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Roller coaster of fights: The ups and downs of Kenny Florian | read this item

Roller coaster of fights: The ups and downs of Kenny Florian

August 25, 2010 � UFC Betting Staff � Jump to comments

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Kenny Florian will fight Gray Maynard in his hometown of Boston this weekend. The winner will get a shot at the UFC lightweight title. If it’s Florian, it will be his third bite at the title apple. For someone with so much success, Florian has faced some ups and downs.

Hill: Dana White was at a fight in Massachusetts to scout Drew Fickett. Though Fickett won, his opponent, Florian, caught White’s eye. Florian was casted in a new reality show where the winner would get a contract with the UFC.

Valley: On the much-touted season finale of the first season of that reality show, “The Ultimate Fighter,” Florian was man handled by Diego Sanchez, losing in a first-round TKO.

Hill: Florian rebounded from the Sanchez loss with three wins, all stoppages: a TKO of Alex Karalexis, and submissions of Kit Cope and Sam Stout. That earned Florian a shot at Sean Sherk and the vacant lightweight title.

Valley: That first title shot didn’t work out so well. At UFC 68, Sherk didn’t let Florian’s elbows bother him and controlled Florian for a unanimous decision.

Hill: After losing that first title shot, Florian had to climb back up the lightweight ladder. That started with wins over Dokonjonosuke Mishima, Alvin Robinson and Din Thomas — all submissions.

Bigger Hill: Florian headlined UFC Fight Night 13 in a bout with fellow Bostonian, Joe Lauzon. Florian avoided Lauzon’s submission attempts with deadly elbows, winning by TKO. He followed that up with a decision at UFC 87 over the UFC’s hottest lightweight prospect, Roger Huerta.

Not exactly fighting but still a hill: Florian filled in for as a commentator for Frank Mir at WEC 41 to rave reviews, which opened the door for Florian to do more broadcast work for ESPN, the UFC and the WEC.

Mountain: Florian was promised another title shot if he got through Joe Stevenson. He gets what he wants after submitting Stevenson in the first round at UFC 91. After the fight, he calls out UFC lightweight champion B.J. Penn with the now-famous, “I want B.J.’s belt!”

Valley: Headed into UFC 101 and his second title shot, Florian was flying high. Unfortunately, Penn brought him back to earth with a beating that ended with a rear naked choke in the fourth round.

Hill: Rear naked chokes over Takanori Gomi and Clay Guida helped bring Florian closer to a title shot, and to the fight with Maynard.

What do you think this weekend will be for Florian, a hill or valley?

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