Despite once being adamant the move to 145lbs would be nearly physically impossible and recently telling MMA Junkie Radio that "never ever say never ever" was his attitude on dropping to featherweight, that's exactly what the UFC's Kenny Florian plans to do. Franklin McNeil of ESPN.com has the scoop:
UFC’s Kenny Florian Dropping to Featherweight
Kenny Florian announced he is dropping to 145lbs. For a fighter whose first bout in the UFC was at middleweight, Is this a good idea?
Florian immediately warmed to the idea of moving to 145, but did not fully embrace it until receiving assurance from his nutritionists that the cut was possible.
“I started playing around with the idea: could I make 145? Originally, I didn’t think it was possible,” Florian. “I spoke with a few nutritionists, got their opinions, told them what my body fat was, my walking-around weight, all that stuff and the general consensus was that it was very possible.
“I put a lot of thought into it, spoke with my coaches and everybody involved and decided that I am going to try it. I’m going to go for it.”
At 34 years old, Florian remains focused solely on becoming a UFC champion. He has come up short in two previous title opportunities, and his hopes of a third shot evaporated with the loss to Maynard.
Florian, however, was quick to note the move may not be permanent. On Twitter the Boston-native noted:
Is this actually a good idea? There's no such thing as an absolute cut. In other words, cutting a weight class is often precisely what ails a fighter struggling to reach their goals and is simultaneously an overused tactic that fails to provide competitive advantage. My hope is Florian's first fight is not against UFC featherweight champion Jose Aldo, but against another top contender so we are able to see how the cut affect his cardio, strength, speed and other relevant fighting factors.
Florian is 34. He doesn’t have much time left to be in the title hunt. Provided the cut doesn’t tear him apart physically, his presence at 145lbs significantly enhances the strength of the top of the division. That’s best case scenario. Until we actually see what toll the cut takes and how he is able to perform at that weight, I remain undecided on the move.
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