The one thing that pundits cannot underestimate is Lauzon's competitiveness and preparation. He will not be intimidated in any way by Florian. He already faced a division legend in Pulver, and he won with a spectacular knockout. Florian is one of the best lightweights in the UFC, but his name does not demand the same attention as Pulver, particularly a rejuvenated, refocused Pulver preparing to return to the division he helped build. It is unlikely, therefore, that Lauzon will wilt under the pressure of fighting a marquee guy like Florian.
Moreover, it is hard to imagine Florian doing anything to Lauzon that he doesn't see in training every single day. Remember, Lauzon moved to Hilo, Hawaii to train daily with the reigning UFC Lightweight Champion and recognized MMA phenom, Penn.
Penn is a much more powerful, skilled fighter compared to Florian. Granted, he does not possess the same standup technique as Florian in terms of knees and elbows, but he is a better overall standup fighter. Thus, it is hard to imagine Florian coming out and overwhelming Lauzon on the feet.
It is equally difficult to imagine Florian overwhelming Lauzon on the ground. Even though Ken-Flo is a black belt, his jiu jitsu game should not be discussed in the same sentence as Penn's. It's not anywhere near the same level. And Lauzon has to deal with Penn each and every day, so he should be as well prepared for a ground battle as he can possibly be come fight time.
But Lauzon's resume is filled with B- and C-level opponents, aside from Pulver and Ivan Menjivar, and he only recently fought his way to the sport's brightest stage.
This guy either didn't do his research or doesn't know much about MMA. Jens and Ivan the only tough ones? How about JZ twice, Jorge Masvidal, and Raphael Assuncao? I guess those guys are just B and C level.
If any one has Joe's old highlight with the grappling and then the MMA I believe there's a clip from one of the JZ fights in it. The clip starts at 7:19. I'm pretty sure it's JZ in the white shorts.
Joe trains with some amazing people, but you can't ignore who Kenny works with. It doesn't get much better then Mark DellaGrotte, mix that with his already amazing ground game and you've got a great combination. Kenny also works out with Kevin Kearns, who is one of the top strength and conditioning coaches around.
I don't think the writer of that article was fair to boast about who Joe works out with, without giving proper attention and respect to Kenny's trainers. Mark DellaGrotte who is a champion Muay Thai fighter, Kevin Kearns and the rest of the crew at Sityodtong.
