Nothing notable for quotes or news coming out of the UFC Fight Night 21 post-fight presser. Regardless, here are the highlights.

There was no Dana White, even though he was at the event.

Bonuses

- Fight of the Night: Ross Pearson and Dennis Siver – $30k each

- Knockout of the Night: Roy Nelson – $30k

- Submission of the Night: Kenny Florian – $30k

Attendance/Live Gate

- 7700/$590,685. Arena was said to be really happy with the turnout.

Roy Nelson

- Nelson said that it felt great to win, but he didn’t execute anything he had worked on. He said he’d save his ninja techniques for another time. With Struve’s height, it was tough to gauge because of his long arms.

- He said the power outage mentally didn’t change anything for him; it was more physical as you get cold pretty fast. He joked maybe it was a sign the lights went out.

- Nelson talked about the long-rumored James Toney fight. He initially said that he’d like to see it and that he is fine with beating up Youtube guys. Then, he said he really wants to fight the best in the world and it’s not a fight he’d want to see.

- He said he’s under contract though, so it might be Toney.

Jorge Rivera

- Said the game plan went exactly as they expected. He’s got a lot to improve on, but was happy and wants to push hard to be on the Boston event in August.

- Said the game plan was to use a lot of fakes. Said Quarry’s leg kicks hurt more than he expected.

- He said he felt like he was faster than Quarry was. He wanted to get Quarry in his range and dictate the pace.

- On why he didn’t finish Quarry in the first, Rivera admitted that he got tired and that it was something he needed to work on. He just wanted to keep the pressure on.

- On Boston, Quarry said he would let Joe Silva figure that out. Ultimately, he wants a good hard fight. He understands the business he is in, which is entertainment.

- He has won three fights in a row and is very happy with what’s going on with his career right now. He said he is going to surprise some people. He’s come a long way since having some personal/business issues.

- Rivera said that he wanted that KO of the Night Bonus.

Ross Pearson

- He felt good going in and said that Siver is an awful tricky fighter. He mentioned the spinning back kicks as being tough. He was well-prepared to go three rounds and if it was a title fight, he would have gone five.

- He feels like the first round is always his weakest round. He didn’t want to rush into anything and revealed that the spin kick wasn’t flush but that it hurt.

- Cardio is a big strength of his, thanks to his conditioning coach who puts them through hell. He likes looking over and seeing his opponent looking for water and gulping for air, while he feels good.

- He talked about how it was a tough week with the Dan Hardy loss, but that ultimately he has to concentrate on what he has to do.

- Overall, he is excited about his career and can’t believe where it has gone from fighting in the UK to fighting in North Carolina on a UFC card. He said it’s almost going too fast and wants it to slow down a bit. He hopes to stay injury free and fight for the next 10 years.

- Said it was an awesome reception from the US fans. They’ve picked up on him and he doesn’t know why. Maybe because he is humble and a working class kind of guy.

- On the spinning back kick: It did catch him a little bit and it did hurt. He wanted to get in close and wanted to hurt him. Said Siver was faster than what he thought he would be. Sometimes, he gets hit and it kicks your backside and wakes you up a little bit.

- He had no immediate plans for his bonus, but that it may go toward a house as he still lives with his parents. He was going to party tonight.

Roy Nelson

- Was asked about his look and Nelson asked who has an issue with it: the opponents or the fans? He feels it is more media than opponents and that it’s the media that has a problem because they are usually just typing.

- Said that his training garage is now officially called The Country Club, not just a garage.

- He doesn’t hear much negative from the fans, even after beating Slice. He doesn’t hear a lot of hatred from fans, mostly just from the media. He really doesn’t care and as long as people are talking about him, that’s a good thing.

- On his body type, he said that Tank Abbott was a hero to everyone, but he just couldn’t fight. The difference is that Nelson can fight.

Kenny Florian

- He felt like it was a success. He definitely got to work the jab. He just wanted to be patient and wait and not make any mistakes. He thought he was successful at that.

- There were other things he wanted to do. His goal is to make small improvements every day. He said he has the best coaches.

- You can’t take anyone too lightly and to do that with Takanori Gomi would have been a mistake. He thought we saw a motivated Gomi. He had to be aware and be sharp through the fight.

- Overall, he said it just happened to be my night. He wanted to go out there and have fun. Tonight was his night. He put over Gomi pretty strong.

- He didn’t want to force anything and take what Gomi gave him. He wanted to stay low, but that because Gomi stays low, it’s tough to do that with him. He thought part of Gomi’s plan was to take Florian down as well.

- Eventually, Gomi decided to go upright and he opened him up with striking. He was able to change levels and take him down. At the elite level, one mistake can be the difference.

- He feels his top game is very sharp and that he’s been working a lot on guard from the bottom. His brother Keith is very detailed oriented and that was probably the worst position for Gomi to be in this fight. He kept pressuring and was hoping Gomi would make mistakes. He went to Renzo Gracie’s in NY to do some training.

- Said he doesn’t know where he’s at on his career. There are some things he has to work on. He is slowly changing some things around. His goal is to compete with the elite and not just be one of the best, but to be the best.

- He doesn’t really pay attention to fan complaints about things like Gomi’s current level. Gomi is a tough fighter and it happened to be his night. Fans are like that. If you lose, you stink. If you win, you’re the best. He knew he was in there with a former champion.

- He felt Florian’s power and that there was no doubt he’s among the most dangerous guys he has face. To him, Gomi had knocked out and fought some unbelievable fighters. He was excited to face a guy like that.

- On whether Gomi had first UFC fight jitters, maybe a little bit. He sensed early that Gomi was nervous but that so was he. The key is for it not to control you. He gave Gomi credit for going to a difference country with a different language and a different environment in a different arena. It’s tough for a fighter to do that and make the challenge. Gomi came to the best organization and fought him. It was a honor and that if you want to be a legend, you have to beat legends.

- Said that along with BJ Penn, Gomi was one of his toughest opponents.

- As far as future matchups, he mentioned Gray Maynard who had said he wanted the winner of this fight. Also said Penn is still out there, but he wants to face a tough guy….the elite guys.

- Said that he is asked about fighting in Boston in August every single day, but that he was just trying to just focus on the Gomi fight. Now that’s over, he can look forward to the future and getting on that show. To fight in front of his hometown fans would be another amazing step on his journey. It would be a dream fight for him. He joked that he is not excited for the calls for tickets.

- Said the five months between now and August would be perfect. He’s taking a Carribean vacation for the first time–his first vacation in five years–and was going to just relax on the beach.

That concludes our UFC Fight Night 21 Event Coverage.

Wednesday: UFC Fight Night 21 Cageside Live Blog

Wednesday: Roy Nelson, Stefan Struve Got The Look

Tuesday: Kenny Florian, Takanori Gomi look for redemption

Monday: Observations From Media Day

Josh Nason is a freelance MMA writer who has contributed to Bleacher Report, FIGHT! Magazine, MMA Madness.com, and others. He has been in Charlotte, NC, all week for UFC Fight Night 21, posting new stories daily. He’s going to go to bed now. 

Follow him on Twitter: @joshnason.

Read more UFC news on BleacherReport.com

Courtesy of :Bleacher Report – UFC

Kenny Florian showed again Wed. night why many consider him the second best lightweight fighter in the world.

Florian defeated MMA legend Takanori Gomi in dominant fashion at Ultimate Fight Night 21. After picking apart Gomi with punches and kicks for two rounds, the 33-year-old ended the fight by submitting the Japanese star with a rear naked choke.

KenFlo has ended his last three wins all by rear naked chokes, showing the best BJJ in the lightweight division next to champion BJ Penn. In fact, Florian continues to show that although he may not be at Penn’s level, he is on a different level from the rest of the division.

Even though Florian is deserving of another shot against Penn, he may not get it quite yet.

Some feel that Florian should matchup next against the undefeated Gray Maynard. With respect to Maynard, he is a good fighter, but he’s not on the same level as Florian.

Maynard has won his last six fights by decision, with the two most recent ones being split decision. He has only finished two fights in his career, compared to the 12 fights Florian has finished.

The level of competition Florian has beaten is on a completely different level compared to Maynard.

Florian holds wins over Gomi, Clay Guida, Joe Stevenson, and Roger Huerta. The only fight that he didn’t finish was against Huerta, in which he won in an unanimous decision.

Maynard does have a win over current No. 1 contender Frankie Edgar, but that fight was two years ago. His two most recent wins over Huerta and Nate Diaz may look good on his resume, but they were both split decisions.

Few give Edgar a shot at beating Penn in their upcoming fight. If there is a monumental upset, Florian would likely get the first title shot.

Even if Penn does what is expected and finish Edgar, Florian deserves a rematch with the champion. He has defeated every top contender in the division.

A rematch very well could be a repeat of their first fight in which Penn submitted Florian, but that shouldn’t matter in the decision-making for White and the rest of the UFC brass.

Kenny Florian is at the top of his division and poised for another shot with Penn. It’s a fight fans want to see and deserve to see. There’s no reason not to make the fight happen, and it should be booked for later this summer.

To read more by Jesse Motiff, click here.

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Courtesy of :Bleacher Report – UFC

Tonight is the night. 

I have been trained for this moment.  I chose months ago to compete against another warrior.  Tonight I fight, I am a mixed martial artist.
 
Surrounding me are my friends and family, all comrades that would do anything to help me succeed.  They helped me become the fighter I am.  They have taken every measure to ensure my safety, and my ability to succeed.
 
I wait in my room for the announcer to call my name.  The hair on the back of my neck raises ever so slightly.  My team walks behind me, supporting me, pushing me, inspiring me.  We are ready to go to war.
 
The walk is a long one, the music and the fans deafening.  I feel like my feet are not quite touching the ground.  I approach the cage, give my best to my team, I enter the cage.  I am ready to fight. 
 
I am exhilarated, I am ready, I am a mixed martial artist.  Win lose or draw, I will live to fight another day.  This is the life I have chosen.
 
Tonight is the night.  I have been starved, beaten, and neglected.  I have no power over my place in this life.  I am where I am as a result of unfortunate circumstances.  I don’t want to fight, but tonight I will, as I have no choice.  Tonight I fight, I am a pitbull.
 
Surrounding me are the only family I have ever known.  They are not my friends, but I am loyal regardless.  They will do anything to see me succeed.  They have prodded me, and provoked me into a frenzy.  They have prepared me for this fight. 
 
I await my turn for battle.  The rusty cage that holds me is cold, the chain around my neck heavy.  The hair on the back of my neck raises ever so slightly.  He tugs my chain, yanks me away from the cage, pulling me a direction I don’t want to go.  He is ready for war.
 
The walk is a long one, the drunken spectator’s, and junkie’s screams hurt my ears.  I am overwhelmed but proud.  I approach an empty swimming pool where I see my opponent.  No love is given before I enter, only more provocation.  Why must I fight?
 
I am anxious, I am nervous.  My instincts are taking over. 
 
My heart begins to race, they are loosening my chain. If I don’t fight I will surely die. 

This is not the life that I have chosen.  I am a pitbull.
 
Many times in the public eye, mixed martial arts is seen as nothing more than human dog fighting.  It is perceived as a lawless and reckless bloodthirsty sport. To those that understand the sport, nothing could be further from the truth.
 
Like MMA, the pitbull is a highly misunderstood creature.  Many see a bloodthirsty, uncontrollable and dangerous beast.  To those that understand the breed, nothing could be further from the truth.
 
For both MMA and the pitbull, the work to gain acceptance and understanding is never over.  There is no end to the necessity to both change perception, and battle myth and ignorant behavior.
 
For MMA it is as simple as pressing on and further establishing itself as competition and sport.  For the pitbull it is not so easy. 

Enter Kris Crawford.
 
Krawford’s goal is to educate people on not only the breed and how to handle them, but battle the actions that facilitate the negative imagery, primarily dog fighting.  She does so by working with troubled youth who are prone to dogfighting due to the glorification of the practice by their role models.
 
Kris is not alone in her campaign to save the animal, the youth and the communities that are affected. Her program, called Knockout Dog Fighting, employs the efforts of many well known figures in MMA. 
 
The list of her active supporters is a star studded line up with names like Tito Ortiz, Andre Arlovski, Anthony Johnson, Gina Carano, Rodney Wallace, Jake Shields, and many more.  So with a small army of celebrity fighters behind her, Kris and Knockout Dog Fighting are doing their part to end this madness.
 
Kris and Anthony Johnson were kind enough to share some thoughts about what exactly it is that they do.  Kris trains world class pitbulls for rescue efforts, and “Rumble” Johnson owns six pits of his own.  Both posses extremely compassionate natures which shine brightly in their efforts
 
Kris first talked about how Knockout Dogfighting took shape.  “I’m actually the founder of a non profit organization called For Pit’s Sake. I’m one of the first people in the world to actually certify pitbulls in the field of search and rescue.” 
 
She is an expert in the field, as are her rescue dogs.  “My dogs got so good, we were hand picked to do the space shuttle Columbia disaster.  Because my dogs were involved in search and rescue, we had the access and the ability to go into schools and talk to kids.  We were talking to them about cruelty and abuse.  Pitbulls are one of the most highly abused dogs out there.”
 
The program has evolved into something that sees many fighters work with kids at schools, juvenile detentions centers, or anywhere a child might need guidance.  
 
Kris saw a strong association between MMA and the pitbull breed and felt the two may be able to thrive in positivity and help each other change negative perception that surrounds them each.  “One of the things that happened when Michael Vick was arrested, was a lot of his high profile football playing buddies publicly defended him by equating dog fighting with mixed martial arts, which of course couldn’t be further from the truth.” 
 
Kris went on to say, “So I reached out to Anthony and a lot of MMA fighters because they are experiencing something similar to what the pitbull is going through.  The pitbull is being banned all across the country, because people think they are a bunch of crazy monsters.  Unfortunately lots of people think MMA fighters are a bunch of crazy monsters too.  So what we did was we teamed up with them.”
 
Kris talked about the power of an athlete like “Rumble” Johnson when it comes to the teens he works with.  “He’s a very powerful, positive role model for these kids.  The fastest growing segment of dog fighters right now are thirteen to seventeen year old inner city youth who have seen a role model get involved like Michael Vick.” 
 
Kris knew the kids needed an alternative. 

“So what we’ve done, is we are showing these kids that there are positive role models out there who don’t believe it’s a sign of strength, power, or greatness to fight their animals.  I’ve teamed up with the baddest, toughest people on the planet to show these kids that fighters protect those who cant protect themselves.”
 
Anthony Johnson spoke about his involvement with the cause.  “I’m just here for the kids, and I’m also here for the dogs, and just to show the community that pitbulls aren’t vicious animals if you raise them right.  As far as talking to the kids, I talk to the kids just to let them know that just because they might be in a crappy situation, it doesn’t mean its the end of the road for them.”
 
Johnson also talked about his approach with the youngsters. 

“I’m always trying to build up their confidence and let them know, hey, just because you hit a brick wall doesn’t mean it can hold you back in life.  There are always second chances in life and you can always keep going.  I’m always just trying to do something positive for the community and just help somebody out.”  The example he sets in just being there is priceless in and of itself, much less the ripple effects of what is to come years later with these kids.
 
It wasn’t a hard sell for Kris to get “Rumble” on board.  “We just started talking, and within probably five minutes I was hooked on it.  Helping out Knock Out Dog Fighting, stopping the abuse of dog fighting, going to youth detention centers and talking to the kids, for me its just been a dream come true,” Johnson said.
 
They don’t just talk to these kids, they train them, and educate them to become better citizens.  “Something else that’s remarkable about what were doing is how we stop dog fighting by helping kids get out of gangs and showing them positive alternatives.  What we do is teach these kids MMA, we get them involved with an MMA program and teach them some other things to do with their dogs.” 
 
Teaching troubled youth how to fight is not without its questions.  “Everyone else is like ‘why are you teaching them how to fight’, and we bring up that MMA fighters are some of the most disciplined athletes in the world.  Refusal skills are something we need to develop with these kids.  The self discipline involved in MMA helps these kids develop refusal skills and also the self esteem to go back to their community and say no to all these things that can get them into trouble.”
 
Knockout Dog Fighting has really become recognized as a strong and positive influence in the community but not without some irony.  “We’ve teamed up with a  gang prevention task force because we use their resources to get these kids out of trouble and on the right track.  We had a gang incident out here in the bay area, and what was interesting was school officials contacted a bunch of pitbulls and fighters to work with the kids at the alternative schools to make the community safer.”
 
Kris’ program really is a win-win in every way.  “What better way to change the perception of the pitbull and MMA than to have MMA fighters and pitbulls actively involved in communities?  Were not only saving the dogs, but were saving the kids, and making the community safer.”  Any time ignorance can be overcome through positivity, you’re winning the battle.
 
Anthony talked about how kids can get confused about the nature of a dog.  “Most of the dog fighting is in the projects, and these kids, that’s all they know.  ‘Hey, I want to see who has the baddest dog,  let my dog fight your dog and see which one is the best.’  Its really not about that when you have these dogs, because they are so loyal.”
 
Johnson brings a lot to the table by encouraging these kids, and inspiring them in his own life.  “I think I bring new hope to these kids that they can do something and achieve goals in life.”  
 
It has been very rewarding for “Rumble”.  “Some of them have written me on facebook, some of them have looked me up on myspace and said ‘Thanks for coming by and talking to us, I got involved with MMA, I got a pitbull and it’s the nicest dog in the world.’  If I could be like that all the time, as long as I’m changing somebodies life when I speak to them, I’m happy.”  The sport could use more ambassadors like Anthony Johnson at the gates to set the bar on how to represent not only themselves, but their sport. 
 
You listening Mr. Vick?
 
Kris wanted to be sure and acknowledge just how special and genuine Johnson’s efforts are.  “Anthony isn’t doing this for the publicity, hes doing it because it’s the right thing to do.  He pays for his own gas, he takes his time out of his day to go meet with these kids, and then you’ve got someone like Michael Vick who is doing it because it’s part of their probation.”
 
It’s people like Kris Crawford and Anthony Johnson who should be celebrated.  When news gets told about pitbulls, it’s always about an attack.  When news gets told about MMA, rarely is it about anything but controversy.  What people should be hearing about is highly trained pitbulls searching for our nations fallen heroes.

They should be hearing about the efforts of a man like Anthony Johnson and Knockout Dogfighting. 
 
Rest assured, ask any one of the kids these people or these dogs have helped, and they surely will tell you this is the biggest news about the breed or the sport.  Thank you to Kris and Anthony, and all the fighters at Knockout Dogfighting. 

Your efforts are priceless.
 
 
For a recording of the entire half hour interview visit hurtsbad.com and select the hurstbad radio icon. For more information on how to support Knockout Dogfighting visit their website .

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