Former UFC lightweight contender Kenny Florian will look to embark on another path in his career, as he makes his featherweight debut against Diego Nunes at UFC 131 this weekend.
Florian recently sat down with MMADieHards.com and spoke highly of his opponent, admiring his achievements and his training camp. Florian also acknowledged Nunes’ professional record, viewing him as a legitimate contender in the UFC featherweight division.
“Diego Nunes is a guy, I think, is going to be one of the toughest fights of my career,” Florian said.
“He’s a very fast striker. He’s very experienced; he’s 16-1 for a reason.”
Florian previously competed in the lightweight division, where he earned an impressive record of 9-3 throughout his tenure, while contending for the lightweight title on two occasions. But this time, Florian weighed out his options and saw more of an opportunity to challenge for the featherweight crown, as opposed to remain at 155 lbs.
It’s a realistic goal that Florian has set for himself and he said he awaits a challenge in Nunes.
“I started thinking if I went down to 145, could I fight one of the top guys and put myself in a position to fight for the belt, and the answer was yes,” he said.
“But I wanted to fight a top guy and not just a regular guy, and I have this with Diego Nunes.”
Although Nunes carries a professional record that is quite remarkable, Florian has experienced competing against some of the best fighters, including BJ Penn, Sean Sherk and Clay Guida. And he said it is his experience that gives him confidence heading into his bout with the Brazilian.
“I’ve fought bigger guys. I’ve fought stronger guys. I’ve fought different styles, a lot of different styles, I’ve trained with a lot of guys with different styles. So, I think I come in with a different skill set that could give a lot of guys problems at 145,” he said.
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