A Fond Farewell to Kenny Florian
May 2012 ends on a somber note: UFC contender Kenny Florian has retired from Mixed Martial Arts. If you've ever read any of the MMA articles on this site you've probably noticed that I've written exclusively about Women's Mixed Martial Arts, specifically about Ronda Rousey, but Florian's retirement is not only an important moment in Mixed Martial Arts history but, it's one of personal significance to me as well. It's something that commands my attention, and if you're a fan of the sport, it deserves your attention as well.
Kenflo's retirement speech
I've been a huge fan of Kenny Florian ever since he challenged Sean Sherk for the vacant UFC Lightweight title. While he lost a grueling five round decision to Sherk, he put on a gutsy performance, slicing Sherk open with his trademark elbows early in the fight. Since that bout, regardless of whether Florian came out the victor or not, I've enjoyed watching him fight.
Wearing Sean Sherk's blood like a tailored suit
If you knew nothing about fighting and you bumped into Kenny Florian, with his slim, lanky frame, you'd assume you could kick his ass. That assumption would likely lead to a one-sided beat down that would end with you bathed in your own blood and choked unconscious via rear naked choke. I don't mention that to poke fun at Kenflo's physique but to highlight that Florian's unsuspecting fighting acumen only adds to his appeal. Florian doesn't possess insane genetics in the vain of fighters like Jon Jones or "Rampage" Jackson, his success was forged entirely through countless hours of hard work, drilling techniques with the drive of a consummate professional. Throughout his MMA career Florian has amassed a record of 14 wins and 6 loses with 3 KO/TKOs and 9 submission victories to his name, giving him one of the highest finish percentages in UFC history.
Vicious elbows and a bloodied opponent are the hallmarks of what you could expect from a Kenny Florian fight.
Throughout Florian's UFC career he's been consistently ranked in the top 10. But that's only a small part of why I've become such a huge fan of Florian. Florian's insistence on finishing his opponents coupled with his ever improving skill set are major parts of what's made him such an exciting fighter to watch. Florian's never been a cocky fighter or been known to trash talk but he's never really needed to, he's been able to garner a following with the performances he puts on. When Florian steps into the Octagon you know that he's not trying to win on points, he's going to draw blood, in the most literal sense, and he's going for the finish.
Unbeknownst to most MMA fans, Florian's nationality is actually Finnish. You know, because he finishes fights!
Witnessing Florian's evolution as a fighter has been remarkable to say the least. All too often you hear about how a fighter is working on their boxing or their ground game but it never seems to manifest in the cage when the time comes. That's not the case with Florian. With each fight you can see his improvements and his mastery of new techniques; his "baby hook" that leveled Clay Guida, his jab that welcomed Gomi to the UFC. His improvements served to compliment his already formidable skill set; most notably his elbows and rear naked choke. Florian ended his career far and away a much improved fighter than he was when he first entered the Octagon.
Florian challenged for UFC championship gold on three separate occasions; once against Sean Sherk, then against BJ Penn and most recently against Jose Aldo, for the UFC featherweight title. While he fell short of victory in these bouts, he showed an unwilting spirit and had competitive performances. I'm convinced that if Florian had been able to continue with his UFC career he would have not only challenged for the UFC Lightweight title for a third time but he would have seized championship gold.
I'd take Florian in a rematch, any day of the week
Florian is always game and has always been a threat to anyone who stood in front of him. He's a People's Champ of sorts, never to be counted out or underestimated. Florian has not only had several memorable bouts, but also many absolutely dominating performances. He was the first to hand, the then rising UFC star, Roger Huerta, his first loss. Huerta had went undefeated for six fights before he squared off against Florian. Florian demolished UFC Lightweight title challenger, Joe Stevenson with a first round submission; via rear naked choke, of course. Former Pride FC Lightweight Champion, Takanori Gomi, was made to look like an amateur in his UFC debut. Florian peppered his face with jabs that Gomi had no answer for, then finished him with a rear naked choke as well. While these rank among Florian's most dominate performances, and my personal favorites to boot, his fight against Clay Guida is hands down my favorite of them all.
What part of "not interested in SafeAuto insurance" do you not understand?!
The most unfortunate thing about Florian's retirement lies in the circumstance behind it. It wasn't motivated by a lack of competitiveness or a series of devastating loses, which are the typical reasons why fighters decide to hang it up. With Florian, his decision to retire arose from a chronic back injury which prevented him from training at the level he'd need to compete against elite level competition. While Florian won't be completely removed from the sport of Mixed Martial Arts following his retirement, he's slated to become a fixture of the UFC commentary booth, it'll still be difficult to come to terms with the fact that we'll never get to see him square off against the likes of Frankie Edgar, Anthony Pettis or Nate Diaz, to name a few. Alas, we'll always have the memories Kenny Florian risked life and limb to give us. And for that I'm eternally grateful. On behalf of Punching The Walls of Reality I give a heartfelt Thank you to Kenny Florian and wish him well as he embarks on a new journey in his life.
- The "Bloody Elbowed" Prometheus
