breahule
01-06-2012, 07:19
Kenny Florian has announced his retirement from mixed martial arts competition.
The veteran featherweight - who entered the UFC via a stint on The Ultimate Fighter season one as a middleweight - revealed the news on FX television today.
“It was something I’ve been thinking about since November. And it probably wasn’t until the last couple months where I really saw it as a viable option. When you’ve fought as long as I have and trained as long as I have, you become what you do, and that’s all you know,” he said.
“It’s tough to do anything else, but in the end, I have so many things going on, from my gym back in Boston to the commentary and all that stuff, that I’m so lucky that I have all these other things in my life and I can still be a part of the sport that I love.”
Florian’s remarkable run in the UFC saw him consecutively drop through weight classes over the years until he hit what many thought was all along his natural category, featherweight. But his attempt to wrest the belt from Jose Aldo in October was unsuccessful and also left him with a back injury, which weighed heavy on his decision to retire.
Recently he has transitioned into broadcasting and fight commentary and he will continie that work on FUEL TV and FX, as well as running his own MMA school in Boston. Florian, 36, retires with a record of 16-6.
The veteran featherweight - who entered the UFC via a stint on The Ultimate Fighter season one as a middleweight - revealed the news on FX television today.
“It was something I’ve been thinking about since November. And it probably wasn’t until the last couple months where I really saw it as a viable option. When you’ve fought as long as I have and trained as long as I have, you become what you do, and that’s all you know,” he said.
“It’s tough to do anything else, but in the end, I have so many things going on, from my gym back in Boston to the commentary and all that stuff, that I’m so lucky that I have all these other things in my life and I can still be a part of the sport that I love.”
Florian’s remarkable run in the UFC saw him consecutively drop through weight classes over the years until he hit what many thought was all along his natural category, featherweight. But his attempt to wrest the belt from Jose Aldo in October was unsuccessful and also left him with a back injury, which weighed heavy on his decision to retire.
Recently he has transitioned into broadcasting and fight commentary and he will continie that work on FUEL TV and FX, as well as running his own MMA school in Boston. Florian, 36, retires with a record of 16-6.