This space will feature regular “Views from the Floor”, here Mat takes at look the massive lightweight battle between Kenny Florian and Joe Stevenson at "UFC 91"...
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Does anyone really care that Randy Couture is fighting Brock Lesnar?
Well, yes actually. It’s pretty huge – everywhere you walk in MMA circles, you can’t get away from the fact this is the fight everyone wants to see.
BUT, it has meant that another fight has been massively overlooked – I’m talking Joe Stevenson vs Kenny Florian.
In lightweight terms, we’re walking very close to ‘main event’ territory here. Saturday night, we’re about to learn a heck of a lot about these two guys.
This fight is a bad move for Kenny. He was next in line for a title shot but, because of BJ and GSP’s fight at “UFC 94” (bring it on), Kenny didn’t want to wait too long for his next fight. Credit to him for that, but it could prove unwise.
Joe Stevenson will be too strong for Kenny. He’s a better wrestler and, if he can close the gap, Ken-Flo is in trouble. I see Stevenson winning within the three rounds.
Joe is in a no-lose position because he wasn’t next in line for a title shot anyway, but if he wins he will leapfrog the guy who was next up for a shot.
Significantly, Stevenson was awarded with his black belt in Jiu-Jitsu this week, and that is how the fight will be won - via a submission. Joe is a big stocky 155-pounder, don’t’ forget – he used to fight up a weight, and the decisive factor will be that combination of power and technical grounding on the floor.
Will this fight be Fight of the Night? I don’t think so, although it would have had a real chance if it wasn’t on the same card as Brock and Randy.
That fight will be Fight of the Night purely due to significance. If Randy wins, it means the legend remains heavyweight champion after beating the biggest guy in the division at the age of 45. If Brock wins, which is how I see the fight going, then he will have just beaten the legend that is Randy.
So there you go, Brock to beat Randy, and Joe to beat Kenny – probably by second round submission.
For live updates from the "UFC 91" main card, log on to setantasports.com on Sunday from 3am.