Ht/Wt: 5’10/155 lbs.
Age: 32
Hometown: Westwood, Mass.
Fighting out of: Boston, Mass.
Record: 10-3
The stakes: One of the more unexpected alumni of “The Ultimate Fighter” to find success in the UFC, Florian is already one of the premier lightweights in the world, but his desperation for a second shot at the title shows in his dogged pursuit of quality opponents. Joe Stevenson certainly qualifies, and it could be the win that finally gets Florian that title shot. Or it could be the loss that knocks Florian out of the picture and cements the theory that no one who so resembles a flesh and blood Milhouse Van Houten can be a UFC champion.
The breakdown: The one glaring weakness in Florian’s style is his wrestling, and he won’t have much of a chance at stuffing Stevenson’s takedowns. Luckily, Florian’s movement and striking make him a tough target while his jiu-jitsu is enough to make anyone think twice about willfully going to the mat. Of course, Stevenson’s jiu-jitsu is hardly rudimentary and Florian may not want to risk trying to get something going from the guard against a guy built like some weird mix of an Abrams tank and Satoru Kitaoka. Seriously, I’m starting to think Kitaoka and Stevenson are the same guy. After all, have any of you ever seen them in the same place at once?
Joe “Daddy” Stevenson Scouting Report
Ht/Wt: 5’7/155 lbs.
Age: 26
Hometown: Torrance, Calif.
Fighting out of: Victorville, Calif.
Record: 29-8
The stakes: Like Florian, Stevenson stumbled in his first run at the UFC lightweight title by resorting to the “Karate Kid” routine against incumbent champion B.J. Penn and following it up with enough waterworks to get FEMA worried. With that regrettable episode thankfully behind him, Stevenson can ill afford any more UFC slip-ups if the title is still on his mind. All things considered, it boils down to either beating Florian or settling into the role of resident gatekeeper.
The breakdown: Given Florian’s marked advantage in the striking department, Stevenson needs to focus on gaining the top position and controlling Florian while unloading with the vicious elbow strikes that left Yves Edwards’ noggin looking like a cheap horror movie FX display. The other concern for Stevenson is his unreliable cardio since Florian gets better gas mileage than a Prius. Playing it safe while looking for opportunities to rack up points will be Stevenson’s best bet to avoid reprising the KI-YA! demonstration.
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The bottom line: Stylistically, this isn’t the greatest match in the world for Florian, who doesn’t have the tools to handle strong grapplers that can out-wrestle him. However, Florian is harder to finish than an episode of “The Hills” and Stevenson doesn’t have the cardio to keep up with Boston’s fighting pride for 15 minutes. A strong start for Stevenson gives way to an even stronger rally from Florian, who picks apart “Daddy” with accurate striking and befuddling footwork en route to a late stoppage win.