Roundtables
ROUNDTABLE: Where do Kenny Florian and Gray Maynard go from here following their UFC 136 title losses? Hansen, Hyden, Hobaugh, Ennis, and Penick
Oct 13, 2011 - 10:30:15 PM ROUNDTABLE: Where do Kenny Florian and Gray Maynard go from here following their UFC 136 title losses? Hansen, Hyden, Hobaugh, Ennis, and Penick

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Where do Kenny Florian and Gray Maynard go from here following their UFC 136 title losses?

RICH HANSEN, MMATORCH COLUMNIST

Kenny Florian is in no man's land.  He is 0-3 in title shots, and isn't getting any younger.  He also doesn't have an adorable chin dimple, so he won't be getting a fourth title shot any time soon.  If Florian continues to fight, he's going to be a poor man's version of Jon Fitch; good enough to block worthy candidates from a title shot, but not good enough to win the belt from the champion himself.  Fitch is more than good enough to win the welterweight belt, just not as long as Georges St-Pierre holds the strap, hence the 'poor man's version...'

As for Gray Maynard, since he is tied overall with Frankie Edgar at 1-1-1, it is conceivable that he could eventually face Edgar for another title shot, maybe in late 2013 or so.  He's going to need to keep winning against high level opponents, though.  Maynard is still a valuable commodity because if Edgar does ever drop the strap (to Melendez, maybe?), Maynard is talented enough to win the title.  First up, maybe Melvin Guillard?  The loser of Henderson-Guida?  The loser of Cerrone-Siver?  Jim Miller?  Those are all highly appealing fights.


FRANK HYDEN, MMATORCH CONTRIBUTOR

Well, Florian has a commentator position waiting for him with the UFC in my eyes whenever he decides to hang it up. I much prefer him to Joe Rogan. In terms of fighting, Kenny could either retire or move into special attraction fights. As much as I love watching him fight, I just can't see Florian ever winning a title. Maynard just needs to go back to the drawing board and regroup. I think he'll earn another title shot soon.


ERIC HOBAUGH, MMATORCH CONTRIBUTOR

If you listen to what Dana White is NOT saying,  Florian should retire.  We have all heard White saying he thinks Florian chokes in title fights.  This was his last shot at a title as far as the UFC is concerned, so he should retire.  Florian has said, on many occasions, his only goal is to become a UFC champ.  He is 35 years old and, unlike most fighters, he has an unlimited amount of things he can do when his fighting career is over.  Commentating for the UFC and ESPN are at the top of a lucrative list of jobs awaiting him when he decides to stop fighting.

I keep remembering what Randy Coture yelled at Maynard in his second fight with Edgar.  He was yelling at him to stop trying to knock Edgar out and just fight.  He made that mistake in the second fight.  I am not sure what was in his mind as he let the second and third round slip away from him in the third fight.  Was it nerves?  A bad game plan?  It is obvious Maynard has the skills to be a champion at 155.  He had Edgar in danger on multiple occasions in all three of the fights. If I am Maynard, I travel to different camps and decide on a new training camp all together.  He needs a change and in the biggest way.  I think if he gets some new coaches, he can reinvent his game and be better than ever.


SHAWN ENNIS, MMATORCH SENIOR COLUMNIST

For Florian, I would imagine it depends on how tough the cut to 145 has been. If it's a rough cut, he'll likely go back to 155 and take a couple of showcase fights or be a gatekeeper for guys who are looking to get close to a title shot. He won't be in #1 contender fights, because he won't be in any more title fights, but Florian is a fun guy to watch and he's recognizable to casual fans, so he'll stick around for as long as he wants. The nice thing for Florian is that since he won't be looking for a title shot, he can just choose fights that interest him and stay away from the Gray Maynards of the world. If I had to guess - and that's what we're doing here - that's where I'd say we'll see Florian. I don't think he'll be back at featherweight unless the UFC makes it worth his while.


JAMIE PENICK, MMATORCH EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

Kenny Florian is at a crossroads in his career, there's no doubt. He's not to the point where he needs to retire from fighting for health concerns, as has been the case for many veterans in recent years, but he's also in a spot where there's not a ton for him to gain by continuing to fight. If he simply loves to get in the cage and wants to take special attraction fights to wind down his career, no one should stop him. He's a fun fighter to watch and has more than earned the right to continue making money in the UFC; he's simply not going to be challenging for a title in the organization again.

If he's going to continue fighting I'd like to see him return to the lightweight division. There are still plenty of fighters at 155 lbs. that would make for exciting and interesting fights for Florian, and enough fighters not in title contention at the moment that he wouldn't be derailing anyone else's run to a belt.

If he decides to stop fighting, he can step into a commentator role on a more regular basis for the UFC if that's something he'd like to do, or he continue his work with ESPN as an analyst on a more regular basis. Or, he can take a behind the scenes role with the UFC similar to that of Chuck Liddell after his retirement last year. Florian can stay involved in the sport on a number of levels outside of stepping in the cage, and really whatever decision he chooses to make is the right one because of how many feasible options there are for him.

As for Maynard, the loss to Edgar takes him out of the title picture for now, but that doesn't mean he can't work his way back there. There are a ton of possible fights for him available now, and the best bet for the UFC is to book him against a losing fighter from one of many recent or upcoming fights near the top of the division. A rematch with Jim Miller could be a good fight, taking on the loser of Ben Henderson vs. Clay Guida would as well.

A fight with Melvin Guillard after Guillard's overzealous performance against Joe Lauzon would make a lot of sense, as could the loser of Donald Cerrone vs. Dennis Siver, even a fight with Jeremy Stephens, who dropped a split decision to Anthony Pettis at UFC 136. There is no dearth of options for Maynard moving forward, and if he gets back on the winning track he'll eventually earn another shot. It could come sooner if Edgar gets beaten, but a fourth fight with Edgar to break the tie in the series could eventually be in the cards.