UFC Fight Night: Florian vs. Gomi

[jmt225]

Main card

• Lightweight bout: Kenny Florian vs. Takanori Gomi
• Heavyweight bout: Roy Nelson vs. Stefan Struve
• Middleweight bout: Nate Quarry vs. Jorge Rivera
• Lightweight bout: Ross Pearson vs. Dennis Siver

Preliminary Card

• Lightweight bout bout: Jacob Volkmann vs. Ronnys Torres
• Lightweight bout bout: Caol Uno vs. Gleison Tibau
• Middleweight bout: Yushin Okami vs. Lucio Linhares
• Middleweight bout: Gerald Harris vs. Mario Miranda
• Welterweight bout: Charlie Brenneman vs. Jason High

......................................................................................​

This card definitely makes up for the UFC LIVE show on Versus, especially since initially the Gomi/Florian and Nelson/Struve fights were all supposed to be on that show, but instead the UFC did the right thing and just scheduled a new Fight Night and put these fights on it. Thank God for that, because this is one hell of a free card.

As I've made clear here before (check out this thread for me: Takanori Gomi), I am a HUGE fan of Takanori Gomi, so of course I'm fucking stoked for his UFC debut. And man oh man does he have a tough task ahead of him in Kenny Florian. Kenny is a true Mixed Martial Artist. The guy is very well rounded, and will perhaps be the one to decide where this fight takes place. It's going to be real interesting to see what he chooses. Florian is an excellent Muay Thai fighter, but is he confident enough to test that Muay Thai against Takanori Gomi's unorthodox boxing? He didn't test his stand-up against BJ Penn, so it'll be interesting to see if he's confident against Gomi. Wrestling wise they're probably what-and-what, and on the ground, Florian probably has the advantage Jiu-Jitsu wise. Regardless of where the fight takes place though, it should be a good one, and I for one cannot wait to see it. WAR Gomi!!!!

You know, usually when someone wins the Ultimate Fighter, they're given a couple of scrubs for their first couple of fights in the UFC, but not Roy Nelson. That might be because Dana White doesn't like him; regardless, the man has a very tough opponent in Stefan Struve. Struve since losing to Junior dos Santos in his UFC debut, has looked absolutely spectacular, going 3-0 since then, with his last fight defeating Paul Buentello via unanimous decision, in a very, very good fight. Looking at this... man, it's hard for me to pick a winner. All throughout The Ultimate Fighter I picked against Roy Nelson, and it costs me every single time. Because of that, it's hard for me to pick against him, but then again... none of his opponents on TUF were anywhere near as good as Struve. So, for now, I'm not picking a winner for this one. I'll just sit back and hopefully enjoy a great fight.

Nate Quarry vs. Jorge Rivera will most likely be Fight of the Night. Very much looking forward to this. Quarry has always been an exciting fighter, and the vet Rivera has just looked awesome in his last couple of fights. I'll pick Quarry in this one via knockout, but I'm not 100% certain on that prediction. But I am certain that this will be a great, great fight.

And Ross Pearson vs. Dennis Siver should be a pretty good fight. Pearson of course is a TUF winner, while Dennis Siver is on a 3 fight win streak in the UFC. Of course, they're a couple of Lightweights, so you know this one will go 100 mph, which is always fun. But I think I'll pick the little known Siver to take the upset in this one. He's very experienced, and has seem to improved a lot since his last run in the UFC.

 

[Rizza]

Penn-Gomi
Man, I like Gomi too,but I think he gets out classed here by Florian. Kenflos Muai Thai is pretty good, and good enough to get by ,but I think the stand up is where he is his weak point is in this fight, but thats not saying much because his stand up game is more then good enough to get him through till he gets the fight to the floor. Kenny's Jiu jitsu is great, and I think he might catch Gomi in a sub. This one could go either way though, but I am leaning towards a Kenflo victory on this one.

Struve-Nelson
I like Struve alot, and I despise Roy Nelson.That being said however I think Roy takes this one. Struve won't be able to stand with Roy effectivly, and his physique leads me to belive he won't really be able to control him on the ground. I just hope he can catch that chubby jackass in a sub, but I think that is still a long shot, seeing how good Nelson is on the ground. Oh Well, I hope Struve can pull it out, as I really like the guy, but I'l be damned if this isn't a terrible match-up for him. After the beatings I have seen Struve take(excluding the JDS bull rush) in the Stonjic and Bauntello fights I don't think Roy finishes him though. I see a decision win from Big Country.

Could really care less about Rivera-Qaurry, I just hope it delivers like JMT thinks it will. I actually see Qaurry taking this one though. He seems like the more talented of the two.

Siver-Pearson
I am pulling for Dennis Siver in this one, I haven't checked the betting odds, but I bet Siver is the underdog. Ross Pearson is pretty well rounded but Sivers Stand up can be awesome at times. All I know is if i was Pearson, I would do my damndest to abvoid getting hit with that spinning back kick of his, because I believe if he hits one clean he could end the fight with it. Siver has one of the best of those in the Biz.

As for the undercard, I only hope that Okami can pull out a win and get back in the race. He as only lost 2 fights in the UFC against Franklin, a all time great, and Cheal Sonnen who is on the rise to the top it looks like. So it shouldn't be a stretch to have him on the main card in the future.

 

[INDYjon22]

This should be a very solid card. Maybe not as good as the last UFC show but this should not disappoint by any means.

Gomi versus Florian should be very exciting. Actually, most of my knowledge on Gomi is because of JMT's thread on him. He is a very exciting fighter who I think will look sharp based on his recent training with AKA. That team is fantastic and makes all their fighters better. However, Florian has been very good for years now and I do not see that changing in this fight. I think Florian takes this by decision and begins his renewed push for another title fight.

Struve versus Nelson should be a decent fight. Don't expect this fight to be like Struve/Buentello because quiet frankly that isn't Nelson's style. He will come out and fight a slow stand up, if he gets beat on the feet he will take it to the ground. The ground is not safe for Roy when fighting Struve but I think his ground defense is good enough to prevent him from getting subbed. I will take the unpopular choice and say Nelson will win. He is a veteran very good regardless of his boring style. I see him knocking Struve out or chugging along for a decision.

Quarry and Rivera should be an interesting fight. I think Quarry will come out and pick Rivera apart but I wouldn't completely go against Jorge, he is a warrior. However, I think Quarry should win this by KO.

Pearson is a juggernaut and I don't see that changing in this fight. I expect him to come out and out Siver to sleep. I expect an upgrade in competition after this fight as well.

The only undercard fight that really interests me is Gerald Harris. I am very intrigued to see how this kid does in his debut with the UFC. He has been on fire since TUF and I expect that to continue in this fight. I expect some big things from him because he reminds me of Rashad and Jon Jones.

Okami hopefully picks up a win, as does Torres. I also think Uno and Tibau will be a war that could be fight of the night. Hopefully Uno wins so he isn't cut but I see Tibau winning this fight by split decision.

 

[jmt225]

Very good show last night. In fact, I think you could make the argument that UFN 21, overall, was a more enjoyable show than UFC 111.

Kenny Florian vs. Takanori Gomi... while I was extremely disappointed in the outcome, I cannot deny the genius gameplae KFlo had going in and the beauty of which he executed it. That jab he threw constantly throughout the first 2 rounds could not have been more quick, crisp, and pin-point accurate. Gomi had no answer for it whatsoever. And when in the 3rd Gomi came out as aggressive as possible, Florian got a beautiful take down and worked his magic on the ground, eventually getting Gomi's back and supplying the rear-naked choke. Absolutely awesome performance by Kenny Florian. I really don't think there's a Lightweight out there not named BJ Penn that can defeat him.

Roy Nelson, too, looked awesome last night. You can tell he's been working hard on his boxing, and boy is that hard work paying off. The guy's hands are getting more accurate and fast with each fight it seems, and of course he has some serious power behind those shots, as he showed against Struve last night and against Brendan Schaub in the TUF finale a few months ago. However, I can't say I'm still completely sold on the guy. Every big name he's faced (outside of Kimbo, who doesn't really count), he has lost too. So, I'm hoping he gets a tougher fight in his next one so we can see what this dude really has to offer.

Jorge Rivera looked better than ever before against Nate Quarry. Nate's no joke, and Rivera completely manhandled him. I'm telling you... we better start looking out for this guy. He's working with the same people as Kenny Florian, and we see with each fight how much Kenny keeps improving. If Jorge has the same work ethic and determination as KFlo does, then he very well could start making some rumblings in the Middleweight Division. Very much looking forward to his next fight.

And of course. Ross Pearson vs. Dennis Silver was awesome and definitely the Fight of the Night. Pearson's striking looks to be superb, and he's starting to make a believer out of me. It'll be interesting to see how he does against some of the big names the Lightweight Division has to offer.

 

[INDYjon22]

Agreed, last nights live show was very good, maybe even my favorite of the early year. At least the 4 live fights were entertaining and the one under card fight was very good as well. Gleison Tibau looked awesome in his fight last night and made Caol Uno look bad. Tibau is a very underrated fighter in my eyes and hopefully his performance last night opened some eyes.

Kenny Florian versus Takanori Gomi was good. K-Flo had a game plan and implemented it to perfection. I was a little surprised that he was actually able to finish Gomi but it backs up his words from awhile back when he said that he ends fights. Nice to see he follows through on his claims and it is very apparent he is aiming towards another shot at Penn and the title.

Roy Nelson looked very good last night. His boxing is getting pretty damn good. Stefan Struve obviously has a problem when it comes to fighting shorter guys who like to punch. He has been destroyed twice now by shorter guys with good hands. He needs to work on his striking defense and using his length to keep them away. If Struve can put everything together he has the potential to be a monster.

Jorge Rivera impressed me. He has never looked better and he made Nate Quarry look like a punk. Quarry is a very good fighter and he had no answers for Rivera last night. I don't know if Rivera will ever get a title shot but he is sure picking up his A game right now.

Ross Pearson looked awesome last night. The dude has some serious talent and a very bright future. I expect to see him listed as one of the top 5 UFC Lightweights within the next few years.

 

[Turd Ferguson]

I really enjoyed the UFN show as well, and I too think it was the best show of the year so far. Each of the fights that were shown on the main show were very exciting.

Pearson/Siver was a very good fight, and Ross Pearson is continuing to make a lot of waves in the Lightweight Division. The division is actually pretty stacked right now, so he has a way to go before entering that echelon of elite lightweights in the UFC, but he is certainly on his way, and I don't think the UFC should rush him. He still needs to develop a ground game, as it seems most British fighters really have no answer for the takedown. When there are a lot of guys in the division who are very well-versed on the ground as well, he'd be in trouble if he took on any of the top lightweights in the division. Give Pearson time though. He'll be a contender. Siver continues to be an exciting fighter, and he's tough for anyone to take on. Very nice win for Ross Pearson who looks like he's going to belong in the UFC. I think he should take on Mac Danzig next and bump him out of the UFC.

Big ups to Jorge Rivera, as he completely dismantled Nate Quarry. Quarry does not get dismantled. He's a very good fighter, and he's very tough to finish. Rivera completely tooled him. At 38 years old, he's seems to be putting it all together, and he's going to be dangerous for anyone to take on. I could even see him pulling off a huge upset. He's pushing hard to be on the Boston card, and he'll probably get his chance. He was a man on a mission Wednesday night, and if he lost, he probably would have been cut. What a win for Rivera.

Gleison Tibau just completely destroyed Caol Uno, who at this point in his career, is probably better off just fighting in Japan and trying to make another run at Aoki. He's shown nothing since coming back to the UFC. Of course, Tibau looked like he was a Welterweight taking on a Featherweight, but the fact remains that it was a complete dismantling and a very impressive win for Tibau.

It wasn't shown on the main card, but go out of your way to watch Yushin Okami vs. Lucio Linhares on UFC.com. Okami, after one training camp with the main who beat him, Chael Sonnen, showed for the first time that he's not boring, and showed for the first time in a long time that he can finish a fight. He brutalized Lucio Linhares' face, and the fight had to be stopped because of the damage he took. Great showing from Yushin Okami, who I think will no longer be the king of the prelims. He's still only 28 years old, and he technically was the last person to beat Anderson Silva. Okami should absolutely keep training with Sonnen. He'll only become a better, and more exciting fighter.

Roy Nelson... what more can you really say? I brought this up in another thread, but Nelson is going to fight JDS next, and I think he could very well pull off the upset. He's a real bad matchup for JDS. Struve needs to utilize his reach advantage and train more in kickboxing. He'll never have enough power in his punches because he's punching downwards. If he utilizes those tree trunks of legs and add kicking to his repertoire, he'll be scary for any heavyweight. He also needs to add some mass. He's a stick.

Kenny Florian continues to show that he's the #2 Lightweight in the UFC, and I think that when BJ Penn moves up after beating Frankie Edgar, Kenny and Gray Maynard will meet for the title. I knew as soon Kenny took Gomi to the ground, it would be over, and he should have done it much earlier than in the third round. Tough first go in the UFC for Gomi. Kenny's too tough of a matchup for anyone. Gomi should take on someone like Sherk next.

 

[gd]

I only watched this last two fights here as they were the only ones I was interested. The lights going out before the fight was certainly an ominous sign for Struve, wasn't it? Nelson knocked the fuck out of him, which was pretty surprising to me. Didn't know he had that much power. He may actually be able to beat a somewhat big name with boxing like that to go with his ground game.

Florian looked like he completely dominated Gomi, which is pretty surprising considering all I heard about Gomi coming into this fight. I guess this puts Florian up near title contention again. Maybe the 3rd time will be the charm for him.

 

[The Doctor]

Well, I gave this a shot as an attempt to really get into MMA. The main guy I was supporting here was Gomi.

I enjoyed the show, a lot, but not enough to start to watch MMA religiously or anything. Sad to see Gomi get dominated like he did, and it was very surprising after all I saw and read about him. I hope he fares better in later fights.

The part that I enjoyed the most was probably Nelson dominating Struve. I was amazed at how quick it was. I knew neither of these men, but Nelson left a big impression on me. One moment I was watching their introductions (Happy now, GD?), and the next, it was over. Amazing.

The Pearson/Siver fight was also a fun watch, and made me a Pearson fan. Helps that he's English.

Definitely enjoyed the show, and I wouldn't mind watching some more MMA in the future, but it's not something I'm going to seek out and follow.