Kenny Florian facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Kenny Florian |
|
|---|---|
 |
|
| Born | Kenneth Alan Florian May 26, 1976 Westwood, Massachusetts, U.S. |
| Other names | KenFlo |
| Residence | Los Angeles County, California |
| Height | 5 ft 10 in (1.78 m) |
| Weight | 145 lb (66 kg; 10 st 5 lb) |
| Division | Middleweight (2005) Welterweight (2003–2005) Lightweight (2006–2010) Featherweight (2011–2012) |
| Reach | 74 in (188 cm) |
| Style | Brazilian jiu-jitsu |
| Stance | Southpaw |
| Fighting out of | Brookline, Massachusetts, U.S. |
| Team | Florian Martial Arts Center Tristar Gym |
| Trainer | Keith Florian |
| Rank | 4th degree black belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu under Roberto Maia |
| Years active | 2003–2012 (MMA) |
| Mixed martial arts record | |
| Total | 20 |
| Wins | 14 |
| By knockout | 4 |
| By submission | 8 |
| By decision | 2 |
| Losses | 6 |
| By knockout | 1 |
| By submission | 1 |
| By decision | 4 |
| University | Boston College |
| Notable school(s) | Dover-Sherborn High School |
Kenny Florian (born May 26, 1976) is an American retired mixed martial artist and sports commentator. He used to compete in the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), which is a major mixed martial arts organization. After retiring from fighting, he became an analyst for UFC on Fox and now works as a commentator for the Professional Fighters League (PFL) and the robot fighting show BattleBots.
Kenny Florian is skilled in Brazilian jiu-jitsu and Muay Thai. He was known for planning his fights very carefully. He often won his fights by stopping his opponents, with twelve of his fourteen victories ending this way. He is also one of only two fighters in UFC history to compete in four different weight classes: Middleweight, Welterweight, Lightweight, and Featherweight.
Florian appeared on the first season of The Ultimate Fighter, a reality TV show. He won against Chris Leben but lost in the final match to Diego Sanchez. He fought for a UFC championship title three times but was not able to win the belt. Even though he didn't win a championship, many people consider him one of the best fighters in the UFC who never held a title.
Contents
Early life and training
Kenny Florian was born in Westwood, Massachusetts, and grew up in Dover, Massachusetts. He was one of six children. His parents were from Peru, and his family background includes Spanish, Italian, German, French, and Armenian roots. In high school, he was a great soccer player for Dover-Sherborn Regional High School. He continued to play soccer at Boston College. He also has dual citizenship in the United States and Peru.
After college, Kenny became very interested in mixed martial arts. He earned a black belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. He had planned to work as a translator and then go to law school. However, a powerful experience in Brazil made him decide to follow his dream of becoming a mixed martial artist instead.
Mixed martial arts journey
Kenny Florian is famous for his "razor sharp" elbow strikes in fights. He started his professional MMA career in January 2003. In his first fight, he won by TKO (Technical Knockout) in the first round. He won his second fight by submission. His first loss was in July 2004, but his performance impressed UFC president Dana White, who offered Kenny a spot on The Ultimate Fighter show.
On The Ultimate Fighter
Kenny joined the first season of The Ultimate Fighter as a middleweight fighter. He reached the finals by defeating Chris Leben. In the final match, he lost to Diego Sanchez.
Fighting in the UFC
After The Ultimate Fighter, Kenny continued to fight in the UFC. He won against Alex Karalexis and Kit Cope. These wins led him to a title shot after he defeated Sam Stout by submission.
On October 14, 2006, Kenny fought Sean Sherk for the UFC Lightweight Championship title. He lost this fight by decision, meaning the judges decided the winner. Even though he lost, it was a tough fight.
Kenny continued to win many fights. He defeated Dokonjonosuke Mishima and Alvin Robinson by submission. He also won against Din Thomas and Joe Lauzon with impressive finishes. In August 2008, he beat Roger Huerta, ending Huerta's long winning streak. In November 2008, he won against Joe Stevenson by submission.
Championship opportunities
After his win over Joe Stevenson, Kenny became the top contender for the Lightweight Championship. He challenged B.J. Penn for the title at UFC 101. Kenny tried hard to take Penn down, but Penn defended well. In the fourth round, Penn took Kenny down and won by submission.
Kenny then defeated Clay Guida in December 2009. He also beat former Pride Lightweight Champion Takanori Gomi in March 2010, earning a "Submission of the Night" bonus. After this win, Kenny had a knee infection that required surgery.
In August 2010, Kenny fought Gray Maynard. The winner was promised a shot at the UFC Lightweight Championship. Kenny fought well, but Maynard was able to take him down often, and Kenny lost by decision.
Kenny then decided to move down to the featherweight division. He won his featherweight debut against Diego Nunes in June 2011. This win earned him another title shot, this time for the UFC Featherweight Championship against José Aldo. Kenny lost this fight by decision.
Retirement from fighting
After losing his third championship fight to Aldo, Kenny thought about retiring. He still loved fighting but had been dealing with back problems. In November 2011, he got a new injury while lifting weights. Doctors advised him to retire because of the tingling and numbness in his leg. On May 31, 2012, Kenny Florian officially announced his retirement from mixed martial arts.
Life outside the octagon
Kenny Florian has used his experience to help others. He appeared on the TV show Dr Phil with UFC President Dana White and former champion Forrest Griffin. They talked to high school students about the dangers of fighting outside of organized sports and encouraged them to train safely in an MMA gym.
Kenny and his brother, Keith, own and run the Florian Martial Arts Center in Brookline, Massachusetts. This academy teaches Brazilian jiu-jitsu, Muay Thai, wrestling, and mixed martial arts.
Actor Jonah Hill has said that Kenny Florian helped him feel comfortable enough to start training jiu-jitsu. Kenny is also fluent in Spanish.
Achievements and awards
Kenny Florian earned many awards during his career:
- Ultimate Fighting Championship
- Runner-up in The Ultimate Fighter 1 Middleweight Tournament
- Won "Fight of the Night" three times
- Won "Submission of the Night" two times
- Tied for the second most rear-naked choke submissions in UFC history (7)
- Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu
- Won 3rd place at the Pan-American Jiu-Jitsu Championships in 2003
- NAGA BJJ Superfight Champion
- Inducted into the Grapplers Quest Hall of Fame
Images for kids
-
Kenny Florian, a retired mixed martial artist and commentator.
See also
In Spanish: Kenny Florian para niños
