UFC lightweight contender Kenny Florian talks about his eagerly anticipated clash with Joe Lauzon on April 2nd at UFC Fight Night 13. Check out what he had to say about the fight as well as his thoughts on this weekend's interim lightweight title clash between BJ Penn and Joe Stevenson.

PC: It's been awhile KenFlo. What's been going on?

KF: I've been doing well man. I'm staying busy, been traveling, doing this, doing that, doing a lot of seminars, appearances and stuff and just trying to train as much as I can.

PC: Do you use those seminars as an opportunity to keep yourself sharp or strictly as a teaching tool?

KF: I really like it. I really think it does keep me sharp. Any time someone asks me a question, because everyone see's a technique differently, everyone see's things in a different light…when someone asks a question, it helps me look at a technique in a different way. Having to explain it makes me reinforce it in my own head and see it in all different angles. It really helps me and helps me make some money in between fights so it's great, you know. I enjoy teaching.

PC: You recently did some commentating for the UFC at the Ultimate Fighter Finale. How did you enjoy that?

KF: Ah man, it was awesome. It's something I've been wanting to do for awhile. I went to school for communication and (laughing) I finally get to show my parents that I'm using what I went to school for. It keeps them happy at least because they've been bothering me about fighting for awhile so that was good. I really enjoyed it because I'm a fan, first and foremost. It was cool to do that awesome fight for the first time and hopefully I get to do it again.

PC: So that is something you would look to do a lot more of?

KF: Yeah, yeah. For sure!

PC: In that fight, Roger Huerta survived a scare. How do you grade his progress? What do you think of him as a fighter?

KF: You know, Huerta is a tough fighter and I think he showed that he can beat top competition and I think he showed that he's game. I think that's the second fight that he came back and won. I think he was losing another fight to Doug Evans and he was losing that fight against Clay Guida and came back and won in dramatic fashion. He's tough. He's game to the end, but I think that shows that he has holes in his game still, but he has a lot of time off now to work on that stuff and he's going to be a tough guy to beat.

PC: On April 2nd on Spike TV, we're going to get to see who "The King of Boston" is. You're fighting Joe Lauzon. How do you like that matchup?

KF: (laughing) I think Joe Lauzon is a great fighter. He's come a long way and he's improving all of the time. I've been watching him since he was a kid in the grappling competitions. It's cool to see him rise the way he's risen, but I knew, for some reason, we were going to have to face each other at some point. I didn't think it would be this early. I'm going to be ready and I've been training hard all of the time. I'm sure he's going to be training hard. He's been training with BJ. A lot of people see him as a possible champ down the line in the future and I know I'm going to have my hands full. He's not an opponent that I'm going to take lightly. He's beaten Jens Pulver, he beat another guy at a local fight here and he beat Mike Brown, who he wasn't supposed to beat. I'm not going to take him lightly, that's for sure. I'm going to be ready to fight and I'm going to be ready for a war.

PC: I was kind of surprised when I saw the fight was done. No disrespect to Joe because he has pulled off wins over guys he wasn't supposed to beat, but I don't know why I was surprised by this fight. What was your reaction?

KF: Honestly, I was surprised. That's nothing against Joe. I really wanted Huerta, but then he took time off so I thought they were going to give me Frankie Edgar just because of the timing of the fight. I thought that's who I was going to fight. I have a lot of respect for Frankie Edgar and he's doing big things in the sport right now. I thought that's who I was going to get matched up with so when they told me Joe Lauzon, not only is he from my area, but he's still kind of just getting started in the game in some ways. He's beaten tough guys, but he's still kind of just starting off so I was a little bit surprised.

PC: Joe has been submitting a lot of guys, but by his own admission, he says his bread and butter is his ground and pound. Do you think you have an advantage in both Jits and ground and pound?

KF: I hope to prove that. I think that there are a lot of things that I haven't shown. I think that I've probably only shown about 10% of what I can do. I'm training hard all of the time and that's all I'm going to say. People always look back at fights and look at the history to try and scout an opponent and all I say is, when you scout me, it's a hard thing to do because I'm a different fighter every single fight. A lot of people say that, but with me, it's true.

PC: Definitely! You haven't really had to, but we haven't seen those wicked elbows that you got so famous for using. Is that a weapon that we can expect to see you using again?

KF: Yeah man! I'm ready to use it all when I have to. I can show, once again, a little bit of a different side again and I'm going to be ready to unload and do what I have to do to get the job done against Joe. Regardless of how long the fight lasts, I think it's going to be a scrap. We're both going to be trying to get positions and get the better of the stand-up. It's going to be a war. Every second that fight lasts, it's going to be a war. The style he has, the style I have, we both don't like giving up an inch. We're both aggressive and technical fighters. I think it's going to be a great fight.

PC: Din Thomas is the biggest win of your career. You looked so relaxed in that fight. How did you make that transition from the show, where you were kind of the nice guy, to this aggressive killer instinct type of fighter?

KF: I think in that fight against Din that I developed into a veteran fighter and I've never been so calm, but at the same time, I had that willingness to trade if I needed to. Regardless of what happened, if he got hurt or not, I was ready to jump on him at any time; whatever opening he was going to give me. I've been able to find that boundary now in the UFC. I'm comfortable, I'm looking forward to fighting and I don't feel pressure. People are saying that I'm favored going into this fight, but I don't see it like that. I'm just excited to compete now, regardless of whether I'm the underdog or the favorite. I'm just looking forward to getting in there. I feel like that's my home. If someone is coming into your home to punch you in the face and take your money, then it's on. You better be focused and you better come with skills.

PC: Your motto has been "You finish fights!" and you've been doing just that. Can we expect anything different in April?

KF: That's always been my mentality since the first time I started doing Brazilian Jiu Jitsu. That has always been my motto, even competing back then; finish the fight, finish the fight! I think that the true measure of a champion, of a fighter and a mixed martial artist, is to have the ability to finish. You look back at the Samurai culture or any type of war culture…it wasn't how many stabs you got on the other guy or a referee comes in and says you stabbed him more times than he stabbed you or you shot him more times than he shot you so this guy won; no, it's either you kill him or he killed you. I think that's the purity of combat and the ultimate of combat and I think that's what I look to do every single fight and I think Joe Lauzon knows that as well and he fights that way too. Someone is getting finished in this fight, that's for sure.

PC: You had a busy and successful 2007. How do you capitalize on that success this year?

KF: I look back on my fights and I'm always looking to improve all of the time. I learn from my losses and I learn from my wins and I'm very driven right now and I'm extremely hungry and that belt is just sitting out there right now. BJ and Joe Stevenson are going at it and Sean Sherk is up next and I don't need any more motivation than that. I want that belt and I want to fight the best guys and I'm ready!

PC: It seems like Joe "Daddy" is being overlooked and people have given BJ a victory already. Do you give Stevenson a chance in that fight?

KF: I do, absolutely. Everyone looks at BJ's talent and what he could do on the mat with his hands, his wrestling ability and his balance, but we've seen it before. The best fighter doesn't always win, especially in mixed martial arts. Anything can happen and BJ has had some problems in the past with his cardio. I don't think it will be a problem this time around, but you never know. That fight could potentially start in the 3rd round. If Joe Stevenson can weather those first 2 rounds, he can come back strong and steal it in the 3rd, 4th and 5th, a lot like Jens Pulver did way back when, but I think BJ is a monster right now and you do have to give him an edge, but by no means is Joe "Daddy" out of this at all. He's in the best shape of his life and he's been training for a while now. He's been in Big Bear taking this very seriously so you won't see me bet on that fight for anyone.

PC: Ken, it's always a pleasure talking with you. Good luck in April and we'll get more with you before then. Is there anything you want to say in closing man?

KF: I just want to thank my fans for all of their support. The response has been amazing and I'm looking forward to getting back in there. Keep an eye out for me. It's going to be a little while before I fight, but stay tuned, it's going to be an unbelievable fight on April 2nd and thank you!