Kenny Florian
Encyclopedia
Kenneth Alan Florian is a Peruvian-American
mixed martial artist
who competes as a featherweight
in the Ultimate Fighting Championship
. He has a background in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu
and Muay Thai
, and is known for his cerebral approach to the sport based on his meticulous game plans and well-articulated fight analysis. He is also known for his tendency to finish his opponents, having earned stoppages in thirteen of his fifteen career victories, and for his devastating elbow strikes. He is the only fighter in history to compete in four different weight divisions under the UFC banner.
Florian first gained recognition for his appearance on the inaugural season of The Ultimate Fighter
reality show. He holds notable victories over former PRIDE champion Takanori Gomi
, current UFC contender Clay Guida
, Roger Huerta
, Joe Lauzon
, Din Thomas
, Joe Stevenson
, Sam Stout
, and Diego Nunes
. He has competed for the UFC Lightweight Championship twice and the UFC Featherweight Championship, but came up short against Sean Sherk
, BJ Penn, and Jose Aldo
. He is currently ranked as the #4 featherweight in the world by MMA Fighting and as the #10 featherweight fighter in the world by MMAWeekly.
, French
, German
, Italian, and Spanish
ancestry. 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. 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 Prof. Roberto Maia of Boston Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (Gracie Barra
Boston).
describes as "razor sharp".
Florian made his MMA debut in January 2003 at Mass Destruction 10, defeating Jason Giroux via TKO (strikes from the mount) in 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.
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.
competitor Alex Karalexis
with a vicious cut across the nose. 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
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 exhibited superior control despite being cut severely by several Florian 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
ese 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. Thomas was originally slated to face off against Spencer Fisher
, but Fisher had to pull out due to a staph
infection. Florian took his place.
On April 2, 2008 Florian defeated Joe Lauzon
at UFC Fight Night 13
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
on August 9, 2008 Florian defeated Roger Huerta
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
on November 15, 2008, Florian defeated Joe Stevenson
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.
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 fought Clay Guida
on December 12, 2009 at UFC 107
. 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 rear naked choke at 2:19.
He has expressed interest in getting a rematch with Diego Sanchez
. On an episode of MMA Live
(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 Lightweight Champion Takanori Gomi
at UFC Fight Night 21 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
on August 28, 2010 at UFC 118
. 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
at UFC 126
, but the bout was then expected to headline UFC Fight Night 23 on January 22, 2011. However, Florian had to pull out of the bout due to knee injury on December 6, 2010. Melvin Guillard
defeated Dunham as Kenny's replacement.
. He made his Featherweight debut with a unanimous decision victory over Diego Nunes on June 11, 2011 at UFC 131
, with the judges' scorecards being 29–28, 29–28, and 30–27. Dana White said on MMA Live
if Kenny wins this fight he'll most likely get a title shot.
Florian was given the title shot against José Aldo
for the UFC Featherweight Championship on October 8, 2011 at UFC 136
and was defeated by unanimous decision.
in Montreal.
, alongside Franklin McNeil and others, for ESPN
.com which is shown online and on TV on ESPN Florian contributes to the show with his MMA experience and perspective as a fighter. Florian was a guest writer for FIGHT!, an MMA magazine, in their April 2009 issue.
On April 19, 2008, Florian filled in for Joe Rogan
as the color commentator for UFC 83
and again at UFC Fight Night 19. On June 7, 2009, Kenny Florian would fill in for Frank Mir
, whose wife gave birth two days later, as color commentator for WEC 41
. Florian also provided color commentary for WEC 49
and the TUF 11 Finale. Florian also took Joe Rogan's place as commentator for UFC 134
.
On Dr Phil, Florian, along with UFC President Dana White
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. The academy currently teaches Brazilian jiu-jitsu, muay thai, wrestling and mixed martial arts. Instructors at the academy include, Kenny Florian, Keith Florian, Alex Lewis, Mark Johnson, Kiersten Patel and Felix Gomez.
|Loss
| style="text-align:center;"| 14-6
| José Aldo
| Decision (unanimous)
| UFC 136
|
| style="text-align:center;"| 5
| style="text-align:center;"| 5:00
| Houston, Texas
, United States
|
|-
|Win
| style="text-align:center;"| 14-5
| Diego Nunes
| Decision (unanimous)
| UFC 131
|
| style="text-align:center;"| 3
| style="text-align:center;"| 5:00
|Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
|
|-
|Loss
|align=center|13–5
|Gray Maynard
|Decision (unanimous)
|UFC 118
|
|align=center|3
|align=center|5:00
|Boston, Massachusetts, United States
|UFC Lightweight Title eliminator.
|-
|Win
|align=center|13–4
|Takanori Gomi
|Submission (rear-naked choke)
|UFC Fight Night: Florian vs. Gomi
|
|align=center|3
|align=center|2:52
|Charlotte, North Carolina
, United States
|Submission of the Night
|-
|Win
| style="text-align:center;"|12–4
|Clay Guida
|Submission (rear-naked choke)
| UFC 107
|
| style="text-align:center;"| 2
| style="text-align:center;"| 2:19
|Memphis, Tennessee
, United States
|
|-
|Loss
| style="text-align:center;"|11–4
|B.J. Penn
|Submission (rear-naked choke)
|UFC 101
|
| style="text-align:center;"| 4
| style="text-align:center;"| 3:54
|Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
, United States
|For the UFC Lightweight Championship
|-
|Win
| style="text-align:center;"| 11–3
|Joe Stevenson
|Submission (rear-naked choke)
|UFC 91
|
| style="text-align:center;"| 1
| style="text-align:center;"| 4:03
|Las Vegas, Nevada
, United States
|
|-
|Win
| style="text-align:center;"|10–3
|Roger Huerta
|Decision (unanimous)
|UFC 87
|
| style="text-align:center;"|3
| style="text-align:center;"|5:00
|Minneapolis, Minnesota
, United States
|
|-
|Win
| style="text-align:center;"|9–3
|Joe Lauzon
|TKO (punches and elbows)
|UFC Fight Night: Florian vs. Lauzon
|
| style="text-align:center;"| 2
| style="text-align:center;"| 3:28
|Broomfield, Colorado
, United States
|Fight of the Night
|-
|Win
| style="text-align:center;"|8–3
|Din Thomas
|Submission (rear-naked choke)
|UFC Fight Night: Thomas vs Florian
|
| style="text-align:center;"| 1
| style="text-align:center;"| 4:31
|Las Vegas, Nevada
, United States
|
|-
|Win
| style="text-align:center;"|7–3
|Alvin Robinson
|Submission (punches)
|UFC 73
|
| style="text-align:center;"| 1
| style="text-align:center;"| 4:30
|Sacramento, California
, United States
|
|-
|Win
| style="text-align:center;"|6–3
|Dokonjonosuke Mishima
|Submission (rear-naked choke)
|UFC Fight Night: Stevenson vs Guillard
|
| style="text-align:center;"| 3
| style="text-align:center;"| 3:57
|Las Vegas, Nevada
, United States
|
|-
|Loss
| style="text-align:center;"|5–3
|Sean Sherk
|Decision (unanimous)
|UFC 64
|
| style="text-align:center;"| 5
| style="text-align:center;"| 5:00
|Las Vegas, Nevada
, United States
| For the vacant UFC Lightweight Championship
|-
|Win
| style="text-align:center;"|5–2
|Sam Stout
|Submission (rear-naked choke)
|The Ultimate Fighter 3 Finale
|
| style="text-align:center;"|1
| style="text-align:center;"|1:46
|Las Vegas, Nevada
, United States
|Lightweight Debut.
|-
|Win
| style="text-align:center;"|4–2
|Kit Cope
|Submission (rear-naked choke)
|The Ultimate Fighter 2 Finale
|
| style="text-align:center;"|2
| style="text-align:center;"|0:37
|Las Vegas, Nevada
, United States
|
|-
|Win
| style="text-align:center;"|3–2
|Alex Karalexis
|TKO (doctor stoppage)
|UFC Ultimate Fight Night
|
| style="text-align:center;"|2
| style="text-align:center;"|2:52
|Las Vegas, Nevada
, United States
|Return to Welterweight.
|-
|Loss
| style="text-align:center;"|2–2
|Diego Sanchez
|TKO (punches)
|The Ultimate Fighter 1 Finale
|
| style="text-align:center;"|1
| style="text-align:center;"|2:49
|Las Vegas, Nevada
, United States
|Middleweight Debut; lost The Ultimate Fighter 1 Middleweight Tournament
|-
|Loss
| style="text-align:center;"|2–1
|Drew Fickett
|Decision (split)
|CZ 7: Gravel Pit
|
| style="text-align:center;"|3
| style="text-align:center;"|5:00
|Revere, Massachusetts
, United States
|
|-
|Win
| style="text-align:center;"|2–0
|Bobby McAndrews
|Submission (kimura)
| Mass Destruction 15
|
| style="text-align:center;"|1
| style="text-align:center;"|1:57
|Boston, Massachusetts, United States
|
|-
|Win
| style="text-align:center;"|1–0
|Jason Giroux
|TKO (strikes from the mount)
| Mass Destruction 10
|
| style="text-align:center;"|1
| style="text-align:center;"|3:21
|Taunton, Massachusetts
, United States
|
|-
Peruvian American
A Peruvian American , mestizo, Amerindian, and Afro-Peruvian descent, as well as others, including Italian, French, and German or a mix of any of these. A significant number are of pure or mixed Chinese or/and Japanese heritage....
mixed martial artist
Mixed martial arts
Mixed Martial Arts is a full contact combat sport that allows the use of both striking and grappling techniques, both standing and on the ground, including boxing, wrestling, Brazilian jiu-jitsu, muay Thai, kickboxing, karate, judo and other styles. The roots of modern mixed martial arts can be...
who competes as a featherweight
Featherweight (MMA)
The featherweight division in mixed martial arts can refer to a number of different weight classes:*UFC's & Pancrase's featherweight division, which groups competitors within 136 to 145 lb...
in the Ultimate Fighting Championship
Ultimate Fighting Championship
The Ultimate Fighting Championship is the largest mixed martial arts promotion company in the world that hosts most of the top-ranked fighters in the sport...
. He has a background in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu
Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu
Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu is a martial art, combat sport, and a self defense system that focuses on grappling and especially ground fighting...
and Muay Thai
Muay Thai
Muay Thai is a combat sport from Thailand that uses stand-up striking along with various clinching techniques. It is similar to other Indochinese kickboxing systems, namely pradal serey from Cambodia, tomoi from Malaysia, lethwei from Myanmar and muay Lao from Laos...
, and is known for his cerebral approach to the sport based on his meticulous game plans and well-articulated fight analysis. He is also known for his tendency to finish his opponents, having earned stoppages in thirteen of his fifteen career victories, and for his devastating elbow strikes. He is the only fighter in history to compete in four different weight divisions under the UFC banner.
Florian first gained recognition for his appearance on the inaugural season of The Ultimate Fighter
The Ultimate Fighter
The Ultimate Fighter is an American reality television series and mixed martial arts competition produced by Spike TV and the Ultimate Fighting Championship , and soon to be shown on FX. The show features unknown, professional MMA fighters living together in Las Vegas, Nevada, and follows them as...
reality show. He holds notable victories over former PRIDE champion Takanori Gomi
Takanori Gomi
, is a Japanese mixed martial artist currently fighting in the Ultimate Fighting Championship. Gomi is a former Shooto Welterweight Champion and was the last and only Pride Lightweight Champion. He is also a four-time All Japan Combat Wrestling champion. During his time in Pride he was considered...
, current UFC contender Clay Guida
Clay Guida
Clayton Charles Guida is an American mixed martial artist and currently fighting in the UFC as a lightweight. Guida was the first Strikeforce Lightweight Champion and held the title until being defeated by Gilbert Melendez at Strikeforce: Revenge...
, Roger Huerta
Roger Huerta
Roger Huerta , is an American mixed martial artist. He initially gained exposure by competing in the lightweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship and later Bellator Fighting Championships.-Early life:...
, Joe Lauzon
Joe Lauzon
Joseph E. Lauzon Jr. is an American mixed martial artist from Brockton, Massachusetts. He currently lives in Massachusetts and is training at Lauzon MMA in Bridgewater, Massachusetts.-Early life and background:...
, Din Thomas
Din Thomas
Din Yero Thomas is an American mixed martial arts fighter and part time break dancer, who was featured on The Ultimate Fighter 4. He currently runs two successful Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and MMA academies in Port St. Lucie, Florida and is a black belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu under Ricardo Liborio...
, Joe Stevenson
Joe Stevenson
Joseph Christopher Stevenson is an American mixed martial artist fighting out of Las Vegas, Nevada. Competing as a welterweight, he won The Ultimate Fighter 2 welterweight tournament. Stevenson fought most of his UFC career as a lightweight, and made his featherweight debut at UFC Live: Kongo vs....
, Sam Stout
Sam Stout
Samuel James "Hands of Stone" Stout is a Canadian mixed martial artist from London, Ontario. Currently signed to the Ultimate Fighting Championship, he is primarily known as a striker with an iron chin.- Mixed martial arts career :...
, and Diego Nunes
Diego Nunes
Diego Nunes is a Brazilian racing driver.-Formula Renault:Nunes began his car racing career by driving full-time in the Formula Renault 2.0 Brazil championship in 2003 and 2004, having competed in selected events in 2002...
. He has competed for the UFC Lightweight Championship twice and the UFC Featherweight Championship, but came up short against Sean Sherk
Sean Sherk
Sean Keith Sherk is an American mixed martial arts fighter currently fighting for the UFC. He currently holds a professional mixed martial arts record of thirty-six wins, four losses and one draw. Sherk has fought in both the UFC and Pride FC, and is a former UFC Lightweight Champion...
, BJ Penn, and Jose Aldo
Jose Aldo
José Aldo is a Brazilian mixed martial artist, who competes as a featherweight in the Ultimate Fighting Championship where he is the first and current UFC Featherweight Champion...
. He is currently ranked as the #4 featherweight in the world by MMA Fighting and as the #10 featherweight fighter in the world by MMAWeekly.
Early life
Florian is the fourth of six children born to Peruvian parents; Agustin, a thoracic surgeon, and Ines Florian. His ethnic background includes: ArmenianArmenians
Armenian people or Armenians are a nation and ethnic group native to the Armenian Highland.The largest concentration is in Armenia having a nearly-homogeneous population with 97.9% or 3,145,354 being ethnic Armenian....
, French
French people
The French are a nation that share a common French culture and speak the French language as a mother tongue. Historically, the French population are descended from peoples of Celtic, Latin and Germanic origin, and are today a mixture of several ethnic groups...
, German
Germans
The Germans are a Germanic ethnic group native to Central Europe. The English term Germans has referred to the German-speaking population of the Holy Roman Empire since the Late Middle Ages....
, Italian, and Spanish
Spanish people
The Spanish are citizens of the Kingdom of Spain. Within Spain, there are also a number of vigorous nationalisms and regionalisms, reflecting the country's complex history....
ancestry. Florian was born in Westwood, Massachusetts
Westwood, Massachusetts
Westwood is a town in Norfolk County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 14,618 at the 2010 census. In July 2005, CNN/Money and Money magazine ranked Westwood 13th on its list of the 100 Best Places to Live in the United States. Boston Magazine listed Gay Street in Westwood on its...
and grew up in neighboring Dover, Massachusetts
Dover, Massachusetts
Dover is a town in Norfolk County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 5,589 at the 2010 census.Located about southwest of downtown Boston, Dover is a residential town nestled on the south banks of the Charles River. Almost all of the residential zoning requires or larger...
where he was a standout soccer
Football (soccer)
Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a sport played between two teams of eleven players with a spherical ball...
player for Dover-Sherborn Regional High. He attended Boston College
Boston College
Boston College is a private Jesuit research university located in the village of Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts, USA. The main campus is bisected by the border between the cities of Boston and Newton. It has 9,200 full-time undergraduates and 4,000 graduate students. Its name reflects its early...
where he played for the varsity soccer team (NCAA Division 1). He also holds dual citizenship in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
and Peru
Peru
Peru , officially the Republic of Peru , is a country in western South America. It is bordered on the north by Ecuador and Colombia, on the east by Brazil, on the southeast by Bolivia, on the south by Chile, and on the west by the Pacific Ocean....
.
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 (Gracie Barra
Gracie Barra
Gracie Barra is one of the largest Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu associations, with over 400 black belts and 150 schools or affiliates worldwide. It is headed by Carlos Gracie, Jr., son of Carlos Gracie the first Gracie to ever learn Jiu-Jitsu from Japanese emigrant to Brazil Otávio Mitsuyo Maeda.- History...
Boston).
Mixed martial arts career
Kenny is known for his elbow strikes, which Joe RoganJoe Rogan
Joseph James "Joe" Rogan is an American comedian, video blogger, actor, writer, podcaster, and martial artist. He is best known for his work on NewsRadio, his work as color commentator for the Ultimate Fighting Championship, and his hosting work on Fear Factor.-Acting:In 1994, Rogan co-starred on...
describes as "razor sharp".
Florian made his MMA debut in January 2003 at Mass Destruction 10, defeating Jason Giroux via TKO (strikes from the mount) in 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
Ultimate Fighting Championship
The Ultimate Fighting Championship is the largest mixed martial arts promotion company in the world that hosts most of the top-ranked fighters in the sport...
regular Drew Fickett
Drew Fickett
Drew Fickett is an American mixed martial artist. He competes in the Lightweight division. He holds notable victories over Josh Koscheck, Dennis Hallman, Kenny Florian, Kurt Pellegrino, Josh Neer, Matt Veach, and Dennis Bermudez....
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
Ultimate Fighter - known in Japan as , is a fighting video game developed and published by Culture Brain for the Super NES.An updated version of it titled was later released exclusively in Japan for the same platform on December 11, 1992, which adds a choice of turbo speed levels to increase the...
as Dana White
Dana White
Dana White is the current President of the Ultimate Fighting Championship , a mixed martial arts organization based in the United States.- Biography :...
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 The Ultimate FighterThe Ultimate Fighter
The Ultimate Fighter is an American reality television series and mixed martial arts competition produced by Spike TV and the Ultimate Fighting Championship , and soon to be shown on FX. The show features unknown, professional MMA fighters living together in Las Vegas, Nevada, and follows them as...
as a middleweight
Middleweight (MMA)
The middleweight division in mixed martial arts can refer to a number of different weight classes:*UFC's & Strikeforce's middleweight division, which groups competitors within 171 to 185 lb...
. 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
Diego Sánchez
Diego J. Sanchez is an American mixed martial artist of Mexican descent, with a background in wrestling and Gaidojutsu, system of submission wrestling developed by his longtime trainer Greg Jackson...
due to strikes.
Ultimate Fighting Championship
Following his loss to Sanchez, Florian returned at the first Ultimate Fight Night to defeat fellow TUF 1The Ultimate Fighter 1
The debut season of The Ultimate Fighter premiered on January 17, 2005. Sixteen mixed martial arts fighters were invited to participate in the show where they would reside together and train in two separate teams...
competitor Alex Karalexis
Alex Karalexis
Alex Karalexis is an American mixed martial artist of Greek descent. He has a professional record of 10 wins and 6 losses...
with a vicious cut across the nose. Picking up momentum, Kenny went on to face Muay Thai
Muay Thai
Muay Thai is a combat sport from Thailand that uses stand-up striking along with various clinching techniques. It is similar to other Indochinese kickboxing systems, namely pradal serey from Cambodia, tomoi from Malaysia, lethwei from Myanmar and muay Lao from Laos...
competitor Kit Cope
Kit Cope
Kristopher Lee Cope is an American Muay Thai kickboxer, mixed martial artist and television personality. He is the former IPMTO Light Heavyweight Muay Thai World Champion and in mixed martial arts he has an unimpressive record of 4-7...
, winning with a rear naked choke
Rear naked choke
The Rear naked choke is a chokehold in martial arts applied from an opponent's back. Depending on the context, the term may refer to one of two variations of the technique, either arm can be used to apply the choke in both cases...
submission early in round 2. Florian earned a title shot after defeating Canadian TKO
TKO Major League MMA
TKO Major League MMA is a defunct Canadian mixed martial arts organization, formerly the biggest MMA promotion in Canada. Despite its name, it was considered a minor circuit, overshadowed by the Ultimate Fighting Championship, with which it had a close working relationship...
Lightweight champion Sam Stout
Sam Stout
Samuel James "Hands of Stone" Stout is a Canadian mixed martial artist from London, Ontario. Currently signed to the Ultimate Fighting Championship, he is primarily known as a striker with an iron chin.- Mixed martial arts career :...
at The Ultimate Fighter 3 Finale
The Ultimate Fighter 3 Finale
The Ultimate Fighter 3 Finale was a mixed martial arts event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship on June 24, 2006. Featured were the finals from The Ultimate Fighter 3 in both the Middleweight and Light Heavyweight divisions as well as a main event between Kenny Florian and Sam Stout.During...
; Florian won in the first round by rear naked choke
Rear naked choke
The Rear naked choke is a chokehold in martial arts applied from an opponent's back. Depending on the context, the term may refer to one of two variations of the technique, either arm can be used to apply the choke in both cases...
.
On October 14, 2006, Florian fought Sean Sherk
Sean Sherk
Sean Keith Sherk is an American mixed martial arts fighter currently fighting for the UFC. He currently holds a professional mixed martial arts record of thirty-six wins, four losses and one draw. Sherk has fought in both the UFC and Pride FC, and is a former UFC Lightweight Champion...
for the UFC Lightweight
Lightweight (MMA)
The lightweight division in mixed martial arts can refer to a number of different weight classes:* The UFC & Strikeforce lightweight division with upper limit at 155 lb...
championship title at UFC 64: Unstoppable
UFC 64
UFC 64: Unstoppable was a mixed martial arts event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship on Saturday, October 14, 2006. The event took place at the Mandalay Bay Events Center, on the Las Vegas Strip in Nevada and was broadcast live on pay-per-view in the United States and...
and lost via unanimous decision. Sherk exhibited superior control despite being cut severely by several Florian 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
UFC Fight Night 9
UFC Fight Night: Stevenson vs Guillard referred to by the media as UFC Fight Night 9 was a mixed martial arts event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship on April 5, 2007 at The Palms Casino Resort in Las Vegas, Nevada...
, Florian defeated Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
ese fighter Dokonjonosuke Mishima
Dokonjonosuke Mishima
known as , also written Dokonjyonosuke Mishima, is a Japanese mixed martial artist. He has competed professionally since 1998 in organizations such as Shooto, DEEP, PRIDE, and the UFC....
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
UFC 73: Stacked was a mixed martial arts event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship . 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 card and five on the main card. In the main event, Anderson Silva put...
, he fought and defeated UFC newcomer Alvin Robinson
Alvin Robinson
Alvin L Robinson 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...
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 Thomas
Din Yero Thomas is an American mixed martial arts fighter and part time break dancer, who was featured on The Ultimate Fighter 4. He currently runs two successful Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and MMA academies in Port St. Lucie, Florida and is a black belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu under Ricardo Liborio...
at UFC Fight Night 11
UFC Fight Night 11
UFC Fight Night: Thomas vs Florian referred to by the media as UFC Fight Night 11 was a mixed martial arts event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship 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 Fisher
Spencer William Fisher is an American mixed martial artist from Brevard, North Carolina. He currently fights in the lightweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship promotion. He holds notable victories over Thiago Alves, Matt Wiman, Sam Stout, Jeremy Stephens, and Caol Uno...
, but Fisher had to pull out due to a staph
Staphylococcus
Staphylococcus is a genus of Gram-positive bacteria. Under the microscope they appear round , and form in grape-like clusters....
infection. Florian took his place.
On April 2, 2008 Florian defeated Joe Lauzon
Joe Lauzon
Joseph E. Lauzon Jr. is an American mixed martial artist from Brockton, Massachusetts. He currently lives in Massachusetts and is training at Lauzon MMA in Bridgewater, Massachusetts.-Early life and background:...
at UFC Fight Night 13
UFC Fight Night 13
UFC Fight Night: Florian vs Lauzon referred to by the media as UFC Fight Night 13 was a mixed martial arts event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship on April 2, 2008 at the Broomfield Event Center in Broomfield, Colorado. The event was a lead-in to the premiere of The Ultimate Fighter 7 on...
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
UFC 87
UFC 87: Seek and Destroy was a mixed martial arts event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship on August 9, 2008, at the Target Center in Minneapolis, Minnesota.-Background:...
on August 9, 2008 Florian defeated Roger Huerta
Roger Huerta
Roger Huerta , is an American mixed martial artist. He initially gained exposure by competing in the lightweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship and later Bellator Fighting Championships.-Early life:...
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
UFC 91: Couture vs. Lesnar was a mixed martial arts event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship on November 15, 2008 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada. The main event featured the return of UFC Heavyweight Champion Randy Couture versus Brock Lesnar in a title...
on November 15, 2008, Florian defeated Joe Stevenson
Joe Stevenson
Joseph Christopher Stevenson is an American mixed martial artist fighting out of Las Vegas, Nevada. Competing as a welterweight, he won The Ultimate Fighter 2 welterweight tournament. Stevenson fought most of his UFC career as a lightweight, and made his featherweight debut at UFC Live: Kongo vs....
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 101UFC 101
UFC 101: Declaration was a mixed martial arts event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship on August 8, 2009 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania...
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 fought Clay Guida
Clay Guida
Clayton Charles Guida is an American mixed martial artist and currently fighting in the UFC as a lightweight. Guida was the first Strikeforce Lightweight Champion and held the title until being defeated by Gilbert Melendez at Strikeforce: Revenge...
on December 12, 2009 at UFC 107
UFC 107
UFC 107: Penn vs. Sanchez was a mixed martial arts event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship on December 12, 2009 in Memphis, Tennessee at the FedExForum.-Background:...
. 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 rear naked choke at 2:19.
He has expressed interest in getting a rematch with Diego Sanchez
Diego Sánchez
Diego J. Sanchez is an American mixed martial artist of Mexican descent, with a background in wrestling and Gaidojutsu, system of submission wrestling developed by his longtime trainer Greg Jackson...
. On an episode of MMA Live
MMA Live
MMA Live is a sports show about mixed martial arts. It is seen on ESPN2. The show features analysts such as Franklin McNeil, Pat Miletich, Kenny Florian and Rashad Evans. MMA Live was originally an Internet show, but made the move to television after positive reception...
(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 Lightweight Champion Takanori Gomi
Takanori Gomi
, is a Japanese mixed martial artist currently fighting in the Ultimate Fighting Championship. Gomi is a former Shooto Welterweight Champion and was the last and only Pride Lightweight Champion. He is also a four-time All Japan Combat Wrestling champion. During his time in Pride he was considered...
at UFC Fight Night 21 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
Gray Maynard
Bradley Gray Maynard is an American amateur wrestler and mixed martial artist, who competes as a lightweight in the Ultimate Fighting Championship. He has recorded one of the fastest knockouts in UFC history, at 9 seconds against Joe Veres. He is the only fighter to hold a win over current...
on August 28, 2010 at UFC 118
UFC 118
UFC 118: Edgar vs. Penn 2 was a mixed martial arts event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship on August 28, 2010 at the TD Garden in Boston, Massachusetts, United States. The third UFC Fan Expo coincided with the event...
. 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 Dunham
Evan Dunham is an American mixed martial artist who currently fights for Ultimate Fighting Championship in their lightweight division...
at UFC 126
UFC 126
UFC 126: Silva vs. Belfort was a mixed martial arts event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship on February 5, 2011 at the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas, Nevada.-Background:...
, but the bout was then expected to headline UFC Fight Night 23 on January 22, 2011. However, Florian had to pull out of the bout due to knee injury on December 6, 2010. Melvin Guillard
Melvin Guillard
Melvin Paul Guillard, Jr. is an American mixed martial artist currently fighting in the lightweight division for the Ultimate Fighting Championship . He debuted with the company on The Ultimate Fighter 2 television series, losing in the first welterweight elimination bout to Josh Burkman...
defeated Dunham as Kenny's replacement.
Featherweight
On February 7, 2011 it was announced that Florian would be moving down to featherweightFeatherweight (MMA)
The featherweight division in mixed martial arts can refer to a number of different weight classes:*UFC's & Pancrase's featherweight division, which groups competitors within 136 to 145 lb...
. He made his Featherweight debut with a unanimous decision victory over Diego Nunes on June 11, 2011 at UFC 131
UFC 131
UFC 131: Dos Santos vs. Carwin was a mixed martial arts event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship on June 11, 2011 at the Rogers Arena in Vancouver, British Columbia.-Background:...
, with the judges' scorecards being 29–28, 29–28, and 30–27. Dana White said on MMA Live
MMA Live
MMA Live is a sports show about mixed martial arts. It is seen on ESPN2. The show features analysts such as Franklin McNeil, Pat Miletich, Kenny Florian and Rashad Evans. MMA Live was originally an Internet show, but made the move to television after positive reception...
if Kenny wins this fight he'll most likely get a title shot.
Florian was given the title shot against José Aldo
Jose Aldo
José Aldo is a Brazilian mixed martial artist, who competes as a featherweight in the Ultimate Fighting Championship where he is the first and current UFC Featherweight Champion...
for the UFC Featherweight Championship on October 8, 2011 at UFC 136
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...
and was defeated by unanimous decision.
Contemplating Retirement, Return To Lightweight
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.Training Camp
Florian currently trains with his brother Keith at Florian Martial Arts Center in Brookline, Mass., as well as with Firas Zahabi at the TriStar GymTristar Gym
The Tristar Gym is a mixed martial arts training centre located in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Instructors at the gym include former world kickboxing champion Conrad Pla, Firas Zahabi and Bruno Hernandez....
in Montreal.
Personal
Florian co-hosts MMA LiveMMA Live
MMA Live is a sports show about mixed martial arts. It is seen on ESPN2. The show features analysts such as Franklin McNeil, Pat Miletich, Kenny Florian and Rashad Evans. MMA Live was originally an Internet show, but made the move to television after positive reception...
, alongside Franklin McNeil and others, for ESPN
ESPN
Entertainment and Sports Programming Network, commonly known as ESPN, is an American global cable television network focusing on sports-related programming including live and pre-taped event telecasts, sports talk shows, and other original programming....
.com which is shown online and on TV on ESPN Florian contributes to the show with his MMA experience and perspective as a fighter. Florian was a guest writer for FIGHT!, an MMA magazine, in their April 2009 issue.
On April 19, 2008, Florian filled in for Joe Rogan
Joe Rogan
Joseph James "Joe" Rogan is an American comedian, video blogger, actor, writer, podcaster, and martial artist. He is best known for his work on NewsRadio, his work as color commentator for the Ultimate Fighting Championship, and his hosting work on Fear Factor.-Acting:In 1994, Rogan co-starred on...
as the color commentator for UFC 83
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. UFC 83 was the UFC's first event in Canada...
and again at UFC Fight Night 19. On June 7, 2009, Kenny Florian would fill in for Frank Mir
Frank Mir
Francisco Santos Miranda is an American mixed martial artist, as well as a black belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and Kenpō Karate, who competes in the heavyweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship. He is a former UFC Heavyweight Champion and a former UFC Interim Heavyweight Champion...
, whose wife gave birth two days later, as color commentator for WEC 41
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....
. Florian also provided color commentary for WEC 49
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:...
and the TUF 11 Finale. Florian also took Joe Rogan's place as commentator for UFC 134
UFC 134
UFC 134: Silva vs. Okami was a mixed martial arts event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship on August 27, 2011 at the HSBC Arena in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil...
.
On Dr Phil, Florian, along with UFC President Dana White
Dana White
Dana White is the current President of the Ultimate Fighting Championship , a mixed martial arts organization based in the United States.- Biography :...
and former Light Heavyweight Champion Forrest Griffin
Forrest Griffin
Forrest Griffin is an American mixed martial artist. He is currently signed to the Ultimate Fighting Championship where he is a former UFC light heavyweight champion....
, 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. The academy currently teaches Brazilian jiu-jitsu, muay thai, wrestling and mixed martial arts. Instructors at the academy include, Kenny Florian, Keith Florian, Alex Lewis, Mark Johnson, Kiersten Patel and Felix Gomez.
Championships and awards
- Ultimate Fighting ChampionshipUltimate Fighting ChampionshipThe Ultimate Fighting Championship is the largest mixed martial arts promotion company in the world that hosts most of the top-ranked fighters in the sport...
- The Ultimate Fighter 1The Ultimate Fighter 1The debut season of The Ultimate Fighter premiered on January 17, 2005. Sixteen mixed martial arts fighters were invited to participate in the show where they would reside together and train in two separate teams...
Middleweight Tournament Finalist - Fight of the Night Honors (One time)
- Submission of the Night Honors (One time)
- The Ultimate Fighter 1
Mixed martial arts record
|-|Loss
| style="text-align:center;"| 14-6
| José Aldo
Jose Aldo
José Aldo is a Brazilian mixed martial artist, who competes as a featherweight in the Ultimate Fighting Championship where he is the first and current UFC Featherweight Champion...
| Decision (unanimous)
| UFC 136
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...
|
| style="text-align:center;"| 5
| style="text-align:center;"| 5:00
| Houston, Texas
Houston, Texas
Houston is the fourth-largest city in the United States, and the largest city in the state of Texas. According to the 2010 U.S. Census, the city had a population of 2.1 million people within an area of . Houston is the seat of Harris County and the economic center of , which is the ...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
|
|-
|Win
| style="text-align:center;"| 14-5
| Diego Nunes
| Decision (unanimous)
| UFC 131
UFC 131
UFC 131: Dos Santos vs. Carwin was a mixed martial arts event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship on June 11, 2011 at the Rogers Arena in Vancouver, British Columbia.-Background:...
|
| style="text-align:center;"| 3
| style="text-align:center;"| 5:00
|Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
|
|-
|Loss
|align=center|13–5
|Gray Maynard
Gray Maynard
Bradley Gray Maynard is an American amateur wrestler and mixed martial artist, who competes as a lightweight in the Ultimate Fighting Championship. He has recorded one of the fastest knockouts in UFC history, at 9 seconds against Joe Veres. He is the only fighter to hold a win over current...
|Decision (unanimous)
|UFC 118
UFC 118
UFC 118: Edgar vs. Penn 2 was a mixed martial arts event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship on August 28, 2010 at the TD Garden in Boston, Massachusetts, United States. The third UFC Fan Expo coincided with the event...
|
|align=center|3
|align=center|5:00
|Boston, Massachusetts, United States
|UFC Lightweight Title eliminator.
|-
|Win
|align=center|13–4
|Takanori Gomi
Takanori Gomi
, is a Japanese mixed martial artist currently fighting in the Ultimate Fighting Championship. Gomi is a former Shooto Welterweight Champion and was the last and only Pride Lightweight Champion. He is also a four-time All Japan Combat Wrestling champion. During his time in Pride he was considered...
|Submission (rear-naked choke)
|UFC Fight Night: Florian vs. Gomi
UFC Fight Night: Florian vs. Gomi
UFC Fight Night: Florian vs. Gomi, also referred to 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 the UFC held an event in Charlotte, but the first since...
|
|align=center|3
|align=center|2:52
|Charlotte, North Carolina
Charlotte, North Carolina
Charlotte is the largest city in the U.S. state of North Carolina and the seat of Mecklenburg County. In 2010, Charlotte's population according to the US Census Bureau was 731,424, making it the 17th largest city in the United States based on population. The Charlotte metropolitan area had a 2009...
, United States
|Submission of the Night
|-
|Win
| style="text-align:center;"|12–4
|Clay Guida
Clay Guida
Clayton Charles Guida is an American mixed martial artist and currently fighting in the UFC as a lightweight. Guida was the first Strikeforce Lightweight Champion and held the title until being defeated by Gilbert Melendez at Strikeforce: Revenge...
|Submission (rear-naked choke)
| UFC 107
UFC 107
UFC 107: Penn vs. Sanchez was a mixed martial arts event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship on December 12, 2009 in Memphis, Tennessee at the FedExForum.-Background:...
|
| style="text-align:center;"| 2
| style="text-align:center;"| 2:19
|Memphis, Tennessee
Memphis, Tennessee
Memphis is a city in the southwestern corner of the U.S. state of Tennessee, and the county seat of Shelby County. The city is located on the 4th Chickasaw Bluff, south of the confluence of the Wolf and Mississippi rivers....
, United States
|
|-
|Loss
| style="text-align:center;"|11–4
|B.J. Penn
|Submission (rear-naked choke)
|UFC 101
UFC 101
UFC 101: Declaration was a mixed martial arts event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship on August 8, 2009 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania...
|
| style="text-align:center;"| 4
| style="text-align:center;"| 3:54
|Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Philadelphia is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the county seat of Philadelphia County, with which it is coterminous. The city is located in the Northeastern United States along the Delaware and Schuylkill rivers. It is the fifth-most-populous city in the United States,...
, United States
|For the UFC Lightweight Championship
|-
|Win
| style="text-align:center;"| 11–3
|Joe Stevenson
Joe Stevenson
Joseph Christopher Stevenson is an American mixed martial artist fighting out of Las Vegas, Nevada. Competing as a welterweight, he won The Ultimate Fighter 2 welterweight tournament. Stevenson fought most of his UFC career as a lightweight, and made his featherweight debut at UFC Live: Kongo vs....
|Submission (rear-naked choke)
|UFC 91
UFC 91
UFC 91: Couture vs. Lesnar was a mixed martial arts event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship on November 15, 2008 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada. The main event featured the return of UFC Heavyweight Champion Randy Couture versus Brock Lesnar in a title...
|
| style="text-align:center;"| 1
| style="text-align:center;"| 4:03
|Las Vegas, Nevada
Las Vegas, Nevada
Las Vegas is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Nevada and is also the county seat of Clark County, Nevada. Las Vegas is an internationally renowned major resort city for gambling, shopping, and fine dining. The city bills itself as The Entertainment Capital of the World, and is famous...
, United States
|
|-
|Win
| style="text-align:center;"|10–3
|Roger Huerta
Roger Huerta
Roger Huerta , is an American mixed martial artist. He initially gained exposure by competing in the lightweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship and later Bellator Fighting Championships.-Early life:...
|Decision (unanimous)
|UFC 87
UFC 87
UFC 87: Seek and Destroy was a mixed martial arts event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship on August 9, 2008, at the Target Center in Minneapolis, Minnesota.-Background:...
|
| style="text-align:center;"|3
| style="text-align:center;"|5:00
|Minneapolis, Minnesota
Minneapolis, Minnesota
Minneapolis , nicknamed "City of Lakes" and the "Mill City," is the county seat of Hennepin County, the largest city in the U.S. state of Minnesota, and the 48th largest in the United States...
, United States
|
|-
|Win
| style="text-align:center;"|9–3
|Joe Lauzon
Joe Lauzon
Joseph E. Lauzon Jr. is an American mixed martial artist from Brockton, Massachusetts. He currently lives in Massachusetts and is training at Lauzon MMA in Bridgewater, Massachusetts.-Early life and background:...
|TKO (punches and elbows)
|UFC Fight Night: Florian vs. Lauzon
|
| style="text-align:center;"| 2
| style="text-align:center;"| 3:28
|Broomfield, Colorado
Broomfield, Colorado
The City and County of Broomfield is a prominent suburb and tier of the Denver metropolitan area in the State of Colorado of the United States. Broomfield has a consolidated city and county government which operates under Article XX, Sections 10-13 of the Constitution of the State of Colorado. The...
, United States
|Fight of the Night
|-
|Win
| style="text-align:center;"|8–3
|Din Thomas
Din Thomas
Din Yero Thomas is an American mixed martial arts fighter and part time break dancer, who was featured on The Ultimate Fighter 4. He currently runs two successful Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and MMA academies in Port St. Lucie, Florida and is a black belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu under Ricardo Liborio...
|Submission (rear-naked choke)
|UFC Fight Night: Thomas vs Florian
|
| style="text-align:center;"| 1
| style="text-align:center;"| 4:31
|Las Vegas, Nevada
Las Vegas, Nevada
Las Vegas is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Nevada and is also the county seat of Clark County, Nevada. Las Vegas is an internationally renowned major resort city for gambling, shopping, and fine dining. The city bills itself as The Entertainment Capital of the World, and is famous...
, United States
|
|-
|Win
| style="text-align:center;"|7–3
|Alvin Robinson
Alvin Robinson
Alvin L Robinson 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...
|Submission (punches)
|UFC 73
UFC 73
UFC 73: Stacked was a mixed martial arts event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship . 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 card and five on the main card. In the main event, Anderson Silva put...
|
| style="text-align:center;"| 1
| style="text-align:center;"| 4:30
|Sacramento, California
Sacramento, California
Sacramento is the capital city of the U.S. state of California and the county seat of Sacramento County. It is located at the confluence of the Sacramento River and the American River in the northern portion of California's expansive Central Valley. With a population of 466,488 at the 2010 census,...
, United States
|
|-
|Win
| style="text-align:center;"|6–3
|Dokonjonosuke Mishima
Dokonjonosuke Mishima
known as , also written Dokonjyonosuke Mishima, is a Japanese mixed martial artist. He has competed professionally since 1998 in organizations such as Shooto, DEEP, PRIDE, and the UFC....
|Submission (rear-naked choke)
|UFC Fight Night: Stevenson vs Guillard
|
| style="text-align:center;"| 3
| style="text-align:center;"| 3:57
|Las Vegas, Nevada
Las Vegas, Nevada
Las Vegas is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Nevada and is also the county seat of Clark County, Nevada. Las Vegas is an internationally renowned major resort city for gambling, shopping, and fine dining. The city bills itself as The Entertainment Capital of the World, and is famous...
, United States
|
|-
|Loss
| style="text-align:center;"|5–3
|Sean Sherk
Sean Sherk
Sean Keith Sherk is an American mixed martial arts fighter currently fighting for the UFC. He currently holds a professional mixed martial arts record of thirty-six wins, four losses and one draw. Sherk has fought in both the UFC and Pride FC, and is a former UFC Lightweight Champion...
|Decision (unanimous)
|UFC 64
UFC 64
UFC 64: Unstoppable was a mixed martial arts event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship on Saturday, October 14, 2006. The event took place at the Mandalay Bay Events Center, on the Las Vegas Strip in Nevada and was broadcast live on pay-per-view in the United States and...
|
| style="text-align:center;"| 5
| style="text-align:center;"| 5:00
|Las Vegas, Nevada
Las Vegas, Nevada
Las Vegas is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Nevada and is also the county seat of Clark County, Nevada. Las Vegas is an internationally renowned major resort city for gambling, shopping, and fine dining. The city bills itself as The Entertainment Capital of the World, and is famous...
, United States
| For the vacant UFC Lightweight Championship
|-
|Win
| style="text-align:center;"|5–2
|Sam Stout
Sam Stout
Samuel James "Hands of Stone" Stout is a Canadian mixed martial artist from London, Ontario. Currently signed to the Ultimate Fighting Championship, he is primarily known as a striker with an iron chin.- Mixed martial arts career :...
|Submission (rear-naked choke)
|The Ultimate Fighter 3 Finale
The Ultimate Fighter 3 Finale
The Ultimate Fighter 3 Finale was a mixed martial arts event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship on June 24, 2006. Featured were the finals from The Ultimate Fighter 3 in both the Middleweight and Light Heavyweight divisions as well as a main event between Kenny Florian and Sam Stout.During...
|
| style="text-align:center;"|1
| style="text-align:center;"|1:46
|Las Vegas, Nevada
Las Vegas, Nevada
Las Vegas is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Nevada and is also the county seat of Clark County, Nevada. Las Vegas is an internationally renowned major resort city for gambling, shopping, and fine dining. The city bills itself as The Entertainment Capital of the World, and is famous...
, United States
|Lightweight Debut.
|-
|Win
| style="text-align:center;"|4–2
|Kit Cope
Kit Cope
Kristopher Lee Cope is an American Muay Thai kickboxer, mixed martial artist and television personality. He is the former IPMTO Light Heavyweight Muay Thai World Champion and in mixed martial arts he has an unimpressive record of 4-7...
|Submission (rear-naked choke)
|The Ultimate Fighter 2 Finale
The Ultimate Fighter 2 Finale
The Ultimate Fighter 2 Finale was a mixed martial arts event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship on November 5, 2005. Featured were the finals from The Ultimate Fighter 2 in both the Welterweight and Heavyweight divisions as well as a main event between Diego Sanchez and Nick...
|
| style="text-align:center;"|2
| style="text-align:center;"|0:37
|Las Vegas, Nevada
Las Vegas, Nevada
Las Vegas is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Nevada and is also the county seat of Clark County, Nevada. Las Vegas is an internationally renowned major resort city for gambling, shopping, and fine dining. The city bills itself as The Entertainment Capital of the World, and is famous...
, United States
|
|-
|Win
| style="text-align:center;"|3–2
|Alex Karalexis
Alex Karalexis
Alex Karalexis is an American mixed martial artist of Greek descent. He has a professional record of 10 wins and 6 losses...
|TKO (doctor stoppage)
|UFC Ultimate Fight Night
UFC Ultimate Fight Night
Ultimate Fight Night was a mixed martial arts event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship on August 6, 2005. The event took place at Cox Pavilion in Paradise, Nevada and was broadcast live on Spike TV in the United States and Canada. The telecast drew a 1.5 overall rating in the United...
|
| style="text-align:center;"|2
| style="text-align:center;"|2:52
|Las Vegas, Nevada
Las Vegas, Nevada
Las Vegas is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Nevada and is also the county seat of Clark County, Nevada. Las Vegas is an internationally renowned major resort city for gambling, shopping, and fine dining. The city bills itself as The Entertainment Capital of the World, and is famous...
, United States
|Return to Welterweight.
|-
|Loss
| style="text-align:center;"|2–2
|Diego Sanchez
Diego Sánchez
Diego J. Sanchez is an American mixed martial artist of Mexican descent, with a background in wrestling and Gaidojutsu, system of submission wrestling developed by his longtime trainer Greg Jackson...
|TKO (punches)
|The Ultimate Fighter 1 Finale
The Ultimate Fighter 1 Finale
The Ultimate Fighter 1 Finale was a mixed martial arts event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship on April 9, 2005. Featured were the finals from The Ultimate Fighter 1 in both the Middleweight and Light Heavyweight divisions....
|
| style="text-align:center;"|1
| style="text-align:center;"|2:49
|Las Vegas, Nevada
Las Vegas, Nevada
Las Vegas is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Nevada and is also the county seat of Clark County, Nevada. Las Vegas is an internationally renowned major resort city for gambling, shopping, and fine dining. The city bills itself as The Entertainment Capital of the World, and is famous...
, United States
|Middleweight Debut; lost The Ultimate Fighter 1 Middleweight Tournament
|-
|Loss
| style="text-align:center;"|2–1
|Drew Fickett
Drew Fickett
Drew Fickett is an American mixed martial artist. He competes in the Lightweight division. He holds notable victories over Josh Koscheck, Dennis Hallman, Kenny Florian, Kurt Pellegrino, Josh Neer, Matt Veach, and Dennis Bermudez....
|Decision (split)
|CZ 7: Gravel Pit
|
| style="text-align:center;"|3
| style="text-align:center;"|5:00
|Revere, Massachusetts
Revere, Massachusetts
Revere is a city in Suffolk County, Massachusetts, United States, and located approximately from downtown Boston. It is named after the American patriot Paul Revere. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 51,755.- History :...
, United States
|
|-
|Win
| style="text-align:center;"|2–0
|Bobby McAndrews
|Submission (kimura)
| Mass Destruction 15
|
| style="text-align:center;"|1
| style="text-align:center;"|1:57
|Boston, Massachusetts, United States
|
|-
|Win
| style="text-align:center;"|1–0
|Jason Giroux
|TKO (strikes from the mount)
| Mass Destruction 10
|
| style="text-align:center;"|1
| style="text-align:center;"|3:21
|Taunton, Massachusetts
Taunton, Massachusetts
Taunton is a city in Bristol County, Massachusetts, United States. It is the seat of Bristol County and the hub of the Greater Taunton Area. The city is located south of Boston, east of Providence, north of Fall River and west of Plymouth. The City of Taunton is situated on the Taunton River...
, United States
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