HOUSTON — Three championship tries in two weight classes finished in frustration for Kenny Florian.
After a strong first round which he won on all three judges’ scorecards, Florian was shutout the rest of the way by UFC featherweight champion Jose Aldo, dropping a unanimous decision.
Afterward, a dejected Florian sat at the UFC 136 press conference, his head hung low. The normally eloquent Florian was also short on words, and when asked if this might be it for his career, he seemed unsure of what might be next for him.
“No, not right now,” he said. “I haven’t really thought past this fight. We’ll see what happens.”
Florian said his struggles in the wrestling aspect of the fight — he was 2-for-14 according to Compustrike numbers — was the deciding factor. Aldo also out-landed Florian 39-9 in power strikes.
“Kenny Florian went in there tonight going after it,” UFC president Dana White said. “He wanted that belt. Everybody’s talked about how dominant Jose is, but Kenny went out took him the distance. He fought a great fight.”
But you have to wonder if Florian has exhausted his title opportunities. The first one he got, back in 2006, was probably premature, and Florian lost a decision to Sean Sherk. Three years later, his game had matured a bit, but he could not withstand BJ Penn’s power, and the Hawaiian legend finished him with a fourth-round rear naked choke.
Against Aldo in the lower division, he did not have the explosive takedowns to make the fight a grind and take away Aldo’s explosiveness.
White, who once famously labeled Florian a “choker” in big fights, had nothing bad to say this time around. But he said Florian had reached a point where he had gone through a few divisions and hadn’t accomplished his goal. White noted that Florian had options outside of fighting and needed to figure out his future on his own.
Florian couldn’t bring himself to think about it. Not with the overwhelming feeling of the night. At least for the moment, it felt like the end.
“Obviously, I’m disappointed,” Florian said. “I fought very hard. I trained extremely hard and wasn’t successful. That’s it.”
HOUSTON — Three championship tries in two weight classes finished in frustration for Kenny Florian.
After a strong first round which he won on all three judges’ scorecards, Florian was shutout the rest of the way by UFC featherweight champion Jose Aldo, dropping a unanimous decision.
Afterward, a dejected Florian sat at the UFC 136 press conference, his head hung low. The normally eloquent Florian was also short on words, and when asked if this might be it for his career, he seemed unsure of what might be next for him.
“No, not right now,” he said. “I haven’t really thought past this fight. We’ll see what happens.”
Florian said his struggles in the wrestling aspect of the fight — he was 2-for-14 according to Compustrike numbers — was the deciding factor. Aldo also out-landed Florian 39-9 in power strikes.
“Kenny Florian went in there tonight going after it,” UFC president Dana White said. “He wanted that belt. Everybody’s talked about how dominant Jose is, but Kenny went out took him the distance. He fought a great fight.”
But you have to wonder if Florian has exhausted his title opportunities. The first one he got, back in 2006, was probably premature, and Florian lost a decision to Sean Sherk. Three years later, his game had matured a bit, but he could not withstand BJ Penn’s power, and the Hawaiian legend finished him with a fourth-round rear naked choke.
Against Aldo in the lower division, he did not have the explosive takedowns to make the fight a grind and take away Aldo’s explosiveness.
White, who once famously labeled Florian a “choker” in big fights, had nothing bad to say this time around. But he said Florian had reached a point where he had gone through a few divisions and hadn’t accomplished his goal. White noted that Florian had options outside of fighting and needed to figure out his future on his own.
Florian couldn’t bring himself to think about it. Not with the overwhelming feeling of the night. At least for the moment, it felt like the end.
“Obviously, I’m disappointed,” Florian said. “I fought very hard. I trained extremely hard and wasn’t successful. That’s it.”
Following the action of UFC 136 from Houston’s Toyota Center, UFC President Dana White announced the night’s bonuses at the post-fight press conference. The bonuses were worth $75,000 for each fighter. Taking home “Knockout of the Night” honors w…
Following the action of UFC 136 from Houston’s Toyota Center, UFC President Dana White announced the night’s bonuses at the post-fight press conference. The bonuses were worth $75,000 for each fighter.
Taking home “Knockout of the Night” honors was champion Frankie Edgar, who finished challenger Gray Maynard in the fourth round of their headlining title tilt. Edgar was forced to survive yet another first round barrage, but rebounded and finished Maynard with strikes. The loss was the first of Maynard’s career.
The “Submission of the Night” bonus went to lightweight Joe Lauzon. The Boston-based submission ace made short work of noted striker Melvin Guillard. Lauzon needed only 47 seconds to secure a fight-ending rear-naked choke and derail Guillard’s title hopes, possibly moving into the title picture himself with the win.
“Fight of the Night” was reserved for the fast-paced featherweight war between Nam Phan and Leonard Garcia. The rematch of their December 2010 fight lived up to the hype, as the two fighters gave their all in the bout. Phan came out on top with a unanimous decision win, avenging the prior loss.
Rob Tatum is a Featured Columnist for Bleacher Report MMA. You can also find Rob’s work at TheMMACorner.com. For anything related to MMA, you can follow Rob on Twitter @RobTatumMMA.
(“I’m so sick of your friggin’ face.” “No, I’m so sick of *your* friggin’ face.”)
Well, we’re finally going to sort out this lightweight championship mess. Thanks for joining us for the ride. Bear with us as we try a slightly different format to appease the complaints we’ve had about spoilers and such. If you want to read about certain fight, click “next page.”
Preliminary results after the jump.
(“I’m so sick of your friggin’ face.” “No, I’m so sick of *your* friggin’ face.”)
Well, we’re finally going to sort out this lightweight championship mess. Thanks for joining us for the ride. Bear with us as we try a slightly different format to appease the complaints we’ve had about spoilers and such. If you want to read about certain fight, click ”next page.”
Preliminary results after the jump.
Preliminary Bouts (On Spike TV):
Demian Maia def. Jorge Santiago by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
Anthony Pettis def. Jeremy Stephens by split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)
Jobs were likely on the line in this middleweight matchup, which opened the Facebook portion of the UFC 136 preliminary card. Former WEC light heavyweight champion Steve Cantwell made his 185-pound debut. The 25-year-old looked to erase a th…
Jobs were likely on the line in this middleweight matchup, which opened the Facebook portion of the UFC 136 preliminary card.
Former WEC light heavyweight champion Steve Cantwell made his 185-pound debut. The 25-year-old looked to erase a three-fight losing streak dating back more than two years.
Mike Massenzio returned to the promotion in June as a late replacement against Krzysztof Soszynski at UFC 131. The New Jersey-based fighter dropped a unanimous decision, leaving him with a 1-3 record inside the Octagon.
The pair started slowly as they looked to find their range. Massenzio landed a kick to the liver, but Cantwell answered with a number of teep kicks. Massenzio delivered to the body, while Cantwell continued to look for his jab. A shot from Massenzio was stuffed by Cantwell. Cantwell connected with a left hook to the body followed by a right hand that landed on Massenzio’s jaw. A huge overhand right from Cantwell buckled the legs of Massenzio with two minutes left in the round. Cantwell began to push the pace. A flying knee from Cantwell missed. Massenzio clipped Cantwell in the groin, forcing a momentary break in action. Near the end of the round, Massenzio looked for another takedown, but Cantwell kept the fight on the feet.
The second round began with Cantwell connecting with a right kick to Massenzio’s head. Massenzio looked for a double-leg takedown against the fence, but Cantwell defended and peppered the New Jersey fighter’s body in the process. Another sprawl from Cantwell as Massenzio desperately tried to take the fight to the ground. Massenzio delivered his best offense of the fight near the midway point of the round, landing a left hand that backed up Cantwell. Massenzio pushed the action and bloodied the nose of Cantwell. The pair traded knees against the cage with a minute left in the round. A flurry at the end of the round may have earned Massenzio the round.
In the final frame, Massenzio started aggressively, backing Cantwell against the fence. Massenzio used his striking to again try for a takedown, but Cantwell kept the fight upright. Massenzio scored the first takedown of the fight with three minutes remaining, but after Cantwell looked for an armbar, the fight returned to the feet. A series of left hands from Massenzio appeared to rock Cantwell, but he was able to attempt a standing guillotine. Cantwell’s nose poured blood as the fight wound to a close. Massenzio took Cantwell’s back, but ended up in a leg lock attempt as the final bell sounded.
The back-and-forth battle was scored for Massenzio on all three scorecards. With both fighters known as grapplers, Massenzio proclaimed that he was prepared no matter where the fight went. The win spoiled Cantwell’s middleweight debut and may have cost the fighter his job.
Official Result: Mike Massenzio def. Steve Cantwell by unanimous decision (29-28, 30-27, 29-28)
Rob Tatum is a Featured Columnist for Bleacher Report MMA. You can also find Rob’s work at TheMMACorner.com. For anything related to MMA, you can follow Rob on Twitter @RobTatumMMA.
HOUSTON — This is the UFC 136 live blog for Jose Aldo vs. Kenny Florian, the co-main event of tonight’s UFC 136 pay-per-view from the Toyota Center.
Aldo (19-1), who is putting his UFC featherweight title on the line for the second time, defeated Mark Hominick at UFC 129 in April. Florian (14-5) made his featherweight debut at UFC 131 in June, beating Diego Nunes via unanimous decision.
Round 1: Florian opens with a head kick out of southpaw stance. Aldo shoots forward with a combo. He lands a left hook. Crowd chants for Aldo. Florian tries a takedown, Aldo sprawls and feeds him a series of right hands. Florian gets the takedown but Aldo springs up in a flash. Florian drives him against the cage. Florian drags Aldo down twice in a row, and Aldo doesn’t stay down for more than a second either time. Florian is determined to take it down. Aldo breaks his grip and goes free. Florian clinches, trying to put Aldo against the fence. Aldo throws an elbow, and Florian just holds him against the cage. Rough round to score. Florian was the aggressor but Aldo landed the better shots. I give Florian the edge 10-9.
HOUSTON — This is the UFC 136 live blog for Jose Aldo vs. Kenny Florian, the co-main event of tonight’s UFC 136 pay-per-view from the Toyota Center.
Aldo (19-1), who is putting his UFC featherweight title on the line for the second time, defeated Mark Hominick at UFC 129 in April. Florian (14-5) made his featherweight debut at UFC 131 in June, beating Diego Nunes via unanimous decision.
Round 1: Florian opens with a head kick out of southpaw stance. Aldo shoots forward with a combo. He lands a left hook. Crowd chants for Aldo. Florian tries a takedown, Aldo sprawls and feeds him a series of right hands. Florian gets the takedown but Aldo springs up in a flash. Florian drives him against the cage. Florian drags Aldo down twice in a row, and Aldo doesn’t stay down for more than a second either time. Florian is determined to take it down. Aldo breaks his grip and goes free. Florian clinches, trying to put Aldo against the fence. Aldo throws an elbow, and Florian just holds him against the cage. Rough round to score. Florian was the aggressor but Aldo landed the better shots. I give Florian the edge 10-9.
UFC lightweight champion Frankie Edgar (13-1-1) may have learned more about himself in his draw with Gray Maynard (10-0-1) than in all of his other fights combined.If he didn’t learn as much, he learned the most important thing in knowing just ho…
UFC lightweight champion Frankie Edgar (13-1-1) may have learned more about himself in his draw with Gray Maynard (10-0-1) than in all of his other fights combined.
If he didn’t learn as much, he learned the most important thing in knowing just how much he can push himself to make an unbelievable come from behind performance after suffering a 10-8 first round. It arguably could have been scored a 10-7 after Edgar was dropped three times by the power punches of Maynard.
Both fighters admit they are sick of thinking about the other one, and it’s not hard to see why. Edgar’s only career loss is against Maynard, and he was close to avenging that in the last fight. The draw can be considered a victory for Edgar because he still kept his title.
Maynard comes into the fight being 1-0-1 against his opponent but doesn’t feel like he ever scored a victory over Edgar, mainly because he doesn’t hold the championship belt.
A victory for Edgar can erase any memory of his first two fights with Maynard, and he can move on to challenge the rest of the stacked lightweight roster knowing he is better than ever before and having beaten every one of his opponents.
Edgar may be the only UFC fighter who has only faced two fighters through four title fights. Two fights with B.J. Penn and two with Maynard mean he has had to prove himself more than once that he is one of the UFC’s best champions.
UFC 136 will also host a featherweight title fight between UFC featherweight champion Jose Aldo and No. 1 contender Kenny Florian. Aldo comes into the bout off his victory over Mark Hominick while Florian was last seen defeating Diego Nunes in his 145 pound debut.
Other main card bouts include Joe Lauzon vs. Melvin Guillard, Chael Sonnen vs. Brian Stann and Nam Phan vs. Leonard Garcia.
The event will kick off its preliminary card on Facebook at 6 p.m. ET and will feature four bouts, including Mike Massenzio vs. Steve Cantwell.
The Spike TV portion of UFC 136 will be broadcast at 8 p.m. ET. It will feature two bouts, including Demian Maia vs. Jorge Santiago and Anthony Pettis vs. Jeremy Stephens.
HOUSTON — Three championship tries in two weight classes finished in frustration for Kenny Florian.
HOUSTON — This is the