Team Florian Discusses Changes, Matchup with Guida

MEMPHIS, Tenn. -- After a disappointing loss to lightweight champion B.J. Penn at UFC 101, Kenny Florian felt the need to reassess every facet of his preparation.

He eventually decided to leave longtime trainer Mark DellaGrotte and replace him with Firas Zahabi. Florian’s younger brother, Keith, Zahabi and Peter Welch form the revamped coaching team, and they sat down with Sherdog.com to discuss the changes that were made ahead of Florian’s showdown with Clay Guida at UFC 107 “Penn vs. Sanchez” this Saturday at the FedEx Forum.

“Bringing on Firas and having Peter doing the striking, everything is merging so nicely; it really is,” Keith said. “Everyone has the same philosophy on things, and everyone is following the same format, and it’s been a marriage as opposed to anything else.”

The younger Florian has taken a lot of the heat for the split between his brother and the ever-popular DellaGrotte. Though precious little has been revealed publically, Keith did little to assuage speculation that there was a rift that eventually ruptured.

“I think if other people want to say certain things or to wash their laundry in the media, so to say, then that’s up to them, but we know exactly what happened and what the truth is and I’m just going to leave it at that,” he said.

The newest member of the inner circle, Zahabi, who counts UFC welterweight champion Georges St. Pierre among his many disciples, played the just-happy-to-be-here card when asked about working with Kenny.

“I’m really happy to come aboard with such a great team; they have taken him so far already,” Zahabi said. “All I can do is offer him what I do, what I specialize in and to add and extra dimension maybe.”

Florian has characterized Zahabi as a teacher of the fundamentals, which could come into play against Guida. The grinding wrestler carries a simple game plan but displays a rare combination of grit and endurance that could test Florian’s more traditional style.

“The amazing thing about Clay Guida is he can turn a technical fighter into an un-technical fighter,” Keith said. “I think you just need to stay calm and you need to basically frustrate Clay Guida as much as Clay Guida is trying to frustrate you.”

That seems easier said than done.

Zahabi echoed Keith’s sentiments about not wanting to engage in a sloppy tussle with Guida. Raising concerns about the effectiveness of the Chicagoan’s wild style, the Montreal-based instructor spoke warily of Guida’s durability.

“You can’t get sucked into a street fight, overextend yourself and then give him a chance to capitalize,” Zahabi said. “That’s his No. 1 trait -- his durability -- so you overextend yourself and you think, ‘Oh, I’m winning, I’m going to go more, I’m going to go 100 miles per hour.’ Then all [of a] sudden you start to gas out and you start saying, ‘This guy’s still not dead.’”

Though cautious, Zahabi remains confident his new charge will prevail.

“That’s his style; he’s shown that style, and we’re going to make sure Kenny is ready to beat on him for three rounds, nonstop, all the way through,” Zahabi said. “But knowing Kenny, he will probably finish him nonetheless, but not in a rush, not in a hurried fashion, just in a good pace. And if the finish comes, it comes, and if not, we have to deal with that, as well.”

Keith outlined, in simple terms, the strategy his brother will need to employ at UFC 107.

“[Kenny] needs to keep his head and make it a technical bout, where I know -- and everyone else knows -- Kenny can win,” he said.