At UFC 73: Unstoppable, after Kenny Florian forced Alvin Robinson to tap out at 4.30 into round one, ‘Kenflo’ reflected on his victory, and then on Sean Sherk’s unanimous decision over Hermes Franca after five rounds. Florian looked to the Arco Arena crowd in Sacramento and announced, “No disrespect to anybody in the 155-pound class, but who wants to see fights finished in here at 155 pounds? I finish fights. When I come to fight, I’m going to submit you or try to knock you out. I’m going to do everything possible to win. Finish the fight: That’s what I’m about.”

Today, Kenny is at home in Boston, having just taken his car for a service. It’s around 23 years since Kenny first became involved in a fighting system. “I really started martial arts with my whole family when I was a kid – taking up Shaolin Kenpo Karate. But I got more seriously into martial arts when I was in college at about twenty years old,” says Florian.

Royce Gracie in the early UFCs inspired Kenny, and he followed Royce’s lead to take up BJJ, eventually earning his blackbelt under Roberto Maia.

Kenflo’s name quickly caught MMA fans’ attention after his impressive showing during The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) Series One. However, his epic battle with UFC lightweight titleholder, Sean Sherk, truly ensured Florian a place in the Octagon history books.

More recently, on April 2, 2008, Kenny was victorious at UFC Fight Night: Kenny Florian vs. Joe Lauzon, stopping his opponent by TKO at 3.28 into round two. There was some controversy over the referee’s intervening due to elbow strikes delivered by Florian, which had forums on the internet running hot with mixed views. But two days after the match, Kenny was happy to openly answer any questions about the allegations.

And for this bout, his usual entourage of elite trainers backed Kenflo.

Kenny, how long have you been with Peter Welch for?

“I started with Peter during the first season of The Ultimate Fighter. Then he traveled and was working in California for a little bit… I only worked with him for about six months or maybe a year. Then I recommenced working with him in the last four of five months.”

Does he help you with traditional boxing or is it more of an MMA-adapted style?

“He helps me with more of a traditional-style boxing: I kinda make the adaptations with my brother and my Muay Thai coach, Mark DellaGrotte.”

You have Kevin Kearns for strength and conditioning, so does he have you for your weights program as well as for cardio?

“He does all my strength and conditioning, but I do have my nutritionist, Jesse Kropelnicki, who is a national-level triathlete here in the United States; he manages my cardio program as well.”

Do you tend to do more circuit training, or do you do weightlifting and powerlifting?

“Actually, it’s a combination of everything: We do a lot of what’s called ‘functional strength training.’ And it’s a lot of building up the core – some powerlifting, there are some circuits involved, and we do a lot of medicine-ball training and band training, plyometric work… It’s definitely very state-of-the-art stuff.

“We have different stages of training: The first stage is a strength phase; the second is an explosive phase; and the last is what Kevin Kearns calls the ‘gas-in-the-tank phase.’ So depending on how far away we are from a fight, each phase will take about a month to a month and a half – sometimes even two months, leading up to a fight.”

Do you work your Thai boxing regularly with Mark DellaGrotte?

“Yes, I do.”

What’s it like training with him?

“He’s a phenomenal coach: very skilled, very experienced when it comes to Muay Thai, and very open-minded when it comes to mixed martial arts. He puts everything together well and he’s helped my game tremendously.”

How does your brother, Keith, assist you?

“He’s a blackbelt in BJJ and he’s my most regular sparring partner. He does all the workouts with me, whether we’re doing boxing, Muay Thai, wrestling… He basically mirrors everything that I do, and he’s just phenomenal at jiu jitsu and has a great mind for MMA. He helps me with everything.”

Who marries all the styles together for your complete weapons package?

“It’s kind of a combination of myself, my brother and Mark DellaGrotte. We all kinda take all the elements and put them together into something that makes sense for mixed martial arts. I think that’s one thing that a lot of fighters kinda mess up: They all know they have to train in the different modes involved in MMA, but putting it together is where they make the mistakes. What is good for boxing may not be good for wrestling… What may be good for wrestling may not be good for Muay Thai. So you always have to put everything in the context of MMA.”

You went into your fight with Joe Lauzon possessing a reputation for having great elbow strikes. What are your thoughts on the accusations of illegal strikes to the back of the head?

“They weren’t actually illegal. I know Joe mentioned after the fight that they were fine – they were legal blows. And referees are human – they make mistakes and I think it was a mistake on the part of Herb Dean. The downward elbows are fine, but what are illegal are elbows to the back of the head, and the elbows were not to the back of the head. The key is: They want to protect the spine and the lower base of the head, which doesn’t provide as much protection to the brain. Certainly if you see the elbows again, they weren’t even close to the back of the head or spine.”

Just to clarify it, Kenny: The cut did appear to be more to the back of the head, didn’t it?

“There was blood at the back of the head, but the actual cut was at the top of the head. And just to further clarify: The only elbow that really is illegal in the UFC is a downward elbow going from twelve o’clock down to six o’clock. So if I’m standing up, going from twelve o’clock to six o’clock, that is the only elbow that is illegal.”

Did Joe worry you with his heel-hook attempts?

“No, I was well prepared for that. It was something that Keith and Mark had me very well prepared for. Both those guys know the leg lock inside and out, and I had the proper counters already in mind. I knew what Joe Lauzon was going to go for, and I escaped every time. I think he knew that and let go: He knew that he couldn’t finish those leg locks.”

You majored in communications. You didn’t study the same communication techniques as Sayid from the LOST TV series, did you?

“No, no; not at Boston college.”

Through your Muay Thai and your BJJ skills, you’re dangerous in the stand-up and on the ground. Do you see yourself as being one of the most well-rounded MMA fighters out there?

“I would like to think so. I’d like to think that I’m one of the most well-rounded fighters out there, but I still have a lot more work to do. I need to keep improving and I try not to compare myself to others: I try to be at the most top level that I can possibly reach as far as being as well rounded as possible. I still have some areas to work on and improve on, as always, and I need to keep evolving and to keep improving.”

Your first fight with Sean Sherk was a total war. Do you primarily want a rematch with Sean – whether he wins or loses against BJ Penn – or do you have your sights set on the belt?

“Really, I have my sights set on the best possible opponent. That’s what I care most about: I want to fight the best guys. And if BJ Penn beats Sean Sherk then I want to fight BJ Penn. I just want to continuously challenge myself – that’s what I’m in this sport for, and I want to fight the best guys and the most exciting matches. I want to please the fans with great fights.”

In the middleweight division, there’s talk of Matt Lindland wanting to challenge Anderson Silva. How do you think that would go?

“ Right now, as good as Matt Lindland is – I think he’s a tremendous competitor and he could pose some problems for Anderson – but the problem is that Anderson is at the top of his game, and I think it would be terribly difficult for anyone to beat him. I really thought Dan Henderson was one of the best, pound-for-pound, and it was interesting what Anderson did to him. You have to consider Anderson Silva a favorite in that fight against Matt Lindland.”

When do fans get to see you fight again?

“Oh, I’m hoping for that August time frame. I want to be busier this year and that August time frame would work out well for me.”

Your sponsors?

“One More Round, Sprawl, Tourtellotte Solutions, Versaclimber, NHBGear.com, Driftaway Spas and TUF Guy Productions.”

Kenny, is there anything you’d like to add?

“I just want to thank the fans all over the world for their support of myself and the sport, and I’m just very grateful to have them on my side. I hope to continue putting on exciting fights for them all.”