UFC 118 Preview: The Main Card

Kenny Florian vs. Gray Maynard

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The right to face the winner of the evening’s main event will be up for grabs when Florian and Maynard lock up in what could be your “Fight of the Night” winner. Who gets that potentially dubious prize depends largely on how Maynard chooses to approach the fight.

For all of Florian’s offensive dynamism, he still remains somewhat unproven when it comes to generating offense from the guard. Maynard certainly has the wrestling to drag Florian to the floor, but as he showed in his bout with Nate Diaz, he’s more prone to engaging on the feet with a dangerous grappler. Trading on the feet isn’t going to fly for him against the local favorite, though, since Maynard’s boxing still has a lot of room for improvement.

Florian’s combination of sharp striking and a strategic mind make him the sort of fighter tailor-made to exploit the gaping holes in Maynard’s defense. Prone to throwing parabolic arm punches, “The Bully” leaves himself ripe for counter-strikes and lacks the fluid body movement to get away with it against a striker of Florian’s caliber. Given his recent preference for standing in the pocket, there is a real chance Maynard steps into a fight-ending salvo.

How many chances Florian gets to make that happen is up to Maynard’s wrestling and his faith in defending the Bostonian’s submissions. The owner of a solid base and sound positional skills, Maynard can work the kind of lockdown top control that Florian hasn’t proven he can overcome. By the same token, Florian has shown slick offensive wrestling and could easily plant Maynard on his back given the opportunity.

That, more than anything, is why Florian should be able to win this fight. He has the diversity of techniques that Maynard is still in search of. Whether it be with his striking or submissions, Florian will eventually find the opening he’s perpetually hunting down and hand Maynard his first professional loss.