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Florian initially deflected the question and then let out a small laugh as he mentally processed the question.

But whether it was a true "tell" or simply indecision on the UFC veteran's part, it's clear Florian has considered it, and he's leaving open the door to the possibility.

Florian, of course, is one of the most accomplished 155-pound fighters in the sport. He's universally regarded as a top-10 lightweight and has spent much of the past few years in the top five. But he was unsuccessful with his two shots at the title, and in August, he suffered a decision loss to Gray Maynard in a No. 1 contender's bout.

So would Florian dare try a new weight class when he's been within reach of his current division's big prize?

"We'll see that the future holds," he told MMAjunkie.com Radio on Friday. "I guess that's all I can say right now. They say, 'Never ever say never ever.'

"I got that from the movie 'MacGruber.'"

Florian, who actually was "The Ultimate Fighter 1" runner-up while fighting as a middleweight, admits making weight for lightweight can be a chore.

"Making 155, it's tough sometimes," he said. "It's been tough."

So what would it take to get to featherweight?

"I'm not sure if it would be a total lifestyle change," he said. "But yeah, it'd probably be another lifestyle change. We'll see. I'm not, well – we'll see."

If Florian, who's currently nursing a knee injury that forced him out of a January UFC Fight Night 23 headliner with Evan Dunham, does stay at lightweight, there's one potentially marketable fight floating out there. And it's against a fighter he once considered a friend.

But when Melvin Guillard took Florian's UFC Fight Night 23 spot and scored a quick first-round TKO of Evan Dunham – which marked his seventh win in eight fights – he declared himself the new Florian of the lightweight division. He even suggested Florian isn't a worthy opponent any longer.

"Melvin is a very good fighter, and I think he finally beat a good guy in Evan Dunham and established himself as a very good lightweight," Florian said. "That's a fight that was interesting to me. I know Melvin said he wasn't interested in the fight, saying I'm not ranked high enough for him or something like that, but we'll see man.

"Honestly I'm at the point in my career where I just want top guys. That's what motivates me. I'm in this world to be challenged and to consistently climb big mountains if I can. I just want to fight tough guys."

But didn't the criticism from Guillard sting?

"I know him," Florian said. "I've spoken with him. He even says I'm a friend, though I don't know if we're friends (now). I always used to say, 'I'm proud of you. I'm glad you turned your life around. You're doing great.' And for him to say ... out of nowhere that, 'I deserve the spot over Kenny Florian and that he had his shot and is a choker' out of nowhere, I thought it was kind of weird.

"Who knows? Maybe it's just his way to get press. Myself, I try not to put anyone down if I want to challenge them. Just say why you want it. Melvin deserved it. He beat Evan Dunham, so whatever."

Florian, meanwhile, hopes to return to the cage at some point later this year from a torn MCL and torn meniscus. He said the once-painful injury slowly is subsiding.

"The knee is very good; I got it amputated last week," Florian joked. "So I shouldn't have any more pain.

"No, it feels good. It's probably about 75 to 80 percent (healthy), and hopefully in another two or three weeks, I should be ready to start sparring and all that stuff."

Florian said the time off has been good for him. In addition to his hosting duties on ESPN's popular "MMA Live" program, which brought him to Las Vegas for tonight's UFC 126 event, he's been able to study and visualize new techniques that he's sure will help him once he returns to full training.

"Hopefully in the next few weeks I can go back to my normal routine," he said. "I've been itching to train. It's been real tough, but I've been studying a lot."