Kenny Florian Targeting April Return, Says He's the Man to Fight Pettis

Filed under: UFC, FanHouse Exclusive

It's been a rough couple of months for Kenny Florian. First, he lost his No. 1 contender fight with Gray Maynard, then he suffered a knee injury that knocked him out of a potential fight with Evan Dunham, and now, it appears the fighter he hoped to face upon his return has a bout scheduled that won't include him.

Late Monday night, Florian told MMA Fighting that he thought he should be the one to face Anthony Pettis in "Showtime's" UFC debut. Hours later, though, reports of a matchup between Pettis and Clay Guida surfaced, seemingly knocking that possibility out of the water.

But it's not all bad news for Florian, whose recovery from a knee injury has gone faster than expected, pushing his timetable for return to the cage as early as April or May. He was originally expected back in the summer.

Even with the good news, Florian's not exactly in a happy frame of mind. He's yet to receive clearance to begin any type of sparring or hard workouts -- that should come in a few weeks -- and the wait has the noted gym rat chomping at the bit to get back to training and fighting.

Source: http://www.mmafighting.com/2011/01/11/kenny-florian-targeting-april-return-says-hes-the-man-to-fight/

Cain Velasquez Dana White Cheick Kongo Dennis Hallman