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Kenny Florian Hopes Third Time Is The Charm In Elusive Championship Hunt

Filed under: UFC, NewsHOUSTON — For Kenny Florian, the third time better be the charm.

The respected UFC veteran has twice before fought for a UFC title, but come up short each time. Saturday might be the 35-year-old’s last chance at a major champio…

Filed under: UFC, News

HOUSTON — For Kenny Florian, the third time better be the charm.

The respected UFC veteran has twice before fought for a UFC title, but come up short each time. Saturday might be the 35-year-old’s last chance at a major championship.

For Florian, the opportunity comes just one fight into the move to the UFC’s featherweight division. In his 145-pound debut, Florian earned a decision over Diego Nunes, but it wasn’t a vintage performance, leading many to wonder if he can bring the goods to beat the great Jose Aldo.

Florian says that moving down was a good decision at a bad time. At the moment he decided to try his hand at featherweight, he was coming off a knee injury that had him sidelined, and he weighed around 180 pounds, his heaviest weight in years.

Getting those 35 pounds off to make the featherweight limit proved to be what he termed the “toughest thing I’ve ever done in my life, for sure.”

With only four months between that fight and this weekend’s UFC 136, Florian monitored his weight much closer, getting no higher than 168 pounds. On Thursday, one day before weigh-ins, he told MMA Fighting he was at 154.

So the weight issue is no issue.

That makes Saturday all about performance. In Aldo, Florian faces a well-rounded opponent with fast hands, excellent power and underrated grappling.

Except for the fact that Aldo is liberal with his use of kicks, he’s fairly similar to the man that Florian last faced for the title, BJ Penn.

The Penn loss proved to be a turning point for Florian. Prior to that, he spent most of his time training with his coaching staff and a series of partners, many of whom had never fought professionally.

Soon after, he began to supplement the training at his own Boston area gym with trip to Montreal to train with Firas Zahabi. That opened up a new world of training partners, from UFC welterweight champ Georges St-Pierre to wunderkind Rory MacDonald. Under the “iron sharpens iron” philosophy, Florian believes that improved preparation will have him at his best for Aldo.

“I just think I’m doing it at the right time, where I have all the things I should have had all along during my career,” he said.” I have the best coaches, the best training partners. I think I found a good groove, a good way to train.”

Yet Florian will have to find a way to put that hard work into action on Saturday. After his UFC 118 loss to Gray Maynard, a No. 1 contenders fight that precipitated his drop to featherweight, UFC president Dana White characterized Florian’s performance in less than flattering terms. In fact, he threw out a phrase that most fighters would consider offensive.

“I think Kenny is just one of those guys who chokes in big fights,” White said then.

Not surprisingly, Florian strongly disagrees, citing his wins Roger Huerta and Joe Stevenson prior to earning his title shot against Penn, along with wins over Clay Guida and Takanori Gomi.

But White yields a big megaphone. When he says something, it usually sticks. So Florian won’t just be fighting for a belt, he’ll be fighting to try and change that perception of him.

“For the fans, and for the all the haters, the people who do say I choke in the big fights, it would be validation as well, but more than anything else, I want to go in there and beat a great opponent in Aldo,” he said.

If he can’t do it, his future will be murky. Three championship losses in two divisions may limit his options. Does he try to rebound at 145? Move back up to lightweight? Is retirement a possibility? White, at least, is on record as saying it could be Florian’s last title fight. So Florian has to make it count.

MMA will always be in his life in some way, shape or form, but UFC 136 may be his last chance to pan for gold.

“It’s a dream of mine since I committed to be a professional fighter,” he said. “That’s what everyone wants and what they should want. I’d still be the same fighter, still be the same guy. It would be some validation, really for everyone else, I guess. I know I’m a good fighter. I’ve done all the work. I’ve prepared hard. That’s the most important thing.”

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Should the Winner of the Brian Stann/Chael Sonnen Match Get the Chance to Be Slaughtered by Anderson Silva Next?

(Who honestly wouldn’t want to see this again?)

Dana White is like a walking, talking, movie trailer. He reveals just enough to get his audience hot with anticipation, only to deny them with the necessary answers as to why they were watching him in the first place. During the UFC 136 pre-fight press conference, and in accordance with multiple sources, “The Baldfather” apparently revealed that the winner of the upcoming bout between Brian Stann and submission savant Chael Sonnen at UFC 136 would be next in line for a chance to dethrone Anderson Silva. Sort of. Maybe.

The question that sparked all the fuss was as follows: “How could you feel that if Sonnen wins, he deserves a shot at the title but if not Stann doesn’t?”

To which DW responded:

(Who honestly wouldn’t want to see this again?)

The question that sparked all the fuss was as follows: ”How could you feel that if Sonnen wins, he deserves a shot at the title but if not Stann doesn’t?”

To which DW responded: “Stann’s been on a tear and has beat some good guys and has looked good doing it. Leben, Santiago, and now Chael? It would be tough to deny him.”

Dana went on to further confuse everyone when questioned by Megan Olivi following the press conference, stating that Dan Henderson would most certainly be in the mix if he gets past Maricio Rua in their upcoming fight at UFC 139. Truly the David Lynch of straight answers.

I’m assuming that this is one of DW’s many ways to get the notion across to his fighters that title shots are often based on impressive performances rather than win streaks (ie. Jon Fitch). Hopefully this will provide some much needed spark for Sonnen, who has admitted to not feeling his best leading up to his match with Stann. Keep in mind, the last person that apparently fought Stann at less than 100 percent was Chris Leben, and it did not end well for him.

And it is hard to deny that Stann has earned it. The man has had possibly the best year of any non-title holding fighter out there, scoring back-to-back TKO’s of Leben and Jorge Santiago, respectively. Combine that with a successful win in his middleweight debut against *cough* Mike Massenzio *cough* and that would be enough to earn Kenny Florian a title shot in any division he wanted for the next few years.

Now, I must admit that I am a little conflicted about who I want to win this one. On one hand, I am a big fan of Brian Stann, because how can you not be? But on the other, I don’t see Stann’s orthodox striking being very effective against a freak like Silva, and though I consider Chael to be a troll of sorts, there’s no denying that he had the best showing against Silva and could give the champ another run for his money in a possible rematch. But now with Henderson in the mix, it’s likely that Stann could get overlooked based on his ability to draw PPV numbers alone.

Another outside factor here is the simple fact that the Hendo/Rua match is being held at light heavyweight, yet Dana is making no mention of the winner getting the next shot against Jon Jones, after Rashad Evans of course. Either way, it looks like Dana has got some ‘splainin to do.

What say you Potato Nation? Stann or Sonnen, who takes it and how, and does the winner deserve the title shot? Also, would you rather see Hendo fight Jon Jones or Anderson if he is successful against Rua?

-Danga

Could Stipe Miocic Be UFC’s ‘Next Great Heavyweight’?

Filed under: UFC

If you have a computer and a Facebook account — and the mere fact that you are reading this suggests that you have at least one of those things — you might want to be sure and tune in to Saturday’s UFC 136 prelims. If several trainers and MMA insiders are to be believed, that’s where you could catch a glimpse of a very bright prospect in the UFC’s heavyweight division.

Stipe Miocic (pronounced: steep-eh) is only 6-0 as a professional, but the former Golden Gloves boxer and college wrestling standout already has much of the fight world buzzing.

“I believe that guy could take it all the way. I really do,” said trainer Trevor Wittman, who worked with Miocic during the fighter’s visit to the Grudge Training Center in Denver recently. “He’s the next great heavyweight coming into the UFC. His composure, his attitude, his willingness to learn and be open to things, his toughness — it’s just all there.”

Marcus Marinelli, who is Miocic’s coach at the Strong Style Fight Team in Independence, Ohio, said that even the videos of his MMA fights that have made the rounds on the internet recently don’t necessarily do him justice.

“I think at times he’s fought down to the level of his opponent, so you don’t always see what I see in the gym,” Marinelli said. “But that’s going to change on Saturday night.”

Miocic first walked through the doors of the Strong Style gym after he’d been recruited to help former Pride and UFC fighter Dan Bobish prepare for a bout. He’d been a two-sport athlete at Cleveland State University, wrestling in the 197-pound class and drawing the attention of Major League scouts as a third baseman, but it was mainly his ability to help Bobish improve his wrestling and takedown defense that caught Marinelli’s eye at first, he said.

“He really helped Dan out a lot, but right away I saw his potential with his wrestling and athleticism. So little by little, he started training with us.”

As Miocic remembered with a laugh, he walked in as a training partner, “and then I never left the gym.”

Marinelli began slowly adding weapons to Miocic’s arsenal, he said, but soon the 6’3″, 240-pound fighter fell in love with boxing. The next thing Marinelli knew, Miocic was headed for the national Golden Gloves tournament in Salt Lake City.

“He made it as far as the quarterfinals, and I think he could have won the whole thing, but he just didn’t have as much boxing experience as some of those guys,” said Marinelli. Miocic had only been boxing for a little over a year at that point, but “still people were looking at him going, where did this kid come from?”

Now the 29-year-old is on the verge of his UFC debut against Joey Beltran at UFC 136 after less than two years as a professional. It was a bit of a surprise to him to get the call from the big show so soon in his career he said, but his coach wasn’t.

“Most people, you’d want them to have more fights, but he’s the exception to the rule,” Marinelli said. “He’s still got to come in and perform, but he’s got all the tools.”

Of course, it’s one thing to look good when you’re fighting bar bouncers and training room heroes in front of a couple thousand people in Cleveland. Taking on an experienced heavyweight on a UFC pay-per-view event isn’t even in the same zip code as far as nerves go, and the dreaded “Octagon jitters” have, more than once, turned prospects into flops before our very eyes.

It’s something Miocic has considered, he said, but has tried not to dwell on.

“I talked to Forrest Petz, who fought in the UFC, and he told me, ‘Man, it’s still just you and another guy,'” Miocic said. “That part doesn’t change.”

As Marinelli put it, “Nobody can say [jitters are] never a concern. Sure it’s a concern. But that’s what I’m here for and that’s what the other coaches are here for, to ensure that he walks in there he shows the true Stipe Miocic that we know.”

The Stipe they know just happens to be an undefeated wrecking machine who’s put away all six of his opponents, with none lasting beyond the second round. If they can get that same guy to show up in the UFC — and against UFC-caliber opponents — there’s no telling how far he could go.

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Win a Copy of ‘UFC Encyclopedia’ in Our UFC 136 Fight-Picking Contest!

Zuffa Editorial Director Thomas Gerbasi has just given us a stack of his upcoming book UFC Encyclopedia, a slick and meticulously detailed reference guide to the promotion’s 18-year history — perfect for your coffee table or the crapper. And we want to give away three copies to the savviest fight-pickers in the Potato Nation.

This Saturday, UFC 136: Edgar vs. Maynard III goes down at the Toyota Center in Houston, featuring the conclusion (we hope) of MMA’s grittiest lightweight rivalry, Jose Aldo‘s latest title featherweight defense against Kenny Florian, and Chael Sonnen‘s love-fest with Brian Stann. Submit your predictions for these three fights in the comments section below, including the winner’s name, the method of victory, and the time/round of stoppage, if any. Your entry should be in this format:

– Gray Maynard def. Frankie via split decision (48-47, 47-48, 48-47)
– Jose Aldo def. Kenny Florian via TKO, 4:10 of round 4
– Chael Sonnen def. Brian Stann via submission (brabo choke), 0:13 of round 1

Please include the judges’ scores if you think a fight will end in a decision, in case we need them for a tie-breaker. The three most accurate predictions win a copy of the book. Entries must be in by Saturday at noon ET, and we’ll announce the winner on Monday. One entry per person, please. Any other questions, let us know in the comments section. Good luck.

Buy UFC Encyclopedia for $29.76 on Amazon

Chael Sonnen Insults Anderson Silva’s Wife, Says He Will ‘Pat Her on the Ass.’

Chael Sonnen is at it again. The outspoken middleweight has put a proverbial target on UFC middleweight champion, Anderson Silva, but this time he took a more personal approach.While making an appearance on “The MMA Show” with Mauro Ranallo, Sonne…

Chael Sonnen is at it again.

The outspoken middleweight has put a proverbial target on UFC middleweight champion, Anderson Silva, but this time he took a more personal approach.

While making an appearance on “The MMA Show” with Mauro Ranallo, Sonnen took a jab at Silva’s family, more specifically his wife.

“You tell Anderson Silva that I’m coming over and I’m kicking down his backdoor and patting his little lady on the ass and I’m telling her to make me a steak, medium-rare just how I like it,” Sonnen said.

Sonnen challenged Silva at UFC 117, where he dominated the Brazilian and was nearly victorious before being submitted in the final round.

Since then, he has continuously mocked the middleweight champion, including his training camp, Team Blackhouse, and criticized his performances.

The insult isn’t anything surprising coming from Sonnen’s mouth, but it is ironic.

Recently, he was a lot more respectful towards the Brazilian, even going as far as admitting he was the best pound-for-pound fighter in mixed martial arts.

It is expected that the winner between Chael Sonnen and Brian Stann at UFC 136 will challenge Silva for the middleweight title at some point next year.

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UFC 136: If Kenny Florian Doesn’t Take the Title It Might Be Time to Move on

I am a fan of Kenny Florian. I find that he is funny and intelligent outside of the cage and vicious and technical inside of it.He is perhaps one of the best fighters to never win a belt in the UFC. Every time he seems like he is close to g…

I am a fan of Kenny Florian. I find that he is funny and intelligent outside of the cage and vicious and technical inside of it.

He is perhaps one of the best fighters to never win a belt in the UFC. Every time he seems like he is close to getting that brass ring, it slips from his grasp.

Part of it has to do with the fighters he’s faced. Sean Sherk, B.J. Penn, and Gray Maynard, in a lightweight title eliminator, are no joke. If he loses to Jose Aldo on Saturday it will just be another great fighter who Florian came up short against.

It depends on the fight, but there are many fans who believe that the young Aldo will have too much for Florian. If Aldo does win, what is next for The Ultimate Fighter alumni?

At 35 he isn’t getting any younger and he most likely can’t cut down to bantamweight. So, what is the next step?

He could continue fighting, but at this point he would only tarnish his career by continuing to try and get the title. If it doesn’t happen on Saturday, it probably never will. Florian is way to good to become a gatekeeper.

Some fans and MMA insiders have mentioned that he should become a commentator. It’s a good suggestion, as Florian has always impressed when he appears on the MMA hour and has legitimate knowledge, being a fighter himself.

However, I believe that Florian would be best served doing another job.

Dana White‘s job.

This doesn’t mean that when he retires from the cage, whether it be on Saturday or in the future, he should immediately get it. He should be put in the company and under Dana White to learn.

Florian would be perfect as the President of the UFC. He is educated, a former fighter, and polite. Dana White is what got the UFC to where it is, but in the coming years it will need somebody different to help it go on to the next level.

The other reason Florian should get White’s job is because Dana White won’t be around forever. In a sit-down interview with Joe Rogan, White admitted that in about 10 years he would like to retire. Though he is relatively young, White’s schedule is incredibly stressful and it wouldn’t be surprising if he burned out in less than a decade.

Florian might be only seven years younger than White, but being a fighter is still less stressful than being the president of the premier MMA company. He is healthier and is not as worn out as White.

He also understands how to handle media and be in the spotlight. It makes him a great candidate overall.

Of course, Florian might end up winning on Saturday and become the best featherweight title holder in MMA history.

But if he doesn’t, the alternatives aren’t that bad either.

Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com