Every MMA fan loves a good knockout, and in this fight I would not recommend taking a break from the action. This one may not last long. Both of these men possess the striking skills and precision to put any man in their weight class to sleep. Vit…
Every MMA fan loves a good knockout, and in this fight I would not recommend taking a break from the action. This one may not last long. Both of these men possess the striking skills and precision to put any man in their weight class to sleep. Vitor Belfort has been knocking people out in the […]
Ultimate Fighting Championship veteran, and current co-host of the UFC Tonight program on Fuel TV, Kenny Florian (14-6) has been taking some time off since his last fight, a unanimous decision loss to featherweight champ Jose Aldo last October at UFC 136. One of the reasons for the extended delay from training is due to […]
Photo via UFC.com
Ultimate Fighting Championship veteran, and current co-host of the UFC Tonight program on Fuel TV, Kenny Florian (14-6) has been taking some time off since his last fight, a unanimous decision loss to featherweight champ Jose Aldo last October at UFC 136.
One of the reasons for the extended delay from training is due to his back, which has plagued him throughout his career. Florian told the Boston Herald that in November 2011 he suffered a new back injury while lifting weights, he says he is still experiencing numbness and tingling down his right leg since the initial injury which has prevented him from training.
“It’s possible, unfortunately,” Florian said of his career ending. “I’ve kind of been going back-and-forth with some of the doctors, so it’s possible. I’m going to see. As of right now, obviously I can’t compete and train like I was at all. I’m just kind of doing what I can and hoping that things heal up and get better. I’m just kind of in a holding pattern. That’s why I decided to do this commentary for the time being and take this next six months to really heal up and try to make some money on the side. It sucks. The last couple of months I’ve just been figuring out what’s going on and what I’m going to do.”
Florian also says that his doctors have told him to retire but is holding out hope that he can get better and return for one more title run.
His loss to Aldo was his third title fight in the UFC, having lost twice in lightweight title fights. The first to Sean Sherk back in 2006 at UFC 64, and the second against B.J Penn at UFC 101 in August 2009.
Mixed martial arts veteran, and sure to be a UFC Hall of Famer, Dan ‘Hendo’ Henderson recently turned down a fight versus Antonio Rogerio Nogueira which was reported on Tuesday night during UFC Tonight on Fuel TV. On Wednesday, the former PRIDE and Strikeforce champion explained his reasons for turning down the fight during a […]
Mixed martial arts veteran, and sure to be a UFC Hall of Famer, Dan ‘Hendo’ Henderson recently turned down a fight versus Antonio Rogerio Nogueira which was reported on Tuesday night during UFC Tonight on Fuel TV.
On Wednesday, the former PRIDE and Strikeforce champion explained his reasons for turning down the fight during a segment on Clinch Gear Radio(hit play to hear the segment).
“I was under the impression that [Dana White] was still kinda on the fence on whether he was gonna put me in front of Rashad (Evans) or not. That’s assuming Rashad wins. He did offer me a fight with little Nogueira and I didn’t think the fans would be interested in that fight and it’s not as much time as I’d like to prepare for a five round fight. So I told him I’d wait and see what happens with the Rashad fight. I would like to fight Jones now rather than if I took that fight with Little Nog. I wouldn’t be fighting Jones for another eight, ninth months. I’m okay waiting a little bit. It was more about having the time to prepare and I did inquire to say ‘Hey, I would be interested in doing it if it was a three round fight,’ I could have time to prepare.”
Nogueira will instead face Alexander Gustafsson at the UFC’s first card in Sweden.
The two have faced one another before back in Arpil 2005 at a PRIDE Total Elimination 2005 event, in the opening round of the PRIDE Middleweight Grand Prix. The bout would end in a victory for ‘Little Nog’ who finished Henderson with a first round submission (armbar).
UFC lightweight and featherweight title challenger Kenny Florian may see his career as a mixed-martial-artist come to an end after suffering a back injury, according to an interview with the Boston Herald. The 35-year-old suffered a lumbar herniat…
UFC lightweight and featherweight title challenger Kenny Florian may see his career as a mixed-martial-artist come to an end after suffering a back injury, according to an interview with the Boston Herald.
The 35-year-old suffered a lumbar herniated disc in his lower back while weight training late last year. A unsuccessful attempt at winning the 145-pound title against reigning champion Jose Aldo in October had Florian considering a move back to lightweight.
“It’s possible, unfortunately,” Florian said. “I’ve kind of been going back-and-forth with some of the doctors, so it’s possible. I’m going to see. As of right now, obviously I can’t compete and train like I was at all. I’m just kind of doing what I can and hoping that things heal up and get better. I’m just kind of in a holding pattern. That’s why I decided to do this commentary for the time being and take this next six months to really heal up and try to make some money on the side. It sucks. The last couple of months I’ve just been figuring out what’s going on and what I’m going to do.”
If Florian is unable to continue competing due to the injury, there will always be a career as a commentator for the UFC. It’s something he has done before, and many fans like to hear a new voice every once and a while. Events where Florian has commentated include UFC 83, Ultimate Fight Night 19 and UFC 134. He also has done commentator work for the WEC.
“It’s not good,” Florian continued. “That’s why I’m trying to stay hopeful. We’ll see. I’ve been out here in (Los Angeles) doing this show every week for ‘UFC Tonight’ for Fuel TV and doing some other things. I’m just hoping that it can heal up and get better and then see if I can go back to doing what I was doing. So far, I still need to rest. If I go to do something physical, I’m just not able to do it. That pain is coming back.”
Florian’s record stands at 14-6 with wins over Clay Guida, Takanor Gomi, Joe Stevenson, Roger Huerta, Joe Lauzon and Sam Stout. His attempts at UFC titles came against BJ Penn, Sean Sherk and Aldo.
A fighter can’t choose their nickname; it’s one of those things that’s given to a fighter. Like a ceremonial gift from a coach of peer, a nickname means something.Or in some cases, it’s simply an inside joke within the gym, like Junior dos Santos being…
A fighter can’t choose their nickname; it’s one of those things that’s given to a fighter. Like a ceremonial gift from a coach of peer, a nickname means something.
Or in some cases, it’s simply an inside joke within the gym, like Junior dos Santos being called “Cigano” because of his long hair.
Sometimes, a fighter’s nickname even becomes bigger than the fighter themselves. That’s the case with the people on this list. They were not the first or the last person to have these nicknames, but the people on this list will always be associated with them.
Every MMA fan loves a good knockout, and in this fight I would not recommend taking a break from the action. This one may not last long. Both of these men possess the striking skills and precision to put any man in their weight class to sleep. Vit…
Every MMA fan loves a good knockout, and in this fight I would not recommend taking a break from the action. This one may not last long. Both of these men possess the striking skills and precision to put any man in their weight class to sleep. Vitor Belfort has been knocking people out in the UFC since 1997. Anthony Johnson is part of the new breed of MMA strikers who is taking a foothold in the UFC and beyond.
Each of these men is dangerous and different in their approach to their combat. Below I will discuss each man’s strengths and weaknesses and then I will break down the fight.
Anthony “Rumble” Johnson
Anthony Johnson is a debuting middleweight who often had extreme difficulty making the welterweight limit. He often drained much of his stamina and strength due to the fact that he had to lose so many pounds. Johnson himself now admits to the weight loss bothering and hindering him. What is scary about that is Johnson was already a top fighter at welterweight. Now that he is not forced to make that huge weight cut he will retain his power far better.
Johnson could end the fight with strikes, but it is also interesting to note that he has been effective with his wrestling when he needed it. He used it to easily dominate Dan Hardy in a fight where, although it lacked the frenzied attack of a normal “Rumble” Johnson fight, his wrestling helped him control his opponent. This could be a significant factor in the latter part of the fight if Anthony thinks he is behind on the cards.
Vitor “The Phenom” Belfort
Vitor Belfort has had a rollercoaster ride in the UFC middleweight division. He easily dispatched Rich Franklin and then was forced to sit on the sidelines due to injury. Then for some reason unknown to me Belfort was still given a shot at Anderson Silva and his UFC middleweight title after only one win in the UFC (which was at a catchweight of 195).
The Spider then frontkicked Vitor back down the ladder. However, soon after Vitor dispatched Yoshihiro Akiyama in less than a round, which sets up this UFC 142 showdown with Anthony Johnson. If Vitor wins in Rio it will be his first winning streak in almost three years. He seems to still have the fire of a warrior burning in him, enough to attempt to win a championship.
Vitor will need to finish this fight early in my eyes. He tends to fade in the later rounds and so does his punching power. Vitor has never scored a knockout after the second round. Can he still be effective in the later rounds when Johnson will still be strong?
The Breakdown
Both of these guys are going to be looking for the knockout. If Vitor can connect early he is a phenomenal finisher. When the “Phenom” smells blood in the water he moves in for the finish better than anyone in the business. The only problem is that Anthony Johnson is an even better fighter at middleweight than he was at 170 pounds. Johnson will survive the early onslaught.
I envision Johnson being able to survive the early flurries of Vitor and looking for counter opportunities early even a takedown if he gets clipped. If the fight goes into the second or third round Johnson will still have the advantage due to his pace. He will stay steady attacking throughout and Belfort will fade as he has historically done in the past. Anthony Johnson wins this fight and moves into the top 10 at middleweight in style. This fight will be a slugfest with fight of the night written all over it. Who’s ready for a rumble in the jungle?
UFC lightweight and featherweight title challenger