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RICH HANSEN, MMATORCH COLUMNIST
Chad Mendes should have gotten the next shot.� But since he insisted on trying to GrispiPettis his way out of a world title shot, Florian is the only feasible choice.� Simply put, no one else deserves the shot.
FRANK HYDEN, MMATORCH CONTRIBUTOR
Well, that wouldn't be the worst way to go by any means. It would give Aldo a fight against a well-known opponent. I think Aldo would win, as Florian has yet to come up big in a pressure-packed fight, but it would be a good victory for Aldo. I think it makes sense from a business perspective.
ERIC HOBAUGH, MMATORCH CONTRIBUTOR
I think whether or not he deserves the shot or not, he will get it. Kenny is a big name that sells tickets.� I cannot think of a bigger fight that makes sense than Aldo and Florian.� I think this is a fight Florian loses, but it should be an excellent and exciting fight.�
CHRIS PARK, MMATORCH UK SPECIALIST
I would prefer to see Kenny Florian take one more fight before he challenges Jose Aldo for the title.
This is not because I don't think Florian deserves the shot, I would just like to see him get a little more comfortable in his new surroundings.
Jon Anik said on The ESPN UFC Podcast this week that Florian told him just how difficult making the weight was.
With the long lay off and injuries, Florian started over the 180 lb. mark for this cut and that is too much to cut for such a small fighter. A Shane Carwin or Brock Lesnar could lose that sunbathing but not for Florian.
My choice would be one more fight within three months and carry that momentum into a title showdown in early 2012.
Give Chad Mendes his shot!
ALEX WILLIAMS, MMATORCH CONTRIBUTOR
Yes.� I ranked Chad Mendes above Kenny Florian, but:
i.� Florian vs Jose Aldo figures to be a significantly better draw than Mendes vs Aldo.
ii. The difference between both Mendes and Florian both in terms of skill and in terms of deserving the shot is not that significant.��
MATT PELKEY, MMATORCH COLUMNIST
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I don't like the idea of Florian coming down and taking Chad Mendes' title shot after only one win in the division. It just rubs the arbitrary and subjective nature of MMA in my face. Would I rather watch Aldo vs. Florian than Aldo vs. Mendes? Yes, of course. But I'm ok with with taking the latter first in the name of sporting fairness. Florian is only on a one fight win streak period, never mind just at featherweight. I know the UFC is starved for contenders at featherweight until some of the young guns are ready (Poirier is fun, but he got hit wayyy to much by Jason Young to be ready for Aldo anytime soon, turns out Josh Grispi is terrible if he can't snatch a neck in the first round, and Eric Koch still needs to be featured in some capacity before they can sell him to a casual audience in any way as a title challenger), but giving Florian a title shot after one win is�pushing it, especially when there's a perfectly good contender in Chad Mendes waiting. Match Florian up with one more solid contender that he should beat (you know, like Diego Nunes) and then I can buy his title shot.
JAMIE PENICK, MMATORCH EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
With Chad Mendes not being willing to wait out a title shot, I've got no problem with Florian taking that fight. He had a tough test in Diego Nunes at UFC 131, and he picked up the win in his first fight at featherweight. In most weight classes he wouldn't get thrown right in there, but with the featherweight division devoid of a long list of legitimate challengers, Florian is the most well-known and accomplished outside of Mendes on the list of opponents for Aldo. So with that in mind, it will make for a great championship fight this October.
[Kenny Florian art by Cory Gould]
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