After a monumental and historic UFC 100, the number one mixed martial arts organization in the world, the UFC, will hold its 101th event this weekend at the Wachovia Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. UFC 101: Declaration will feature a huge title bout for the UFC Lightweight Title and an equally huge light heavyweight superfight that is sure to tear the house down. In this second of a two-part preview, we will look at the main event for the UFC Lightweight Title as champion B.J. Penn defends his title against the number one contender Kenny Florian!

UFC Lightweight Title: B.J. Penn vs. Kenny Florian

Despite a crushing loss to Georges St-Pierre at UFC 94 back in January, B.J. “The Prodigy” Penn remains one of the top lightweight fighters in the world. Penn was also the second fighter after Randy Couture to capture two UFC titles in different weight classes, also winning the UFC Welterweight Title at one point in his career. Penn is one of the UFC’s top Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu practitioners, using his BJJ skills effectively while competing in the Octagon. Known for being an arrogant and outspoken fighter, Penn is known to be able to back up his bragging with skills not just in BJJ, but also in boxing. This has led to victories over the likes of Caol Uno, Matt Serra, Takanori Gomi, Matt Hughes, Renzo Gracie, Jens Pulver, Joe Stevenson and Sean Sherk. After losing a UFC Welterweight Title bout against St-Pierre, Penn will now return to the division that made him the star that he is, the lightweight division.

Kenny Florian is a highly talented fighter known for his brutal elbow strikes. Florian made his first appearance in the UFC when he competed in the first season of The Ultimate Fighter where he lost to Diego Sanchez in the middleweight finals of the reality TV show. Having tested the waters as a middleweight and welterweight, Florian seems to be more suited to competing as a lightweight and it is as a lightweight where he picked up some key victories, including wins over Joe Lauzon, Roger Huerta and Joe Stevenson. In fact, it was his win over Stevenson at UFC 91 which prompted matchmaker Joe Silva to set up the bout for the UFC Lightweight Title between Florian and the champion Penn.

The Prodigy vs. Kenflo! A huge opportunity seized!

Realizing that his fight against Joe Stevenson would determine the next contender for a shot at B.J. Penn’s UFC Lightweight Title, Kenny Florian made the most out of his opportunity when he submitted Stevenson with a rear naked choke in the first round. With six wins in a row, Florian is going into the fight with much needed momentum over the UFC Lightweight Champion himself. While Penn still has issues over his controversial and much talked about fight against Georges St-Pierre at UFC 94, the proud Hawaiian is not going to allow the loss to get to his head as he prepares himself for one of his toughest challenges thus far. Florian has looked up to Penn as evident by his post-fight interview after defeating Stevenson at UFC 91, while Penn has acknowledged Florian as a great fighter. This fight has the makings of a classic.

Kenflo is hungry to become the UFC Lightweight Champion, but in order to do so, he must defeat one of the world’s top lightweight fighters in The Prodigy. Will Florian be successful in capturing the UFC Lightweight Title or will Penn continue to dominate the lightweight division?