It Takes A Team
It felt great being back in the Octagon! I was prepared for anything. My victory was truly a team effort.
Training for my fight against Sam began in January 2006 when I got word that I would be fighting him at UFC 58 (U.S.A. versus Canada) on March 4th. As many of you know, I injured my back right before the fight and was forced to drop out. At the time, it was a huge disappointment as I had trained hard and I hated letting down people who wanted to see me fight.
I put a lot of pressure on myself as I didn’t want this fight to go to the judges. I only showed a glimpse of what I can do at this weight class. This win has made me a top contender in the UFC lightweight division. Accordingly, I look forward to continually testing myself against more of the best lightweight fighters in the world.
Anytime I fight, it is a team effort. Having amazing coaches like Mark DellaGrotte, who monitors my training with my brother Keith, gives me great confidence that I am ready for anything. They put in countless hours of sparring and coaching. Mark and Keith put their bodies at risk every time they help me train. My strength and conditioning coach Doug Dupont played a huge role in my win as well. He was invaluable in getting me in the best shape of my life for this fight and making my road to cutting to 155 lbs an easy one.
I would also like to thank all of my Boston training partners; Neil Legallo, Eric Armington, Peter Welch, Andres Jeudi, Stephan Bonnar, Drew Fickett, Nate Ryan, Sean Matthews, Matt Fletcher, Mike Littlefield, Steve Medina, Jimmy Delfano, Chris “Pags” and everyone from Sityodtong and Boston BJJ. Thanks to my friends in Vegas for helping me get ready for the fight during the month of June. Special thanks to Marc Laimon /Cobra Kai, Scott Bieri, Alex Karalexis, Apollo Sebastian and the rest of my buddies out in Vegas.
I also need to thank the people off the mat for their immense help and support. My business manager and friend Ron Weinberg who is a huge part of the “KenFloTeam” has helped me tremendously over the last year.
To my friends, family and fans, thank you so much for your support, love and positive energy. I am going to continue to train hard and proudly represent the great city of Boston!!
My sponsors are a big part of my team as well. They fund my training and provide me with the equipment to succeed. A big thank you to my main marketing partners and sponsors: Sprawl Fightshorts (Sprawl.tv), TUF Guy Productions, United Nissan (Unitednissan.com), Total Eclipse Motorsports (Totaleclipselv.com), NHBgear.com, North American Grappling Association (Nagafighter.com) Sirius Athletic (SiriusAthletic.com) and Shoyoroll Clothing. (Shoyoroll.com). Please check out my friends page at KennyFlorian.com for a list of all of my sponsors.
Lastly, I have to acknowledge the UFC and SpikeTV for really bringing MMA to the mainstream and broadcasting this sport to millions of people. UFC/ZUFFA and Spike have made an incredible impact on the sport. They deserve so much credit for taking this sport to new heights.
Stay with the Flo,
Kenny “KenFlo” Florian
UFC 61 Appearance
If you are in the Las Vegas area, I will be signing autographs with a bunch of other UFC fighters this afternoon (Friday) at Mandalay Bay Events Center from 2pm- 4pm.
www.KennyFlorian.com