On the eve of this season's The Ultimate Fighter Finale, TUF Season veteran Kenny Florian announced his retirement from the sport according to a report from UFC.com.
?It was something I?ve been thinking about since November,? said Florian.�He had been taking time off from the Octagon to evaluate a back injury he suffered after his October 2011 loss to Featherweight Champion Jose Aldo.
?And it probably wasn?t until the last couple months where I really saw it (retirement) as a viable option," Florian continued. When you?ve fought as long as I have and trained as long as I have, you become what you do, and that?s all you know. It?s tough to do anything else, but in the end, I have so many things going on, from my gym back in Boston to the commentary and all that stuff, that I?m so lucky that I have all these other things in my life and I can still be a part of the sport that I love."
Florian boasts wins over�Clay Guida,�Takanori Gomi,�Joe Lauzon,�Joe Stevenson,�Roger Huerta,Din Thomas, and�Sam Stout to name a few, but he wants his work ethic and dedication to be his legacy.
?I hope that everyone saw a guy who really dedicated his life to the sport and a guy who always worked really hard to evolve in every single fight and every single session, and to get better and hopefully take the sport to another level,? Florian said. ?And that?s really what I aimed to do, to get the best out of myself and raise my level every time.?
The reason for Florian's retirement has altered his ability to train at the same level of intensity that has brought him so far in the sport.�?What it came down to was that my back just wasn?t getting back to where it was,? Florian said. ?I was not able to train the way I was before, and it?s been going on for a while. I?ve dealt with injuries before and I?ve dealt with a back injury before, but with this new injury that I suffered in November, I just haven?t been the same since.?
Florian officially debuted in the UFC as middleweight, then won in his second UFC�appearance at�welterweight, and he eventually made a�home at lightweight for the majority of his career where he challenged for the title twice before dropping to featherweight. �Florian is retiring without ever holding UFC gold, but he might have gained more from the sport in the long run.
?I was a kid who was kind of lost and fighting found me and made me a better person,? Florian said. ?I think of a quote from Aristotle that said ?you make war so you can find peace,? and I think that?s something that happened with me. I?m in a great place in my life I think because of fighting somehow. I?ve never been happier in my life and I owe it to fighting.?
The 36-year old Westwood, MA native will continue to run Florian Martial Arts and build his broadcasting career on Fuel TV and FX. Kenny Florian walks away from the sport with 16-6 record.
Source: http://mmadiehards.com/live/news/kenny-florian-announces-retirement/
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