UFC fighter Kenny Florian faces Din Thomas next week at UFC Fight Night in a match that could give the winner a shot at a lightweight belt currently in limbo due to Sean Sherk's appeal of a failed drug test. MMA Madness senior writer Luke Thomas went one-on-one with Florian in advance of his showdown. Florian had frank responses and when asked what the biggest lesson he has learned so far, he said,

I don’t know if it’s a good thing or a bad thing, but for me, myself, I wish I had more experience. I ended up fighting in the UFC after three fights or I was on The Ultimate Fighter after three fights, anyway. And I was fighting two weight classes above my natural weight. As far as record-wise, I would’ve loved to have had more experience by fighting guys my own weight [class] and just have more experience in the MMA realm, period. I went in there as a Brazilian jiu-jitsu guy, really, on the show two weight classes above my weight and it was very difficult for me. Obviously that inexperience factor hurt me in that finale with Diego [Sanchez]. I was like a deer caught in the headlights out there.

That experience, that training is still something that every fighter should have. You know, having ten fights under your belt as opposed to three. You’ve got guys coming in now with fifteen fights and that’s huge. That’s a huge amount of experience. I wish I had more experience especially fighting guys my own weight.