Does Kenny Florian Choke Under Pressure?

When Dana White offers cogent MMA analysis, it's usually right on target. So I was surprised to hear his criticism of Kenny Florian, as recounted in a recent article on MMA HQ.

Let's look at Kenny's losses compared to his wins. It is true that Florian has lost to some very tough opponents. Gray Maynard was undefeated going into the fight, and BJ Penn until recently seemed unstoppable. Drew Fickett was in his prime and sporting a 22-2 record. Sherk was 29002. Sanchez was still undefeated. Florian has only lost to extremely high-caliber opponents.

But this isn't to say that Kenny hasn't defeated some incredibly tough opponents as well. Let's rattle off the names of the past five guys he's defeated, all of which are also incredibly high-caliber opponents. Nobody would call getting through Din Thomas, Joe Lauzon, Joe Stevenson, Clay Guida, or Takanori Gomi a piece of cake or anything. In fact, I'd go so far as saying that some of the guys he's defeated are tougher than some of the ones he's lost to.

Despite his loss, I still consider Florian a top-level fighter. His jiu-jitsu is outstanding. He's so technical in the way he advances positions. And he's got great hands to boot.

Florian did not agree with White's public criticism. He told the Boston Herald that he did not freeze at all, but that Maynard was a better wrestler and did a good job controlling him on the ground. What's strange about this situation is that Florian does not seem to be making any excuses for his loss, and is focusing instead on what his opponent did right. So it's difficult to determine why Dana White is making excuses.

Florian has a very strategic game plan, and works hard to try to suck fighters into the range he feels most comfortable working in. This didn't work with Gray Maynard, but I see this as more of a reflection of Maynard's talent and strategy than of any sort of mental block. I disagree with White's analysis. What do you think?