Kenny Florian Interview: 3/3/08
By: Bear
For: Shoyoroll.com

SYR: How are you Kenny?
KF: I am great, thanks for the interview.

SYR: How is training going for your upcoming fight vs. Joe Lauzon (JLo)?
KF: Training is going well. I have been itching to fight for a while.

SYR: How do you think you and JLo match up?
KF: I train my ass off year round so I can match up well with anyone. You have to nowadays.

SYR: Do you have a specific gameplan going into this fight?
KF: Yes.

SYR: What do you think has changed to most in your game from the Kenny Florian we saw against Sherk for the belt?
KF: Ahhh, everything. For starters, I am healthy. Before the Sam Stout I had constant pain in my back that was crippling. I could not train much on the ground and when I did, I would be out of commission for a while. I am more experienced, physically 10 times better and technically 10 times better. I believe I am far better than what I was against Din Thomas so thanks to my trainers, I am making progress.

SYR: What is an average training week for KenFlo?
KF: Mon, Wed, Fri afternoons are my strength and conditioning days. Tues, Thurs and Saturday afternoons are my Cardio days. Mon-Saturday nights I have my technical training sessions and sparring sessions. Some mornings I squeeze in some training as well.

SYR: What do you do for fun or in your free time?
KF: I don’t do much. My whole life revolves around training and getting better. When I am not training, I am resting, eating healthy, reading, meditating, watching fights, teaching BJJ or MMA. Whatever I am doing is geared towards improving something for the fight game be it mentally, physically or technically.

SYR: There are many good 155 in the UFC. Besides yourself who would you consider the top 2-3 guys to beat in your weight class?
KF: Lauzon (because he is next). Sherk and BJ.

SYR: You said that you would like to fight Roger Huerta in a past interview? How do you think you match up with him?
KF: I would love to fight Roger Huerta. He is a warrior and has that “never say die” spirit. I admire that and I want to fight guys who will give me a war and go forward.

SYR: Who would you like to fight?
KF:The best guys only. I want to fight the best. I gotta be the champ for that to happen consistently.

SYR: You have been training with Marc DellaGrotte for a long time now. How much of an influence has that made on your game?
KF: Mark has been a great help over the last 3 and half years that I have trained with him. I was a striking novice when I came to him and he has shown me so much.
Built me from the ground up. He is world class.

SYR: Are you doing all your training in Mass. or are you jumping around to different places cross training?
KF: I try to train with different people all the time. I have had the great honor of training with some of the best martial artists on the plant. It was always a dream of mine to just be able to do that. Be a travelling martial artist ya know. I feel blessed because I have done that. This is the key to expanding your knowledge and skill base. I do all my training in Mass though in preparation for fights. I will bring in people all the time though or travel in between fights and train with the best guys that I can find all over the globe.

SYR: You have cross trained in the past with BJ Penn, where JLo has trained as well. Do you think that will help or hurt you? Explain.
KF: Training with BJ out there was very informal. This was after the Sherk fight and was my last hoorah before I got serious into full time training. In Hilo, I didn’t do that much training out there to be honest compared to what I normally do. Today I just suffer everyday, lol. We did a lot of hanging out. I was there to just learn a little, get a little fat, have fun and see Hawaii. BJ was a great host.

SYR: Will it hurt or help me?
KF: I hope they think it will hurt me.

SYR: BJ has the belt and will defend it against sherk. If you win a few you should be fighting the belt holder very soon. How would it be if you got to fight BJ Penn?

KF: I believe I am ready to fight anyone is the 155 lb division. That is what my mind is prepared for. I cross my t’s and dot my i’s year round. I want to fight the best and God willing it will happen. Style versus style, I believe I am one of the few who can really challenge BJ at every range. Not sure if he will stick around long enough in the weight class but I consider BJ one of the greats. I considered BJ a friend so originally it would have been weird but he is training Joe to beat me so I guess the friend thing is out of the window. LOL. If we meet and fight, it would be a war, no doubt in my mind. I would be ready to challenge him wherever it goes for as long as it takes. To be a warrior, you have the prepared to fight whoever it is. Your mind can only think win. That is how I feel.

SYR: Now a days it seems most mma fighters who have roots in grappling are starting to push fights to stay on their feet. You are a good example. What is the key reasoning behind this?
KF: It comes down to the element of surprise and down to the particular strategy. I would be very sad if grappling based fighters were not doing this. This is MMA. I even hate hearing that this guys is a grappler and this guy is a striker. Nobody in 2008 should have a major weakness right now if you are fighting at the highest levels.

SYR: How long do you see yourself in this sport?
KF: Until my passion for fighting dies. Right now it is burning strong and I am hungry to test myself. I drive to training sessions with my gloves on and mouthguard in my mouth cause I am that excited to train, lol. As soon as that dies, I am done. I am passionate about teaching and will probably move to that after.

SYR: Where’s this sport in the next 10 years?
KF: I hope it will keep on developing. In 10 years the sport will be much more technical and refined. The athletes will be amazing, much better than today I hope. I hope more Latino fighters get into the game too.

SYR: Do you think the pay scale will ever come close to boxing for the elite of each weight class?
KF: In time I believe it will.

SYR: What are some of the things you want to say to up and coming fighters trying to grind their way up to the ufc?
KF: Fight for the right reasons. Fight because you love it and not because you wanna look cool, be famous or be rich. You must be humble, disciplined, mentally tough and willing to learn every day at every training session.

SYR: Out of all the MMA brands out there why the hell do you support Shoyoroll?
KF: I just really love their style. I like companies that dare to be different. I love supporting the small company who insist on doing their own thing and making their own trends. These guys are artists who love what they do. I like that.

SYR: Any last things you would like to add?
KF: Just wanna thank all the fans for their support. Much love to you guys!! Check out kennyflorian.com and myspace.com/kenflo and say hello.

SYR: Quick 10

Best MMA in the world? Anderson Silva
Best Nogi Grappler? Marcelo Garcia
Best Jiu-Jitsu Artist? Rickson Gracie.
Your Mentor? My brother Keith.
Favorite Kimono? Shoyoroll Kimonos!!
Best type of food out there? Organic food, lol. When I can eat it, Italian, Thai are great.
Good things to do before a fight? Focus, and know why you are there.
Best trainer or teacher? Our minds and experience are the best teachers. If your mind is not open and if you do not have a beginner’s mind, no teacher will help you. Experience lights the path for you.
Hottest girl out there? Alessandra Ambrosio or the little blonde pro dancer from “Dancing with the Stars”. Julianne I believe is her name. Yes I watch it, don’t laugh!!
Funniest Movie Ever? Oh man too many. Let’s go with the Borat Movie.