When Kenny Florian retired earlier this year, many fans were sad to see the UFC vet leave. Although Florian made the decision to leave the sport just a few days after his 36th birthday, the main cause of his retirement were injuries. No one l…
When Kenny Florian retired earlier this year, many fans were sad to see the UFC vet leave.
Although Florian made the decision to leave the sport just a few days after his 36th birthday, the main cause of his retirement were injuries.
No one likes to see someone go out against their will. Especially someone with as much talent as Florian.
Recently, Florian told MMAJunkie radio that he was recovering very well and was hoping to get back to training.
When asked if he would be open to return to fighting, Florian said he remained undecided on if he would come back but never say never.
Although many fans may love to see him come back so he can go out on his own terms, it may be a better idea to stay retired.
For one, Florian’s recurring injuries could lead to something more permanent if he continues to fight.
Florian could not even train properly because of his back injury, and not training properly could lead to hurting himself even more.
Florian also has nothing else to prove in the sport.
In Florian’s nine-year MMA career, he has defeated many fighters in multiple weight classes including Clay Guida, Diego Nunes, and TakanoriGomi.
Although Florian has finished many good fighters in his career, he may be known more for his losses than his wins.
While some fighters hope to just reach one title fight, Florian fought in three, losing to Sean Sherk, BJ Penn, and, most recently, Jose Aldo at featherweight.
Although a UFC title has eluded Florian, considering he is 36 and has a great career as a commentator ahead of him, Florian should stick to enjoying the retired life.
If he can get healthy and back in shape, the temptation to come back will be there.
But it may be best if he plays it safe and stays away from competing in the sport.
(Who knew keeping your back against the cage was effective defense? This kept Vitor’s knee from ending up like Willis McGahee. Pic Props:Ryan Kightlinger)
Yesterday on The MMA Hour with Ariel Helwani, your all too friendly, neighborhood reporter-humping, cage fighter made an appearance. And, as per usual, Quinton “Rampage” Jackson left the MMA world with a lot to talk about after withdrawing from UFC 153 and using TRT to trading verbal jabs and “F*ck you!”‘s with former TUF 10 contestant, Matt Mitrione. What was more notable from the interview was Jackson’s criticism of light heavyweight champion Jon Jones and his dirty, dirty knee kicks.
Vitor took the fight on short notice, and this is how you respect him, by kicking his knee backwards and stuff like that? He’s supposed to be a man of God. You can injure somebody, you can sever their career. You can mess people up for life kicking their knee back like that and he does it repeatedly, over and over. To me that has no honor. I take a lot of honor in fighting. He has no honor.
The former Pride and UFC champion went on to question why the athletic commission even allow “stuff like that” to be legal, arguing that if Jones keeps fighting dirty like this, he’ll put everyone on the shelf and won’t have anyone left to fight. As it would turn out, he’s not alone. TheScore.com’s Adam Martin took to twitter to voice his displeasure of the use of linear kicks to the knee as well and reminded his followers that the CSAC already bans the technique.
(Who knew keeping your back against the cage was effective defense? This kept Vitor’s knee from ending up like Willis McGahee. Pic Props:Ryan Kightlinger)
Yesterday on The MMA Hour with Ariel Helwani, your all too friendly, neighborhood reporter-humping, cage fighter made an appearance. And, as per usual, Quinton “Rampage” Jackson left the MMA world with a lot to talk about after withdrawing from UFC 153 and using TRT to trading verbal jabs and “F*ck you!”‘s with former TUF 10 contestant, Matt Mitrione. What was more notable from the interview was Jackson’s criticism of light heavyweight champion Jon Jones and his dirty, dirty knee kicks.
Vitor took the fight on short notice, and this is how you respect him, by kicking his knee backwards and stuff like that? He’s supposed to be a man of God. You can injure somebody, you can sever their career. You can mess people up for life kicking their knee back like that and he does it repeatedly, over and over. To me that has no honor. I take a lot of honor in fighting. He has no honor.
The former Pride and UFC champion went on to question why the athletic commission even allow “stuff like that” to be legal, arguing that if Jones keeps fighting dirty like this, he’ll put everyone on the shelf and won’t have anyone left to fight. As it would turn out, he’s not alone. TheScore.com’s Adam Martin took to twitter to voice his displeasure of the use of linear kicks to the knee as well and reminded his followers that the CSAC already bans the technique.
Just because one state bans something doesn’t make it a good decision (yeah, I’m looking at you New York!). Remember the craziness surrounding the Adlan Amagov/Keith Barry fight on the undercard at Strikeforce: Rousey vs. Kaufman? Never would’ve happened if everyone fought under the Unified Rules – which allow linear kicks to the knee – but I digress.
You remember when Kenny Florian was in a bloodbath or two and some people wanted to ban elbows? It’s the same argument all over again. All opposed complain that the usefulness of the strike in question is limited and is simply doing more cosmetic damage or causing career altering injuries than actually getting the fighter closer to victory via traditional methods like a knockout or submission. Conversely, all proponents of the (mostly) legal tactics point to their effectiveness at rocking opponents or allowing a fighter to keep an opponent at bay.
Question: Who doesn’t like razor sharp elbows or discombobulating knee strikes? Answer: Anyone who has ever faced a fighter who used them and couldn’t find a way to stop them. Here’s another question for you: What makes the type of kick Jon Jones utilized against “Shogun” Rua and Vitor Belfort (let’s not forget Carlos Condit using them recently as well) any more dangerous than a heel hook? After seeing an injury like this, are you going to tell me you’re more worried about some dinosaur’s knee because of a simple kick? Didn’t think so.
I’m convinced there will always be percentage of the population that fully embodies the “Just Bleed” mentality. The idea that mixed martial arts is little more than a glorified street fight fuels their desire to see defenseless grounded fighters have their face caved in with a devastating knee to the mouth. These people crave gratuitous violence and if given their druthers, would award fighter’s bonuses for soccer kicking their opponents head into the crowd like a Mortal Kombat fatality. These people would set the sport back a decade if they ran the athletic commissions.
Supporting the tactical use of certain attacks, however “dirty” others may perceive them to be, does not qualify you as one of those people.
Watching world-class athletes square off in the Octagon to test their skills is not for everyone, after all it is still (for the most part) two guys balling up their fists trying to punch each other’s lights out. But if it is for you, there are far more threatening problems facing fighters today than the type of kick Jon Jones used against Vitor Belfort at UFC 152 on Saturday night. It’s time we realize fighters are going to get hurt from time to time and more often than not, the injury will occur long before his music hits the speakers. Stop worrying about guys getting jacked up during a fight and focus more on keeping him from getting sidelined during practice. (Yes, we’re talking about practice.)
Earlier this year, Kenny Florian was announced as a commentator for the UFC. It’s been a few months now, and if you’ve been watching the lower profile shows (UFC on FX, UFC on Fuel) you’re probably familiar with Florian and his booth buddy Jon Anik.So …
Earlier this year, Kenny Florianwas announced as a commentator for the UFC. It’s been a few months now, and if you’ve been watching the lower profile shows (UFC on FX, UFC on Fuel) you’re probably familiar with Florian and his booth buddy Jon Anik.
So what’s the verdict on his performance so far?
He’s been stellar, much like his UFC career has been.
I always lend more credence to commentary made by fighters, and it’s interesting to hear his perspective on things that are happening in the cage since he’s actually been there. Florian and Anik are quietly sneaking up as my favoring MMA commentary team.
Don’t get me wrong, it’ll be a long time before they dethrone Joe Rogan and Mike Goldberg—the premier MMA commentary team. Rogan and Goldberg have great chemistry, and I love Rogan’s personality and knowledge of the sport. He’s not afraid to call things like he sees them.
Goldberg also grew on me over time as the company man who always finds time to plug the latest thing the UFC wants to sell.
However, after watching them call probably more than 80 events (I’ve been watching since about UFC 60), the act is beginning to grow old. You always know what you’re going to get with Rogan and Goldie. That’s why it’s nice to get some fresh blood in the commentary booth.
Florian and Anik have a laid-back, intelligent style that I find quite enjoyable. They don’t exaggerate a whole lot, and pretty much call things straight-up.
Rogan has a tendency to get carried away sometimes, but that’s fine with me—that’s how Rogan is. However, by comparison the commentary in Strikeforce is awful.
Gus Johnson sounds like he’s yelling 100 percent of the time, and Mauro Ranallo is no stranger to hyperbole. I feel he bears a few similarities to the WWE’s Jim Ross. I know he’s been around since the Pride days, but I’m still not a fan.
Knowing the alternatives that are out there makes me that much more grateful for Florian and Anik. So, now that Florian is officially retired from MMA, here’s to many more broadcasts featuring KenFlo.
(“I’ve never been knocked out in a fight and I’ve never been knocked out in training. But I’ve never been hurt the way that [Penn] hurt me.” / Photo via Las Vegas Sun)
Florian cited a November 2011 back injury and eventual numbness and tingling in his limbs as the impetus for closing the chapter of his life that’s been defined by five UFC Fight Night appearances, four weight classes, three UFC championship fights, two vicious elbows, and — lest we forget — one samurai costume.
As an undersized middleweight, Florian first appeared on our radars as the TUF 1 runner-up to Diego Sanchez in 2005, and after two victories at welterweight, Florian transformed his body and game, and established himself as one of the best lightweights in the world. Florian then made a brief run at featherweight in 2011, defeating Diego Nunes and losing to champion Jose Aldo, before announcing his retirement at the age of 36.
In a recent conversation with CagePotato.com — and in loving tribute to Ring Magazine’s “The Best I’ve Faced” feature — Ken-Flo looked back on his MMA career and remembered the opponents who stood out across a number of categories…
Fastest on his feet: I’d say Jose Aldo. He was the quickest. His explosiveness in general, his footwork, and his ability to move definitely are impressive.
Toughest chin: I remember hitting Sam Stout with hard shots. I hit him on the ground with a big bomb that connected real well, right on his chin, and he just ate it. And from seeing the rest of his fights, I see why. He’s got a real good chin.
(“I’ve never been knocked out in a fight and I’ve never been knocked out in training. But I’ve never been hurt the way that [Penn] hurt me.” / Photo via Las Vegas Sun)
Florian cited a November 2011 back injury and eventual numbness and tingling in his limbs as the impetus for closing the chapter of his life that’s been defined by five UFC Fight Night appearances, four weight classes, three UFC championship fights, two vicious elbows, and — lest we forget — one samurai costume.
As an undersized middleweight, Florian first appeared on our radars as the TUF 1 runner-up to Diego Sanchez in 2005, and after two victories at welterweight, Florian transformed his body and game, and established himself as one of the best lightweights in the world. Florian then made a brief run at featherweight in 2011, defeating Diego Nunes and losing to champion Jose Aldo, before announcing his retirement at the age of 36.
In a recent conversation with CagePotato.com — and in loving tribute to Ring Magazine’s “The Best I’ve Faced” feature — Ken-Flo looked back on his MMA career and remembered the opponents who stood out across a number of categories…
Fastest on his feet: I’d say Jose Aldo. He was the quickest. His explosiveness in general, his footwork, and his ability to move definitely are impressive.
Toughest chin: I remember hitting Sam Stout with hard shots. I hit him on the ground with a big bomb that connected real well, right on his chin, and he just ate it. And from seeing the rest of his fights, I see why. He’s got a real good chin.
Hardest to hit: Let’s see. From the outside, it’s probably BJ Penn. Excellent head movement.
Heaviest hands:BJ Penn, by far. I’ve never been knocked out in a fight and I’ve never been knocked out in training. But I’ve never been hurt the way that he hurt me. He hit me harder than anyone I fought or sparred or trained with.
Best wrestler:Gray Maynard. When he was in on my leg, I felt like he was the strongest. And I was doing a decent amount of wrestling when we fought.
Most intelligent: I guess with overall MMA intelligence and skills, Jose Aldo is probably overall the most intelligent. He didn’t allow himself to get caught off guard, you know?
Most powerful:Gray Maynard. He’s the only guy who afterward I said, “Wow, that guy’s really strong.”
Most threatening ground game:BJ Penn. I don’t know about submission-wise — and he caught me in a submission — but offensively, technically, the way he attacks, especially from the top, that’s his bread and butter. It’s real good.
Most surprising opponent:Gray Maynard, for sure. That was one of the fights where I thought he would strike a little bit more with me. I felt like I’d be able to keep him on the outside and stop his wrestling attempts when he would try because, before that fight, he did use his wrestling later [in the fight] against guys like Nate Diaz, but it was crazy to me that he was going out there and really wasn’t using his wrestling so much. I was working a lot on my wrestling at the time and thought it would be enough, but the way he was executing it — he would get the takedown at the end of the round and get each round and control — was just a very smart game plan.
Sweetest victory: This is always hard to come up with. It was pretty cool being able to fight Takanori Gomi and win like I did, dominating a guy I looked up to for so long for his striking and for his knockout power. To go out there and strike with him for the 12 or 13 minutes of that match and outstrike him was cool. That one sticks out.
Most bitter loss: The Diego Sanchez fight, just because it was one of those fights where maybe he would have won anyway because he had a lot of experience over me, but I didn’t even get a chance to compete. I’ve talked about this before: I just choked. The only fight I’ve ever choked in was the Diego Sanchez fight. I was just not ready for that mentally, and by the time he was mounted on me, I was bleeding all over myself and was, like, “Alright, Kenny, let’s get out of here. Let’s do this.” I felt that I didn’t even get a chance to really compete or show my skills.
Best overall fighter: The person who matched up the best to me was the toughest challenge, and in my career, that was BJ Penn. Going into the fight, I felt like he would be the toughest match-up based on where my skills were at and where his skills were at. And he was the toughest.
Perennial title contender and fan favorite Kenny Florian retired from the sport of MMA last week after battling back pain for most of his career. Kenny had attained a MMA record of 14-6, competing for the great majority of his career in the UFC since b…
Perennial title contender and fan favorite Kenny Florian retired from the sport of MMA last week after battling back pain for most of his career.
Kenny had attained a MMA record of 14-6, competing for the great majority of his career in the UFC since being a finalist on the inaugural season of The Ultimate Fighter.
Kenny is the only fighter in UFC history to ever compete in four different weight categories, going into the TUF house as a middleweight, then gradually working his way down to featherweight. Who knows, with a little more time, and perhaps the amputation of a limb, Kenny may have tried his hand in the new flyweight division.
He would earn himself title shots on three different occasions, coming up short every time.
But let that not tarnish the legacy of Florian. He was a great fighter, a great personality and continues to be—through his duties as a commentator—a great ambassador for the sport.
And let us not be unappreciative of the fact that Kenny looks more like an economics professor than a fighter. In an age of quantity over quality, tattoos and manufactured eccentricity, a guy who looks so unassuming but can whoop some serious tail is a refreshing sight.
When Kenny Florian retired earlier this year, many fans were sad to see the UFC vet leave. 
