News
18/09/09 - Dellagrotte confirms Florian split, says move will be good for both of them
Marc Dellagrotte has confirmed that he and Kenny Florian have parted ways in a move he says will be good for both of them.
Speaking to Fighters Only this afternoon, the Sityodtong head coach said, “There are no hard feelings. Me and Kenny have been good friends for a long, long time. We did good thing together. I think this is a good decision for both of us.
“I think he is going to do well, I think the people he is going with are some of the best in the world. It wasn’t a bad break or anything like that, it was just a mutual decision we made in order for us both to move forward. It was necessary for Kenny to move forward with his career and me to move forward as a coach.”
It has long been rumoured that there was friction between Dellagrotte and Florian’s brother Keith. Fighters Only heard before the BJ Penn fight that tensions had been running high between the two for some time.
Asked if this was the case, Dellagrotte admits that it is true.
“I have to stress that I have nothing negative to say towards Kenny or his brother. Its not his brother’s fault, it’s not my fault, its just one of things that happens in sports like this,” the Boston man says. “There has been a constant… ‘power struggle’ between me and his brother Keith. We never really got along - which is not anybody’s fault, some work well together and some don’t.
“We worked well together at first but over the last few camps and fights we put together, there were differences and I am just the type of guy that if I can’t steer the ship, if I can’t be the captain, I would prefer not to be onboard.”
Dellagrotte freely admits that he likes to be 100% in control of his fighters’ camps and does not feel comfortable when he is not. When Kenny Florian announced around the time of the Joe Stevenson fight that Keith Florian would be his head coach from then on. Dellagrotte says he knew there would be friction.
“I felt over the last couple of fights, I have not been able to be me or say what I wanted to say because I have not been in the position of head coach. Going into the BJ Penn fight, I really didn’t feel like I had all that much control over the camp. Over the last couple of fights in fact, since Kenny made it public that Keith was the head coach,” he reveals.
“I am a good leader, a good general, and I think my resume shows that. When I start to feel like my decisions aren’t important or not being taken seriously, it kind of detaches me from the situation. And if cant be really in control and really responsible for the outcome of the fight, I don’t want to be part of it any more.”
That said, he stresses again that he wishes nothing but the best for Florian in his future career. And as a martial artist with more than one style under his belt, Dellagrotte can appreciate the benefits that a new set of coaches will bring to Florian’s game.
“It is going to be invigorating for Kenny to go and see new trainers, learn new tricks. I am a true teacher of the martial arts and a true friend to Kenny so I encourage him to move on to bigger and better things. Hopefully he is productive and does well from here. I wish him nothing but the best,” he says.
“Nothing but love for Kenny and his career and his family, I am still cool with everyone. Its not some boyfriend and girlfriend break up, you know? This kind of thing happens all the time in professional sports for various reasons.
“Me and Kenny had a very personal heart-to-heart conversation, we were commending each other on what we had accomplished. If he was with me right now I would be giving him a high-5, we did magical things together.”
John Joe O’Regan
John.fightersonly@gmail.com
Attachments:
- There are no attachments for this article
