UFC Fight Night Live 11
Kenny Florian vs. Din Thomas
Wednesday September 19, 2007 10PM EST
Thomas (+135)
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Just because he was on the Ultimate Fighter Reality show, Kenny (Ken Flo) Florian (6-4) has been given too much hype. This is not the first time Dana White has promoted one of his below average fighters as an ultimate glory getting—prime example, Chris Leben. Looking at his mixed martial arts record and who he has gone up against in the past, it is not possible to even think Florian can be a favourite in this match against the seasoned MMA fighter, Din Thomas.

Din Thomas (20-6) is a very well rounded combatant who has been training at American Top Team with some of the best fighters in the world. He has a complete game with great striking ability along with an underrated ground game. He has fought and beaten some very top level guys such as Jeremy Stephens, Clay Guida, Rich Clementi, Matt Serra, Fabiano Iha, Stephen Palling, Jens Pulver and Dokonjonosuke Mishima. And to top it off, Thomas has also done it at a higher weight class. In his next match, Thomas will be moving down to fight at the 155 division against Florian, who happens to be a natural in this class.

Based on his losing MMA battles alone, one can see that Thomas is already a cut above Florian. His losses were to notables such as Luciano Azevedo, Amar Suloev, Carl Uno, and B.J. Penn—and who has Florian fought and beaten? The only recognizable name in the group is Dokonjonosuke Mishima. But to be fair to Mishima, he has lost to the likes of Sean Sherk, Diego Sanchez and Drew Fickett who are all stronger, better strikers and more powerful than Florian. Thomas is also stronger and has better strikes so in theory, should be able to punish Florian in the stand up. Kenny Florian has great BJJ skills but Din Thomas will be able to neutralize his ground game as he trains at ATT with BJJ black belts Denis Kang, Marcus "Maximus" Aurelio, Jeff "Snowman" Monson, Wilson Gouveia, Charles McCarthy, and Cole Miller.

Anything Florian has on the ground Thomas has seen before which makes Florian’s game null and void. The consensus is on Florian’s superior jujitsu but I beg to differ--in my reality they are on the same level (by the way, Thomas was awarded his Black Belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu in October 2006). So why all the hype around Florian’s ground game? Has he won at the Pan AM’s, Abu Dhabi or World Jujitsu Championships? The answer is no. Florian has fought and won many BJJ titles and various tournaments but no major events such as those mentioned above.

When it comes to MMA, Din Thomas has done it all. Here are some of Thomas’ credentials:

7 time UFC Veteran
3 time WEF Champion
2 time RSF Champion
Veteran of SHOOTO Japan, Inoki Bom Ba Ye Japan, SuperBrawl Hawaii.

Bottom Line: Kenny Florian is way over hyped with proof being his poor MMA record. He does not have the power nor skill to overwhelm Din Thomas. Thomas is going into this fight as the underdog but will take Florian in the stand up. When Florian attempts to shoot in, Thomas will sprawl and defend or easily counter Florian’s ground attack.

Look for Thomas to wear down and win beat up Florian who is a more skilled MMA fighter.

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