Unlike the clichéd saying, the third time wasn’t the charm for top featherweight contender Kenny Florian.
At UFC 136, Florian lost a unanimous decision to UFC champion Jose Aldo. The 48-46 scorecards told the story of a tightly-contested bout that relied on octagon control versus damage and shots landed.
Aldo, who is still considered a top three pound-for-pound fighter in some rankings, seemed to find his rhythm as the fight wore on.
He was able to outpoint Florian in the standup exchanges and defend a multitude of takedown attempts.
“Obviously, I’m disappointed,” said Florian. “I fought very hard. I trained extremely hard. I wasn’t successful. That’s it.”
At 35 years of age, Florian has contended for three UFC titles.
He lost a unanimous decision to Sean Sherk in his first title shot at UFC 64 back in October 2006.
His next opportunity came against BJ Penn in August 2009 at UFC 101, where he was dominated throughout and stopped in the fourth round by a rear naked choke.
After yet another heartbreaking loss, the future is unclear for Florian at this point.
Will he stay at 145-pounds, or will he move back to lightweight? Is bantamweight a possibility? Could retirement be in the plans?
“The thing about Kenny is he’s smart. He’s talented. He’s got other options. He’s got things going on outside of fighting, too. It’s just one of those things he needs to sit down and really figure out on his own,” UFC President Dana White said at the post-fight presser.
“I’ve got nothing but respect for him, and Kenny Florian will be with us no matter what.”