Kenny Florian breaks down Dillashaw-Cruz title fight, a 'peek into future of MMA'

Kenny Florian

Retired UFC fighter and UFC-FOX analyst Kenny Florian can’t pick a winner in Sunday’s UFC Fight Night 81 headliner between T.J. Dillashaw and Dominick Cruz, but like any hardcore fight fan, he can’t wait to see the fight.

Bantamweight champ Dillashaw (12-2 MMA, 8-2 UFC) and former titleholder Cruz (20-1 MMA, 3-0 UFC) meet at Boston’s TD Garden, a short drive from Florian’s hometown in Westwood, Mass. The card airs on FOX Sports 1 following early prelims on UFC Fight Pass.

Florian sees a flurry of activity between the bantamweight rivals that’s hard to predict.

“It’s one of those fights that’s going to allow us to really peek into the future of MMA,” Florian told MMAjunkie Radio. “These guys and the footwork that they bring – and they do it in two different ways. You have T.J. Dillashaw, who utilizes a very complex footwork in his MMA style that’s very offensive, and Dominick Cruz, who uses (footwork) to be more elusive and counter guys.

“It’s just a fascinating fight, and I really think that if you want to be a professional fighter and you want to take it to the next level, these are the guys you should be watching.”

But can Cruz, who’s fought just once since 2011, keep up with Dillashaw, who’s competed 10 times in the same timeframe.

“Now, Dillashaw, he’s proven to be one of the best pound-for-pound fighters in the world,” Florian said. “Dominick Cruz was so ahead of the game when he was competing in the WEC … and the way he moves, he overloads your computer. You never know where he’s going to be at any one time. He formulates this kind of U-shaped pattern in front of you, and he just dances around you until you’re mentally and physically exhausted, and then he just picks you apart.

“He stings you and he disappears. He just beats you with his footwork and his mind and his ability to read situations very fast. And Dillashaw is just a destroyer, and the way he does it is his ability to switch stances on the fly and hit you from angles and his wrestling. Just a phenomenal fight.”

When it comes to UFC Fight Night 81’s co-headliner, a lightweight fight between vet Eddie Alvarez (26-4 MMA, 1-1 UFC) and ex-champ Anthony Pettis (18-3 MMA, 5-2 UFC), Florian’s preference reveals itself more clearly. While he’s a fan of Alvarez’s style, he is more confident in Pettis’ ability to shine.

“(Alvarez,) this guy’s been fighting for so long; he has so much experience that he brings into the octagon, and now it’s time for us to determine, is it the MMA miles on his body, or is he just not at the level the UFC’s at? I don’t think that’s the case,” Floridan said. “I think he is on the level of the UFC, but I think the MMA miles may have caught up to him and his body. We just haven’t seen him really evolve past the point of what he’s been doing over the last several years, and that’s a dangerous thing in MMA. You need to constantly reinvent yourself as a fighter, because if you’re not getting better, you’re getting worse.

“Anthony Pettis is a guy who’s going to continue to get better. He’s a guy who really believes in himself even to the point against (reigning champ Rafael) dos Anjos when he lost, he didn’t stop fighting. You knew he was rocked in his first round. He got rocked and broke an orbital. He showed he has the heart of a champion. However, he did show if you pressure him … you can make him be not as explosive as he normally is. Eddie Alvarez is capable of a high-pressure game. I just don’t know if he can keep that kind of pressure and withstand the counters that Anthony is going to bring.”

So, in other words, Florian is leaning toward Pettis. That’s about as clear a pick he can make in a competitive main card that also features a heavyweight clash between Travis Browne and Matt Mitrione and another lightweight bout between Ross Pearson (18-9 MMA, 10-6 UFC) and Francisco Trinaldo (18-4 MMA, 8-3 UFC).

For more on UFC Fight Night 81, stay tuned to the UFC Rumors section of the site.

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