Kenny Florians sista match blev för fjäderviktsbältet. Han blev besegrad av Jose Aldo i den sista matchen han hade i oktagonen, och direkt efter invägningarna annonserade först UFCs VD Dana White att Florian nu officiellt gått i pension.
”So this is the last time I ever going to tell this story,” säger White. ”I promised the gentlemen who will come out here in a minute. About 8 years ago I went on a vacation back to Boston. It had nothing doing with fighting, i just wanted to relax and hang out. But then I found out that there was a fight going on that weekend. The only reason I went to the fights was because of a guy named Drew Fickett, who we where looking out for fighting on The Ultimate Fighter season one.
I went to watch the fight and he fought a guy with a record of 2-1 who was much smaller than him, and when the fight was over I thought that guy actually won the fight. I went back to the locker room I talked to him and I said that we have a new reality show called The Ultimate Fighter. I like you to come try out for it. Not only did he try out, he made it. And from there he actually made it to the finals of the season one of The Ultimate Fighter. From there he went on to compete in four different weight classes, fought for tree word titles and has won 9 of his last 12 fights. Ladies and gentlemen, I am here to announce the retirement of Kenny Florian.”
När Florian väl kommer ut på scenen för att berätta sin historia om det så märktes det att han var lugn och bekväm.
”Thank you guys so much,” säger Florian. ”I don’t know what i would have done if Dana wasnt there. I was at the right place at the right time. All I wanted really to do at that time was to become a martial artists full time. It wasn’t until after the Ultimate Fighter that I really decided I wanted to become a pro fighter. I’m just so thankful for the UFC and everybody here at Zuffa for everything the done. Fighting found me, and I’m a much better person because of it, I’m just. I’m happy.”
Han har förvisso lämnat det tävlande livet bakom sig, men han kommer att stanna kvar i UFC som en kommentator och expertanalysator. Utöver det så räknar han även med att fortsätta coacha, och dessutom starta upp en blogg.
Florian lämnar efter sig en meritlista på 14 vinster och 5 förluster, tre titelmatcher och erfarenhet från fyra olika viktklasser.
