Two-time UFC title contender Kenny Florian is excited to see Francis Ngannou step into the PFL Smart Cage next year but isn’t so certain a scrap with Tyson Fury is the smartest move.
After six years fighting inside the Octagon, Florian has carved out a career for himself as a commentator and analyst for one of the top mixed martial arts organizations in the world, the Professional Fighters League. The PFL is currently gearing up for this year’s playoffs which will feature the best of the best vying for an opportunity to bank a $1 million payday in the PFL Championships this fall.
Less than a month before the playoffs get underway, Florian sat down with Mike Owens in a MiddleEasy exclusive to discuss the 2023 season so far
“I think it’s been a great season. I think we’ve kind of upped the ante as far as the level of competition yet again this year,” Florian said. “Each year we see a bump up in competition. Not only because of the competitors themselves and how they’re gaining much more experience and getting better all the time, but I think the hiring and getting new talent into the PFL is not only motivation, but it’s forcing everyone else to really up their game and level up. It’s been great.”
Perhaps unsurprisingly, Florian has an affinity for the lighter fighters, having competed as a welterweight, lightweight, and featherweight during his illustrious career.
“I’m always most intrigued by the lighter weight classes,” Florian continued. “The featherweight division, of course, is probably the one that’s most exciting to me. The featherweights and the lightweights. I’m probably a little biased because I competed in those weight classes, but that’s really intriguing to me just because of my past, but also the skill level is probably at its finest in the PFL in those two divisions, and the welterweight division as well.
“I think that’s probably the case in every organization. The lighter weight classes. The guys where you find the most amount of that average male 170 pounds to 145, even 135 pounds I think there is a tremendous amount of competition. Because of that, we’ve seen a lot of drama, particularly in the featherweight division where we saw the upset of Brendan Loughnane. Jesus Pinedo ends up getting a huge win by knockout in round one. I think it’s one of the biggest upsets of the year.”
JESUS PINEDO WITH THE UPSET OF THE YEAR OVER BRENDAN LOUGHNANE #PFL4 pic.twitter.com/GGG9PziQ3n
— Spinnin Backfist (@SpinninBackfist) June 9, 2023
With one of the PFL’s top stars out of the playoff picture, Kenny Florian believes undefeated Dagestani standout Movlid Khaybulaev is primed to be the next big seasonal competitor.
“As far as from what I have seen, Movlid Khaybulaev is going to be a tough matchup for anybody just based on the fact that he can strike and he always has the option to put you on your back and beat you up there. I think anytime you have that superior wrestling ability, either to keep it on the feet or take it to the ground, it gives you that many more options to win a fight and Khaybulaev has a tremendous amount of experience. Now he knows how to get it done. He is clearly very durable and he’s got to be one of the favorites for sure.”
Kenny Florian on the Signing of Francis Ngannou and the Former UFC Champion’s Fight with Tyson Fury
Of course, you can’t talk about the PFL these days without mentioning the promotion’s blockbuster signing of former UFC heavyweight champion, Francis Ngannou. ‘The Predator’ will not make his debut inside the Smart Cage until 2024, but earlier this week, it was announced that the Cameroonian would be making his professional boxing debut opposite WBC heavyweight champion Tyson Fury in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia on October 28.
Asked for his thoughts on Ngannou’s foray into the sweet science before taking his first PFL fight, Kenny Florian said:
“I think for Francis Ngannou, personally, the way I feel about the fight, is number one, I’m extremely happy for him. Number two, don’t doubt Francis Ngannou and what he wants to achieve in his life. He was very committed to doing this. This is something he really wanted for his career and he’s gonna get it. Everything he wanted. From the big mixed martial arts contract to the big boxing fight, he’s going to get, so I’m very happy for him on that front.
“Generally speaking, and number three, I don’t like to see athletes compete outside their domain of specialty. We can’t get it twisted that Francis Ngannou is a former UFC world heavyweight champion. He’s a champion in mixed martial arts and while one of his specialties is certainly knocking people out, taking on a behemoth and one of the best heavyweight boxers of all time, Tyson Fury, is quite the challenge.”
Fury 🆚 Ngannou. That’s it. That’s the tweet.
— PFL (@PFLMMA) July 11, 2023
The combat sports community as a whole has already counted Ngannou out in his fight with Fury, but Florian believes ‘The Predator’ could surprise everyone once again in his role as an undeniable underdog.
“Francis seems to thrive in this underdog role. He always seems to surprise people whether it’s him competing against Ciryl Gane on one leg with a completely torn knee and pulling off a win, or getting that contract that everyone doubted him about. Or getting that boxing fight. Getting into France from Africa. The things that this guy has accomplished over the course of his career is nothing short of inspirational and amazing.”
