On August 8th, 2009, one of OTM's longtime and the UFC's current #1 contender Kenny Florian will be challenging for the UFC lightweight title at UFC 101 - Declaration in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Coincidentally, he will be fighting one of his former friends (and also a friend of OTM) in B.J. Penn for the title. Penn has cemented his legacy in MMA as possibly the greatest lightweight fighter in the world, whereas Florian will be looking to create a legacy of his own by attempting to dethrone Penn and assume the top spot in the lightweight rankings.

This is a UFC title fight that much like the Civil War is pitting friends and family against each other. Both men are accomplished jiu-jitsu black belts that have also been noted for their striking ability. This is one fight that no MMA fan can afford to miss and with so much hype and personal interest involved, we had to sit down with Kenny, as he shared some personal stories and insight he has learned on his MMA journey leading up to the biggest fight of his career on August 8th.




Bevois: Thanks for taking the time to talk with us, Kenny. You have always had a loyal group of supporters due to your roots in the jiu-jitsu community. In a sense, many fans feel like you are one of them, since you have been doing jiu-jitsu tournaments and participating on online jiu-jitsu forums longer than you have done MMA. Do you make it a point to keep in touch with your core jiu-jitsu fans, even now that you have made it big?

Kenny: I do my best to stay in contact with all my friends from the jiu-jitsu community. I have not had a whole lot of time to get on the forums like I used to though. My life truly is martial arts now and to do that means I have to be in the lab (the mat) all day studying, teaching, or I am doing something related to MMA like working for ESPN or promoting fights for the UFC.



Bevois: It’s almost unheard of in any other sport for fans to have such a direct link (online or elsewhere) to star athletes before and after they make it big. You never saw Matthew Stafford (NFL) or Blake Griffin (NBA) communicate with their fans online in college and you won’t see that now that they have made it to the big time. Do you think that gives MMA a more unique fan base and group of athletes?

Kenny: I think so. It certainly makes the sport unique.



Bevois: Speaking of fans, Dana White just announced that over 30,000 fans attended the first ever UFC Fan Expo during the UFC 100 weekend in Las Vegas. You were working for ESPN at the expo, so what was your overall impression of the turnout and festivities?

Kenny: It was amazing and great to see the sport come this far. It still surprises me when people line up to see me and get an autograph or picture from me. I try to tell people that I really am not that big of a deal. *laughs*



Bevois: I grew up in Connecticut, not too far from the ESPN headquarters in Bristol, and never would have dreamed I’d see the day where ESPN covered MMA to the extent they do now. How has your experience been working for them the past year on MMA Live?

Kenny: It has been awesome. It is always a fun time on set and I get to talk about something I truly love and live every day. Doesn’t get much better than that. The guys I work with and work under have that same passion for the sport and believe in it 100%.



Bevois: On June 24th, you were also featured on the Discovery Channel’s hit show “Time Warp” a long with Dave Camarillo, Dan Camarillo, and Erin Toughill. Are you excited to see how the Science community and newer media outlets are beginning to embrace MMA?

Kenny: Absolutely. It is the technical aspects and beauty of what we do which gets me excited and to see shows wanting to show the technical side of the sport definitely helps to change the perspective of MMA. How can you not marvel at a Camarillo flying armlock? There is so much precision and beauty going on there.



Bevois: Your parents moved to America from Peru and you speak Spanish, as well as English and Portuguese. That combined with your experience commentating for the UFC, WEC, ESPN, and the Discovery Channel, have you ever wondered why the UFC doesn’t promote your Hispanic heritage more, the way they do with Cain Velasquez, Roger Huerta, and Efrain Escudero? After all, the ratings UFC 100 received in Mexico were staggering. It shattered all of Mexico’s boxing, pro wrestling (lucha libre -- or as it’s called in Peru “cachascán”), and soccer ratings and it was the most watched sporting event in Mexico this year.

Kenny: I am not sure. My last name Florian is not really a “Spanish sounding” last name, but both my parents are Peruvian. I am very proud of that. I guess the UFC wants to target the Mexican audience more and try to get the Mexican-Americans to push the sport for the Latinos. It is definitely a big market. I have definitely done my share of interviews and TV spots in Spanish as well, so the UFC has definitely used me for this, and I am more than happy to do it. I have also done some Brazilian TV stuff in Portuguese as well.



Bevois: I remember I was watching your fight against Kit Cope in November 2005 from a hotel room in Boulder, Colorado. The girl I was with got all excited, because she recognized Kit from MTV’s True Life: I'm a Muay Thai Fighter. I then told her I knew you and this was a MMA fight, which you would end quickly on the ground. She thought I was crazy, because to her Kit looked more like the captain of the football team, while you looked like someone who was running for class president. Needless to say, she was shocked at how easily you dominated the fight. Is shedding MMA stereotypes (some created by MTV) a part of the sport that you enjoy doing?

Kenny: Yeah it’s always fun to surprise people and do what people think is impossible. Hopefully, it inspires others like how I was inspired by Royce Gracie. MMA is technique, intelligence, and much more. People tend to only see the physical, but they miss what is truly important. It is Mixed Martial Arts, not the body building championships or who can lift the most or look the scariest.



Bevois: