Kenny Florian

Kenny Florian (born May 26, 1976) is an American retired mixed martial artist and commentator who formerly competed in the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC).

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 UFC regular Drew Fickett via decision at Combat Zone 7 – Gravel Pit on July 10, 2004.

This is the fight that got Kenny on the Ultimate Fighter as Dana White 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.

Kenny went on to compete on the first season of The Ultimate Fighter as a middleweight.

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.

Following his loss to Sanchez, Florian returned at the first UFC Ultimate Fight Night to defeat fellow TUF 1 competitor Alex Karalexis 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 Muay Thai competitor Kit Cope, winning with a rear naked choke submission early in round 2.

Florian earned a title shot after defeating Canadian TKO Major League MMA Lightweight champion Sam Stout at The Ultimate Fighter 3 Finale; Florian won in the first round by rear naked choke.

On October 14, 2006, Florian fought Sean Sherk for the UFC Lightweight 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 Japanese fighter Dokonjonosuke Mishima 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, he fought and defeated UFC newcomer Alvin Robinson 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 at UFC Fight Night 11.

Thomas injured his knee while attempting a takedown during the bout.

He formerly served as an analyst for UFC on Fox from 2011 to 2018, provided color commentary for UFC Fight Night, and provides color commentary on the robot combat television series BattleBots.

He is currently signed to the Professional Fighters League (PFL) as a commentator.

Florian has a background in Brazilian jiu-jitsu and Muay Thai.

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: Middleweight, Welterweight, Lightweight and Featherweight, the other being Diego Sanchez.

Florian defeated Chris Leben on the inaugural season of The Ultimate Fighter reality show, but succumbed in the finale against Diego Sanchez.

He has competed on two occasions for the UFC Lightweight Championship and once for the UFC Featherweight Championship, but came up short against Sean Sherk, B.J. Penn, and José Aldo respectively.

Recognized as one of the elite competitors during his tenures in the Ultimate Fighting Championship, Florian is considered one of the best mixed martial artists never to have won a UFC Championship.

Florian is one of six children born to Peruvian parents: Agustin, a thoracic surgeon, and Ines Florian; however, none of his grandparents are from Peru, his ancestry includes: Spanish, Italian, German, French and Armenian.

Florian was born in Westwood, Massachusetts, and grew up in neighboring Dover, Massachusetts, where he was a standout soccer player for Dover-Sherborn Regional High School.

He attended Boston College where he played for the varsity soccer team (NCAA Division 1).

He also holds dual citizenship in the United States and Peru.

After college, his interests turned towards mixed martial arts and he earned a black belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu from Roberto Maia.

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.

Kenny is known for his elbow strikes, which Joe Rogan describes as "razor sharp".