MMA Worldwide

Penn vs Florian: We will find out who had the better camp

Posted by Deshalen Barber on the 4 August 2009 | No Comments

With only days remaining until “UFC 101: Declaration”, B.J. Penn is in dire need for an impressive victory to prove he can live up to the hype of being proclaimed as "The Prodigy”. Penn is coming off of a disappointing fourth round stoppage loss to UFC’s current welterweight champion Jorge St. Pierre earlier this year. B.J. hopes to show not only his dominance in his weight class, but also that he should still be regarded as a top five fighter in the pound for pound rankings. But in order to do so, he must first go through Kenny “Kenflo” Florian, who has proven to be a very game opponent. Both Penn and Florian realize that much more than the lightweight championship belt is at stake. As one is vying to be considered the best of the class while the other is  needing to salvage his legacy, they both opted to drastically improve their training camps to ensure victory.

            The task for victory will be a daunting one for Penn, as Florian has displayed he is not just a contender at the lightweight class, but rather a force shredding through any opponent who stands opposite of him inside the cage. Florian is currently on a six fight win streak and has finished five of his last six opponents early by either rear naked choke or face altering punches. As if Florian's impressive resume of compiled victories is not enough to stagger Penn’s ego, Florian has also dug into the ghosts of Penn’s past by training with one of Japan’s top submission specialist in Hatsu Hioki and a pair of Penn’s former opponents in Din Thomas and George St. Pierre.

            Held in high regards for his work ethic and outstanding cardio, Florian believes the two one week stints spent with St. Pierre have him physically prepared to perform at a higher caliber against Penn. In addition, any knowledge about possible kinks St. Pierre found fighting Penn at welterweight may also be there at lightweight, possibly serving as a slight advantage for Florian. By having Din Thomas and Hatsu Hioki as steady sparring partners heading into UFC 101, Florian gains a stronger insight in to the details of jiu jitsu, as these two competitors are highly regarded submission specialist who have garnered more than 20 victories by submission.

 Not to be out done by his newfound rival, Penn has stepped out of the comforts of training with sub-par competition, mostly compiled of friends and family members, to a more dynamic group of fighters. Although Penn’s new camp may seem to look unfamiliar to the faces that normally groom him heading into a bout, his batch of new partners are not unfamiliar to winning, as they have compiled more than 70 victories amongst the four of them. Leading the charge for Penn’s camp is the Diaz brothers, who are known mostly for their bad boy demeanor and in-the-ring antics. The brothers give Penn the "never back down" mentality while in the face of danger. Next is Yves Edwards, who has been competing professionally for over a decade and brings an excellent mixture of ground and striking expertise. The X-factor of this rugged bunch of fighters is Rafaello “Tractor” Oliviera, a member of Team Hawaii, who knows more than any other fighter within this camp just how important this bout is to Penn and his legacy. Because of this, he has pushed Penn the hardest.

 From MMA’s most technical to MMA’s down right grittiest fighters, both combatants have done all they can in finding the best training partners available to make sure this match will be one for the ages. They strive to come away with victory in such a spectacular fashion that the crazed fans, both in attendance and viewing from home are raving for an encore bout.