B/R Road Report: Observations From UFC Fight Night 21 Media Day

Like the clouds clearing Monday afternoon in Charlotte, NC, the haze that most UFC fans have found themselves in from the sheer amount of events in March has also subsided.

We are at the doorstep of UFC Fight Night 21, the organization's third event in the last 10 days.

Monday marked the true kickoff for the week: open workout day. That's when several of the fighters come into a small hotel conference room, get in about 15 minutes of hitting pads or rolling on the mats and then do interviews with the media.

There was a small contingent today with myself, two local reporters, two Japanese media members and John Morgan from MMA Junkie—not exactly the throng that surrounds most UFC PPV events.

The setup was at the impressive Westin hotel, which also was hosting a business conference right down the hall. To say the MMA crowd stood out among the business suits is an understatement.

But having said all that, there is still plenty of intrigue going into Wednesday night and there is especially some significant importance with the main event. Here are some observations from today's proceedings:

The Fight For The Sports Pages

I was talking with one of the local writers about the presence of any buzz in Charlotte about the event. He noted that this region is college basketball first, everything else second. With Duke now in the Final Four and a NASCAR race postponed to Monday, the UFC is up against some tough competition for the sports pages this week.

There are still tickets available for the event, which is being held at the Bojangles Coliseum, the smaller of the two major arenas here in the city. Another potential difficulty is that the NBA's Charlotte Bobcats are also playing Wednesday night, cutting into the usual "only show in town" experience that the UFC usually enjoys.

However, my hosts for the week have said that their friends have been talking about the UFC's visit and that there's a definite buzz for the event. The attendance at the Tuesday weigh-ins will tell a lot as well, but the UFC PR machine will be tested the next few days with trying to break through the clutter.

Kenny Florian Knows How To Talk

The ESPN MMA Live co-host has the gift of gab and was really good in talking about his background and the basics of MMA to a local writer who is doing a feature on him this week. It's the stuff that he's probably answered about a thousand times before, but he acted like it was the first. 

Florian explained his story of how he got into the sport, his experience with getting on The Ultimate Fighter and about what he expects from Takanori Gomi.

"Takanori Gomi is very experienced and I consider him a legend in this sport. He's a champion from Japan and comes in with a lot of experience. I consider him one of the most dangerous fighters I've ever faced," Florian said.

With the UFC essentially debuting in Charlotte (they haven't been here since UFC 3 back in September 1994), Florian is the perfect representative for the sport to an audience that might not be familiar with him: well-spoken with a good look and the skills to back it up.

Jorge Rivera: Not A Big Talker

Even though they are from the same state, Jorge Rivera is the polar opposite of Florian in terms of the sell-job with a fight. Rivera carries a quiet intensity and while his answers may be short and to the point, it's not because he's being difficult. Rather, he fits the classic "My fighting speaks for me" character.

I think Rivera and Nate Quarry is going to be pretty good. Rivera has no interest in taking it to the ground and wants to keep it standing. Fans should be excited to hear quotes like this:

"Wherever it goes, it goes. I like to stand and bang. I'm not going to take him down. If the opportunity presents itself and I can do it, I might do it, but I don't think so."

Both guys are coming in on winning streaks and will be looking to send the other home a bit more worse for the wear. If the eyes tell anything, Rivera is ready for this fight.

The Calm Storm of Stefan Struve

When you first see Stefan Struve in person, his height immediately sticks out. Watch him hit pads and you become more impressed with his focus, demeanor and raw ability. This kid is going to be a star.

At just 22 years old, Struve has a wealth of experience and the confidence to back it up. He still has a long way to go and will need to put on some additional weight to hang in there with the big boys of the heavyweight division.

But by watching him work out Monday, I have the feeling I'm watching something special. It may take some time for us to see it, but I think Struve is going to be around for quite some time and do some real damage in the process.

Here's some video from his workout today:

The Puzzle of Takanori Gomi

Maybe it was the translation or just the cultural differences, but I still don't know what we're going to get out of Takanori Gomi on Wednesday night.

While gracious and respectful, I didn't get the sense that he's excited to be competing in the UFC for the first time. He's struggled of late and admitted that he's been "lazy," but UFC President Dana White was psyched to acquire him for a reason. I am just not sure if Gomi is psyched to be here.

Perhaps it is just his demeanor leading up to a fight, but we'll see what happens in just a few days' time. Today, something seemed off and I don't know what it was.

I do know he carries around quite an entourage (six people), which was the largest of the day. There were several Japanese media people around, one of which helped translate Gomi's answers. 

There's a lot on the line for both Florian and Gomi Wednesday. We'll delve in deeper with a preview Tuesday right here on Bleacher Report.

I Love Burt Watson

The first person I ever interviewed for FIGHT! Magazine was Burt Watson, who heads up event operations for the UFC. Fans will know him as the man with the cool glasses who can be seen running around in the back with fighters on event nights and saying, "Let's roll!" It's hard to miss him as he's a force of nature.

Burt stopped in the press room and immediately, you felt a surge of energy. It doesn't matter how many events the UFC has; the man is simply always on. These are the types of people that make the difference between a good event and a great event and Watson is simply the best of the best. If you ever get the chance to meet him, thank him for his contributions to the sport.

Jacob Volkmann Likes To Belch

Volkmann was working out today and keep letting out loud burps. If he did this more frequently in the Octagon, perhaps he wouldn't be fighting on the non-televised undercard Wednesday.

Roy Nelson Has Slimmed Down

I was explaining who Roy Nelson was to my friend and videographer Pat Haney and how he's known for having a rather large gut. When Pat saw Nelson, he said, "He's not that big." He was 100 percent right—Nelson has lost some weight and looked to be in good shape.

Nelson is exactly what you saw on TUF: good-natured, light-hearted and a guy that has an understanding for what the business is about. It will be Nelson's first fight since winning TUF and the Struve fight is a very interesting one. More on this with a preview piece tomorrow here on B/R.

Here's some footage of the lighter Nelson:

Keep it locked here on B/R for the next few days as I'll be posting some previews with quotes from today's event, reporting live for the weigh-ins Tuesday, blogging live from the event Wednesday night and doing a post-event press conference wrap.

UFC Fight Night 21...it's almost here!

Josh Nason is a freelance MMA writer who has contributed to Bleacher Report, FIGHT! Magazine, MMA Madness.com and others. Follow him on Twitter: @joshnason.