where the crowd or everyone around you goes, `Aw no – this guy’s fighting again? I can’t wait to see him get hit or finished. He’s so boring.’ I don’t want to be that person. I’m always training and I’m always working to not be that person, but sometimes it pans out that way.”

Back in the win column and once again moving in the right direction in the division, the 28-year-old Story adds another marquee name to his list of opponents this weekend as he travels to Rio de Janeiro, Brazil to take on welterweight newcomer Demian Maia. The former middleweight title challenger made his debut as a member of the 170-pound ranks in July with a 47-second win over Dong Hyun Kim.

“I would have liked to have seen that fight go a little longer,” jokes Story. “It was kind of a freak thing where Kim’s rib got messed up in the first clinch. But, if Demian’s able to achieve the clinch and drag a person down like that, he must be strong at the weight.”

Even though his time in the division has been limited, there are no secrets when it comes to Maia’s approach and area of expertise, and while he’s not going to rush in and pull guard, Story isn’t afraid of mixing things up on the ground with the Brazilian jiu-jitsu standout if the situation arises.

“Demian’s one of the best on the ground in the world, (and) I expect (him) to be trying to take it to the ground and bring it to his (area of) strength. I’m not opposed to going to the ground, but I don’t want to play into his strengths. If I’m there, and he gets me to the ground or I get him to the ground, I’m going to be trying to put some punishment on him, that’s for sure.”

A win over Maia will have Story right back where he was after his win over Hendricks – knocking on the door of the top 10, winning streak in hand, ready to make waves in the division once again. Only this time, he’s a little more seasoned, a little more prepared, and certain that he deserves to be considered alongside the best in the welterweight division.

Inside the cage, Travis Browne is a dangerous mix of size, speed, power, and athleticism – an unbeaten heavyweight on the fringe of contention, ready to take the next step in his career.

Outside of the cage, the 30-year-old Hawaiian is affable and talkative, critical of his own performances, and humble to the point that he clarifies every confident statement that might be misconstrued as cockiness.

On the eve of squaring off with Antonio “Bigfoot” Silva in the main event of the fifth UFC on FX fight card, Browne is a six-foot-seven-inch bundle of energy, excited to be stepping back into the cage for the first time since UFC 145 in April, when he needed only the first half of the first round to dispatch Strikeforce veteran Chad Griggs via arm triangle choke.

He was supposed to get back in the cage three months ago, but his opponent for the August FOX event in Los Angeles, Ben Rothwell, was forced to withdraw at the 11th hour.

“Coming in and out of that camp, it was a little frustrating,” admits Browne. “I had already put in seven good weeks of my camp; all I had was that one week left before the fight. But like with everything else – one door closes, another door opens, and I got this fight with Bigfoot.”

“The difference in training camps wasn’t too much either. Rothwell is a big boy; he has to cut to make 265. Silva is a big boy; he has to cut to make 265. In a lot of ways, they’re similar in the way that they fight; they like to stand up and bang, but then they’ll also shoot that double and take you down. I kind of look at it like I got an extended camp for this fight.”

In addition to getting an extended camp, the undefeated heavyweight prospect got both a step up in competition and a chance to step into the spotlight.

Friday’s bout with Silva marks the first time in his UFC career that Browne will compete in the final fight of the evening, and while the heavy-handed Brazilian has dropped his last two outings, he’s been a fixture in the divisional top ten for the last two years, and boasts the most impressive resume of anyone Browne has faced to date.

While some in his position may get caught up in the whirlwind of increased media attention and hype that accompanies a main event assignment, Browne is taking it all in stride. Though it’s a new experience for him, headlining an event for the biggest organization in the business is something he knew he’d eventually be doing.

“I think when the UFC announced they were starting something up with FOX, I knew it was going to give a lot of guys the chance to headline shows that normally you wouldn’t see headline a pay-per-view event. We started to see it with the Fight Nights; you’d see some of the up-and-comers start headlining shows, but even then, you didn’t get the opportunity to have some young fighters like myself come up and headline them.

“As soon as they announced that and how many shows they were going to start doing, I knew that gave us a chance to step up into the limelight, and really show what we’re capable of doing. At that point, I knew that if I kept being successful in the cage, eventually I was going to get a headline fight. Maybe not this year, but I knew that it was going to come eventually.”

Browne has 11 finishes in his 13 wins, including three in the UFC, but it’s his two bouts in the Octagon that went the distance that had helped carry him to this point in his career more than anything.

After earning a first-round stoppage win over James McSweeney in his UFC debut, Browne took a sizable step up in competition three months later when he faced off with perennial gatekeeper Cheick Kongo. A third-round point deduction against Kongo resulted in the fight being scored a draw, and slowed Browne’s momentum.

Last September, following a stunning knockout win over Stefan Struve at UFC 130, “Hapa” took home a one-sided decision win over Rob Broughton in a sluggish affair fought in Denver, Colorado. Though he’s since rebounded in impressive fashion against Griggs, it’s his showings against Kongo and Broughton that remain Browne’s focus.

“When I fought Cheick Kongo and Rob Broughton, they went the distance, and I wasn’t very impressed with my own performance; neither was anybody else, really,” he adds with a laugh. “But I think those were my reality check, like `You’re not doing enough to be a champion right now.’ So when I’d go back into the gym, (those fights) taught me how to work harder and do stuff that I’d never done before.

“When I do stuff that I’ve never done before, there’s a good chance that my opponent hasn’t done it either, and that’s something that I pride myself on – that I do stuff that other fighters won’t, and work harder than they work. I really believe that’s what makes a champion.”

Every fighter who takes a serious run at a career as a mixed martial artist envisions the day they become a UFC champion, but not everyone gets the opportunity to fight on the sport’s biggest stage, yet alone compete for championship gold. With four wins and a draw under his belt, Browne has already proven that he has what it takes to survive in the treacherous waters of the UFC heavyweight division, and if he keeps posting impressive wins like he did against Griggs and the now-surging Struve, a chance to challenge for the heavyweight title may not be too far off.

Like headlining an event, being considered amongst the top heavyweights in the sport is something Browne believed he was capable of from Day One, and sees his current standing as one of the top up-and-comers in the division as a testament to the hard work and commitment to his career.

“If you don’t believe it in yourself from the beginning, you’ve kind of already dug your own grave. In the beginning, I believed (that I could compete with the best in the world and be world champion), and throughout my career, it has just become more of a reality. Instead of sitting there thinking `One day I’m going to be…’ it’s coming up fairly quick. Next year, I could be the champion.

“It shows how much I dedicate to this sport, and how much I’m willing to sacrifice in order to be here. You don’t get here by chance,” he continued. “You don’t go undefeated by chance; this is something that I’ve worked hard for. Being at this point, it’s definitely something I expected. Me and my first manager, when we decided that I was going to have my first pro fight, he said, `With your athletic abilities, and your abilities in general, you’re going to shoot up there quick,’ so it was definitely something – not to sound cocky – that we expected, as long as I kept putting in the hard work.”

Browne knows there are some who may question his standing as a potential contender alongside names like Velasquez, Overeem, and Werdum. Despite his unbeaten record, he is aware that some people still aren’t convinced he’s as good as he looked against Griggs or Struve or McSweeney. That’s another reason he’s excited to step into the cage and the spotlight opposite Silva at the Target Center.

“I think I’m kind of in that gray area with people about whether or not they should believe in me, and this is the fight that will really cement their belief in me,” he states, fully understanding the hesitancy, and happy for the opportunity to turn doubters into believers.

“Like I said before, I’ve had a couple lackluster performances, and I think people hold me to those. When you do something great, somebody might tell one person. When you do something bad, that one person is going to tell a hundred, you know what I mean? So people really kind of hang on to those bad performances, and really judge me off of those performances alone, but I think this will be a fight that really gives me another opportunity to really show what I’m capable of doing.”

Though never directed at him personally, criticism keeps landing at the feet of Ultimate Fighter winner John Dodson.

As a long-time member of Team Jackson-Winkeljohn, the 28-year-old Albuquerque native has had to listen as fans, critics, and other fighters have lined up to take their shots at his coaches, teammates, and the results they earn in the cage. UFC President Dana White has been the most outspoken critic of the respected coach, blasting him in wake of Jon Jones’ decision to decline a fight with Chael Sonnen and the eventual cancellation of UFC 151.

“Greg Jackson ruined the sport of MMA,” says Dodson, tongue firmly planted in cheek as he begins to address the barrage of complaints that get levied against Jackson and his fighters. The most popular, of course, that fighters from the New Mexico super-camp never finish fights.

UFC 152 proved those criticisms invalid, as long-time Jackson student Cub Swanson took home Knockout of the Night honors for his first-round win over featherweight prospect Charles Oliveira.

“Or Kyle Noke knocking out ‘The Spaniard,’” adds Dodson, citing his teammate’s 30-second victory over Charlie Brenneman in the first bout of the evening. “Or Jon Jones submitting a Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt.” Despite overwhelming evidence to the contrary, the criticisms continue, but if you think Dodson is frustrated by the attacks on his coaches and teammates, think again.

“It’s flattering, to tell you the truth. They get so mad that we’re winning everything all the time and having some of the best fights ever that they need something to hate on. It’s like hating on a system that is working so well that they’ve got nothing better to do than complain. They want to complain about `they’re winning too much.’ `Oh, their strategy sucks because it helps them win. Don’t let them do it anymore.’ That’s what you want to complain about?”

Dodson is one of those fighters in the Jackson camp who has done nothing but win since entering the UFC.

After stepping up in weight in order to be a contestant on Season 14 of The Ultimate Fighter, the diminutive man with the maniacal laugh earned back-to-back knockout wins over Johnny Bedford and TJ Dillashaw to emerge as the winner of the bantamweight competition. Shortly thereafter, the UFC announced they would finally be adding the flyweight division to their ranks, and Dodson made the move back down the scale to the 125-pound weight class.

In addition to serving as a platform for dispelling the myth about Team Jackson-Winkeljohn fighters and the detrimental impact of the first coach in that tandem on the sport, UFC 152 also served as a catalyst for criticism of the UFC’s newest division. This time, White and Dodson landed on the same side of the argument.

While some saw the inaugural flyweight title fight between Joseph Benavidez and Demetrious Johnson as an engaging back-and-forth affair, many in attendance booed and White was inundated with complaints in 140-character increments on Twitter.

“Everyone’s going to continuously say the same things: `they’re just midgets in there fighting’ or `they’re kids fighting,’” Dodson suggests, addressing the verbal attack directed at his fellow flyweights. “We’re not actually kids – we’re full-grown men, and sooner or later, people will start coming around and realizing that those weight classes are the good ones. They probably said (the same things) when boxing started losing (heavyweights) like Tyson, Holyfield, Muhammad Ali.

“How do you say we don’t finish?” Dodson asks rhetorically, tackling another of the complaints levied against the lighter weight classes as a whole. “Look at Joseph Benavidez – he knocked out Yasuhiro Urushitani for the chance to fight for the title. John Moraga just knocked out Ulysses Gomez. And of course, there was Louis Gaudinot choking out John Lineker. People can’t sit there and say that flyweights don’t finish fights because we do finish fights. We’re just as exciting as any other weight class. When you get top tier guys fighting each other, it’s hard to get the finishes that everyone wants to see.

“I’m not going to call the fans morons,” laughs Dodson, referencing White’s characterization of the flyweight critics after UFC 152, “but you need to realize we’re just as good as everyone else. Of course we’re going to use our strengths to our advantage, but we do have power, and a lot of us love to stand and bang and brawl with everybody.”

Dodson gets his next opportunity to show fans why the flyweights are among the most exciting, must-see competitors in the sport on Friday night, when he welcomes Jussier Formiga into the Octagon for the first time. A teammate of UFC champions Jose Aldo and Renan Barao, Formiga has been a fixture near the top of the flyweight rankings for a number of years, and carries an impressive 14-1 record into the cage for his debut.

In addition to being a chance for Dodson to get a major victory on the main card of a televised UFC event, a win would also bring the eight-year veteran with a 14-5 record a chance to challenge Demetrious Johnson for the flyweight title.

“I didn’t even know I was one win away from a title fight,” laughs Dodson. While having a title shot hanging in the balance might rattle some, the easy-going “Magician” says it doesn’t have any impact on what he plans to do to Formiga on Friday. “Nothing really changes – I’m still going to go out there and hit this man as many times as I can until he falls.”

Though unfazed by the high stakes attached to this fight, Dodson does acknowledge that being one step closer to challenging for the flyweight title is something he takes seriously and embraces, especially given that his ultimate plan is hold the flyweight, bantamweight, and featherweight titles simultaneously.

“It means the world to me knowing that I’m one win away from getting my chance to get a title shot,” admits the frenetic flyweight, who counts eight finishes among this 14 career wins. “That’s going to be amazing because I’ll get to fight for a UFC title that a lot of people have dreamed about for their whole career, you know? For us, the UFC is the top tier, so to be knocking on the door for that opportunity, I’m… I’m… I don’t know what. I don’t have the words, you know?”

“Still the same goal; that goal will never change,” he continues. “People always want to sit there and talk about being the first person for everything, so this is my chance to be the first person to do something, you know? I’m already knocking on the door for the first title. I don’t think Demetrious Johnson is an easy opponent by any means. I think he’s going to be the toughest fight I’ve ever had in my life. He’s so fast. I want to see who is fastest – me or him? I want to see how well our combination of power, speed, and technique fits together. That’s going to amazing. It’s going to be a fun fight.”

Before “The Magician” can try to cast a spell on “Mighty Mouse,” he has to get through a considerable challenge on Friday night.

Formiga has won five straight heading into his debut, submitting the last four opponents that he’s faced. Though his ground skills remain his greatest strength, Dodson is ready to battle Formiga wherever the fight goes, including the ground, and show the critics once again that flyweights and fighters trained by Greg Jackson deliver highly entertaining fights just like everyone else.

“Formiga used to be just straight jiu-jitsu, but look at him: he’s been working on his standup. His last two fights that were out in Brazil, he’s been striking, and standing – or at least trying to. I’m actually happy that he’s not going to try to double leg me every chance he gets. I think he’s going to stand-and-bang and give a better show for the crowd.

“The way that I have to beat him is that I have to stay on my feet and I have to stay on my scrambling. We’ve already seen him plenty of times where he’s just taken people down and controlled the position. I’m not going to let the jiu-jitsu game play into his favor.

“Everyone is trying to speculate about my ground game because they’ve never seen me go to the ground. Well, let’s be realistic people: the only reason I’ve never been down to the ground is because I’ve never needed to (go to the ground); I’ve never needed to take someone down.”

A win on Friday night might not silence the critics, but it will bring the charismatic and confident Dodson one step closer to reaching his goal of complete and utter domination of the lighter weight classes.

Cue the creepy, maniacal clown laugh.

Ten years from now, you’re not going to see Bart Palaszewski’s picture on a fight poster for some random regional event in Who Knows Where, Indiana with the words “Former UFC Fighter” serving as his chief descriptor and the show’s biggest selling point.

Despite being nine months shy of his 30th birthday and on the fringes of contention in the featherweight division, the 29-year-old veteran has already started thinking about the end of his career, and what comes next.

Or, more correctly, what won’t come next.

“I think once I’m done in the UFC, I’m pretty much going to be done,” offers the always candid featherweight contender. “I love this sport, but fighting back into the UFC is going to be ridiculously hard, and I don’t want to spend two years in the trenches again. I’ve been there many, many, many times. I’ve been around the block once or twice with MMA. Obviously, I’ve never won a belt – I’ve got a sweet ring from the IFL (laughs) – but when time’s up, time’s up. I’m going to do my best my next few fights, these next couple years, and when the UFC says goodbye to me, I think I’m going to say bye to the sport.

“I’m not giving up,” Palaszewski says seriously, making sure it’s clear that knowing the end is near is not the same thing as packing it in early.

“Don’t get me wrong: I’m going to bust my ass every single day of every single camp, but you know, sometimes you come out on the bottom. Nobody comes away from this sport undefeated. If you’re in it for a few years – or as long as I have been – you’re going to have some losses, and sometimes you string a few losses together and get the pink slip in the locker.”

Palaszewski knows all about the highs and lows of being a professional fighter. He began his career more than a decade ago at age 19, starting with a loss to future WEC featherweight champion Cole Escovedo. Three more defeats followed before he got his first win.

Since then, “Bartimus” has battled relative unknowns, established veterans, and everyone in between, fighting for organizations you’ve never heard of before, and ones you’ll never hear from again. Over the last four years, he’s amassed a 5-4 record between the WEC and UFC, including being one of two men to defeat Anthony Pettis.

Having watched the sport change and knowing that the end of the road is on the horizon, the vastly experienced Palaszewski opted to make some changes in order to give himself the best chance to make the most of the final stretch of his fighting career.

When he steps onto the stage Thursday to weigh-in for his bout with Diego Nunes on the preliminary card of Friday’s UFC on FX event in Minneapolis, Minnesota, Palaszewski will have a new team of coaches in his corner. After spending his entire career working with Jeff Curran, the 29-year-old left Wonder Lake, Illinois for Albuquerque, New Mexico to work with Team Jackson-Winkeljohn. It wasn’t a decision that came easily to the fiercely loyal featherweight, but it was one he believed was necessary.

“Change is hard on everybody. I don’t know if it was something I wanted, but it was definitely necessary,” he says about the move. “I was in one gym for nearly 13 years, and I wanted to experience different places. I’d never gone out and trained different places. I’m at the tail end of my career; I’m still young, but I’ve been fighting for 12 years, and I’ve got a lot of fights. I want to move on to the next chapter of my life before I turn 40. I wanted to check out different gyms, get a new gym, and really give it a hard run, and get a few good fights under my belt before I say goodbye.

“It was awkward in the beginning,” laughs Palaszewski. “I came down here a few times before I started camp just to kind of get to know everybody, and how things are run. When camp started, I was fine, but the beginning was awkward: new place, new teammates, new everything, and just getting used to everything. But it’s been great.

“The big thing is the altitude, man – it kicked my ass for two weeks. I know that going back down to sea level, I know I’m going to be on-point with conditioning. There are a lot of new training partners, a lot of great coaches; I love it. It’s been a great experience.”

With 50 professional fights under his belt and a decade spent honing his skills, is it possible for an old dog to still learn new tricks?

“Yeah – but I’m not an old dog; I just was learning tricks when I was very young, that’s all,” Palaszewski clarifies. “I’m still learning, I’m still progressing, but it’s a different sport. These guys these days are just frickin’ awesome. The sport has evolved tremendously, to the point that it’s hard to keep up with it.

“I’m going to bust my ass and do my best, but I’m a realist – I’m not going to be one of those guys who is going back-and-forth at 35-years-old, trying to get big fights. When my time is up, it’s going to be up.”

Everyone has their own reasons for putting themselves through the daily grind that comes with being a professional fighter.

For some, it’s the belief that one day, Dana White will be wrapping a shiny UFC belt around their waist as Bruce Buffer proclaims them champion amidst a thunderous ovation. Others need the competition or the camaraderie that comes from sweating out hours on the mats side-by-side with the same group of people, day in, and day out.

Palaszewski does it for 10 seconds.

“Nick Diaz said it perfectly – it’s a love/hate relationship. I hate it. Getting up in the morning? Today I had two egg whites, and I’m crabby and I’m tired and I’m hungry, but getting through a hard workout, and achieving something like that just – it’s that love/hate.

“It’s that (feeling after a good workout) and the 10 seconds after you win a fight. You get your arm raised, you get high fives from the crowd on the way back to the locker room, and then it’s on to the next guy, and you’re forgotten, so you’ve got to be willing to bust your ass for that 10 seconds of glory that you get.”