• UFC

Florian to return to lightweight

Kenny Florian has lost two of his last three fights © Getty Images

Enlarge

Related Links

• News: Florian not rushing future decision
  
• News: Florian title dream chopped down by Aldo leg kicks
  
• News: Florian is weaker at featherweight - Aldo
  

Kenny Florian has turned his back on retirement and has revealed he will return to the lightweight division.

Florian was considering his future following his defeat to Jose Aldo at UFC 136 at 145 pounds, but while the UFC veteran concedes a fourth title fight is not on the horizon, he insists he is not done yet.

"I still love this sport tremendously and still want to be a part of it," Florian told The Boston Herald. "I know myself, and it's not even just being competitive, but it's just being there, learning and competing. There's still very much a fire burning there so I'm going to do it.

"I didn't get in this to be second-best, of course. But at the same time, not everybody can be a champion. I'm just going to go back to 155, work my way up, take it one fight at a time and see where it puts me.

"I think there's exciting fights out there for me, there's still challenges out there for me, there's still things I'd like to try to improve on and that's the main thing. I don't necessarily have the title in my eyes, but I do have my own personal goals as far as the technical level that I want to get to."

Florian, who co-hosts ESPN MMA Live for ESPN.com, is 14-6 in MMA. The 35-year-old intends to take things one fight at a time and is refusing to put a timeframe on his retirement.

"I don't like making any limits on how many fights or anything like that," Florian said. "I'm still going to take it one fight at a time. I know I've still got several good fights in me. I could fight for the next three years. I could fight maybe another couple of fights. I don't know. I'm going to take it how I feel in training, how I feel fight after fight and I'm just going to take it like that."

© ESPN Sports Media Ltd.