Florian picks Holm: Her trainers at Jacksons are excellent strategists

Los Angeles – On UFC TONIGHT, hosts Kenny Florian and Daniel Cormier and guest host Miesha Tate preview the upcoming UFC 208: HOLM VS. DE RANDAMIE. The crew catches up with headliner Holly Holm and legend Anderson Silva. Plus, Karyn Bryant adds reports.

UFC TONIGHT host Daniel Cormier on Holly Holm vs. Germaine de Randamie: “Germaine de Randamie’s leg kicks are brutal. She needs to set traps and not follow Holly Holm around the Octagon. When you follow Holm, you get picked apart. It’s going to be key for her to land the kicks and get her power on Holm. The leg kicks will slow Holm down. But with Holly, her footwork will be key. She needs to stay on the bicycle to avoid the power of de Randamie.”

UFC TONIGHT guest host Miesha Tate on what de Randamie and Holm need to do to win: “de Randamie needs to bully Holly and land the leg kicks. When she decides to move forward, she needs to be decisive. Germaine has eight points of contact – kicks, punches, knees and elbows. She’s really very dangerous with all of that so Holly has to fight a smart game-plan, move laterally and use counter-striking to stay away from the power of Germaine.”

UFC TONIGHT host Kenny Florian on de Randamie: “She has amazing strength, but did you see her knees? From the Thai clinch, she’s unbelievable. Once she gets the Thai clinch she’s brutal. She’ll attack the mid-section and throw knees to the face. She’s a beast in the clinch. But I wouldn’t be surprised if Holly tries to put Germaine on her back. This is the one person she’d have an advantage over on the ground.”

Holly Holm on the key to beating de Randamie: “She’s really tough. This is the first time in MMA I’ll be fighting someone taller and bigger than me. She has a strong Muay Thai clinch game. I’m ready for it. She’s tough. I know I’ve worked very hard and I’m ready to go.”

Holm on fighting at 145 and not having to cut as much weight: “I feel good. I’m only three pounds heavier than when I’m trying to make 135. It’ll be an easy cut and I won’t have to cut as much water weight.”

Holm on potentially being a multiple division boxing and UFC champion: “I will feel like I’ve done something that no other fighter has done and will be proud of it. But I always stretch for more. There will be other opportunities after that and I don’t want to feel like I’ve done it all.”

Holm on a possible fight against Cyborg: “That’s the biggest challenge in this weight class. Cyborg has blown through the division. That’d be the challenge in this division.”

Holm on if she’d like to avenge her loss to Tate: “To get the belt back and to avenge the loss, those are two different fights. I’d love to avenge the loss. Miesha understands that. She’s one of the pioneers of the sport. It’d be awesome to avenge that loss, but only if that person is into it. That makes it a pure fight.”

VIDEO: Interview: Holm talks UFC 208, Cyborg and Tate rematch
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W5TDDDc9p0Q

Florian on Holm’s keys to victory: “She has excellent boxing and excellent kicks – remember the one that landed on Ronda Rousey? She needs to use her footwork. She’s got to stick and move, land the shots and get out before Germaine lands one.”

Tate on de Randamie’s keys to victory: “She needs to throw punches in bunches. She needs to get inside and muddy up the water.”

Florian picks Holm: “She’s mixed things up. Her trainers at Jacksons are excellent tactical strategists and will have the right game plan.”

Tate picks de Randamie to beat Holm: “Her striking is too well rounded. She has all eight points of deadly contact. She’s going to overwhelm Holly. She’s more powerful and when she engages, the punches that land are going to count more.”

Florian on what Derek Brunson should focus on vs. Anderson Silva: “Brunson has been getting away from his wrestling roots and that concerns me. The better path is for him to look for those takedowns against Silva. He looked wild against Robert Whittaker. If he does that against Anderson Silva, the best counterstriker ever, that could be bad.”

Tate on if Silva still has the ability to win: “I believe Anderson Silva still has got it. He still has some of the best head movement in the game. I’m not a fan of someone putting their back against the cage, but in this spot I like it because there’s less real estate for the wrestler and his counter wrestling is phenomenal. He can utilize his counter striking.”

Cormier on what Derek Brunson needs to do against Silva: “Brunson needs to take him down. The game plan against Silva has been laid out by myself, Chael Sonnen and Chris Weidman. He struggled because of our wrestling. But Anderson still hits hard.”

VIDEO: StrikeZone and Predictions: UFC 208 Predictions
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jTOOFNd6F24&spfreload=10

Anderson Silva on what a win means for him: “It’s very important to win, but it’s more important to me to stay happy. This is part of my life. This is me. I love to fight.”

Silva on what his motivation is to keep fighting: “My great motivator is first, I love fighting. Second, I see a lot of fighters stop their career and go to different jobs and different sports and never stay happy. Now, I have a different career, but it’s interesting because I love both. This is more important. When you love your job, you stay happy. When you stay happy, everything comes better.”

Silva on what it means to be the greatest of all time: “In my mind and my heart, I need to do the best fighting outside the cage for my kids, my family and friends and to help more people. Inside the cage, it’s simple. You win 2, 3, 5 fights, maybe you become the best fighter in the world, but outside it’s more difficult. My goal is to be the best man in my life, not the best fighter.”

VIDEO: Interview: Silva is as motivated as ever to fight Brunson
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EqcczPiafXY

VIDEO: Cormier, Florian and Tate discuss if the UFC needs a women’s featherweight division?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9sRzk1m5iLk