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KENNY
FLORIAN NEWS
August 17, 2008
Kenny Wants to Fight Again in 2008
"I do not want to wait around for too long. I want to stay busy. I'm a fighter, I want to fight again before the year's end," Florian said. "I can't wait for B.J. that long. That would put me out for eight months at least. I do want to fight again. I want to fight another top guy. ... The fighter in me doesn't want to be left in limbo. The fan in me would love to see that fight, to be honest, Georges St. Pierre and B.J. Penn."
August 10, 2008
Kenny Florian’s Close to Top Again (Boston Herald)
Kenny Florian is on the precipice of another shot at an elusive title. The 32-year-old Dover native didn’t have enough to knock out Roger Huerta during last night’s UFC lightweight bout at the Target Center, but it turned out not to be necessary.
read article
August
9, 2008
Kenny Beats Roger Huerta at UFC 87
Kenny Florian proved that he was ready for another shot at the lightweight crown as he scored a shutout three round decision win over the hometown hero, winning his fifth straight bout in the process.
Scores were 30-27 across the board for Florian, who improves to 12-3; Huerta, who lost for the first time in his UFC career, falls to 22-2-1.
“I know how hard it was to fight Roger Huerta,” said Florian. “I didn’t want to get into a brawl with him, I wanted to be technical and I think I was able to do that.”
Huerta picked at Florian with leg kicks and counters early on as Florian took his time and waited for his opening. 1:15 in, Florian scored the takedown, and with Huerta against the fence, the Bostonian moved into the mount position and then took Huerta’s back. But Huerta powered his way back up and out of trouble, prompting a chant of ‘Huerta, Huerta’ from the crowd. On the feet, Florian scored with a knee, but Huerta flurried back furiously before the two locked up and battled at close range. When the two locked up, Florian held the edge with the cleaner technique, but Huerta’s aggression remained unchecked, and the fans roared at the bell.
The pace started off fast in round two, with both fighters having their moments while standing, but nothing fight altering. Two minutes in, the fight hit the mat, with Florian escaping a kimura attempt and briefly getting Huerta’s back. ‘El Matador’ escaped without any problems and got back to his feet, only briefly hitting the mat again after a Florian trip. In the final minute, the fighters locked up, with Florian’s elbow the big scoring shot, but Huerta refused to cower, and he was still swinging as Florian tagged him in the final seconds.
Florian opened up the final round with a kick to the chin and a brief takedown, and after the two scrambled back to their feet, Florian landed a series of hard strikes and put the fight on the mat again. With 1:30 gone, the two stood, and Huerta – his face swelling up – flurried, only to get tagged again by Florian’s more precise counters. Huerta continued to stalk, but he was unable to cut Florian off, and it was ‘Ken Flo’s steady course of action
that was paying off with a final takedown and close range attack punctuating the hard fought victory.
August
7, 2008
Kenny Florian vies for UFC title shot
- Boston Herald
It was a simple question, certainly not designed to catch him off guard, but Mark DellaGrotte was stumped.
read article
August
5, 2008
Never Satisfied, Kenny Florian Keeps His Nose to The Grindstone
“I still did a lot of things wrong in that fight,” he said. “There is always room for improvement. Either for physical or technical reasons, I didn’t show what I was fully capable of in the Lauzon fight."
read article
August
4, 2008
The Florian Report - Fight Week
- UFC.com
You definitely get those bad
intentions when you land in the fight city.
read article
August 2, 2008
Rolling with the Flo: Ever-talented Kenny Florian readies
for UFC 87
(Yahoo Sports / MMAJunkie.com)
He speaks six languages, is the son of a heart surgeon and grew up in a well-to-do area of suburban Boston. At first glance, Kenny Florian might seem better suited for a job behind the cameras or on the production.
read article
July 31, 2008
Mark DellaGrotte Comments on Kenny's Fight
- Sherdog.com
Mark DellaGrotte, Kenny's Muay Thai/MMA
coach spoke about the Florian/Huerta Fight in a Sherdog interview. "In
my opinion, I think Kenny’s going to determine what type of fight he
makes it. Kenny could run over Roger if he really wants to, or he could
allow Roger to give Kenny a fight. I think Kenny’s ability to harness
his energy and ability to control his aggression and not become
emotionally attached to the fight -- like Roger likes to fight -- is
going to give Kenny the technical advantage that he needs."
July 3, 2008
Florian vs Mishima - UFC Best of 2007 DVD
Kenny's fight versus Dokonjonosuke Mishima at Ultimate Fight Night 9 is featured on a new 2 set DVD from the UFC called UFC Best of 2007. This 3 hour DVD also includes blockbuster fights like Quinton Jackson vs. Chuck Liddell, Forrest Griffin vs. Mauricio Rua, and Georges St-Pierre vs Matt Hughes.
May 20, 2008
Dana White Comments on Florian/Huerta Fight
"Roger Huerta versus Kenny Florian has the potential to be one of the most action packed fights of the year, both have won Fight of the Night awards and they are known for delivering nonstop action," said Dana White, UFC President. "Kenny has established himself as one of the best in the world at 155 and he wants another shot at the title. Roger sports a 20-1 record and is undefeated in 6 UFC fights. That is an amazing accomplishment in one of MMA’s most competitive divisions."
May 1, 2008
Fighter of the Month: Kenny Florian
- Fighters.com
Is there a fighter who accomplished more than Fighters.com’s ninth-ranked lightweight “KenFlo” Kenny Florian (11-3) last month? He opened April dominating a UFC lightweight contender and closed the month as the color commentator at UFC 83. Now, he’s awaiting confirmation from the UFC on the only fight he wants, versus fellow top contender “El Matador” Roger Huerta (20-1-1).
read article
April 29, 2008
Martial-arts star tells Lowell kids to hit books
- Lowell Sun
Kenny Florian fights for a living.
Into the Octagon he goes. He hits people. Kicks them. His elbow strikes? Legendary. The men opposite him fight back. There is blood, and injury. Four weeks ago, an up-and-comer named Joe Lauzon found out how tough Florian is.
read article
April 21, 2008
Remembering Eric "Sityodtong" Armington
Yesterday afternoon the Sityodtong family lost one of our close brothers. Eric Armington known as EZ-E was killed in a motorcycle accident on I-93 close to the gym. Thankfully he did not suffer and died instantly. He was a huge part of the gym and had a great eye for muay thai and the fight game in general. He contributed so much of his time to training others and helping the students improve and see the technical side of muay thai. Both Mark DellaGrotte, myself and a few others from the gym found out last night after UFC 83. We were extremely shocked, saddened and it hit us much worse than any physical strike could.
read more
April 28, 2008
Kenny in NYC for the first annual Ultimate Athlete Competition
On May 4th Kenny will make an appearance at the Ultimate
Athlete Competition which will be held at Wollman Rink, Central Park, NYC. He will signing autographs from 1:00 p.m. - 3:00 p.m.
And, since Kenny was a Big-East Academic Soccer All-Star at Boston College, he will be challenging participants to a soccer shoot-out for fun.
April 7, 2008
Florian excels in UFC, but he's no 'TUF' guy
(Dayton Daily News)
Although a spot on the UFC and Spike TV's hit reality series "The Ultimate Fighter" can include many perks — including instant fame, a long-term UFC contract, and lucrative sponsorship deals — the TV time does include a few drawbacks for its cast members.
read article
April 6, 2008
Florian ready for all comers
(Boston Herald)
Kenny Florian doesn’t know who his next opponent will be, but one thing is certain: whoever it is will be in for a tough fight. Florian has won his last four fights, including a TKO in the second round of Wednesday night’s bout with Joe Lauzon.
read article
April 5, 2008
Kenny Florian to Replace Joe Rogan on UFC 83 Pay-Per-View Broadcast
(AOL Sports)
Although I like the work that Joe Rogan does on UFC broadcasts, I'm not too disappointed about the report from MMA Weekly that Rogan will miss the upcoming broadcast of UFC 83 and will be replaced as the color commentator by Kenny Florian.
read article
April 2, 2008
Can Florian finish his quest for a title?
(YahooSports.com)
BROOMFIELD, Colo. – UFC 1 was held in Denver, only a couple of miles from where Kenny Florian and Joe Lauzon electrified a boisterous sellout crowd of 6,742 that had paid a venue-record gate of $753,429 to watch Ultimate Fight Night 13.at the Broomfield Events Center on Wednesday.
read article
March 26, 2008
Sprawl Interview with Kenny Florian
Q: Who are you training with for this fight?
KF: I’m training with a lot of the usual suspects: boxing conditioning coach; Peter Welch, My strength and conditioning coach; Kevin Kearns. As far as sparring partners goes I have been training with: Wilson Reis, Alberto Crane, Ninja Rua, Patrick Cote, Marcus Davis, Jorge Rivera, and all the other guys at Sityodtong.
read complete interview
March 25, 2008
Florian not overlooking Lauzon: Part II of our exclusive conversation
(insidefighting.com)
The pendulum may have finally swung for Brazilian Jiu Jitsu black belt and Ultimate Fighter alumnus Kenny Florian.
read article
March 19, 2008
Florian set to fight Lauzon at UFC Fight Night 13
(FoxSports.com)
Kenny Florian will soon put the finishing touches on his latest training camp. So far, everything has gone according to plan.
"I'm ready for anything," Florian said. "I've trained really hard. It's going great.
read article
March 13, 2008
New, Improved and Mean? Kenny Florian and why he's not what his opponents expect
(InsideFighting.com)
It’s not hard to find similarities between UFC lightweights Kenny Florian and Joe Lauzon, who will face one another April 2 in the main event of the latest Fight Night on Spike TV. Both are natives of the Boston area, both are Ultimate Fighter reality show veterans, and both are personable, gracious and all around friendly regular guy types outside of the ring.
read article
March 12, 2008
Exclusive ChokeHimOut Interview: Kenny Florian
ChokeHimOut.com recently had an opportunity to interview Kenny Florian who is headlining the Ultimate Fight Night April 2nd on SpikeTV. Kenny talks about his upcoming fight with Joe Lauzon and his thoughts on MMA.
read
article
March 2, 2008
Mixed Martial Arts A Knockout In New England
(WCVB TV)
There are dozens of local fight cards every year around New England... but you may know it best from the Ultimate Fighting Championship.
And one of the U-F-C's rising stars practices his knockout punches and devastating submissions right here in Somerville.
read story / view slide show
February 20, 2008
Mixed
Martial Arts ’Mass.’ Appeal Growing
(Boston Herald)
Through the years, the Boston area has been a hotbed for top fighters. From Rocky Marciano to Marvelous Marvin Hagler, there is a long line of legendary boxers with Massachusetts roots. Boston is still producing great fighters, but with the popularity of boxing fading, that fertile training ground now belongs to mixed martial arts.
read article
1/12/2008
Kenny's Comments on His Fight with Joe Lauzon
“Joe has fought some of the toughest fighters in the game. He is a more experienced
MMA fighter
(14 wins - 3 losses) than myself. Lauzon has a dynamic ground game, slick wrestling and dangerous stand up skills. Plus, he has been training with one of the best in the game, B.J Penn. So whether you see this fight as ‘KenFlo vs Penn
protégé, Joe Lauzon’ or if you see this fight as ‘the fight for Boston,’ I am sure it will be an entertaining fight for you."
1/11/2008
Kenny Florian is Ready for Joe Lauzon
(Adcombat.com)
After watching Roger Huerta defeat Clay Guida at the Ultimate Fighter Six Finale in December of 2007, Kenny “Kenflo” Florian thought he was next to take on the young Mexican standout fighter.
read article
1/3/2008
Ten Best - The
2007 Fighters of the Year - Kenny #10 (UFC.com)
Alumni of season one of The Ultimate Fighter series, Kenny Florian notched three wins in 2007. Florian’s victories (over Dokonjonosuke Mishima, Alvin Robinson, and Din Thomas) showed his development as a finisher and also let the lightweight division know that there were no ill-effects from his five round war with Sean Sherk in 2006.
2007 News
12/7/2007
The Fight Doctor Interviews Kenny Florian
The current title contender in the 155 pound division recently took some time away from training to speak with me.
read more
12/3/2007
Kenny Florian Will Be Finishing Fights In The UFC For A While
I
have no problem saying that I absolutely love watching Kenny Florian fight. I think it has something to do with the fact that he doesn’t look like your normal MMA fighter (and that’s a compliment) yet he is so talented.
read more
11/17/2007
Five Ounces of Pain: Q&A with UFC's Kenny Florian
(CBSSports)
It's not every day that a UFC lightweight title contender comes to the not-so burgeoning metropolis of Jenkintown, Pennsylvania (I grew up in Jenkintown, so please save the hate mail). But Jenkintown was fortunate enough to be graced with the presence of Kenny Florian this past weekend.
read more
10/24/2007
Five Ounces of Pain: Top 10
Overachievers in MMA
(CBSSports.com)
Each fighter on my overachiever list has talent, but in all cases they have had to overcome one or more obstacles in order to achieve success at a high level in MMA. Kenny is named as the number 3 overachiever.
read more
10/4/2007
Irish Whip Fighting Exclusive: Kenny Florian Interview
In his first post-Thomas fight interview. Hear Kenny Florian talk about the Din Thomas fight, The Ultimate Fighter, and his future.
read
more
9/22/2007
Florian Walks the Talk
(Boston Herald)
Name the owner of this quote:
“If (UFC matchmaker) Joe Silva calls up with a fight for you, you better pray it’s not (me).”
read more
9/20/2007
Ultimate
Fight Night 11 Broadcast is Ratings Winner
The Spike TV broadcast of Ultimate Fight Night
11 which featured Kenny Florian versus Din Thomas as the Main Event was Wednesday’s highest-rated cable broadcast in the 9-11pm. slot. Additionally, in some key demographics, the broadcast drew a 1.7 rating with “Men 18-49” and a 1.9 with “Men 18-34.“
9/19/2007
Florian over Thomas at Ultimate
Fight Night 11
In the main event of
Ultimate Fight Night 11 Florian had a first round submission win in the
Octagon over Din Thomas at 4:31.
Receiving early scoring with high kicks, Florian stayed low and then
hid the midsection of Thomas stopping the fight. Resuming his Muay
Thai, Florian kept kicking. Thomas had a quick takedown to the mat, but
Florian used his razor sharp elbows from the bottom and Thomas was
forced to go back to his feet.
Florian
continued his pressure. Thomas tried a punch and missed allowing the
fighter from New England to pound fiercely with his right hand
repeatedly. Thomas took a beating in the Octagon and Florian finalized
the punishment with a rear naked choke.
9/19/2007
Florian finishes another one at UFC Fight Night
(CBSSports)
Kenny Florian continued to live up to his unofficial nickname "The Finisher" on Wednesday night, submitting Din Thomas with a rear naked choke in the main event of UFC Ultimate Fight Night 11 in Las Vegas.
read more
9/12/2007
UFC Fight Night Interview: Kenny Florian
(MMAFighting)
These
days, Kenny Florian is a household MMA name. Due to this, it’s sometimes
hard to remember that he’s only been competing in mixed martial arts
events for a little over five years now.
read more
9/6/2007
Interview with UFC lightweight Kenny Florian
(CBSSports.com)
Kenny Florian only wants to fight the top dogs at 155. He has his wish. Florian takes on crafty MMA veteran Din Thomas on Sept. 19 on the UFC Fight Night card to be broadcast live on Spike TV. The Boston native jumped at the opportunity to fight Thomas when Spencer Fisher -- originally slated as the opponent -- was forced to pull out of the bout due to a severe staph infection.
read article
8/14/2007
The Kodiak Talks with Kenny Florian
"I spoke to the men and women who are fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan while I was in Qatar. They made it very clear that the negativity we hear about in the news isn’t the real picture."
read article
8/12/2007
Florian Sees Thomas as Step Toward Title
(MMAWeekly)
Kenny Florian has officially been announced as the replacement for Spencer Fisher in the main event of UFC Fight Night taking place on September 19th in Las Vegas, where he will take on American Top Team member Din Thomas.
read article
8/10/2007
Kenny Florian is Ready for Battle w/ Din Thomas
(ADCC News)When Team Miletich fighter, Spencer Fisher, had to withdraw from his main event bout with American Top Team’s Din Thomas due to staph infection, a match that could have determined the number one contender to the UFC Lightweight Title was in serious jeopardy.
read article
8/8/2007
Florian on a
Fast Track to Lightweight Title Shot
(Boston Herald)
After beating Alvin Robinson at UFC 73 on July 7, Kenny Florian had his sights set on a potential lightweight championship fight at some point next year.
But that timetable has been moved up, and Florian will take on top lightweight contender Din Thomas in the main event of UFC Fight Night on Sept. 19 in Las Vegas.
read article
8/7/2007
Florian Confirms September Bout with Thomas
(InsideFighting)
InsideFighting spoke with UFC lightweight Kenny Florian minutes ago and he confirmed that he has signed a contract to replace Spencer Fisher and fight Din Thomas on the main event of the UFC Fight Night card on September 19th in Las Vegas, Nevada to be aired on Spike TV.
read article
7/29/2007
Florian Favors Steroid Testing
(Boston Herald)
With Barry Bonds’ historic quest to break one of the most sacred records in all of sport tainted by steroid allegations, you don’t have to tell UFC lightweight contender Kenny Florian what the dreaded S-word can do to an up-and-coming sport like mixed martial arts.
read article
7/23/2007
Thanking the Troops
(NBCSports.com)
Read Kenny's Blog from
Afghanistan
I arrived here safe and endured the long trip. Thankfully, I slept pretty well on the flight here. We waited at the airport and our ride came. He drove us to the base (Camp As Sayliyah) in Qatar where we went through several checkpoints. We ate dinner and pretty much headed to bed.
read blog
7/13/2007
Florian Looking to Get Back to the Top
(MMAWeekly.com)
With Florian’s impressive victory, many wonder what’s next for him. He has fought impressively his last two fights against Dokonjunasuke Mishima and against Robinson. Kenny believes it’s time to move on to bigger guys.
read article
7/12/2007
Florian: "The Attitude Now Is Him or Me...I'm Going Into My Fights With a Killers Instinct From Here on Out!"
(Fighthype.com)
Ever since that Sherk fight, it’s been about getting healthy and doing the right things; treating your body well, eating right and doing the work. The motto has been “there is no off-season”.
read article
7/10/2007
Kenny Post Fight Videos
Sherdog video
UFC.com video
7/10/2007
Florian in Swing of Things
(Yahoo Sports)
Fighting in the swing bout – a match that may or may not take place depending on how long the matches run during a television broadcast – can be a nerve-wracking affair.
Boston-area lightweight Ken Florian found himself in such a position for his UFC 73 match Saturday night against Alvin Robinson. But not for the reasons you might think.
read article
7/9/2007
Kenny Comments on
Robinson Fight
"My fight on July 7th marked my 7th official UFC fight. After the Mishima fight in April, I was eager to be tested again by a strong and talented fighter, who could push me on the ground. Thus, getting a win over Alvin Robinson on Saturday night by utilizing my
jiu-jitsu and wresting skills was very rewarding."
"In preparing for
this fight, we believed Alvin would immediately go hard from the start
and try to push me to the ground. So I wanted to aggressively counter
his wrestling attempts and strike hard when given the opportunity. I was
looking to score cleaner and more precise strikes and vary the striking
as the round went on.
"As
expected Alvin did a solid job of trading blows and staying aggressive
and we went to the ground a few times. My brother Keith wanted me to
apply an intense pressure style of jiu-jitsu and ground and pound.
Fortunately, our fight plan worked and Alvin was forced to tap out due
to strikes from the mount at 4:30 of Round 1."
7/8/2007
Kenny Florian's Training Day (InsideFighting.com)
Go behind the scenes and learn about Kenny's conditioning program.
read article
7/8/2007
Florian Defeats Robinson at UFC 73 (MMA Weekly, KF News)
Expecting Alvin Robertson to come hard early
and to try to take things to the ground, Florian was prepared. Florian
took Robinson down a few times in the round and landed some forceful punches and elbows from inside his guard.
Florian kept working and late in the round got full mount. He started to hit Robinson with punches and elbows that rocked the UFC newcomer. Florian kept up the pressure and Robinson rolled to get out of the way of the punches and the fight was stopped due to strikes on the ground.
The fight showed Florian's improved wrestling skills. Florian is now 2-0 since his title shot loss to Sean Sherk at UFC 64.
7/3/2007
Team Florian Arrives in Sacramento
Kenny and his coaching team arrived in Sacramento this afternoon, flying in from Boston. He has workouts
scheduled for Wednesday and Thursday.
7/2/2007
In Hot Pursuit
(Yahoo Sports)
The thermometer read 96 degrees. The late-afternoon humidity was oppressive.
In other words, it was time for Kenny Florian to pull on a warm-up jacket and go out for a run.
"You do what you gotta do," said the man known as KenFlo, as he laced up his track shoes in the basement housing trainer Mark DellaGrotte's Sityodtong USA gym.
>> read article
6/23/2007
Kenny Florian
Ready for UFC 73
(MMAFighting.com)
When Kenny Florian received the phone call telling him that he will be facing Alvin Robinson at UFC 73 on July 7, he didn't hesitate to say yes. He welcomed the challenge.
>> read article
6/21/2007
VersaClimber Becomes New Sponsor
of Kenny's
Team Kenny Florian
has signed a sponsorship agreement with Heart Rate Inc, makers of the
VersaClimber. "There are few tools that can challenge me cardiovascularly. The VersaClimber
is the single most important machine to bring me to a higher level of
fitness. It's a killer," said Florian.
The VersaClimber logo will appear on Kenny's shorts at UFC
73. Additional details of the partnership will be announced in the near
future.
6/9/2007
Kenny Testifies Before Michigan Legislature
Michigan venues such as The Palace of Auburn Hills could
soon hold bouts of mixed martial arts under legislation being proposed
by the Michigan Legislature. In an effort to help move the legislation
forward, Kenny met with and testified in front of committee members this
week The Detroit News has a story on it. >> read article
6/3/2007
Florian Gives Back to Hardcore Fans
(Lewiston Sun Times)
Travis Wells' Jiu-Jitsu class survived a grueling three-hour workout and then stood in line to be photographed with the man who put them through the grind... >> read article
6/2/2007
Training Camp Update
In preparation for his upcoming July 7th fight against Alvin Robinson, Kenny moved his training camp to Las Vegas for several weeks in May. Most of his training took place at Extreme Couture MMA, where he trained with many world class fighters. Kenny would like to thank Randy and Kim Couture for their hospitality.
6/2/2007
Kenny Shoots Commercials for DirecTV
Kenny recently shot several commercials for DirecTV in English and Spanish to promote upcoming UFC pay per events. The spots will air during the summer.
5/14/2007
Kenny to Fight at UFC 73:
Stacked
"I am excited to announce that I just signed the contract to fight on July 7th against a very tough newcomer
to the UFC, Alvin Robinson. He has a professional record of nine wins
with one loss. He is a very good wrestler and BJJ submission specialist.
Alvin is young and aggressive and he will no doubt be looking to make a lot of noise in his debut. This fight will be another fast paced battle from start to finish. As always I am training hard and will be ready for this challenge. UFC
73 in Sacramento California is one of the biggest events of the year. I will be taking my game to new levels for this one."
5/20/2007
Boston Herald UFC Column
Kenny comments on Liddell vs Jackson Fight
Liddell
by knockout in the third round. I think it’s going to go back and forth
-- action-packed for every minute, every round. I don’t know if Rampage
has the ability to knock out Liddell. I do think he could possibly take
him down and TKO him. But for Liddell, this is another fight with a
similar game plan as the last eight fighters he’s faced. It’s a perfect
opponent for Liddell -- a wrestler who’s going to try to take him down.
He’s prepared for that.”
Kenny's Next Fight
Dover native Florian
will next fight on the stacked UFC 73 card, July 7, from Arco Arena in
Sacramento, Calif. The bill features middleweight champ Anderson Silva
defending against Nate Marquardt, Ortiz returning to The Octagon against
Rashad Evans, and Sean Sherk defending his lightweight title against
Hermes Franca.
Florian will fight UFC newcomer Alvin Robinson, who has a 9-1 MMA
record. “This kid is supposed to be tough, he’s an up-and-comer,” said
Florian. “I’ve seen bits and pieces (of his fights). When I get back to
Boston, I’ll get with my brother and Mark DellaGrotte and we’ll start
working on a game plan.”
4/29/2007
Kenny to
Appear on the Dr. Keith Ablow Show on May 4th
Kenny will be on the show along with UFC
Welterweight Champ Matt Serra, UFC Lightweight Champ Sean Sherk, crazy
man Shonie Carter and Chris "lights out" Lytle. He will be talking about
fighting in the UFC.
4/28/2007
Team Kenny Florian MMA Summit a Big Success!
The MMA Summit, an all day event, was held today at the newly opened
USMMA in Bellingham, MA. Attendees came from all over New England. The idea behind the MMA Summit
was to bring together top quality MMA instruction, strength conditioning
and plenty of opportunities for personalized advice and instruction. In
addition, all attendees received a Team Florian MMA Summit t-shirt and
there were some great raffle prizes. Plans are already under way for a
future MMA Summit. Thanks to Sprawl and NHB Gear for their support.
4/8/2007
Don't Ever Count Out Florian
(Boston Herald)
In the blink of an eye, it had all gone wrong for Kenny Florian. One moment, he’s toying with Dokonjonosuke Mishima, dominating to the point that the Japanese legend looked lost in their Thursday night UFC match. Then, just like that, it was Florian who was seconds from defeat.
read more
4/7/2007
Dokonjonosuke Mishima Dominated by Florian
Powered by his vastly improved conditioning, Florian, better known for
his strong ground game, showcased his powerful Muay Thai skills by
landing scorching kicks to Mishima’s legs and body that loudly
reverberated throughout the Pearl. Mishima, a top Japanese fighter, was
consistently battered and
could only counter with unorthodox strikes and flips that quickly
fizzled.
In the third round, Mishima did manage to
lock on a very strong knee bar that put Florian on the verge of tapping
out. Yet, Florian somehow escaped and came roaring back by throwing a series of
devastating punches to the face before locking on a rear naked choke, forcing a submission by Mishima. The fight was awarded
"fight of the night" honors. (Kenny will be
commenting on the fight in his Monday newsletter).
4/2/2007
Florian Ready for Comeback
This isn't an easy comeback fight
by any means, and I don't want it to be," Florian said. "I'm taking this
fight as a personal challenge, because I know he's going to have the
same game plan as Sean. It's going to be something where I can prove
that I can avoid the takedowns and knock him out."
3/28/2007
Channel 7 News
in Boston Runs Story on Kenny
Sports reporter David Briggs
of WHDH-TV visited Kenny's training camp at the Sityodtong Academy in Somerville, MA
yesterday. David's piece interspersed with an interview and fight
highlights, featured
Kenny working with his coaches and Kenny showing David a few techniques.
The segment was broadcast on the 6pm and 11pm newscasts.
3/17/2007
Associated Press Article on Kenny
The Associated Press released an article on Kenny titled "Soft-spoken linguist now gets his kicks from Ultimate Fighting."
read article
3/14/2007
Kenny Florian Ready for the Road Back to the Title
After winning three consecutive fights after his loss to Diego Sanchez at the Ultimate Fighter season one finale, Kenny Florian was given a chance to compete for reincarnation of the UFC Lightweight Championship. No more reality fighting veteran, Florian had reached official UFC title contender status.
read more
3/8/2007
New
Video Clips
Kenny made several appearances at UFC 68
held in Columbus, Ohio. Among them was an autograph signing with several other UFC fighters
at a Best Buy.
Check out this video
from the event.
Boldfacers.com
a weekly publication and web site dedicated to uncovering Boston's
up-and-comers recently did a
story and video interview with Kenny.
2/20/2007
Tickets for Kenny's Fight on Sale Feb 22nd
Tickets for UFC
Fight Night 9, which range from $150 to $350, will go on sale starting Thursday, Feb. 22nd at
Ticketmaster.com or by calling (702) 474-4000.
Ultimate Fight 9 will be held at "The Pearl" at The Palms Casino Resort
in Las Vegas, Nevada. Spike TV will broadcast Kenny's fight
against Dokonjonosuke Mishima live,
starting at 8pm (ET/PT).
2/7/2007
UFC 64:
Unstoppable DVD
Featuring Kenny's Championship Battle Set for May Release
The U.S. release date for the DVD is slated for May 22nd. International release dates are varied with some
territories
releasing the DVD as early as March.
The DVD also includes behind-the-scenes footage of Kenny preparing for
his fight against Sean Sherk.
1/15/2007
Next UFC Fight Set for Kenny
As reported in today's Boston Herald, Kenny will fight Dokonjonosuke Mishima.at
Ultimate Fight Night (UFN) 9 to be held on April 5th at the Palms Resort
Casino in Las Vegas. Dokonjonosuke Mishima has a record of 17-5-2. Spike
TV will broadcast Ultimate Fight Night 9 starting at 8pm (ET/PT). UFN
9 will serve as the lead in for the season premiere of The Ultimate
Fighter 5, which begins at 10pm (ET/PT).
1/2/2007
Kenny Florian Submitting Sam Stout
Named 3rd Best UFC Submission of 2006
- UFC.com
The first time Kenny Florian fought on an ‘Ultimate Fighter Finale’ card, he was taken in by the UFC jitters and beaten soundly by Diego Sanchez. But a little over a year later, Florian was a new, more mature and more secure fighter, making his lightweight debut against hard-hitting youngster Sam Stout. This time, the fight was no contest as Florian rolled over Stout and ended the bout with extreme finality via a rear naked choke in one of the best ‘big fight’ performances you’ll see.
1/1/2007
Kenny
Starts the New Year by Training with B.J. Penn
After doing several media appearances at UFC 66 and taking in the fight, Kenny headed to Hilo, Hawaii to train with B.J. Penn. “In order to become the best fighter I can be, I need to train with world class fighters,” said Kenny before making the trip. Kenny will train with B.J. Penn and several other fighters for 10 days starting January 1st. B.J. Penn is a former UFC Welterweight Champion.
2006 News
12/3/2006
Two Years Later – The TUF 1 Report
- UFC.com article
UFC fighter Kenny Florian has gone from middleweight to lightweight in his almost
two-year stint in the UFC, and has consistently turned heads for his
performances in victory and defeat. After a one round blowout loss to
Diego Sanchez in the TUF1 middleweight final, Florian bounced back by
beating Alex Karalexis, Kit Cope, and Sam Stout. Most thought he was in
over his head when he challenged Sean Sherk for the vacant UFC
lightweight belt in October, but Florian showed the heart of a champion
by going the five round distance and also showing the type of talent in
spurts that makes it almost a certainty that he’ll be back in the title
picture sooner rather than later. read
article >
12/19/2006
Florian Breaks
Down Liddell vs Ortiz
- UFC.com article
In case you have been living in a hole for the last few months, on December 30th, Tito “The Huntington Beach Bad Boy” Ortiz and Chuck “The Iceman” Liddell will do battle for the UFC Light Heavyweight title.
read article >
11/19/2006
Florian's Title Baptism a Bloodbath
- Boston Herald Article
Even in a violent sport like Ultimate Fighting,
UFC Fighter Kenny Florian wasn't prepared for the blood.
read article >
11/2/2006
KenFlo Speaks on 5 Round Title War with Sherk
- MMA Canada
"At UFC 64 two warriors went into battle. Kenny Florian and Sean Sherk stole the night with an action packed 5 round war for the vacant lightweight championship. In this MMACANADA exclusive Kenny recaps the fight of his life."
read article
>
10/23/2006
Kenny on the Cover of Combat Sports International Catalog
The fall 2006 issue features Kenny on the cover.
The catalog features MMA gear, grappling gear, and kick boxing equipment from all of the major labels.
10/21/2006
Ultimate Grappling Magazine Feature Story on Kenny
The November issue features an extensive interview with Kenny. The magazine is available at major newsstands including Barnes & Noble.
10/19/2006
Kenny's Post Sherk Fight Comments
"In my fight against Sean Sherk, I accomplished a few goals, but fell short of my dream. On the positive - I fought in a world title fight for the UFC, fought a 5 round war, got the respect of my opponent and put on a fight that UFC fans loved."
"The fight was a bloody war. Blood was in my eyes, ears, mouth and everywhere
else. At one point, I had to cover Sherk’s cut so the blood would stop going
into my eyes. Between rounds, Stitch (my cutman), thought I was cut because
I had a huge pool of blood on my head. Dealing with that much blood was
tough as it made it hard to see and to hold on to Sherk. It almost made me
regret striking him. Of course, it also must have been difficult for Sherk
to deal with. After the fight, I needed 3 showers to get all the blood off
my body."
"Sean Sherk was the better fighter that night. There is no doubt that he
deserves to be the UFC lightweight World Champ. I thank him for going to war
with me. Before the fight, I admired Sean for his dedication to the sport
and career achievements. After the fight, I became a fan. I know he will be
a great champion. As he got a second chance at the world title and learned
from his first loss, I hope the same fate awaits me."
Post Fight Links:
KenFlo Speaks on 5 Round Title War with Sherk
..............................................................................................................................................
10/15/2006
Florian versus Sherk
The Fight of the Night is a Bloody War
 (Las Vegas) Sean Sherk immediately took Florian (7-3) to the mat, obviously intent on ending the fight early.
However, Florian patiently regrouped while looking for an opening to land a submission, but Sherk was focused and stayed in control. Soon though, Florian saw his opening and sunk in a guillotine that looked dangerous for a bit until Sherk muscled his way out and almost got an armbar on Florian a few moments later before grounding and pounding his way to the bell.
Florian opened the second round with a couple of hard kicks, only to be put on his back by another Sherk takedown. But once on the mat, blood was evident from a cut on the side of Sherk’s forehead due to an elbow, and Florian was bleeding as well. After a visit from the ringside doctor, the action resumed on the mat with Sherk doing whatever he could to impose his will on Florian. Florian eventually fought his way out of trouble and reversed position on the Minnesotan with the two soon standing up and squaring off and finishing the round at a stalemate.
The third began with Florian working his Muay Thai, but in the blink of an eye, Sherk threw a left and shot in for a takedown and he again tried to manhandle the Massachusetts native on the mat. With a minute and a half to go, Florian gave up his back to Sherk briefly, but the ‘Muscle Shark’ was unable to capitalize and the two rolled back into the guard until stood up with 35 seconds left. That’s when the fun began as Sherk scored with some big punches and Florian answered with a couple of kicks at the bell that jarred Sherk and brought a huge roar from the crowd.
With blood staining the trunks of both men, the fourth round began with more solid kicks by Florian before a takedown by Sherk and more ground and pound from the former welterweight title challenger. With a little over two minutes remaining, the crowd chanted ‘Kenny, Kenny’ but Florian was unable to escape the smothering onslaught of Sherk who was doing enough damage to punish Florian and score points, but not enough to finish the fight, prompting a standup from referee Steve Mazzagatti with just seconds left in the round.
Sherk got his biggest takedown of the night to punctuate the start of the fifth and final round, and the pattern of the previous rounds continued as Florian was simply not strong enough to keep Sherk off him. But ‘KenFlo’ got new life with 3:30 left in the fight as Mazzagatti stood the fighters and he opened up again with the kicks. And in keeping to form, Sherk again looked for the takedown, but Florian sunk in a guillotine choke on Sherk in a last ditch effort to pull off the upset. Sherk escaped though and proceeded to pick Florian up and slam him with a huge thump, and that’s where the fight ended as the clock ran out, with Sherk earning a world title and Florian earning respect from the skeptics.
“Everybody underestimated Kenny except me,” said Sherk. “He’s a tough guy and we had a great fight.”
10/11/2006
Just Another ‘Must Win’ Situation for Kenny Florian -
UFC.com
"In April of 2005, Kenny Florian was recovering from the worst loss of
his young mixed martial arts career. Fighting at an unnatural 185 pounds,
the Massachusetts native got run over by current welterweight contender
Diego Sanchez at the finale of the first season of ‘The Ultimate Fighter’
and fight fans weren’t expecting to hear from Florian too much over the next
year or so."
read article >
10/10/2006
Kenny Arrives in Las Vegas
(Las Vegas) Kenny and several of this team members
arrived in Las Vegas in the early afternoon. He did many media interviews and went through a light
workout. The Boston Herald will be running a story on Kenny in Friday's
paper. The Houston Chronicle will have a story on Saturday.
10/9/2006
Pre Fight Comments
(from Kenny Florian Newsletter)
"My opponent, Sean Sherk, is a very tough, accomplished and experienced fighter. It is an honor to go to battle with him for this prestigious belt. He is a great wrestler and one of the most physically gifted athletes in the UFC. Not to mention, he is constantly working on his MMA game."
"From start to finish, I am ready to fight 5 action packed rounds of a
technical, tactical and all out brutal war. I have practiced to
perfection with my weapons. They have been checked, cleaned and loaded.""
10/5/2006
The
"Orange County Register" Profiles Kenny
"Kenny Florian has fought bigger fighters for most of his career.
He often fought against fighters that outweighed him by 20-60 pounds in open weight Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and submission wrestling tournaments"
read
article
10/2/2006
Kenny to be
Featured on Countdown to UFC
64
It's sure to fuel the fire even more.
Countdown to UFC 64 will profile Kenny as he prepares for his title fight
against Sean Sherk.
Spike TV will premiere Countdown to UFC 64 on Monday, October 9th at 11:30pm (ET) and re-air on Saturday October 14th at 9am and 6pm
(ET).
..............................................................................................................................................
9/25/2006
Tourtellotte Solutions Sponsoring Kenny
(Wayland, MA) Tourtellotte Solutions, a global leader in custom and packaged supply chain software for the pharmaceutical, retail, and consumer goods markets is sponsoring professional mixed martial arts fighter Kenny Florian.
“It’s not a usual sponsorship, but we’re not a usual corporation,” said Ed Tourtellotte, president and CEO of Tourtellotte Solutions. “Focus, tenacity, and responsiveness are what it takes in mixed martial arts fighting. And those are the qualities driving Tourtellotte Solutions to the top. It’s a perfect match.”
"As a fighter representing the Boston area, it’s great to receive significant support from a Massachusetts based company as I prepare for the World Lightweight Championship Fight,” said Florian. “Mixed Martial Arts is one of the world’s fastest growing sports, and to have an up-and-coming company such as Tourtellotte Solutions realize the value of a partnership is really forward-thinking.”
9/9/2006
Kenny Visits Military Bases
"During the month of August, I had the
wonderful opportunity to visit Fort Rucker in Dothan, Alabama
and Maxwell Air Force Base in Montgomery,
Alabama. It was truly an honor to represent the UFC. The UFC had done much to support
US Troops all over the world. I was able to sit in helicopters, planes,
witness drills and operations. Plus, I had a chance to eat and talk with the
amazing men and women from our U.S. Military.
These visits confirmed a few things for me. Number 1, we have the most
capable and most well trained military in the world. Number 2, our forces are
very knowledgable about MMA and they are hardcore UFC
fans. Number 3, I always appreciated the job that the
military has done for our country, but I now have an
even great admiration and respect for these courageous
men and women.
I would like to thank my hosts who took me around Ft. Rucker and Maxwell
AFB. I would also like to thank the UFC
and Loren Mack for this great experience."
8/29/2006
Kenny to Fight Sean Sherk for Lightweight Championship
at UFC 64: Unstoppable
(Boston) The fight will take place on October 14th at Mandalay
Bay Events Center in Las Vegas, NV. Kenny released the following
statement:
"I take great honor
in announcing that I will be fighting Sean Sherk for the
Lightweight World Championship at UFC 64 on October 14th at the Mandalay
Bay Event Center in Las Vegas. I just started my formal training for the
fight."
"Sean Sherk comes into the fight with a 29-2-1 record. His last fight was
at UFC 59, where he won by unanimous decision over Nick Diaz.
Sherk is a very strong wrestler. But it takes more than wrestling to be
a mixed martial arts champion. In this fight, I am the multi-dimensional
fighter. I will be at the top of my game. He will be attacked in several
different ways. His weaknesses will be found and exploited."
"I know that I come into the fight as the underdog. Sherk has certainly
amassed an impressive record. He’s typically ranked in the top 5 at
170lbs. So supposedly, he must be unbeatable at 155lbs. This will be
Sherk's 2nd attempt at a UFC World title, he will lose again."
8/17/2006
Mark DellaGrotte an Advisor on TUF 4
(Boston) Kenny's Muay Thai and MMA
coach, Mark DellaGrotte joins Randy Couture and Georges St. Pierre on TUF season 4 as an
advisor.
Mark is the owner and operator of Sityodtong USA in Somerville, MA.
Mark is
a highly regarded Muay Thai and mixed martial arts coach, who speaks
fluent Thai and has lived and traveled extensively in Thailand, learning
different styles of Muay Thai. Sityodtong has become a training center
for many UFC fighters including; Kenny Florian, Jorge Rivera, Stephan Bonnar, Forrest Griffin, Drew Fickett and Sam
Hogar.
visit Sityodong
web
site
7/11/2006
Kenny Welcomes Opportunity to Fight Sean Sherk
(Boston)
"I would absolutely fight Sean Sherk for the Lightweight Division Title. The UFC said I was fighting Sherk
in October or November, and I accepted. Then, all of a sudden, they
pushed for the August show. However, I just got off the Stout fight and
I'm leaving for Brazil for two weeks. Realistically, I need more than 3
weeks to prepare for that fight. Sherk’s been on the sidelines
training for a fight for several months."
7/11/2006
The Boston Globe Features Kenny in 2 Stories
(Boston)
The front of the paper's sports page shows a photo of Kenny fighting Sam
Stout with an extensive story "Ring Leaders: Ultimate Fighting
Championship packs a wallop." Kenny is featured in several paragraphs. A second story "These Personalities are hard hitting" details Kenny's
rise to fame in the UFC. A photo of Kenny celebrating his victory over Stout is
also presented.
visit media page for more
information
Quick Victory: Kenny Takes Stout Out On The Ground
June 26, 2006
 After saying he was "more than ready" to
fight Sam Stout, Kenny Florian in a minute and forty six seconds of the
first round put the highly regarded Stout on the ground and quickly
ended the fight with a rear naked choke hold. It was text book BJJ.
Seizing the opening Stout gave him, Kenny took the fight to ground and
laid a barrage of punches and elbows to Stout's face.
Post Fight Links
UFC Interview
video
Boston Herald: Dover’s Florian floors Stout
MMA Weekly Interview
Update on Kenny's Casino Cinema Appearance
June 6, 2006
Steve Schirripa and Beth Ostrosky welcome Kenny and Stephan Bonnar on Spike TV's Casino Cinema. Program to air on June 21st @ 9pm. Kenny and Stephen will also be featured on show promos starting
June 15th.
click here for picture
..............................................................................................................................................
Kenny to Fight Sam Stout at TUF 3 Finale Live on Spike TV
May 1, 2006
 The progress I made in Thailand is showing up in my training. For me, working out, training to fight and then competing is a job that I love so much. When I am working hard, sweating, bleeding, and crying to get to a higher level, I am happy. My trainers are always looking for ways to challenge me mentally, physically and technically. I know it will soon pay off.
Well, this brings me to my news. I am happy to announce that my next fight will be against Sam Stout on Saturday, June 24th during the Ultimate Fighter Season 3 finale. The fight will be held at the Hard Rock Hotel in Las Vegas and be broadcast live on Spike TV. With Season 3 of The Ultimate Fighter enjoying record ratings, I am excited for the opportunity to fight in front of millions of people.
Originally, Sam and I were supposed to fight at 155 lbs on the UFC 58 (USA versus Canada) card, but unfortunately I had to drop out due to a back injury. Stout ended up fighting and beating Team Militech hot shot Spencer Fisher. Stout is a TKO 155 lbs World Champion from London, Ontario Canada. He is on a 9 fight win streak.
"I will be bringing everything into the Octagon to beat him convincingly."
..............................................................................................................................................
Kenny Contributes Segment to Upcoming TUF 2 Season DVD
April 28, 2006
Besides containing his 2nd round victory over Kit Cope, Kenny
contributes a bonus feature on how to effectively cut weight before a fight. The TUF Season 2 DVD is slated for release on May 30th
...............................................................................................................................................
SpikeTV.com Features Kenny on Muay Thai Video Segment
April
9, 2006
Kenny along with Kit Cope talks about the
principles of Muay Thai.
>>Go
to SpikeTV Video Page
................................................................................................................................................
A Note from Kenny to His Fans
March 23, 2006
Hello everyone:
 Just
wanted to let all my friends know that I am leaving to Thailand for 3 weeks
of intensive Muay Thai training. I am going with my friend and Muay Thai instructor Mark DellaGrotte. We are headed to Pattaya, Thailand to
train at the famous Sityodtong Camp. I am going to be living and training
like a thai. I can't wait!
I know this world class training is going to help my skills and take my MMA
game to the next level. This means I won't be able to get your messages and
I probably won't have too much access to the internet so please be patient
or wait to send me your messages until mid April. Take care guys and wish me
luck.
A little history on Sityodtong:
The founder of the Sityodtong camp is the great Kru Yodtong Senanan, the
most well known and well respected teachers of Thai Boxing inside Thailand
and around the world. "From Rob Kaman to Ramon Dekkers, anyone who is anyone
in the Muay Thai world, has made the pilgrimage and have gone to Yodtong's
camp Sityodtong, to learn from the master himself. It is more than just a
training camp; it's a right of passage among foreign fighters that
symbolizes that they have come of age in the Muay Thai world". This means I
will be training side by side with some of the best Muay Thai fighters in
the world and will have the honor of meeting and learning from this master
of masters.
 In Thailand, Muay Thai is the biggest and most important sport and event in
their culture. For many kids, it is their only way to survive and make a
living for them and their family. This environment obviously creates an
incredible amount of competition amongst the Thai fighters and they are
truly the best of the best when it comes to kickboxing or what they call
Muay Thai. I am excited to be able to experience the beautiful thai culture
and be able to train with these incredibly skilled and experienced fighters
to learn the skills I need to be the best fighter I can be. Thanks guys!!
Peace, love and neck kicks,
Kenny
..............................................................................................................................................
Resting From Injury and Plotting His Return
March 10, 2006
KenFlo News
(Boston) After spending months training for
his fight against Sam Stout at UFC 58 in the
newly created lightweight division, getting injured a few days before his
fight was incredibly disappointing for Florian. As a result, he was forced
to watch events from the sidelines. “Seeing the other fighters weigh-in on
the event that I was scheduled to fight in was extremely difficult. Having
to explain to people what happened was even tougher. One couple from England
told me they flew 15 hours just to see me fight,” he recounts.
Spencer Fisher was chosen
to replace Florian and in a close three round split decision, Stout defeated
Spencer.
With the pain subsiding,
Florian can begin looking forward to the future. “I can’t wait to show what
I have to offer the UFC at 155 lbs. Perhaps that is what hurt the most. For
me this fight was supposed to be my real coming out party - finally
competing at my real fighting weight.
Provided his mobility
continues to improve, Florian’s tentative plan is to resume training at the
end of March.
.............................................................................................................................................
Florian Injured, Off UFC 58 Card
March 1, 2006
UFC.tv
(Las Vegas) The UFC announced today that Boston lightweight Kenny Florian has been scratched from his Saturday bout with Canada's Sam Stout after suffering a back injury.
...........................................................................................................................................
Three Students Promoted to Blue Belt Rank by Kenny
January 10, 2006
(Boston) Dan Robin, Ramiro Torres and Dennis Cregier were promoted to the
Blue Belt Rank by Kenny.
...........................................................................................................................................
Kenny to Fight Sam Stout on March 4th at UFC 58
January 13, 2006
KenFlo Newsletter
(Boston) "On March 4th, I will be taking on the TKO World MMA champion out of Ontario, Canada, Sam "Hands of Stone" Stout at UFC 58 to be held at the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas, Nevada. Sam is considered one of the most talented and dangerous fighters to come out of Canada. He is a very aggressive and well conditioned fighter with an MMA record of 8-1. He has some impressive wins and is a winner in the elite kickboxing event K-1 Max. With his world class striking, high level of experience in MMA and solid ground game, this fight has all the makings of a war."
................................................................................................................................................
The MASSMMA Fighter of the Year for 2005 is Kenny "Kenflo" Florian.
January 4, 2006
www.massmma.com
(Boston) "If we look only at in ring performance, he's 2-1 in the UFC this year, with another win coming during the taping of "The Ultimate Fighter" over Chris Leben. On top of looking great in the ring, Kenny has gained more fans worldwide than any other MA based fighter in 2005. The reality show has helped gain fans not only for Kenny, but for our sport as a whole, and Kenny played a big role in the show."
2005 News ...............................................................................................................................................
UFC.tv Lists Florian Submission of Kit Cope as one of
Five Best in 2005
December 18, 2005
UFC.tv
"Florian gets the nod here for actually winning twice by submission in the same fight. After eluding the strikes of Muay Thai wizard Cope in the early stages of the opening round, Florian took over and locked in an arm bar in the final seconds of the stanza. Unfortunately, just as the bout was about to be halted, the bell rang, saving Cope for more punishment in round two. And once the second frame began, the ending was just a matter of time, with Florian ending the bout by rear naked choke just 37 seconds into the round."
.............................................................................................................................................
Florian Defeats Cope in Opening Seconds of 2nd Round
November 6, 2005
Ken Flo News, UFC.tv
 (Las Vegas) At The Ultimate Fighter™ Season 2 finale at The Joint in the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino, Kenny Florian scored perhaps the most impressive victory of his mixed martial arts career, submitting four-time World Muay Thai champion Kit Cope with a rear naked choke at 37 seconds of the second round. The high energy fight kicked off the night.
It was actually the second win of the night for Florian, who forced Cope to tap out to an armbar just as the horn ending the round sounded. The win was a satisfying one for the classy Florian, who took some good natured trash talk from Cope leading up to the bout.
Cope had won his last two MMA fights on the ground and had been working hard on his ground game for the last couple of years. He even got the help of ADCC Absolute Champ Dean Lister, MMA veteran Dennis Hallman and former UFC Champ Tito Ortiz to help him with his grappling.
"This was a good opportunity to finally demonstrate my ground game to everyone," said Florian.
Early on, Florian showed a strong beard as he traded with Cope en route to clinching with his foe against the fence. "It was my strategy to use strikes to get inside on him," said the Jiu-Jitsu ace. "I try to mix it up."
The strategy paid dividends late in the round as Cope tired from the consistent pressure and Florian took him to the mat. With 30 seconds left, Florian got into the mount position and then, as the clock ticked, he transitioned into the armbar. Cope resisted and then tapped, but the referee ruled that the round had ended before the tap. He tapped just as the round ended and injured his arm in the process by holding out for too long
But with his shoulder battered, Cope's demise was inevitable, and even though he fought back with his only remaining weapons - his feet - once Florian got inside and got the takedown, it was over. Florian said, "I knew he was tired and he looked deflated going into round 2. I immediately pressured him against the fence and took him down with another single leg takedown. I worked to his back and secured the Rear naked choke where Kit was forced to tap out only 37 seconds into round 2."
"I stayed focused on the fight itself and concentrated on nothing else, but executing my game plan. Kit was strong in the beginning and desperately tried to avoid the ground. Once on the ground, Kit was not able to put up much of a fight."
The win brings Florian's MMA record to 6-2.
Kenny Florian's Post Fight Commentary
..............................................................................................................................................
Ultimate Fighter Season 1 DVD Released
November 1. 2005
Ken Flo News
 (Boston) The Ultimate Fighter - Season 1 is a reality TV show where 16 contestants are trained by two legendary UFC competitors, Randy Couture and Chuck Liddell, and must live together while battling for a pair of Ultimate Fighting Championship contracts. As one of the 16 contestants, Kenny defeated Chris Leban on the show to make it to the show final where he fought Diego Sanchez at a live event seen by over 3 million viewers.
.............................................................................................................................................
Kit Cope is Florian's Next Opponent
October 17, 2005
Ken Flo Newsletter
(Boston) "I am happy to officially announce that I will be back in the UFC octagon once again on Nov. 5th, 2005. My welterweight opponent is Muay Thai champion Kit Cope from Las Vegas, Nevada. This is sure to be an exciting fight and it will take place in one of the biggest MMA events in history. This fight is taking place in Las Vegas on the Season 2 "Ultimate Fighter Finale" fight Card. The whole event will be shown live on SpikeTV!"
"I am very excited to be participating in this event and I have already started my training for this fight. I also would like to thank everyone for the tremendous support I received after my win over Alex Karalexis on Aug. 6th, 2005 that took place in the UFC's Ultimate Fight Night in Las Vegas. I am going to take that momentum from my last fight and use it to continue winning and try my best to put on exciting fights for you all."
...............................................................................................................................................
Florian Defeats Karalexis by TKO in 2nd Round
August 6, 2005
Ken Flo News, UFC.tv
 (Las Vegas) When it came time for the New England jiu-jitsu ace to return to the Octagon in August against Alex Karalexis, the setting was just as pressure-packed - but this time, the mindset of Florian had done a 360. He was no longer the deer in the headlights - he was the one driving the car.
"It was a huge difference," said Florian of the Karalexis bout, which he won via a second round TKO due to a cut. "I actually put a lot of pressure on myself in the Alex fight. I trained tremendously hard and I know I over trained for that fight. So I actually did put a lot of pressure on my own part to win that fight, but I went in with the goal of really just trying to perform at my best - not necessarily thinking about the win itself.
Kenny Florian's Post Fight Commentary
...............................................................................................................................................
Sanchez Defeats Florian in Live Episode of The Ultimate Fighter
April 9th, 2005
UFC.tv
(Las Vegas) Sanchez (15-0-0) from Albuquerque, N.M., became The Ultimate Fighter(TM) in the middleweight division with a convincing technical knockout over Florian (4-2-0) from Boston, Mass. Sanchez, a submission wrestler and boxer, took Florian to the ground after the first minute and dominated with powerful strikes. He opened a cut over Florian's nose and referee John McCarthy stopped it at the 2:49 mark of the first round. The fight was held at the Cox Pavilion in Las Vegas, Neveda and broadcast live on Spike TV.
Kenny Florian's Post Fight Commentary
...............................................................................................................................................
Florian Defeats Chris Leban in Episode 10 of the Ultimate Fighter
March 2005
Ken Flo News, UFC.tv
(Las Vegas) In Round 1 Chris Leben went after Kenny hard, looking for an early knockout by throwing many punch combinations. However, he was unable to score clean combinations on the "iron-chinned" Florian. Kenny attempted a double leg, but Chris sprawled hard to avoid the takedown. Chris landed some punches in and out of the clinch and pushed the lighter Florian around the ring. Although Florian landed fewer blows, he landed them clean when he did. Florian threw some elbows that missed, but his thai kicks to the legs were on the mark. Kenny showed tremendous heart by taking some heavy punches from Leben and scoring some flurries of his own.
Chris Leben seemed to gas after the 1st round, but showed his heart by going after Kenny again and again. Kenny starts to gain some more confidence by throwing some nice kicks and a few clean punches. Once again Chris is pushed Kenny around the ring and into the cage. The stand up action goes back and forth. From the clinch, Kenny tries his elbows again. This time, it lands and opened up a huge gash over the eye of Leben, spilling blood all over Kenny, The doctor took a look and stopped the fight. The cut was too large and too deep. Kenny won by ref stoppage.
Kenny Florian's Post Fight Commentary
|
