Tag: Kenny Florian

Florian Takes Exception to Maynard Comments, Questions ‘Bully’s’ Will

Filed under: UFCBOSTON — Kenny Florian is the type of cerebral fighter who doesn’t waste time getting overly invested in back-and-forth pre-fight chatter. In fact, it’s downright unusual to hear Florian spout negatives about his opponent. He tends to …

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BOSTON — Kenny Florian is the type of cerebral fighter who doesn’t waste time getting overly invested in back-and-forth pre-fight chatter. In fact, it’s downright unusual to hear Florian spout negatives about his opponent. He tends to stress his foe’s strengths, realizing they are hurdles for him to jump.

Yet one comment made by UFC 118 opponent Gray Maynard seemed to have gotten under Florian’s skin. In a recent interview, Maynard voiced a belief that Florian tends to wilt under pressure. It was a comment to which the two-time top contender in the division took exception.

“I’m not sure where he got that from,” Florian said following a media workout on Thursday. “When I had minimal skills and experience, I fought Sean Sherk for five rounds, and he beat me up good, but I was there until the end, trying to win with an arm lock or trying to knock his head off; whatever I could. I don’t know what he’s talking about. He’s ‘The Bully.’ He’s the guy who needs to be concerned with what happens if his will gets broken.

Gray Maynard Looking Forward to Hostile Crowd at UFC 118

Filed under: MMA Videos, UFC, FanHouse Exclusive, VideosBOSTON — MMA Fighting spoke to Gray Maynard about Saturday’s fight against Kenny Florian at Wednesday’s UFC 118 press conference.

Maynard talked about getting passed over for a title shot in Apr…

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BOSTON — MMA Fighting spoke to Gray Maynard about Saturday’s fight against Kenny Florian at Wednesday’s UFC 118 press conference.

Maynard talked about getting passed over for a title shot in April, whether he feels he needs to talk more trash to get noticed, and his game plan against Florian.

Check out the video interview below.

Kenny Florian Makes Case for Third Crack at Lightweight Title

Filed under: MMA Videos, UFC, FanHouse Exclusive, VideosBOSTON — MMA Fighting caught up with Kenny Florian at Wednesday’s UFC 118 pre-fight press conference.

Florian talked about fighting for the UFC in his home state for the first time, his evolutio…

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BOSTON — MMA Fighting caught up with Kenny Florian at Wednesday’s UFC 118 pre-fight press conference.

Florian talked about fighting for the UFC in his home state for the first time, his evolution as a fighter since he began training with Firas Zahabi at the Tristar Gym in Montreal, what he expects from Gray Maynard and whether he believes he deserves a third crack at the lightweight title.

Check out the video interview below.

Dana White: Kenny Florian-Gray Maynard Winner Guaranteed Title Shot

Filed under: UFC, NewsBOSTON — Fighting for the first time in his UFC career in his native state of Massachusetts, Kenny Florian already has plenty of incentive and motivation to beat Gray Maynard.

On Wednesday, he got one more reason.

UFC president…

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BOSTON — Fighting for the first time in his UFC career in his native state of Massachusetts, Kenny Florian already has plenty of incentive and motivation to beat Gray Maynard.

On Wednesday, he got one more reason.

UFC president Dana White confirmed that the winner of the Florian-Gray Maynard UFC 118 fight will indeed be guaranteed the next crack at the UFC lightweight championship.

Kenny Florian Not Worried About Maynard’s Wrestling, Thanks to Help from GSP

Filed under: UFCEvery fighter wants a chance to compete in front of a hometown crowd. At least they think they do. There’s no hassle with airports, no strange restaurants, no frantic searches for a health food store so you can stock your hotel room wit…

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Every fighter wants a chance to compete in front of a hometown crowd. At least they think they do. There’s no hassle with airports, no strange restaurants, no frantic searches for a health food store so you can stock your hotel room with gluten-free whatever. It’s familiar. It’s home. And it doesn’t hurt that you get to walk out on fight night to a unanimous chorus of cheers.

But sometimes home isn’t all it’s cracked up to be. Not when every local media outlet wants a piece of you and every person who ever sat next to in a high school geometry class wants you to get them a ticket to the fights.

That’s the situation Boston native Kenny Florian is in this week. On Saturday night at UFC 118 he takes on Gray Maynard in a fight to determine who will get the next crack at the UFC lightweight title, and he does it in front of a hometown crowd that will place its hopes and expectations for a local victory onto his narrow shoulders.

“It can be a little distracting,” Florian told MMA Fighting. “But it’s stuff I’ve dealt with before. People want you to get them tickets to every fight. You have to win every fight. You always have your fans supporting you and people in your corner expecting you to do well. That’s just how it is.”

Kenny Florian Says He’s Improved in All Areas Heading into UFC 118

Due to James Toney ‘WTF did he say now?’ antics regarding Saturday’s tilt with Randy Couture, plus the understandable speculation about how Frankie Edgar vs. BJ Penn II will play out, the fact that Kenny Florian is also fighting Gray Maynard at UFC 118 has kind of gotten lost in the mix. Not that we […]

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Due to James Toney ‘WTF did he say now?’ antics regarding Saturday’s tilt with Randy Couture, plus the understandable speculation about how Frankie Edgar vs. BJ Penn II will play out, the fact that Kenny Florian is also fighting Gray Maynard at UFC 118 has kind of gotten lost in the mix. Not that we should talk of course, as we’ve been drawn to the Toney pre-fight sh-t show just as much as the next guy, but when you think about it, Florian vs. Maynard is huge. Both guys are top contenders; both have taken out some notable fighters, and a win for either dude is crucial. If Maynard wins, he’s gotta be a lock for a title shot; if Florian wins, then things could get really, really, complicated (depending on what happens with Edgar vs. Penn II).

It will be interesting to see how Florian handles Maynard’s size, power and wrestling, especially since “KenFlo” has improved leaps and bounds since he was grounded and pounded to a UD loss by Sean Sherk. Speaking to Heavy.com about this Saturday’s tilt, here is some of what Florian had to say:

“This is the biggest challenge of my career, my way of proving to myself how far I’ve come,” Florian said. “My striking is at higher level. My jiu-jitsu, conditioning, and even wrestling are all better. I’m going to play the same game I always play. I’m going to be aggressive, go forward and wait for a mistake. Hopefully that mistake will come at some point and hopefully I’ll be there to capitalize on it.”

Should be a doozy. To bet on it head here.