Kenneth Alan Florian (born May 26, 1976) is an American retired

mixed martial artist Mixed martial arts (MMA), sometimes referred to as cage fighting, no holds barred (NHB), and ultimate fighting, and originally referred to as Vale Tudo is a full-contact combat sport based on striking, grappling and ground fighting, incorp ...

and commentator who formerly competed in the

Ultimate Fighting Championship The Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) is an American mixed martial arts (MMA) promotion company based in Las Vegas, Nevada. It is owned and operated by Zuffa, a wholly owned subsidiary of Endeavor Group Holdings. It is the largest MMA ...

(UFC). He formerly served as an analyst for

UFC on Fox ''Fox UFC Fight Night '' (previously referred as ''Fox UFC Saturday'' for broadcasts on Fox or ''FS1 UFC Fight Night'' for broadcasts on other Fox-owned properties) was the branding used for telecasts of mixed martial art competitions from the ...

from 2011–2018, and he also worked as a

color commentator A color commentator or expert commentator is a sports commentator who assists the main (play-by-play) commentator, typically by filling in when play is not in progress. The phrase "colour commentator" is primarily used in Canadian English and t ...

on the

robot combat Robot combat is a mode of robot competition in which custom-built machines fight using various methods to incapacitate each other. The machines have generally been remote-controlled vehicles rather than autonomous robots. Robot combat compet ...

television series ''

BattleBots ''BattleBots'' (logo: Bꓭ)In season 10, the 2020-2021 TV season, the show introduced the "Bꓭ" logo is an American robot combat television series. The show was an adaptation of the British show '' Robot Wars'', in which competitors design and o ...

'' and color commentator for

UFC Fight Night The Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) is an American mixed martial arts (MMA) promotion company based in Las Vegas, Nevada. It is owned and operated by Zuffa, a wholly owned subsidiary of Endeavor Group Holdings. It is the largest MMA ...

. He is currently signed to the

Professional Fighters League The Professional Fighters League (PFL) is an American mixed martial arts league founded by venture capitalist Donn Davis in 2017 and launched in 2018, following the acquisition and restructuring of the former World Series of Fighting (WSOF) promot ...

(PFL) as a commentator. Florian has a background in

Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Brazilian jiu-jitsu (BJJ; pt, jiu-jitsu brasileiro ) is a self-defence martial art and combat sport based on grappling, ground fighting (ne-waza) and submission holds. BJJ focuses on the skill of taking an opponent to the ground, control ...

and

Muay Thai Muay Thai ( th, มวยไทย, , ), sometimes referred to as Thai boxing, is a combat sport that uses stand-up striking along with various clinching techniques. This discipline is known as the "art of eight limbs", as it is characterised ...

. He is known for his cerebral approach to the sport based on his meticulous game plans. Florian is recognized for his tendency to finish his opponents, having earned stoppages in twelve of his fourteen career victories. He is also one of only two fighters in history to compete in four different weight classes in the

UFC The Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) is an American mixed martial arts (MMA) promotion company based in Las Vegas, Nevada. It is owned and operated by Zuffa, a wholly owned subsidiary of Endeavor Group Holdings. It is the largest MMA ...

Middleweight Middleweight is a weight class in combat sports. Boxing Professional In professional boxing, the middleweight division is contested above and up to . Early boxing history is less than exact, but the middleweight designation seems to have be ...

Welterweight Welterweight is a weight class in combat sports. Originally the term "welterweight" was used only in boxing, but other combat sports like Muay Thai, taekwondo, and mixed martial arts also use it for their own weight division system to classify the ...

Lightweight Lightweight is a weight class in combat sports and rowing. Boxing Professional boxing The lightweight division is over 130 pounds (59 kilograms) and up to 135 pounds (61.2 kilograms) weight class in the sport of boxing. Notable lightweight boxe ...

and

Featherweight Featherweight is a weight class in the combat sports of boxing, kickboxing, mixed martial arts, and Greco-Roman wrestling. Boxing Professional boxing History A featherweight boxer weighs in at a limit of . In the early days of the division, this ...

, the other being Diego Sanchez. Florian defeated

Chris Leben Christian Cyrus Leben (born July 21, 1980) is an American former mixed martial artist, referee, and bare knuckle boxer. A professional MMA competitor from 2002 until 2013, he most notably competed in the UFC in the Middleweight division, compiling ...

on the inaugural season of ''

The Ultimate Fighter ''The Ultimate Fighter'' is an American reality television series and mixed martial arts (MMA) competition produced by the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) and Pilgrim Media Group currently airing on ESPN+. It previously aired for fourteen s ...

reality show Reality television is a genre of television programming that documents purportedly unscripted real-life situations, often starring unfamiliar people rather than professional actors. Reality television emerged as a distinct genre in the early 19 ...

, but succumbed in the finale against Diego Sanchez. He has competed on two occasions for the

UFC Lightweight Championship Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) champions are fighters who have won UFC championships. Historical notes At the time of the UFC's inception in 1993, mixed martial arts was not sanctioned in the United States, and did not include weight classe ...

and once for the

UFC Featherweight Championship Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) champions are fighters who have won UFC championships. Historical notes At the time of the UFC's inception in 1993, mixed martial arts was not sanctioned in the United States, and did not include weight classe ...

, but came up short against

Sean Sherk Sean Keith Sherk (born August 5, 1973) is a retired American mixed martial artist and former UFC Lightweight Champion. Sherk competed in the Ultimate Fighting Championship and was one of the first combatants to have been a championship competito ...

, B.J. Penn, and

José Aldo José Aldo da Silva Oliveira Júniorhttps://pbs.twimg.com/media/CI3oOc0VAAAr_iv.jpg (, born 9 September 1986), commonly anglicized as Jose Aldo, is a retired Brazilian professional mixed martial arts, mixed martial artist. He last competed i ...

respectively. Recognized as one of the elite competitors during his tenures in the

, Florian is considered one of the best mixed martial artists never to have won a UFC Championship.

Early life

Florian is one of six children born to

Peruvian Peruvians ( es, peruanos) are the citizens of Peru. There were Andean and coastal ancient civilizations like Caral, which inhabited what is now Peruvian territory for several millennia before the Spanish conquest in the 16th century; Peruvian p ...

parents: Agustin, a thoracic surgeon, and Ines Florian; however, none of his grandparents are from Peru, his ancestry includes:

Spanish Spanish might refer to: * Items from or related to Spain: **Spaniards are a nation and ethnic group indigenous to Spain **Spanish language, spoken in Spain and many Latin American countries **Spanish cuisine Other places * Spanish, Ontario, Can ...

Italian Italian(s) may refer to: * Anything of, from, or related to the people of Italy over the centuries ** Italians, an ethnic group or simply a citizen of the Italian Republic or Italian Kingdom ** Italian language, a Romance language *** Regional Ita ...

German German(s) may refer to: * Germany (of or related to) ** Germania (historical use) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law **Ge ...

, French and

Armenian Armenian may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to Armenia, a country in the South Caucasus region of Eurasia * Armenians, the national people of Armenia, or people of Armenian descent ** Armenian Diaspora, Armenian communities across the ...

. Florian was born in

Westwood, Massachusetts Westwood is a town in Norfolk County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 16,266 at the time of the 2020 United States Census. History Westwood was first settled in 1641 and was part of the town of Dedham, originally called 'West De ...

and grew up in neighboring

Dover, Massachusetts Dover is a town in Norfolk County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 5,923 at the time of the 2020 United States Census. With a median income of more than $250,000, Dover is one of the wealthiest towns in Massachusetts. Located abou ...

where he was a standout

soccer Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a team sport played between two teams of 11 players who primarily use their feet to propel the ball around a rectangular field called a pitch. The objective of the game is ...

player for Dover-Sherborn Regional High School. He attended

Boston College Boston College (BC) is a private Jesuit research university in Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts. Founded in 1863, the university has more than 9,300 full-time undergraduates and nearly 5,000 graduate students. Although Boston College is classifie ...

where he played for the varsity soccer team (

NCAA The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) is a nonprofit organization that regulates student athletics among about 1,100 schools in the United States, Canada, and Puerto Rico. It also organizes the athletic programs of colleges an ...

Division 1). He also holds dual citizenship in the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...

and

Peru , image_flag = Flag of Peru.svg , image_coat = Escudo nacional del Perú.svg , other_symbol = Great Seal of the State , other_symbol_type = Seal (emblem), National seal , national_motto = "Fi ...

. After college, his interests turned towards mixed martial arts and he earned a black belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu from Prof. Roberto Maia of Boston Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (Boston Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, formerly Gracie Barra Boston). Florian worked as a translator, reworking financial documents into various foreign languages and planned on doing that for a few years before applying to law school. However, a near-death experience in Brazil inspired him to pursue his passion for mixed martial arts instead.

Mixed martial arts career

Kenny is known for his elbow strikes, which

Joe Rogan Joseph James Rogan (born August 11, 1967) is an American UFC The Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) is an American mixed martial arts (MMA) promotion company based in Las Vegas, Nevada. It is owned and operated by Zuffa, a wholly ...

describes as "razor sharp". Florian made his MMA debut in January 2003 at Mass Destruction 10, defeating Jason Giroux via TKO 3:23 into the first round. Florian made another appearance in the Mass Destruction Promotion at MD – 15 and scored a victory over Bobby McAndrews by submission (kimura). Following those victories, Kenny suffered his first loss to

regular

Drew Fickett Andrew Robert Fickett (born December 14, 1979) is an American mixed martial artist who competes in the Lightweight division. A professional competitor since 1999, Fickett has also formerly competed for the UFC, Strikeforce, DREAM, Cage Rage, t ...

via decision at Combat Zone 7 – Gravel Pit on July 10, 2004. This is the fight that got Kenny on the

Ultimate Fighter ''Ultimate Fighter'' - known in Japan as , is a 1992 fighting video game developed and published by Culture Brain for the Super NES. An updated version of it titled

Dana White Dana Frederick White Jr. (born July 28, 1969) is an American businessman who serves as president of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), a global mixed martial arts organization. In August 2019, White's net worth was estimated at $500 milli ...

was at the show scouting Fickett for the show but he was so impressed with Kenny that he offered him, not Fickett, the spot on the show.

''The Ultimate Fighter''

Kenny went on to compete on the first season of ''

'' as a

middleweight Middleweight is a weight class in combat sports. Boxing Professional In professional boxing, the middleweight division is contested above and up to . Early boxing history is less than exact, but the middleweight designation seems to have be ...

. He made it to the finals by beating Chris Leben via cut stoppage, before losing at the finale in the first round to Diego Sanchez due to strikes.

Ultimate Fighting Championship

Following his loss to Sanchez, Florian returned at the first '' UFC Ultimate Fight Night'' to defeat fellow TUF 1 competitor

Alex Karalexis Alexander Karalexis (born September 20, 1977) is a retired American professional mixed martial artist. A professional from 2003 until 2011, Karalexis was a contestant on The Ultimate Fighter 1, and competed for the UFC and WEC. Background Kar ...

by delivering a vicious cut across the nose with a right elbow. Karalexis was arguably winning the fight up until the cut. Florian famously danced and cheered immediately after the strike landed and the cut opened up. Picking up momentum, Kenny went on to face

competitor

Kit Cope Kristopher Lee "Kit" Cope (born March 17, 1977) is an American Muay Thai kickboxer and mixed martial artist who competes in the Featherweight, Lightweight, and Welterweight divisions. A four-time professional Muay Thai World Champion, Cope also ...

, winning with a

rear naked choke The rear naked choke (RNC) is a chokehold in martial arts applied from an opponent's back. The word "naked" in this context suggests that, unlike other strangulation techniques found in jujutsu/judo, this hold does not require the use of a keiko ...

submission early in round 2. Florian earned a title shot after defeating

Canadian Canadians (french: Canadiens) are people identified with the country of Canada. This connection may be residential, legal, historical or cultural. For most Canadians, many (or all) of these connections exist and are collectively the source of ...

TKO Major League MMA Lightweight champion

Sam Stout Samuel James Stout (born April 23, 1984) is a retired Canadian professional mixed martial artist. A professional from 2003 until 2015, Stout is best known for his 20-fight stint with the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), winning ''Fight of the ...

The Ultimate Fighter 3 Finale ''The Ultimate Fighter 3'' was the third season of the mixed martial arts reality television series ''The Ultimate Fighter''. It premiered on April 6, 2006, immediately after the conclusion of '' Ultimate Fight Night 4''. The season featured sixte ...

; Florian won in the first round by

. On October 14, 2006, Florian fought

for the

championship title at '' UFC 64: Unstoppable'' and lost via unanimous decision. Sherk completely dominated the fight despite being cut severely by one of Florian's elbows.
The judges scored it 50–45 and 49–46 twice for Sherk. In doing so, Sherk became the new UFC lightweight champion. On April 5, 2007 at ''UFC Fight Night 9'', Florian defeated

Japan Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in the northwest Pacific Ocean, and is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan, while extending from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north ...

ese fighter

Dokonjonosuke Mishima known as , also written Dokonjyonosuke Mishima, is a Japanese mixed martial artist and professional wrestler. He has competed professionally since 1998 in organizations such as Shooto, DEEP, PRIDE, the UFC and in his pro wrestling days he has c ...

via rear naked choke submission. Florian managed to break free of an excruciating knee-bar attempt made by Mishima late in the fight. On July 7, 2007 at ''

UFC 73 ''UFC 73: Stacked'' was a mixed martial arts (MMA) event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). It took place on July 7, 2007, at the ARCO Arena in Sacramento, California and featured a total of nine bouts: four on the preliminary car ...

'', he fought and defeated UFC newcomer

Alvin Robinson Alvin Leavon Robinson (born July 16, 1982) is an American professional mixed martial artist currently fighting as a lightweight for the Bellator Fighting Championships. He is a former Ring of Fire lightweight champion. He holds a professional r ...

via submission due to strikes in the first round. Florian tripped Robinson to the mat before moving to side-control. Florian then transitioned into mount before pounding away until Robinson tapped due to strikes. In his next fight, Florian managed to get another win via submission due to a rear naked choke against

Din Thomas Din Yero Thomas (born September 28, 1976) is an American former mixed martial artist who was featured on '' The Ultimate Fighter 4: The Comeback''. In the Ultimate Fighting Championship, Thomas is a UFC 41 Lightweight Tournament Semifinalist. H ...

at ''

UFC Fight Night 11 ''UFC Fight Night: Thomas vs. Florian'' (also known as ''UFC Fight Night 11'') was a mixed martial arts (MMA) event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) on Wednesday, September 19, 2007, at the Palms Casino Resort in Las Vegas, Nevada. ...

''. Thomas injured his knee while attempting a takedown during the bout. Thomas was originally slated to face off against

Spencer Fisher Spencer William Fisher (born May 9, 1976) is a retired American mixed martial artist. A professional competitor from 2002–2012, he is best known for his 17-fight tenure with the UFC, winning "Fight of the Night" honors three times. Backgroun ...

, but Fisher had to pull out due to a staph infection. Florian took his place. On April 2, 2008 Florian defeated

Joe Lauzon Joseph Edward Lauzon Jr. (born May 22, 1984) is an American professional mixed martial artist, competing in the UFC's Lightweight division. A well-rounded fighter, he has the fourth most post-fight bonus awards in UFC history, behind Donald Ce ...

at ''

UFC Fight Night 13 ''UFC Fight Night: Florian vs. Lauzon'' (also known as ''UFC Fight Night 13'') was a mixed martial arts (MMA) event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) on April 2, 2008, at the Broomfield Event Center in Broomfield, Colorado, Unite ...

'' by TKO due to strikes from mount early in the second round to secure his spot among the UFC's top lightweight contenders. The first round went back and forth as Kenny landed a vicious body kick and Lauzon looked for knee bars and heel hooks. Florian finished the round with some hard shots to Joe's head. Florian opened the 2nd round with a takedown and rained down punches on Lauzon from the mount position. Lauzon attempted another heel hook but Florian continued to strike which resulted in Herb Dean stopping the fight. At ''

UFC 87 The Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) is an American mixed martial arts (MMA) promotion company based in Las Vegas, Nevada. It is owned and operated by Zuffa, a wholly owned subsidiary of Endeavor Group Holdings. It is the largest MMA ...

'' on August 9, 2008 Florian defeated

Roger Huerta Roger Huerta (born May 20, 1983) is an American mixed martial artist currently fighting in the lightweight division. He initially gained exposure by competing in the lightweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship, Bellator Fighting Ch ...

by unanimous decision. By winning, Florian ended Huerta's 17-fight win streak. All three judges scored the bout 30–27 for Florian. At ''

UFC 91 ''UFC 91: Couture vs. Lesnar'' was a mixed martial arts event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) on November 15, 2008, at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada. Background The main event featured the return of UFC Heavy ...

'' on November 15, 2008, Florian defeated

Joe Stevenson Joseph Christopher Stevenson (born June 15, 1982) is a retired American mixed martial artist fighting out of Hesperia, California. Coached by (UFC Hall of Famer) Matt Hughes, Stevenson rose to prominence by becoming The Ultimate Fighter 2 Wel ...

by rear naked choke submission in the first round. Florian executed a takedown before mounting Stevenson and transitioning to a position to finish him with the choke.

Second title opportunity

With the win Florian established himself as the #1 contender for the Lightweight Championship. Florian said "I want B.J.'s belt. B.J., you're one of the best fighters out there. I'm here to test myself. I think you're a great fighter, someone I look up to. I consider you a master. It's time to kill that master." Florian faced off against Penn at the

UFC 101 ''UFC 101: Declaration'' was a mixed martial arts pay-per-view event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) on August 8, 2009 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It was the first UFC event held in Philadelphia. The event featured the second ...

Main Event for the title. During the fight, Florian repeatedly pushed Penn against the fence and attempted to take him down but was never successful. During the 4th round Penn took him down and mounted him. Penn eventually took his back and locked up a rear naked choke, submitting Florian and defending his title. Florian was visibly crying as he left the octagon after his loss to Penn. Florian fought

Clay Guida Clayton Charles Guida (; born December 8, 1981) is an American professional mixed martial artist, currently signed to the UFC competing in the Lightweight division. A professional competitor since 2003, Guida also formerly competed for Strikeforc ...

on December 12, 2009 at

UFC 107 ''UFC 107: Penn vs. Sanchez '' was a mixed martial arts event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) on December 12, 2009 in Memphis, Tennessee at the FedExForum. Background On October 21, it was announced that a previous matchup betwe ...

. During the second round, Florian caught Guida with a right hand on the chin that dropped Guida. He followed up with a short flurry and finished the fight via

at 2:19. He has expressed interest in getting a rematch with Diego Sanchez. On an episode of

MMA Live ''MMA Live'' was a sports show about mixed martial arts. It was seen on ESPN2. The show featured analysts such as Franklin McNeil, Pat Miletich, and others. ''MMA Live'' was originally an Internet show, but made the move to television after posi ...

(before the Penn loss) he said that his loss to Sanchez is the one he would most like to avenge. Sanchez has expressed similar interest as have many fans, though this looks to be unlikely as Sanchez has moved back to the Welterweight division. Florian defeated former

Pride Pride is defined by Merriam-Webster as "reasonable self-esteem" or "confidence and satisfaction in oneself". A healthy amount of pride is good, however, pride sometimes is used interchangeably with "conceit" or "arrogance" (among other words) wh ...

Lightweight Champion

Takanori Gomi is a Japanese professional mixed martial artist who gained international fame in Pride Fighting Championships. Later in his career, Gomi also competed in the Ultimate Fighting Championship. Gomi is the only Pride FC Lightweight Champion in th ...

UFC Fight Night 21 ''UFC Fight Night: Florian vs. Gomi'' (also known as ''UFC Fight Night 21'') was a mixed martial arts event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship on March 31, 2010 at Bojangles' Coliseum in Charlotte, North Carolina, This was the third time ...

via rear naked choke in the third round. He won the first two rounds decisively with superior striking, utilizing multiple jabs. Florian eventually took Gomi down in the third round and submitted him shortly after. Florian also won his first Submission of the Night bonus. Florian suffered a staph infection in his knee just weeks after his win over Gomi and was admitted to hospital for minor surgery. Florian faced

Gray Maynard Bradley Gray Maynard (born May 9, 1979) is an American mixed martial artist who competed in the Featherweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). Between 2008 and 2011, he competed in a noted rivalry with former UFC Lightweight ...

on August 28, 2010 at

UFC 118 The Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) is an American mixed martial arts (MMA) promotion company based in Las Vegas, Nevada. It is owned and operated by Zuffa, a wholly owned subsidiary of Endeavor Group Holdings. It is the largest MMA ...

. Dana White announced the winner of the fight would receive a shot at the UFC Lightweight Championship. Although striking very well throughout the fight, he was taken down at will and lost via unanimous decision. Florian was expected to face

Evan Dunham Evan Neil Dunham (born December 18, 1981) is an American professional mixed martial artist competing in the lightweight division. He is perhaps best known for 21-fight tenure in the Ultimate Fighting Championship which spanned over a decade. Bac ...

UFC 126 ''UFC 126: Silva vs. Belfort'' was a mixed martial arts pay-per-view event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship on February 5, 2011 at the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas, Nevada. Background Former Light Heavyweight Champion Vitor B ...

, but the bout was then expected to headline

UFC Fight Night 23 ''UFC: Fight for the Troops 2'' (also known as ''UFC Fight Night 23'') was a mixed martial arts event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship on January 22, 2011 at Fort Hood, near Killeen, Texas. The event was the third that the UFC has ho ...

on January 22, 2011. However, Florian had to pull out of the bout due to knee injury on December 6, 2010.

Melvin Guillard Melvin Paul Guillard, Jr. (born March 30, 1983) is an American mixed martial artist who competes in the Middleweight division. Guillard most notably competed in the Lightweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), Bellator MMA a ...

defeated Dunham as Kenny's replacement.

Featherweight-Third Title Opportunity

On February 7, 2011 it was announced that Florian would be moving down to

featherweight Featherweight is a weight class in the combat sports of boxing, kickboxing, mixed martial arts, and Greco-Roman wrestling. Boxing Professional boxing History A featherweight boxer weighs in at a limit of . In the early days of the division, this ...

. He made his Featherweight debut with a unanimous decision victory over Diego Nunes on June 11, 2011 at

UFC 131 ''UFC 131: dos Santos vs. Carwin'' was a mixed martial arts event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship on 11 June 2011 at the Rogers Arena in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. Background Brock Lesnar was originally scheduled to face ...

, with the judges' scorecards being (29–28, 29–28, and 30–27). Dana White said on

if Kenny wins this fight he'll most likely get a title shot. Florian was given the title shot against

for the

on October 8, 2011 at

UFC 136 ''UFC 136: Edgar vs. Maynard III'' was a mixed martial arts event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship on October 8, 2011, at the Toyota Center in Houston, Texas. The event coincided with a two-day UFC Fan Expo held at the George R. Brown ...

and was defeated by unanimous decision.

Retirement

Following his loss to Aldo, his third loss in a championship fight, Florian initially contemplated retirement from active competition. But in an interview with The Boston Herald., he stated that he still loved the sport tremendously, learning and competing. Kenny then went on to say that he would be making a return to the UFC's lightweight division, but would not fight for at least 6 months so that he can rebuild his body to compete in the higher weight class. Florian has dealt with back problems throughout his career, but suffered a new injury in November 2011 while lifting weights. Having already planned to take six months off to build back to lightweight after losing a featherweight title shot in October 2011, Florian didn’t expect the injury to be a major setback. After the Aldo bout, Florian had been dealing with tingling and numbness down his right leg and hadn’t been able to train. After meeting with an orthopedic doctor and a neurologist, both advised the 35-year-old to retire. On May 31, 2012, Florian announced his retirement during Ultimate Fighter: Live Finale weigh-ins show.

Color commentary career

Florian co-hosted ''

'', alongside Franklin McNeil and others, for

ESPN ESPN (originally an initialism for Entertainment and Sports Programming Network) is an American international basic cable sports channel owned by ESPN Inc., owned jointly by The Walt Disney Company (80%) and Hearst Communications (20%). The ...

.com which is shown online and on TV on ESPN. Florian contributed to the show with his MMA experience and perspective as a fighter. Florian now co-hosts "UFC Tonight" on

FS1 Fox Sports 1 (FS1) is an American pay television television channel, channel owned by the Fox Sports (United States), Fox Sports Media Group, a unit of Fox Corporation. FS1 replaced the motorsports network Speed (TV network), Speed on August 1 ...

with

Michael Bisping Michael Gavin Joseph Bisping (; born 28 February 1979) is an English actor, sports analyst, commentator and retired mixed martial artist, who competed in the Middleweight and Light Heavyweight division of the UFC. A professional competitor ...

, providing similar analysis and perspectives as he did on MMA Live. Florian was a guest writer for FIGHT!, an MMA magazine, in their April 2009 issue. On April 19, 2008, Florian filled in for

as the color commentator for

UFC 83 ''UFC 83: Serra vs. St-Pierre 2'' was a mixed martial arts event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship. The event was held on April 19, 2008, at the Bell Centre in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Background The event on this date was originally sc ...

and again at

UFC Fight Night 19 ''UFC Fight Night: Diaz vs. Guillard'' (also known as ''UFC Fight Night 19'') was a mixed martial arts event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) on September 16, 2009 in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. Background A previously announced bou ...

. On June 7, 2009, Kenny Florian would fill in for

Frank Mir Francisco Santos Mir III (; born May 24, 1979), is an American mixed martial artist who most recently competed for Bellator MMA in the Heavyweight division. He formerly competed in the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) for sixteen years. A f ...

, whose wife gave birth two days later, as color commentator for

WEC 41 ''WEC 41: Brown vs. Faber 2'' was a mixed martial arts event held by World Extreme Cagefighting on June 7, 2009 at the Arco Arena in Sacramento, California. It was the most successful show in the WEC's history. Background Featherweight champion ...

. Florian also provided color commentary for

WEC 49 ''WEC 49: Varner vs. Shalorus'' was a mixed martial arts event held by World Extreme Cagefighting that took place on June 20, 2010 at Rexall Place in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. Background WEC 49 was the only event the organization had held outsi ...

and the

TUF 11 Finale ''The Ultimate Fighter: Team Liddell vs. Team Ortiz'' (also known as ''The Ultimate Fighter: Team Liddell vs. Team Franklin'' for the final episode of the season) is the eleventh installment of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC)-produced rea ...

. Florian also took Joe Rogan's place as commentator for

UFC 134 ''UFC 134: Silva vs. Okami'' (also known as ''UFC Rio'') was a mixed martial arts (MMA) pay-per-view event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship on August 27, 2011 at the HSBC Arena in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The event was the second that t ...

. Kenny Florian was briefly suspended by

Fox Sports Fox Sports is the brand name for a number of sports channels, broadcast divisions, programming, and other media around the world. The ''Fox Sports'' name has since been used for other sports media assets. These assets are held mainly by the Fo ...

on January 16, 2016 for

plagiarism Plagiarism is the fraudulent representation of another person's language, thoughts, ideas, or expressions as one's own original work.From the 1995 '' Random House Compact Unabridged Dictionary'': use or close imitation of the language and thought ...

in his preview of UFC Fight Night: Dillashaw vs. Cruz. The offending article lifted significant portions from boxing analyst Lee Wylie's breakdown of Willie Pep. In 2015, Florian was named as the color commentator for American Broadcasting Company, ABC's revival of the

series ''

'', joined by Fox Sports (United States), Fox Sports personality Chris Rose on play-by-play. Florian continued his role on the revival's third season, which moved to Science Channel. In March 2021, Florian revealed that he had signed an exclusive deal with the

as a commentator.

Personal life

On Dr Phil, Florian, along with UFC President

and former Light Heavyweight Champion Forrest Griffin, talked to two high school students who participated in classroom "MMA" fights, telling them of the dangers of fighting outside of a sanctioned organization and telling them they should be training in an MMA gym instead. Dr. Phil addressed him as "Kenny Florini". On June 10, 2010, Keith and Kenny received their second degree on their black belt from Prof. Roberto Maia. Kenny and his brother Keith own and operate Florian Martial Arts Center, a martial arts academy in Brookline, Massachusetts near Coolidge Corner, which teaches Brazilian jiu-jitsu, muay thai, wrestling and mixed martial arts. Instructors at the academy include Kenny Florian, Keith Florian, and Alex Lewis. In a GQ interview, actor Jonah Hill credits Florian as helping him get comfortable enough to train jiu-jitsu. Florian is fluent in Spanish.

Championships and awards

Mixed martial arts

**The Ultimate Fighter 1, The Ultimate Fighter 1 Middleweight Tournament Runner-up **List of UFC bonus award recipients, Fight of the Night (Three times) vs.

**List of UFC bonus award recipients, Submission of the Night (Two times) vs.

Brazilian Jiu Jitsu

*Pan-American Championship (jiu jitsu), Pan-American Championship **Pan-American Jiu-Jitsu Championships 2003 Brown Middle - 3rd Place *North American Grappling Association **North American Grappling Association, NAGA BJJ Superfight Champion **North American Grappling Association, NAGA Advanced Gi Open Champion **North American Grappling Association, NAGA Advanced Gi Middleweight Champion **North American Grappling Association, NAGA North Eastern Grappling Championships – Pro Lightweight – 3rd Place *ADCC Submission Wrestling World Championship, ADCC World Championship **2002 Abu Dhabi US Trials *Grapplers Quest **Grapplers Quest, Grapplers Quest Hall of Fame **Grapplers Quest, Grapplers Quest Superfight Champion **Grapplers Quest, Grapplers Quest Worlds Superfight Absolute Professional – 3rd place **Grapplers Quest, Grapplers Quest US Nationals Expert Middleweight – 3rd place *Copa Atlantica **2002 Copa Atlantica Brown Belt Champion

Mixed martial arts record

, - , Loss , align=center, 14–6 ,

, Decision (unanimous) ,

, , align=center, 5 , align=center, 5:00 , Houston, Texas, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 14–5 , Diego Nunes , Decision (unanimous) ,

, , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 , Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada , , - , Loss , align=center, 13–5 ,

, Decision (unanimous) ,

, , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 , Boston, Massachusetts, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 13–4 ,

, Submission (rear-naked choke) , UFC Fight Night: Florian vs. Gomi , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 2:52 , Charlotte, North Carolina, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 12–4 ,

, Submission (rear-naked choke) ,

, , align=center, 2 , align=center, 2:19 , Memphis, Tennessee, United States , , - , Loss , align=center, 11–4 , B.J. Penn , Submission (rear-naked choke) ,

, , align=center, 4 , align=center, 3:54 , Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 11–3 ,

, Submission (rear-naked choke) ,

, , align=center, 1 , align=center, 4:03 , Las Vegas, Nevada, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 10–3 ,

, Decision (unanimous) ,

, , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 , Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 9–3 ,

, TKO (punches and elbows) , UFC Fight Night: Florian vs. Lauzon , , align=center, 2 , align=center, 3:28 , Broomfield, Colorado, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 8–3 ,

, Submission (rear-naked choke) , UFC Fight Night: Thomas vs. Florian , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 4:31 , Las Vegas, Nevada, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 7–3 ,

, TKO (submission to punches) ,

, , align=center, 1 , align=center, 4:30 , Sacramento, California, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 6–3 ,

, Submission (rear-naked choke) , 2007 in UFC#UFC Fight Night: Stevenson vs Guillard, UFC Fight Night: Stevenson vs. Guillard , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 3:57 , Las Vegas, Nevada, United States , , - , Loss , align=center, 5–3 ,

, Decision (unanimous) , UFC 64 , , align=center, 5 , align=center, 5:00 , Las Vegas, Nevada, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 5–2 ,

, Submission (rear-naked choke) , The Ultimate Fighter 3#The Ultimate Fighter 3 Finale, The Ultimate Fighter 3 Finale , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 1:46 , Las Vegas, Nevada, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 4–2 ,

, Submission (rear-naked choke) , The Ultimate Fighter 2 Finale , , align=center, 2 , align=center, 0:37 , Las Vegas, Nevada, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 3–2 ,

, TKO (doctor stoppage) , UFC Ultimate Fight Night , , align=center, 2 , align=center, 2:52 , Las Vegas, Nevada, United States , , - , Loss , align=center, 2–2 , Diego Sanchez , TKO (punches) , The Ultimate Fighter 1 Finale , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 2:49 , Las Vegas, Nevada, United States , , - , Loss , align=center, 2–1 ,

, Decision (split) , Combat Zone 7: Gravel Pit , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 , Revere, Massachusetts, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 2–0 , Bobby McAndrews , Submission (kimura) , Mass Destruction 15 , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 1:57 , Boston, Massachusetts, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 1–0 , Jason Giroux , KO (punch) , Mass Destruction 10 , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 3:23 , Taunton, Massachusetts, United States ,

References

External links

Official UFC Profile

Official Kenny Florian Web Site

Kenny Florian on Twitter
*
Florian Martial Arts Center Web Site

Anik-Florian Podcast
* {{DEFAULTSORT:Florian, Kenny Living people 1976 births American male mixed martial artists Citizens of Peru through descent Peruvian male mixed martial artists Mixed martial artists from Massachusetts Featherweight mixed martial artists Lightweight mixed martial artists Welterweight mixed martial artists Middleweight mixed martial artists Mixed martial artists utilizing Muay Thai Mixed martial artists utilizing Brazilian jiu-jitsu Mixed martial arts broadcasters Ultimate Fighting Championship male fighters American practitioners of Brazilian jiu-jitsu People awarded a black belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu American Muay Thai practitioners American sportspeople of Peruvian descent People from Dover, Massachusetts Boston College Eagles men's soccer players Association footballers not categorized by position Fox Sports 1 people Association football players not categorized by nationality