Kenny Florian is once again thriving in a commentary role and proving there are other places to do so outside of the UFC.
Florian, a longtime competitor, analyst and color commentator for the UFC has moved on to the PFL, where he offers his expertise, alongside fellow former competitors Sean O’Connell and Randy Couture.
There hasn’t been any clear explanation for Florian’s departure from UFC. Even to Florian, it is unclear why.
“My understanding — and this is what’s been told to me from people inside the company — I guess I said no to being a coach… I was asked to coach on, I think, The Ultimate Fighter: Latin America, one of the early ones back in the day,” Florian told Ariel Helwani on The MMA Hour. “I wasn’t able to do it. It was travel and all of that stuff, and I was doing UFC Tonight, I was doing commentary work, and I just had a lot of stuff going on at home, so I just wasn’t able to really do it.
“It just didn’t make sense, and because I said no, I kind of slowly started being removed from stuff. This is my understanding. That’s what’s been told to me — not directly, but by people within the company who are close to the source. That’s the way it ended. That was it. I quit calling fights and started working for the PFL last year. It has been amazing. “It’s great to call fights and feel that energy again. It’s also been fun to be up close and personal with the cage.
The PFL will return for their 2022 season in April — where Florian will resume his color commentator role — while also adding their new Challenger Series show that gives up and coming prospects the opportunity to compete for a roster spot for the upcoming season, and the $1 million prize.
Florian has never regretted leaving the UFC and is excited to take on a new role in the sport.
“I think if someone called me directly and was like, ‘Hey, please, can you just do this,’ I probably would’ve done it,” Florian explained. “I’ve always done my best to keep the people who are employing me as happy as possible. I don’t have any [regrets]. Things happen for the better and I don’t look back. Things are good.”
