MMA-URLS

Guess which Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) star is getting his own signature gym? Turns out longtime mixed martial arts (MMA) veteran and UFC champion across two different weight classes, B.J. Penn, is getting a 37,000 square foot UFC gym with his name on it located in the Kaka’ako community of Honolulu, Hawaii. As "The Prodigy" explains in a recent press release, it's "the future of fitness." "I’ve always dreamed of putting my name on a gym in my homeland of Hawaii and I’m so grateful that I finally have the opportunity to do so with my partners at UFC GYM," said Penn, a native of Hilo. "My new signature gym is not a traditional health club or just a fight club, but it offers all the tools you and your family needs to get results. UFC GYM BJ Penn is truly the future of fitness!" The B.J. Penn Gym motto is "train different." Penn, who recently turned down a comeback fight against Josh Koscheck, is currently enjoying a self-imposed retirement, but can at least keep himself in fighting shape with his own signature gym nearby. Alright fight fans, the (gym) floor is yours.

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UFC GYM® announces that the much anticipated UFC GYM® BJ Penn Hawaii will officially open its doors for workouts on Monday, May 21st. The massive 37,000 square foot facility located in the Kaka’ako community is the first-ever signature club. In partnership with BJ Penn, Hawaii-native and two-division UFC® champion, residents of all ages are invited to ‘Train Different’ and embrace the workouts and lifestyle that have proven successful for Penn and the world’s most elite UFC athletes.  The new location is the fifth UFC GYM and joins the collection of clubs on the mainland in Concord, Rosemead, Corona and Torrance, CA. With their unique ‘Train Different’ philosophy, UFC GYM takes the typical workout and adds some serious punch by instilling the brands core values and time-honored mixed martial arts techniques. Members will not only take advantage of the unrivaled new facility, top-notch equipment and expert coaches, they will also be welcomed into a community that prides itself in teamwork, respect and commitment to achieving results.  “I’ve always dreamed of putting my name on a gym in my homeland of Hawaii and I’m so grateful that I finally have the opportunity to do so with my partners at UFC GYM,” said Penn, a native of Hilo. “My new signature gym is not a traditional health club or just a fight club, but it offers all the tools you and your family needs to get results. UFC GYM BJ Penn is truly the future of fitness!”UFC GYM BJ Penn is driven by a powerhouse team including Mark Mastrov and Jim Rowley, pioneers in the fitness industry and founders of New Evolution Ventures (NeV), along with Frank Fertitta, Lorenzo Fertitta and Dana White, owners of the Ultimate Fighting Championship®.  Together with BJ Penn, they look to create the ultimate fitness experience in Honolulu, HI, and expand the UFC GYM brand footprint.  “The ultimate flattery is seeing other fitness clubs try and imitate the innovation we have brought to the fitness industry, but a few speed bags cannot compete with the environment that our team has created,” said Adam Sedlack, senior vice president of UFC GYM. “The difference is that our ‘train different’ philosophy is in our DNA and has proven to deliver incredible fitness results while empowering skills.”UFC GYM BJ Penn Hawaii will house a variety of amenities including high-tech cardio equipment and weight machines, a dedicated grappling room and expansive group fitness studio, offering hundreds of weekly classes including signature programming like Daily Ultimate Training (DUT) and TRX ® Suspension Training®, and unconventional classes like Hot Hula and Brutal Barre. UFC GYM’s specialized trainers will lead vigorous workouts in the Functional and MMA training areas devoted to mixed martial arts disciplines such as Muay Thai, kickboxing and Jiu Jitsu. A variety of youth programs, including Youth Fitness Classes, Active Fitness Gaming, Youth Mixed Martial Arts Training and Ultimate Birthday Parties will be offered in the UFC GYM Kids. Members can also rejuvenate in the Arm Bar Café™, which offers protein shakes and healthy snacks, selected by Penn himself.UFC GYM® BJ Penn Hawaii is located at 660 Ala Moana Blvd in Honolulu. For more information and special grand opening rates, visit www.ufcgym.com, or call 808-672-2655.

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Hope was kindled around the MMA community this week when news broke surrounding a potential bout between Josh Koscheck and iconic former champion BJ Penn. According to Koscheck, the UFC offered him a fight with Penn, he’d accepted, and the ball was now in Penn’s court. Unfortunately, it appears Penn is still content with his decision to call it quits at an age many would say was premature. The 33-year old hung his bloodstained gloves up last October after suffering a one-sided decision loss to Nick Diaz, citing an interest in spending time with his family rather than training like a world-class fighter. “I know it costs a lot of money to live that lavish lifestyle, big house, fast cars & you need big fights but sorry I’m not coming back anytime soon,” wrote Penn to Koscheck in response to the TUF alumnus’ initial challenge. Penn Destined for Hall of Fame UFC President Dana White has also pushed for Penn to come out of retirement but unsuccessfully so it would seem. If the popular Hawaiian does remain shelved he will exit the sport with a 16-8 record, belts in two divisions, and wins over some of MMA’s top talents like Sean Sherk, Kenny Florian, Jens Pulver, Takanori Gomi, Diego Sanchez, and Matt Hughes. PHOTO CREDIT – UFC Tweet

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Former UFC champion B.J. Penn will remain retired – at least for the time being – despite a request from his former bosses to meet Josh Koscheck inside the Octagon. Koscheck confirmed Wednesday night the UFC had offered him a fight with Penn contingent, of course, on whether or not “The Prodigy” was willing to come back to the cage. However, Penn seems content to stay in Hawaii, train when he wants to, and help raise his children. “I know it costs a lot of money to live that lavish lifestyle, big house, fast cars & you need big fights but sorry I’m not coming back anytime soon,” Penn exclaimed on his Twitter account yesterday. Penn announced his retirement following a loss to Nick Diaz last year. Despite UFC President Dana White‘s attempts, as well as those like Koscheck who have tried to bait him into a bout, the native Hawaiian has yet to waiver in his contentment away from competition. PHOTO CREDIT – UFC

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BJ Penn isn’t nearly as excited about the prospect of fighting Josh Koscheck as Josh Koscheck is. After Kos revealed last night that the UFC offered him a fight against “The Prodigy,” Penn threw a bucket of ice cold water on Koscheck’s fiery hot flames on Twitter this afternoon. @joshkoscheck I know it costs a [...]

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Josh Koscheck is going to have to look elsewhere for his next octagon challenge. It's not coming from BJ Penn, the Hawaiian confirmed through a Thursday Twitter post. In the wee hours of Thursday morning, Koscheck said that he had been offered a fight against Penn, who has not competed since last October's loss to Nick Diaz. And even though UFC president Dana White recently said that Penn will fight again, apparently, now is not the right time. Phrasing his answer in a way that alluded to a recent segment on FUEL TV's "UFC Ultimate Insider" which showed Koscheck's sprawling home, luxury cars and plane, Penn shot down the fight. "I know it costs a lot of money to live that lavish lifestyle, big house, fast cars & you need big fights, but sorry I’m not coming back anytime soon!" Penn wrote. Penn (16-8-2) has won only one of his last five outings, a 21-second knockout of Matt Hughes in November 2010. In 2011, he fought Jon Fitch to a draw before dropping the UFC 137 main event decision to Diaz. Moments after that loss -- which saw him leave with his left eye bloodied and swollen, Penn proclaimed his career over, saying, "That's it. I've got a daughter, another daughter on the way. I don't want to go home looking like this. I'm done." This isn't the first bout Penn has turned down since that decision, as White recently confirmed he also declined a chance to fight Strikeforce lightweight champion Gilbert Melendez. Just 33 years old, Penn has been a mainstay at the top level of the sport for over a decade, and is actually one year younger than the 34-year-old Koscheck.

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In 2009 we discovered BJ Penn trained with Aquaman and spliced some of his DNA into his own in order to be able to hop out of pools without using his hands. From that day, the question of whether BJ Penn trained was laid to rest (but the question of whether his genetic code has been modified is still up for debate). Later that year, it was revealed at Professor Xavier's Institute for Higher Learning that BJ Penn graduated with the ability to put his leg around his neck without using his hands. Professor X expected BJ Penn to be able to remove his torso and replace it with a box of Frosted Flakes at some point in 2012, but it appears that BJ Penn has permanently retired from the sport we all loved to see him lick his gloves in. Last night, Josh Koscheck tweeted that the UFC offered him a welterweight bout with BJ Penn, despite The Prodigy expressing a multitude of times that he has retired.   This morning, BJ Penn refused to stay within the bounds of Twitter's 140 character limit and used Twitlonger to express that he has no intention to come out of retirement anytime soon. Unfortunately, BJ Penn failed to recognize that Josh Koscheck actually owns a private plane in his overly long tweet.

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Retired UFC fighter B.J. Penn declined a potential matchup with Josh Koscheck, saying in a tweet that he's not coming back anytime soon.

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UFC president Dana White recently sparked rumors of B.J. Penn’s return to action, citing recent conversations he’s had with The Prodigy during which he’s indicated his desire to come out of retirement. Penn himself put the brakes on those rumors, explaining that he’s still essentially on the fence about ever fighting again. Today, UFC welterweight Josh Koscheck got people excited again for a possible Penn appearance when he Tweeted the following: #UFC just offered me to fight BJ Penn…I said YES!!!!! Just waiting on him!!!!!! Let’s scrap bra? Once again, Penn shot down the possibility of a return to action at this point. The 33-year-old responded to Koscheck on Twitter, letting him know that he won’t be making his next big money pay day with his help. @joshkoscheck I know it costs a lot of money to live that lavish lifestyle, big house, fast cars & you need big fights but sorry I’m not coming back anytime soon! Penn last appeared in action at UFC 137 in October, where he lost a lopsided unanimous decision to Nick Diaz. The Hawaiian legend announced his retirement following the fight and has not competed since. Recently, he’s softened his stance some and leaves a door open to some future return, though he insists he’s happy taking the time to himself right now. MMAFrenzy.com

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I've got bad news for all you B.J. Penn fans. It looks like your Hawaiian hero won't be coming out of his self-imposed retirement to fight fellow welterweight veteran Josh Koscheck, despite getting called out by "Kos" earlier in the day on Twitter. In fact, he may not be coming back at all. Live by the tweet, die by the tweet. @joshkoscheck I know it costs a lot of money to live that lavish lifestyle, big house, fast cars & you need big fights but sorry I’m not coming back anytime soon! And there you have it. Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) President Dana White, who insists "The Prodigy" will return, has been throwing everything but the kitchen sink at him in hopes of luring the former two-division champion back into a future mixed martial arts (MMA) fight. That includes a Strikeforce title contest against Gilbert Melendez, which Penn felt was a "downgrade." Penn came up short as the main event headliner for UFC 137 back on Oct. 29, 2011, at the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas, Nevada. The unanimous decision win for Nick Diaz, which left Penn battered and bruised, sent him straight into an Interim title bout against Carlos Condit at UFC 143. And sent "The Prodigy" straight into retirement. The Hawaiian said he'll be back "if he ever feels it again," which means Koscheck is not a big enough fish in the 170-pound pond to get the job done. Or was he, perhaps, a little too big? Discuss.

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It looks like B.J. Penn will return to fighting, but it won't be against Josh Koscheck at least based on the date and timeline the UFC offered him a bout against the former TUF competitor. Retweet this Share on Facebook • Email • StumbleUpon • Reddit • Digg • Technorati • Instapaper • Tumblr • Google Reader • LinkedIn

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Former UFC Lightweight and Welterweight champion B.J. Penn is apparently not interested in facing long-time Welterweight contender Josh Koscheck in the Octagon anytime soon. Bloody Elbow reported earlier today that Koscheck tweeted he had accepted an offer from the UFC to face Penn and was awaiting the mercurial Hawaiian's answer. Well he won't have to wait anymore. Penn took to Twitter himself: @joshkoscheck I know it costs a lot of money to live that lavish lifestyle, big house, fast cars & you need big fights but sorry I'm not coming back anytime soon! Penn last fought at UFC 137 in October 2011 against Nick Diaz, dropping a unanimous decision. Previously he fought Jon Fitch to a majority draw at UFC 127 in February of last year. Penn held the Lightweight title until losing it to Frankie Edgar at UFC 112. He rematched Edgar at UFC 118 and lost another decision before moving up to Welterweight for his last 3 fights.

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The answer to whether or not iconic former champion B.J. Penn has changed his mind regarding a return to the Octagon should receive an update in the coming days after “The Prodigy” was apparently offered a bout by the UFC. Penn unexpectedly retired last October after losing a fight to Nick Diaz and deciding he wanted to spend his immediate future with family/friends rather than training like a world-class athlete. News surrounding Penn’s potential comeback surfaced on Twitter when welterweight Josh Koscheck posted, “UFC just offered me to fight BJ Penn….I said YES!!!! Just waiting on him!!!!!! Let’s scrap bra?” No date/location were mentioned for the possible match-up. In addition to teasing a tilt the statement also indicates Penn will be returning at 170 pounds, not 155 as many had hoped, and Koscheck’s eye-socket was not as damaged as it appeared to be in his recent meeting with Johny Hendricks. Penn holds an overall record of 16-8 and is a former welterweight title-holder but has struggled to find success consistently in the division over the past few years. Likewise, the 17-6 Koscheck has challenged for the belt before but never won it, going 6-4 over his last ten tussles. PHOTO CREDIT – UFC

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A potentially blockbuster bout is in the works today for the UFC, with Josh Koscheck having been offered a bout with former two-class champion and MMA legend B.J. Penn. Penn, absent since he retired after an October loss to Nick Diaz, has been rumored to have a return in the cards as of late, with Gilbert Milendez as a potential opponent. However, those plans never came to fruition, and Milendez is staying with Strikeforce to defend his Lightweight championship there. Now Koscheck is the potential

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According to Josh Koscheck, the UFC has offered him a fight with former two-division champion BJ Penn. But will Penn come out of retirement for the fight?

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Is Josh Koscheck enough to lure B.J. Penn out of retirement? The UFC seems to hope so. Koscheck tweeted Wednesday night that the UFC offered him a fight against Penn at an unknown upcoming event. He wrote that he accepted the fight and was now waiting on Penn to do the same. "UFC just offered me to fight BJ Penn," he wrote. "I said YES!!!!! Just waiting on him!!!!!! Let's scrap bra?"Penn has yet to respond to the challenge. The 33-year-old Hawaiian announced his retirement from the sport following his UFC 137 loss to Nick Diaz last October. Since then, despite pressure from fans, peers and UFC president Dana White, he has resisted the urge of flirting with a return. On last week's episode of The MMA Hour, Penn admitted to hearing the pleas from his fans to return but was unwilling to commit to it just yet. "I do get pumped up about it when I go to different places and people are like, ‘come on! You gotta fight again! You gotta fight again!" But it's a lot of work," he said. Koscheck most recently lost a split decision to Johny Hendricks at UFC on FOX 3 earlier this month.

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The future of UFC great B.J. Penn has been in a bit of doubt following his apparent retirement following his UFC 137 loss, when he said "Joe, this was probably the last time you'll see me in here. I can't keep performing at the top level. That's it Joe. I got a daughter and another daughter on the way, I don't want to go home looking like this. I'm done." Last month, UFC president Dana White said that despite having "heard some s**t" about Penn being retired, when he talked to B.J., he said that he was going to fight again. There was also a story earlier this month where Dana said that he had tried to make a fight between Penn and Strikeforce champion Gilbert Melendez, but that Penn told him he wasn't fighting for a while. Now it's Josh Koscheck who looks like he may have won the Penn lottery: @JoshKoscheckJosh Koscheck #UFC just offered me to fight BJ Penn...I said YES!!!!! Just waiting on him!!!!!! Let's scrap bra? May 17 via Twitterrific Favorite Retweet Reply This may be an appealing fight for Penn as it's an easy fight to promote. The trash talk between Koscheck and Penn would be pretty solid and probably draw some extra fan interest. It's also a great fight for Penn. Penn's wresting defense is still top notch, especially against someone like Koscheck who has good wrestling but doesn't really do a great job of mixing up where the takedowns are coming from. On the feet, Koscheck doesn't utilize a lot of variety in his striking. It's mostly uppercuts and overhand rights thrown like a baseball. That's the kind of striking game that Penn has always picked apart with his much cleaner boxing. We'll see if the fight being offered to Koscheck actually leads anywhere or not, but this seems like the kind of bout that might bring Penn out of hiding.

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YES! YES! YES! Former Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) Welterweight title challenger Josh Koscheck took to Twitter tonight and spilled the beans on the next fight he was offered by UFC Matchmaker Joe Silva ... none other than B.J. Penn. You know, the guy who is supposedly retired from the sport. #UFC just offered me to fight BJ Penn...I said YES!!!!! Just waiting on him!!!!!! Let's scrap bra? Koscheck was last in action this past May 5 at UFC on Fox 3: "Diaz vs. Miller" in New Jersey, where he lost a close decision to Johny Hendricks in the co-main event of the evening. Penn, meanwhile, came up short as the main event headliner for UFC 137 back on Oct. 29, 2011, at the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas, Nevada. The unanimous decision win for Nick Diaz, which left Penn battered and bruised, sent him straight into an Interim title bout against Carlos Condit at UFC 143. And sent "The Prodigy" straight into retirement. Penn said he'll be back "if he ever feels it again," which could lead White to move forward with plans to bring his mixed martial arts (MMA) brand to Hawaii. But is a fight against Koscheck big enough? And will it intrigue the Hawaiian enough to come out of hiding?

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#UFC just offered me to fight BJ Penn…I said YES!!!!! Just waiting on him!!!!!! Let’s scrap bra? — Josh Koscheck (@JoshKoscheck) May 17, 2012 Josh Koscheck vs. BJ Penn anyone? Sounds like a good fight to me, but is Koscheck the fighter to bring Penn out of his pseudo-retirement?

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Reagen and older brother B.J. share a last name, and though they have a penchant for jiu-jitsu, the Penn brothers' similarities pretty much end there. But having a win over either Penn sure looks good on a resume. Just ask Evans Cutts, who returns tonight at Legacy Fighting Championships 11 after his November win over the younger Penn at ProElite 2.

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It's turning into another one of those eventful weeks in the mixed martial arts world. From surprising ratings for UFC on FOX 3, to the fallout from Dominick Cruz's torn cal, to New York state again shelved MMA legalization, to the latest from B.J. Penn, there's plenty to talk about. So without further ado, Luke Thomas and I get into this week's hot topics in the latest edition of the MMA Roundtable: 1. What lessons should the UFC learn from the UFC on FOX 3 rankings? Doyle: I think the UFC is learning that it's going to be a tricky balancing act as the company tries to save big-name fights for pay-per-view while also needing star power to drive a television rating. Mixed martial arts ratings over the years have proven that fans need to be sold a marquee name in order to draw eyeballs on network TV. It was true on CBS with Kimbo Slice and Gina Carano, and it's true now with FOX. Unfortunately, with the casual viewer, simply selling the notion of "tune in and see great fights" without the star power doesn't work. The flip side of this, of course, is that the UFC makes the bulk of its profit on PPV, so it can't go giving away too many Cain Velasquez vs. Junior Dos Santos-level fights for free. In order to ultimately make this work, they're going to have to figure out how to provide FOX marquee names without killing the golden goose. Thomas: I generally agree with my colleague Dave here. UFC tried to book a card that was less than a pay-per-view and yet still promoted it as if it was such. The casual audience didn't buy the argument and failed to tune in. Dave's right they'll need some sort of more marquee headliner to accomplish that goal. I generally think that's harder than it looks. Certainly we know FOX expects more than Nate Diaz vs. Jim Miller. We also know Brian Stann vs. Hector Lombard is virtually no improvement in that regard. But how far does the UFC go? It's a delicate balancing act, but it's partly a function of the number of the shows UFC runs. They are constantly forced to rob Peter so they can pay Paul. Everyone cheered UFC 144 when it turned out to be something of a success, but what's been the upshot in Japan since then? Did it jumpstart anything? No, it didn't. I'm not saying UFC can't go back to Japan, but I am saying I'm not sure I see the point even if they can. Frankie Edgar vs. Ben Henderson would've been the perfect fight for FOX. Two guys guaranteed to deliver action in a title fight. Oh, and it just so happens to be two guys who need that big time exposure to turn them into pay-per-view commodities. Lastly, UFC's sponsorship issue hasn't really improved since moving to FOX. It's something they want to accomplish and frankly, need to accomplish to really get the kind of exposure and legitimacy they crave. So let's do a quick thought experiment. What's the best way to lure Nike: put growing stars in big fights that could deliver big ratings on FOX or go to Saitama again? The defense rests. 2. What should be done with Urijah Faber now that Dominick Cruz is out with a torn ACL? Doyle: If this is your typical torn ACL, we're looking at, in a best-case scenario, a minimum of about 16 months without a title fight, dating back to Cruz's win over Demetrious Johnson. If we're using Georges St-Pierre and his knee injury as a guide, then you pretty much have to go the interim-title route. So the question from there is, who should face Faber? I'm not sold on Renan Barao as a bankable co-main evener yet, particularly in coming off a less-than-spectacular decision win over Scott Jorgensen. Michael McDonald, however, just might be ready. Eight wins in a row, six of them stoppages in under seven minutes, and he's got quite a bit of momentum coming off his knockout of Miguel Torres. Fans still regard Faber as the biggest star of the lower weight classes; a win makes McDonald a star and a loss, well, if it's to Faber and it isn't a blowout, the fans will likely look at it as an acceptable defeat. If McDonald is up for it on relatively short notice, Faber-McDonald for the interim title is the best available option. Thomas: Faber vs. McDonald is a decent choice, but I'm not so sure why Barao is a hard sell. Yes, McDonald oozes promotability, but why rush him? He's 21! He needs a few more fights to season before he starts to tangle with the upper echelon of the division. Barao didn't look great against Jorgensen, that's true. But Jorgensen is like Mike Pierce: it's hard to look good against him. Yes, you can beat him, but you're not going to thrash or ragdoll him. Jorgensen's lost under the Zuffa banner, but only by decision. And before the Jorgensen fight, Barao showed Brad Pickett some serious knuckle game in an absolutely scintillating performance. I don't know if he'll do that against Urijah Faber, but I'd sure love to see him try. He's got the talent, the experience, the athleticism, the world-class team and the timing couldn't be better. Barao deserves that slot. Let's give it to him. 3. Just how long will it take to get MMA regulated in NY? Thomas: It's basically impossible to say, but the political powers of Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver and his weaponization of parliamentary procedures will ensure as long as Silver gets his way, the UFC has no chance in the New York legislature. The court case involving freedom of expression violations that is ongoing is their only short-term hope. Lawyers who operate in a variety of different capacities of law believe the UFC has a reasonably strong case, but we obviously won't know until the case for this kicks into high gear. I will say it reminds me of what Nick Diaz is doing in Nevada. I get the sense he feels as long as he's subject to the commission's whims, he's got no chance of avoiding penalty. But by moving to a court case, he has some legal leg to stand on that a legitimate courtroom and judge will be legally obligated to acknowledge. UFC knows trying to work through the legislature is something they have to do (for media, public appearances, etc.), but their best short term chance at success is by taking the ironically circuitous legal path of a judge's hearing. Doyle: I agree with my esteemed colleague about the UFC's issues with the legislature. Nothing to add there. As to if/when the state will come around on legalizing MMA, my answer is this: To hell with ‘em. There's no doubt New York is a lucrative market, and there's symbolic value to playing Madison Square Garden, one of the world's most famous fight arenas. But MMA has gotten this far without New York. NYC-area fans have proven they'll flock to the Prudential Center in Newark, N.J. which is a 15-minute train ride from Manhattan's Penn Station, which sits underneath MSG. Fans in Western New York will continue to go to shows in Ontario and fans upstate will keep going to Montreal events. I don't mean to be dismissive to the fighters, trainers, promoters, etc. who live in New York State and deserve to be able to earn their livelihood in their home state, but when push comes to shove, the sport has gotten this far without the backing of one stubborn legislature and will continue to thrive without it. 4. Will B.J. Penn eventually return to the UFC? Thomas: The more time that passes, the more likely it is Penn will not return. He'll settle into his life and most importantly, it'll make the uphill climb of getting back into fighting shape - something Penn has always and especially resists now - even more difficult. But I think he will return. He's leaving the door open, which itself is a signal he will return under the right circumstances. Part of those 'circumstances' are out of the UFC's control. If Penn stays as he is today, a return is impossible. But the squeaky wheel gets the grease. UFC can improve the chances of Penn getting up for a fight camp with the right offer. If Penn demands enough and the UFC wants him bad enough (meaning they can find a marketable angle for the fight), I bet there is a correct offer. Maybe it's one last retirement fight for a princely sum of money at Blaisdell Arena. Maybe it's a fight against someone at lightweight or welterweight that excites him. Who knows? The point is the right package (opponent, venue location, money, etc.) is out there. It's up to the UFC to find the right offer. Doyle: Short answer to the question: Yes. Longer version: Look, he's B.J. Penn. He's one of the most ferocious competitors who has ever graced this sport and he cares deeply about his legacy. Penn has only won once in his past five fights. That's not how he wants to go out. He's playing coy and cool about his future prospects now, but one of these days he's going to wake up in Hilo and find himself bored. And as UFC headline fights continue to drop out on a regular basis, eventually, someone is going to need an opponent and one of them will be the fight which re-ignites his competitive fires. I'll finish with what Dana White said when he was asked a couple weeks back if Penn would return: "He'll be back. It's tough, when there are 16,000 people in the arena chanting your name, it's tough to walk away from that. B.J. Penn is a fighter. You hear some of these guys, and Tito [Ortiz] was one of these guys, he said he wanted to be famous. B.J. Penn is a fighter."

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Former UFC champion B.J. Penn stopped by The MMA Hour recently to discuss what has become a weekly question with the MMA media: Will Penn compete again? While he didn’t confirm – or deny – his retirement plans, Penn did offer up his explanation for turning down a fight with Strikeforce lightweight champion Gilbert Melendez, [...]

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What will it take for former UFC welterweight and lightweight champion B.J. Penn to return to competitive mixed martial arts? Is it a fight in Hawaii? Would it be a rematch against Nick Diaz? Maybe a big paycheck? It could be all or none of those things. The right offer matters, of course, but most important is timing. Or stated differently, time off. Time for things to change. If there's anything that becomes immediately clear in a conversation with Penn, he just isn't in a part of his life where returning to competitive fighting interests him enough to make the commitment. "I'm not really excited to jump into a training camp right now," Penn told Ariel Helwani yesterday on The MMA Hour. That isn't to say he's totally disinterested. After all, he's at least willing to entertain offers even if they ultimately don't move him into action. "Me and Dana sat down," Penn explained. "Dana said, 'I'm seeing a lot of stuff. You're saying you don't want to fight anymore.' Me and him just kind of talked and did a couple of hypotheticals back and forth and that was it. I know Dana wants me to fight again." "I'm enjoying training right now," Penn said. "You never know what the future holds. If Dana puts something together like 'hey, you want to do this?' You never know. You never know what could happen." It isn't just White that wants Penn to fight again. Legions of MMA fans are hopeful 'The Prodigy' won't retire, especially while many of his supporters believe he's still got the capacity to compete. "I don't know. I do get pumped up about it when I go different places and people are like ‘come on! You gotta fight again! You gotta fight again!" But it's a lot of work." It appears more than anything, 'a lot of work' is what's holding Penn back. After years and years the grind, the routine and uphill climb of training camp, the process is not as easy to be a part of as it once was. The toll on the body, the time away from family. Who wants that when you've accomplished so much, you're wealthy and you've got an infant daughter? Penn readily admits he thinks he still has what it takes to compete against the elite, but getting up for a training camp day after day just isn't appealing right now. "I guess being a competitor, you always have that itch. But what it is is...it's tough," Penn said with a laugh. "The training camps are tough, going through that. I've been with the UFC for ten years going through different things. All the different personalities you gotta deal with. I still look at some of the guys up there and of course being a competitor 'You know, I could beat that guy or I could do well with that guy.' It's just a tough question." Interestingly, though, Penn confirmed reports that Strikeforce lightweight champion Gilbert Melendez was offered to him and that he ultimately turned the fight down. "It was right after the Nick Diaz fight," Penn acknowledged. "[White] offered a fight against Gilbert Melendez in Strikeforce. We sat down and we thought about it for a little while. We talked back and forth. It was kind of one of those things where I guess at the end of the day we thought about it a thousand different ways and we were like 'Is that downgrading yourself fighting in Strikeforce? If you win the Strikeforce title are people going to say you did it because you couldn't win the UFC title?'" "At the end of the day, it just didn't make sense to us," Penn said. Penn noted it wasn't Melendez as an opponent he objected to ("If you decide you're going to be a fighter, you shouldn't have a problem fighting anyone"), but he just couldn't rationalize competing under a banner outside of the UFC. If it doesn't move the needle or add to his legacy, it's hard to move forward. In the wake of a serious thrashing at the hands of Nick Diaz at UFC 137, the two-division champion also confessed he's worried about departing the sport in an unceremonious exit. "That is definitely on my mind," admitted Penn. "I don't want to stick around and whether it's a lack of reflexes or a lack of motivation, whichever it may be. You end up getting laid out a few times that could've been avoided." "I would think that's on a lot of fighters' minds, but some people just do it anyway. They like the money or the attention. It's one or the other or both. We've seen that happen over the years to some of the greatest fighters of all time. That's definitely on my mind. Certain athletes like Randy Couture, they never needed the reflexes. They could've stayed around. I look at a boxer like Floyd Mayweather and think he's all reflexes. Once his reflexes go, it's probably time for him to maybe step out." As for Penn's future, there's no guarantee it could go any direction save for the one it's one now. To return to MMA, he'd need the right monetary offer against the right opponent at a time when he is willing to put himself through the rigors of training. It would all have to mean something and the day where it could may never come. Or maybe it will. For admirers of Penn, it's frustrating to live in limbo, but he simply doesn't know if and when he'll ever change his mind. Until something acts as a catalyst for change, he's content to enjoy his life away from professional competition. Yet, that doesn't mean Penn doesn't miss it or doesn't want more. He still dreams and dreams big when it comes to accomplishing goals in the sport. A fire still burns within the Hawaiian fighter. After all, Penn told Helwani he still has unfinished business in the Octagon. "You have dreams and aspirations to what you can accomplish. You never know what's going to be reality at the end of the day. No, I don't feel like I've done enough. I'd love to become a world champion again. I'm sure every fighter out there, that's all they think about all the time." "I'd love to - without a doubt - be a world champion again," Penn said.

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Should he stay or should he go now? Always tease, tease, tease ... Those are the questions that have lately surrounded former Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) Welterweight and Lightweight champion of the world, B.J. Penn. After calling it quits last October in the wake of his one-side loss at the hands of Nick Diaz at UFC 137, "The Prodigy" has been laying low in Hawaii, in no hurry to even attempt a comeback. That hasn't stopped UFC President Dana White to get one of the all-time great mixed martial arts (MMA) legends to reconsider his retirement and get back into the Octagon ... or even the Strikeforce Hexagon, for that matter. A few days ago, White explained that he tried to book a fight between the current Strikeforce 155-pound champion Gilbert Melendez and Penn to take place in Strikeforce. In what truly would have been a very intriguing fight, and would prove to be a step up in competition for "El Nino," the proposed bout was not to be as White stated, "The whole thing fell apart." Appearing on todays' (May 7, 2012) episode of The MMA Hour, Penn explained the reason(s) a fight between he and Melendez didn't come to pass, as well as cleared up his position on making a possible comeback once and for all. Check it out: "It was right after the Nick Diaz fight. He offered me a fight against Gilbert Melendez in Strikeforce. We sat down, we thought about it for a little while and we fought back and forth and it was kind of one of those things where I guess at the end of the day we just thought about it a thousand different ways and we were like, is it downgrading yourself fighting in Strikeforce and if you win the Strikeforce title people are going to say you did it because you couldn't win the UFC title? We just kind of thought about it a thousand different ways and at the end of the day it just didn't make sense to us." "The Prodigy" has spent the majority of his career competing for the UFC, so it wouldn't indeed make much sense for the former champion and future hall of famer to make a comeback, only to be relegated to a smaller promotion, nothing against Strikeforce, of course. However, what about a comeback into the UFC's Octagon? Penn speculates: "I'm not really excited to jump right into a training camp right now. Me and Dana sat down and Dana said, "I see a lot of stuff and you saying you don't want to fight anymore." Me and him just kind of talked and just did a bunch of kind of hypothetical back-and-forth and that was it. I know Dana wants me to fight again a when I go to a lot of different places, I think subconsciously maybe sometimes, fighters, we only seize to fight to regain energy to fight again. I do get pumped up about it when I go to different places and people say, "Come on you got to fight again, you gotta fight again." I don't know, I'm enjoying training right now and you never know what the future holds. I mean if Dana put something together and says, "Hey, you want to do this?" You never know what could happen. Being a competitor, you always have that itch. What it is, is that it's tough. The training camps are tough going and through that and going through the different things and all the different personalities you gotta deal with over time. I mean, I still look at some of the guys up there and, of course, being a competitor I think to myself, "I can beat that guy or I can do well with that guy." It's just a tough question and I can't give any solid question (answer) either way right now." After more than 11 years competing in the sport and capturing title in two weight classes (lightweight and welterweight), and competing against many of the top fighters in the world, Penn can truly say he has accomplished what many aspiring fighters may never get close to. But, is a return to action necessary? With a record of 1-3-1 in his last five bouts, are "The Prodigy's" best days behind him? Or would you like to see one of the best to ever compete return to action to see if he can still compete at the highest level against some of the toughest fighters around? Perhaps the fan in many would just like to see an MMA legend in action a few more times for mere nostalgic purposes. Either way, Penn has no immediate plans to return to a sport he dominated for many years. Let's see how long that lasts.

Posted in: ufc, fight, strikeforce, right, penn

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Despite the wealth of controversial story lines in MMA over the last few weeks, I have found myself feeling incredibly jaded as a fan. Both Nick Diaz and Alistair Overeem have been battling the NSAC in failed drug tests and I couldn't drum up an ounce of outrage. The Ultimate Fighter premiered live only a few weeks ago and I couldn't get excited. The UFC return from a six week hiatus with a LHW title defense and Rory MacDonald fight - I wanted to watch, but I wasn't inspired. A year ago, I was like junkie looking for any information, analysis, or discussion on MMA and now I felt little to no connection to any of the story lines. Because of that I wanted to return to my fan roots and remember what really made me a fan, so Earl and me got together to look back at our most influential moments in our fandom. Please share your own story in the comments Chris - It may seem odd to some, but I truly became a fan of the sport of MMA from the beginning. I have very few "favorite" fighters and rarely have an emotional involvement in any fight. I love good fights from STANDANDBANG to epic ground battles and everything in between. The first exception to this was BJ Penn. I became his fan while watching TUF 5 and have stayed true ever since. Since I was a low income fan I was forced to follow his career through UFC Unleashed and online fight updates. That is until his complete and utter destruction of Diego Sanchez at UFC 107.That was a great time to be a BJ Penn fan. He was had just hooked up with the Marinovich brothers and seemed completely indestructible. However, that’s not my high point of fandom. Penn followed that up by being outpointed in two incredibly frustrating 5 round fights against Frankie Edgar. He once again brought joy to my heart with a quick knockout of Matt Hughes in their rubber match and a grueling draw with Jon Fitch.Oddly enough, my favorite moment in MMA fandom was his next fight against Nick Diaz. There was a huge lead up to this fight with Nick losing his title shot against GSP then being matched up in the Co-main Event against my favorite fighter. Then Georges St. Pierre got injured and Penn vs. Diaz was the Main Event. This was truly the first time since I became a fan of MMA that I really felt invested in a fight. I knew Diaz was a tough challenge for the undersized Penn. But BJ Penn was BJ EFFING Penn.The first round came along and I thought, "BJ is landing the quicker harder punches." He’s looking good, I thought. He got a takedown and even though he lost position, I was still confident. Then the second round happened. Penn kept getting backed against the fence on the end of Diaz’s straight punches. It was brutal. He was getting hit and wasn’t doing anything about it. It only got worse. And the third round didn’t bring any sanctuary. My favorite fighter was taking the beating of his career in front of my eyes and seemed to have no answer for it. I was devastated. Before UFC 137, I had never been really invested in a fight. It was mentally painful for me to watch that fight. I’ve never been a fan of any other sport and the disappointment of my team not achieving their potential had never touched me before. October 29, 2011 was the first time I felt that. I still look for BJ Penn to come back from his hiatus and return to form. It may be wishful thinking, but it is one of the things that keeps me watching.Earl - My favorite moment in MMA fandom is not from a fight at all. I was fresh off my 2nd shoulder reconstruction and therefore in a bit of a stupor thanks to my pain pills. My significant other and I went to a rally for a political figure in my home state to support the cause. The way she hooked me into going was simple. Dana White and Chuck Liddell are going to be there to introduce the man of the hour, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid.We arrived at the event and my girl and apparently the organizers thought I might get caught up in a mosh pit or something after seeing me with my arm immobilized so they put us behind in the press section. She soon after got up to run to the restroom and upon her return she said, "Dana and Chuck are right over there!" Now, I normally don’t go up and pester athletes or anyone else out in public. I have bumped into fighters before weigh ins at MGM Grand and at most I wish them good luck as I pass by. This time was different because I was under the influence of pain medication which caused any sense of courtesy or shyness to never surface at all. I just got up, walked over to them and introduced myself. I thanked Dana for all his work and thanked Chuck for all the memorable fights in his career and asked them if they would take a picture. Dana’s reply was "of course!" After this, we left and watched the rally and I thought that was very cool of them both but the experience did not end there.This was about a week before UFC 121 and in the morning Dana tweeted that he might have tickets to give away. A few hours later, we bumped into Chuck Liddell again. This time, he had a fistful of tickets and The Iceman handed me two of them. I couldn’t believe it. One of the most legendary fighters of all time had just given me the opportunity to see Brock Lesnar face off against Cain Velasquez. The only problem was, two tickets was not enough. My girl was out of work and I was out on medical leave due to my shoulder and we could not afford the gas and hotel with just the two of us. She explained this to Chuck and he gave us two more tickets to the event. It was so nice of him to do that.I got home and went online to check my seats and I was blown away. I would have been happy with $50 cheap seats but Chuck gave us tickets in the lower concourse that were $325 per seat. I was stunned by the kindness and generosity of the UFC. Not only did I meet the UFC President and one of the most beloved fighters in the world and take pictures with them, but Chuck Liddell just handed me $1300 worth of fight tickets. I am convinced that no other organization has this close and benevolent of a relationship with their fan base. You never see this from any other people of that stature in any other sport and it cemented my fanhood and respect for the company and the people who work for it. Cory - Mine isn’t quite as impressive, but I’d say the best thing that MMA’s done is it reconnected me with a friend I hadn’t seen in years. For UFC 100, I went out to Playwright’s Bar in Manhattan. I’d called ahead and everything, and when I get there, it turns out they were charging a cover. As I stood on the curb, debating whether or not to pay it, up strolls a couple of dudes and they, too, stare at the sign. Then one of them turns around and it’s this guy, James, that I’d known for a couple of years, but had completely lost touch with. He and a bunch of his friends who showed up a couple minutes later got a bit blindsided by the cover. We’re all kind of poor, working-class, and middle-age is starting to peek at us from around the corner, so we’re all at that somewhat "responsible with money" level where we stop and think before we all drop coin on an unexpected cover. The manager bought us all a round and some wings to entice us in, and we acquiesced. Great night, and I’ve kept in touch with James since, thanks to our shared enjoyment of this sport.

Posted in: ufc, fight, mma, fan, penn

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Former Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) Lightweight and Welterweight Champion B.J. Penn fighting under the Strikeforce banner on Showtime? Hawaii don't play dat. Despite an abysmal 1-3-1 record over his last five fights,"The Prodigy" wanted nothing to do with a superfight against reigning Strikeforce Lightweight Champion Gilbert Melendez, who's riding out his current contract in the bowels of San Jose. Penn wasn't scared, just retired. UFC President Dana White (via MMA Fighting) explains what happened, after the jump. "Gilbert Melendez is a Strikeforce fighter and he's been great dealing with it. He wants to come over [to the UFC] and he wants to challenge himself against the best and I know a lot of other people want to see it too, but he's in that Strikeforce deal. I tried to do [Melendez vs. Penn], but it was at a time when BJ was like 'Yeah, I'm not fighting for awhile.' The thing that sucks for Gilbert is that I was 100 percent fired up and gung ho to go over there and work on Strikeforce, but the whole thing fell apart." Penn came up short as the main event headliner for UFC 137 back on Oct. 29, 2011, at the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas, Nevada. The unanimous decision win for Nick Diaz, which left Penn battered and bruised, sent him straight into an Interim title bout against Carlos Condit at UFC 143. And sent "The Prodigy" straight into retirement. Penn said he'll be back "if he ever feels it again," which could lead White to move forward with plans to bring his mixed martial arts (MMA) brand to Hawaii. Stay tuned.

Posted in: ufc, strikeforce, penn, melendez, gilbert

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UFC President Dana White has said a number of times he doesn’t view former double-division champion B.J. Penn as retired. And, while “The Prodigy” has officially remained on the sidelines, that hasn’t kept White from continuing to push him for a return. Before Gilbert Melendez signed to fight Josh Thomson for the Strikeforce lightweight title it was revealed through Cesar Gracie that the popular Hawaiian was a candidate to take on “El Nino”. Now, thanks to White, fans have been given confirmation of that scenario almost becoming reality. “I tried to do (Melendez vs. Penn), but it was at the same time when B.J. was like, ‘Yeah, I’m not fighting for a while,’” said White, in a post-press conference interview with MMAJunkie. “He wants to come back,” the UFC’s head-honcho added on Penn though offering no specifics beyond that. Penn announced his retirement after a loss to Nick Diaz last year. Many felt it was a sudden-decision based around the defeat, but Baby Jay has remained retired since. PHOTO CREDIT – UFC/STRIKEFORCE

Posted in: nick diaz, penn, gilbert melendez, cesar gracie, baby jay

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UFC President Dana White recently revealed that former UFC champion B.J. Penn will indeed be returning to the UFC Octagon sometime soon, ending the retirement he announced after losing handily to Nick Diaz last October. While many had speculated Penn would not remain retired long, news had broke that he had declined a fight against Gilbert Milendez for the Strikeforce Lightweight championship. No Penn is ready to return to battle apparently. He commented on the subject at the press conference for UFC on

Posted in: ufc, nick diaz, press conference, penn, gilbert milendez

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Sometimes the rumors, no matter how vociferously denied. are true. A few months back there was a little bit of commotion to the effect that Strikeforce Lightweight champion Gilbert Melendez wanted to face one of the top names from the UFC, someone like B.J. Penn. And Melendez certainly has a right to call out anyone in the Lightweight division. He's currently the #3 ranked LW in the world according to the USA TODAY/MMA Nation Consensus Rankings. He's cleaned out the Strikeforce 155lb division. At the time UFC president Dana White had to shoot those rumors down. Now the truth can be told. Dana wanted to book Melendez vs. B.J. Penn but couldn't talk the mercurial Penn into taking the fight. Instead Melendez will face Josh Thomson for the third time. He lost to Thomson in 2008 but won a rematch in 2009. More after the jump...More Strikeforce: Barnett vs. Cormier coverage from SBN White spoke to MMA Junkie and here's what he said: "I tried to do [Melendez vs. Penn], but it was at the time when B.J. was like, 'Yeah, I'm not fighting for a while.'" It's good to know that White is at least trying to secure better opponents for Melendez and presumably the other Strikeforce champions. It's not clear what exactly is the issue, but it is clear that the alliance between Showtime and the Zuffa-owned Strikeforce is not working for the fighters under contract to Strikeforce. Penn has indicated he might be interested in fighting at 170lbs again soon. I would love to see Penn fight for the vacant Strikeforce title against Tyron Woodley, Kazuo Misaki or even Paul Daley.

Posted in: ufc, strikeforce, penn, bj, melendez

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UFC president Dana White, in an interview with MMA Junkie following Thursday’s pre-fight press conference for UFC on FOX 3, confirmed that he did his best to get B.J. Penn and Gilbert Melendez inside the cage together. I tried to do (Melendez vs. Penn), but it was at the same time when B.J. was like, [...]

Posted in: bj penn, penn, gilbert melendez, melendez, mma junkie

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NEW YORK CITY - So it turns out there was something to those rumblings of Gilbert Melendez vs. B.J. Penn for the Strikeforce lightweight title, after all. Following today's pre-UFC on FOX 3 press conference in New York City, White revealed he tried to put the fight together but was rebuffed by Penn, ultimately leading to Melendez vs. Josh Thomson III on May 19. White said Penn simply wasn't up for a fight at that time, though things have since changed. The UFC boss also said Penn could be back sooner rather than later, and it will be at 170 pounds.

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With former UFC champions Tito Ortiz and B.J. Penn both coming to the ends of their storied careers it makes sense to start looking forward to their eventual admittance into the organization’s Hall of Fame. In reality, that date will come sooner than later considering Ortiz’s plan to hang his gloves up after a July fight with Forrest Griffin and Penn still stating he’s enjoying his recent retirement. UFC President Dana White echoed similar sentiments last week in a conversation with MMAFighting where he discussed the HoF credentials of each iconic athlete. “Despite my personal problems with Tito, he belongs in,” said White who nearly boxed Ortiz for charity one time at the peak of their rivalry. “He was the champion when we first bought this thing. The fact that Tito is still here, Tito and I have had our moments, but it doesn’t change what he did for the company. The beef between me and Tito, Chuck (Liddell) and Tito, the fact is, that played a huge role in helping making this thing as big as it is.” Turning to Penn, White pointed out the impact “The Prodigy” had being along the lines of Royce Gracie’s from the standpoint of showing an impressive level of technique and tenacity despite his stature. “There was a point in time when we first bought this company when people thought guys in the lighter weight divisions couldn’t be stars and couldn’t see pay-per-views and couldn’t cross over. Penn was definitely that first crossover guy for us,” admitted White of Penn’s role in the UFC’s development into a billion-dollar business. White didn’t reveal specific plans to induct Penn and Ortiz into the Hall of Fame though an opportunity to do so is set for this summer at UFC 148. In addition to featuring Ortiz’s final fight on the lineup, the card is the deepest in recent memory with a ton of other notable tilts including title-fights between Anderson Silva-Chael Sonnen and Urijah Faber-Dominick Cruz, plus comes with the added bonus of a Fan Expo similar to those where other Hall of Fame announcements have been made in the past. PHOTO CREDIT – UFC

Posted in: ufc, ortiz, ’t, tito, penn

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It’s hard to deny the next-level credentials of UFC fighters BJ Penn and Tito Ortiz. Each man had established himself as a star and promotional champion before the Ultimate Fighter ever aired, compiling a number of notable wins since as well including a second title-run by Penn in 2010. With Penn essentially retired and Ortiz ready to hang up his trademark flamed trunks the time for reflection is rapidly approaching, as is their induction into the UFC Hall of Fame according to promotional president Dana White. “Despite my personal problems with Tito, he belongs in. He was the champion when we first bought this thing. The fact that Tito is still here, Tito and I have had our moments, but it doesn’t change what he did for the company,” explained White in an interview with MMAFighting. “The beef between me and Tito, Chuck and Tito, the fact is, that played a huge role in helping making this thing as big as it is.” Ortiz is currently scheduled to fight in July at UFC 148 against Forrest Griffin in what is expected to be his final appearance inside the Octagon. As far as the iconic Hawaiian, White credited Penn for helping educate the public on how dangerous an individual can be even if he’s not necessarily the largest guy in the ring. Penn Content with Retirement “There was a point in time when we first bought this company when people thought guys in the lighter weight divisions could’t be stars and couldn’t see pay-per-views and couldn’t cross over. Penn was definitely that first crossover guy for us,” explained White, adding he felt “The Prodigy” would probably return for at least one more fight before truly calling it quits. PHOTO CREDIT – UFC Tweet

Posted in: ufc, tito ortiz, tito, ufc hall, penn

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Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) created a Hall of Fame to honor the legends of mixed martial arts (MMA), fighters who went above and beyond inside the Octagon (and out) to help make the sport what it is today, as well as what it can be for future generations. Among those inducted are former Light Heavyweight Champion Chuck Liddell, former Welterweight Champion Matt Hughes, former Heavyweight Champion Randy Couture and UFC pioneers Ken Shamrock and Royce Gracie, among others. And if it's up to promotion president Dana White, B.J. Penn will soon be there right alongside them. From his conversation with MMA Fighting: "Definitely. The thing about B.J. Penn is that what he brought to the lightweight division, there was a point in time when we first bought this company when people thought guys in the lighter weight divisions couldn’t be stars and couldn’t see pay-per-views and couldn’t cross over. B.J. Penn was definitely that first crossover guy for us. He’ll be back. It’s tough, when there are 16,000 people in the arena chanting your name, it’s tough to walk away from that. B.J. Penn is a fighter. You hear some of these guys, and Tito was one of these guys, he said he wanted to be famous. B.J. Penn is a fighter." Hear White's take on whether or not long time "Bad Boy" Tito Ortiz deserves a Hall of Fame nod, after the jump. "Despite my personal problems with Tito, he belongs in. He was the champion when we first bought this thing. The fact that Tito is still here, Tito and I have had our moments, but it doesn’t change what he did for the company. The beef between me and Tito, Chuck and Tito, the fact is, that played a huge role in helping making this thing as big as it is." Despite their dominance and championship reigns in the early days of the UFC, both Penn and Ortiz have struggled against a new generation of fighters. "The Prodigy," who is currently serving out his sentence following a self-imposed retirement, is 16-8 overall and is 1-3-1 over his last five bouts. Things are even worse for "The People's Champion," who has just one win over the past five years and is coming off back-to-back technical knockout losses in the latter part of 2011. Ortiz stands at 16-10 overall. Let's get some feedback from the fans. Is everyone on board with White's assertion? And what is your criteria for getting a fighter into the UFC Hall of Fame? What say you?

Posted in: ufc, bj penn, tito, penn, bj

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UFC president Dana White has never been shy about sharing his feels about - well, just about anything. At a luncheon at the Palms that was attended by some media members, Dana was asked about the UFC Hall of Fame and whom he thinks should be inducted. He named two fighters that are winding down their careers, both pioneers and former champions. Tito Ortiz and B.J. Penn. Here's what he said about his former client Tito, who believes his bout with Forrest Griffin at UFC 148 will be the last of his career (via MMA Fighting): "Despite my personal problems with Tito, he belongs in," said White. "He was the champion when we first bought this thing. The fact that Tito is still here, Tito and I have had our moments, but it doesn’t change what he did for the company." ... "The beef between me and Tito, Chuck and Tito, the fact is, that played a huge role in helping making this thing as big as it is." His thoughts on Baby Jay are after the jump. "Definitely," White said when asked if Penn belongs in the Hall. "The thing about B.J. Penn is that what he brought to the lightweight division, there was a point in time when we first bought this company when people thought guys in the lighter weight divisions couldn’t be stars and couldn’t see pay-per-views and couldn’t cross over. B.J. Penn was definitely that first crossover guy for us." The UFC HoF is the creation of a company and obviously isn't meant to be compared to the HoF's of major sports. Still though, the debate about who and who should not be inducted is always fun to have. B.J. and Tito seem like shoe-ins, but what about Frank Shamrock? Evan Tanner? Pat Miletich? There are obviously a ton of candidates that are still active as well. Speaking of active, Dana also addressed Penn's retirement: He’ll be back. It’s tough, when there are 16,000 people in the arena chanting your name, it’s tough to walk away from that. B.J. Penn is a fighter. You hear some of these guys, and Tito was one of these guys, he said he wanted to be famous. B.J. Penn is a fighter. Who would you induct into the UFC Hall of Fame if you could make the choice?

Posted in: ufc, bj penn, tito, penn, bj

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WEST HOLLYWOOD, Calif. -- The UFC hasn’t set a time or date for its next set of inductions into the company’s Hall of Fame. But when they get around to it, said company president Dana White, two former champions will likely get a call. During a lunch gathering at The Palm restaurant, White said two fighters coming close to the end of the line, former UFC light heavyweight champion Tito Ortiz and multi-weight class champ B.J. Penn, belong in the Hall of Fame. "Despite my personal problems with Tito, he belongs in," said White. "He was the champion when we first bought this thing. The fact that Tito is still here, Tito and I have had our moments, but it doesn’t change what he did for the company." Ortiz was the first major drawing card of the Zuffa era. "The Huntington Beach Bad Boy" held the light heavyweight title from 2000-03, still the third-longest reign in company history, and his rivalries with Ken Shamrock and Chuck Liddell helped etch the new-era UFC into mainstream consciousness. Ortiz and White have famously clashed over the years. But White says he can’t deny the former champion his place in history. "The beef between me and Tito, Chuck and Tito, the fact is, that played a huge role in helping making this thing as big as it is." Penn, a Hilo, Hawaii native billed as "The Prodigy," is one of the most naturally gifted fighters ever to set foot in the Octagon. His willingness to fight anyone -- he once gave up 50 pounds in a fight against future UFC light heavyweight champion Lyoto Machida and took him to a decision -- made him one of the company’s most popular fighters. Penn is one of just two fighters to win titles in multiple weight classes. In 2004, the natural lightweight went up to welterweight and submitted Matt Hughes to claim the crown, ending Hughes’ 13-fight win streak. In 2008, he defeated Joe Stevenson for the vacant UFC lightweight title and held the belt for two years. "Definitely," White said when asked if Penn belongs in the Hall. "The thing about B.J. Penn is that what he brought to the lightweight division, there was a point in time when we first bought this company when people thought guys in the lighter weight divisions couldn’t be stars and couldn’t see pay-per-views and couldn’t cross over. B.J. Penn was definitely that first crossover guy for us." Ortiz will fight Forrest Griffin in their trilogy fight on July 7 in what is expected to be Ortiz’s last fight. Penn is hinting at retirement, but White thinks he’s not done yet. "He’ll be back. It’s tough, when there are 16,000 people in the arena chanting your name, it’s tough to walk away from that. B.J. Penn is a fighter. You hear some of these guys, and Tito was one of these guys, he said he wanted to be famous. B.J. Penn is a fighter." Fighters currently in the Hall are Royce Gracie, Ken Shamrock, Dan Severn, Randy Couture, Mark Coleman, Chuck Liddell and Matt Hughes. Late TapouT co-founder Charles "Mask" Lewis is also inducted.

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Will he or won't he? That's the question on everyone's mind when it comes to whether or not B.J. Penn is going to fight again. UFC president Dana White seems to think he will. Retweet this Share on Facebook • Email • StumbleUpon • Reddit • Digg • Technorati • Instapaper • Tumblr • Google Reader • LinkedIn

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B.J. Penn claimed that he was "done" after being thoroughly roughed out by Nick Diaz at UFC 137. Penn has been more of less "off the radar" since the loss but there has still been a fair amount of curiosity over if the legendary fighter was actually hanging up the gloves. UFC president Dana White addressed the situation this weekend (via MMA Fighting): UFC president Dana White recently had a chance to speak with the Hawaiian great at the recent UFC on FX card in Sweden, and the pair addressed his future. According to him, Penn's career as an active fighter isn't over. "I heard some s--- that he said he was going to retire and all this stuff," White said. "He was like, 'Nah, I'm going to fight again.'" So, that sounds like Penn hasn't decided he's done quite yet. I do enjoy Dana saying he "heard some s---" as though it was some sort of rumor that had been spread around the internet. This was the interview Penn gave in-cage after the Diaz loss: Hats off to Nick Diaz. He's the man. Joe, this was probably the last time you'll see me in here. I can't keep performing at the top level. That's it Joe. I got a daughter and another daughter on the way, I don't want to go home looking like this. I'm done. That being said, never take a fighter's retirement in the ring/cage directly after a loss as gospel. Emotions are riding too high and things usually change after a few months.

Posted in: ufc, diaz, bj penn, dana, penn

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Just one week ago, former lightweight and welterweight champion B.J. Penn came out of hiding to tell the world he still hasn't quite made a decision on whether or not to retire but he has no plans on doing so in the near future. He did admit, though, that someone is always trying to pull him back in. That's why it comes as no surprise that the first chance the mixed martial arts (MMA) media got to ask UFC President Dana White about the status of "The Prodigy," he was quick to dismiss rumors of the Hawaiian's pending retirement. "I heard some shit that he said he was going to retire and all this stuff," White said after the UFC 145 post-fight press conference last night (via MMAFighting.com). "He was like, 'Nah, I'm going to fight again.'" Penn hasn't seen action since a three-round beatdown at the hands of Nick Diaz at UFC 137 back on Oct. 29, 2011, in Las Vegas, Nevada. It was such a devastating defeat that Penn took his ball and went back home to his family, where he said he's been wanting to go for some time. And if he's not motivated, why try to force it? Then again, if Penn is telling White behind-the-scenes that he's ready to get back inside the cage, it's time to think of possible match-ups for him. There's no word on whether he would come back at 155 or 170-pounds but there are plenty of options in both weight classes. Help us out, Maniacs. B.J. Penn's next fight should be against ...

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Former UFC lightweight and welterweight champion BJ “The Prodigy” Penn has always had a rabidly loyal fanbase. So, it’s come as no surprise that there’s been a very vocal group of MMA fans clamoring for the fiery Hawaiian’s return to the cage ever since he announced his retirement in October. Penn himself has been consistent so far in declaring his contentment with retirement, but his fans now have something new to hold onto courtesy UFC president Dana White. Following last night’s UFC 145: Jones vs. Evans post-fight press conference, White spoke with several media sources and indicated that The Prodigy must be playing coy in the public eye by denying his desire to fight, as he’s been telling the UFC boss something different. “I heard some s*** that he said he was going to retire and all this stuff,” White said (via MMAJunkie). “He was like, ‘Nah, I’m going to fight again.’” White added only that the two are “talking.” Retired with a record of 16-8-2, Penn’s career mark belies his many accomplishments in the sport. The only man next to Randy Couture to have captured two UFC titles in two separate weight classes, Penn is destined for the UFC Hall of Fame whether he returns to action and his winning ways or not. He announced his retirement after losing a unanimous decision to Nick Diaz at UFC 137.

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It may be far from an official announcement but signs continue to indicate former double-divisional champion B.J. Penn is leaning towards returning to the ring after deciding to hang up his gloves this past October. Though Penn still seemed on the fence when asked about it a week ago after UFC on Fuel 2, the popular Hawaiian also admitted he’d been back in the gym training, and apparently for good cause too, at least according to UFC President Dana White. “I heard some sh*t that he said he was going to retire and all this stuff. I talked to him, and he’s like, ‘I want to fight again,’” said White in a conversation with MMAJunkie after last night’s UFC 145 festivities had concluded. White didn’t elaborate further, even indicating what weight-class the surefire Hall of Famer would compete at if Penn does end his impromptu retirement. The 33-year old has held both the lightweight and welterweight titles, preferring the comfort of 170 pounds but enjoying a bit more success at 155 based on his physical dimensions. Penn hasn’t tipped his hand in that regard either, saying both are possibilities in a scenario where he comes back to competing in the cage. An emotionally drained Penn retired after coming up short against Nick Diaz at UFC 137, citing a desire to spend more time with his family and expressing displeasure at his performance in the one-sided decision defeat to Diaz. PHOTO CREDIT – UFC

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ATLANTA - Fear not, B.J. Penn fans: "The Prodigy" may return, after all. UFC president Dana White on Saturday night revealed he and Penn spoke at this past weekend's UFC on FUEL TV 2 event in Sweden, and the future UFC Hall of Famer said he wants another go in the octagon. "I heard some [expletive] that he said he was going to retire and all this stuff," White said following Saturday's UFC 145 post-event presser in Atlanta. "I talked to him, and he's like, 'I want to fight again.'"

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ATLANTA -- Will B.J. Penn fight again or not?That seems to be a question right now with no clear answer. But UFC president Dana White recently had a chance to speak with the Hawaiian great at the recent UFC on FX card in Sweden, and the pair addressed his future. According to him, Penn's career as an active fighter isn't over. "I heard some s--- that he said he was going to retire and all this stuff," White said. "He was like, 'Nah, I'm going to fight again.'"The 33-year-old hasn't fought since last October, when he dropped a decision to Nick Diaz in the UFC 137 main event. He's won only once in his last five fights, and after the defeat to Diaz, he said it would probably be his last time in the octagon, stating, "I'm done."Shortly after, he said he'd take some time to consider his options, and more recently, he said he had no plans to fight, but acknowledged he had not made a final decision. According to White, he's likely to come back at least one more time.Penn, a former UFC lightweight and welterweight champ, is 16-8-2 overall in a career that dates back 11 years to UFC 31 in May 2001.

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Former UFC champion BJ Penn has remained pretty strong in regards to staying retired from active competition. However, during a brief exchange over Twitter with boxing legend Sugar Ray Leonard, “The Prodigy” hinted he might come out of retirement. Leonard wrote, “always loved you “Heart”!!!!!” to Penn on his Twitter account. Penn replied back to [...]

Posted in: penn, twitter, leonard, ray, retirement leonard

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It doesn't seem like it was that long ago that B.J. Penn was considered one of the greatest pound-for-pound fighters who ever lived. Maybe he still is, in some circles. But there's no denying his star has fallen quite a ways, especially after his three-round beatdown at the hands of Nick Diaz on Oct. 29, 2012, at UFC 137 in Las Vegas, Nevada. In fact, he was so dejected by his defeat, Penn retired from the sport and vowed to spend more time at home with his family. Now, "The Prodigy" has popped up once again to give us an update. Is he really retired? "At the moment, I don't have any plans to fight. I have nothing scheduled, I'm just taking it easy, kind of enjoying life. So as of right now, I'm not entering the Octagon anytime soon. I've thought about (retiring) a lot over the years. I've been with the company for almost 11 years, probably 11 years now. It's definitely come up in my head before. The fight (against Nick Diaz) was a tough fight but I don't think it was just that fight. I've been thinking about this for a while and thinking about getting away from this sport. But I know everybody's constantly trying to pull me back in. ... We'll see. No one knows what the future holds." So the jury is still out. If Penn were to retire from mixed martial arts (MMA), he would likely go down as the most talented fighter in the history of the game who got the least out of his considerable abilities. With as skilled and gifted as he always was athletically, it's damn near criminal that he has a career record of 16-8-2. Then again, you get what you put in. Hear more from Penn after the jump, including whether or not he would come back as a lightweight or a welterweight in the event that he was to return to the cage.

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UFC icon BJ Penn is nearly six months removed from his unexpected retirement and, based on his statements in an interview after yesterday’s UFC on Fuel 2 event, it still doesn’t appear he has the itch to return to the ring this year if ever again. Penn hung his gloves up in October after a one-sided decision loss to Nick Diaz, dropping his record to 1-3-1 in his last five outings. Though Penn still believes he can compete at a high level, as do many in the MMA community, he seems content with focusing on family and friends rather than the required grind of a high-level fighter. “At the moment I don’t have any plans to fight. I have nothing scheduled. I’m just taking it easy, kind of enjoying life,” said Penn when asked about his current mindset. “As of right now I’m not entering the Octagon anytime soon.” Penn Still Trying to “Find” Himself The popular Hawaiian also addressed a comment from one of his coaches who had teased Penn’s potential comeback based on a recent session in the gym where “The Prodigy” hit pads. “That’s actually the first time I threw a punch since October, since I fought. I was enjoying myself,” laughed Penn on the topic before returning to reality, adding, “But it takes a lot. These guys are the top athletes in the world. And it takes a lot of time and a lot of energy to compete with these people.” Check out the full interview below: PHOTO CREDIT – UFC Tweet

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Former UFC champion BJ Penn announced his retirement following a loss to Nick Diaz last year. When he did, many figured it would only be a matter of time before Penn came out of retirement and back into action. However, several months have now passed, and “The Prodigy” appears set in his new lifestyle. Penn [...]

Posted in: ufc, nick diaz, champion, retirement, penn

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B.J. Penn, a popular former UFC champion who announced his retirement from fighting last year, was in Sweden over the weekend to help promote the sport relating to yesterday’s UFC on Fuel 2 event. While many felt like Penn’s decision to retire after a loss to Nick Diaz was a spur-of-the-moment decision based on emotion it seems “The Prodigy” is content with his current lifestyle. Along with raising his daughters, Penn is working with the UFC to open a gym in Oahu, increasing the presence of the brand in the Hawaiian islands. “I am sticking to that,” said Penn post-show when asked about his retirement. “I haven’t made any plans to come back and fight again.” Penn added he has talked with UFC President Dana White, but fighting is “just something that’s not in my future right now.” If he does indeed remain retired Penn will surely be a Hall of Famer after winning won titles in both the UFC’s lightweight and welterweight classes while amassing a record of 16-8-2 against some of MMA’s best. Check below for video of Penn’s interview: PHOTO CREDIT – UFC

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Though often capricious and inconsistent, B.J. Penn is thoroughly established as one of the best fighters to ever grace mixed martial arts competition. The 33-year-old Hawaiian took on all comers, regardless of size, and did so with an intensity of spirit and purity of skill that separated him from the pack and made his mark on the sport indelible. There will never be another B.J. Penn. So it is that many MMA fans have hoped that The Prodigy would change his mind on the retirement he announced following a unanimous decision loss to Nick Diaz at UFC 137 this past October. Unfortunately for those fans, it doesn’t sound like the proud father has any intentions of dusting off his gloves. “I haven’t made any plans to come back and fight again, Dana White has actually called me a couple times and talked to me, it’s just something that’s not in my future right now,” Penn said on last night’s UFC on Fuel TV 2 aftershow (props to MMAWeekly for the transcription). “I’m opening the UFC gym, the B.J. Penn/UFC gym in Oahu. I’ve been doing that and I’ve been watching my gym at home. I’ve just been kind of teaching and training, I like it. Just go to the gym; when I feel like training, I train. And, if not, I watch my daughters. That’s all I do.” It’s not that Penn has completely ruled out a return to action. He acknowledges that there are intriguing fights out there for him, he’s just not all that interested in taking them at this time – although he appreciates all of the fans clamoring for his return. “There’s tons of match-ups out there. There’s great athletes. The UFC has the best athletes in the world, but I don’t know. In a perfect world, I can’t even see the scenario right now this moment,” he said. “It’s just something that if I feel it, I feel it, and if not we’ll just sit back and watch all the other guys kick butt in the Octagon. “It’s awesome seeing that they want me to fight again, but as of now I just take my time.” Penn’s current record stands at 16-8-2, belying his impact on and accomplishments in the sport.

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Though often capricious and inconsistent, B.J. Penn is thoroughly established as one of the best fighters to ever grace mixed martial arts competition. The 33-year-old Hawaiian took on all comers, regardless of size, and did so with an intensity of spirit and purity of skill that separated him from the pack and made his mark on the sport indelible. There will never be another B.J. Penn. So it is that many MMA fans have hoped that The Prodigy would change his mind on the retirement he announced following a unanimous decision loss to Nick Diaz at UFC 137 this past October. Unfortunately for those fans, it doesn’t sound like the proud father has any intentions of dusting off his gloves. “I haven’t made any plans to come back and fight again, Dana White has actually called me a couple times and talked to me, it’s just something that’s not in my future right now,” Penn said on last night’s UFC on Fuel TV 2 aftershow (props to MMAWeekly for the transcription). “I’m opening the UFC gym, the B.J. Penn/UFC gym in Oahu. I’ve been doing that and I’ve been watching my gym at home. I’ve just been kind of teaching and training, I like it. Just go to the gym; when I feel like training, I train. And, if not, I watch my daughters. That’s all I do.” It’s not that Penn has completely ruled out a return to action. He acknowledges that there are intriguing fights out there for him, he’s just not all that interested in taking them at this time – although he appreciates all of the fans clamoring for his return. “There’s tons of match-ups out there. There’s great athletes. The UFC has the best athletes in the world, but I don’t know. In a perfect world, I can’t even see the scenario right now this moment,” he said. “It’s just something that if I feel it, I feel it, and if not we’ll just sit back and watch all the other guys kick butt in the Octagon. “It’s awesome seeing that they want me to fight again, but as of now I just take my time.” Penn’s current record stands at 16-8-2, belying his impact on and accomplishments in the sport.

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Will October 29, 2011 go down as the last date former UFC lightweight and welterweight champion B.J. Penn ever fights?

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Translated article from http://www.nettavisen.no/sport/kampsport/article3376173.ece B.J. Penn came to his feet and talked about career highlights, MMA in Norway and Jon Jones. STOCKHOLM (Nettavisen): After loss to Nick Diaz in October last year, announced earlier lightweight champion BJ Penn that he put up as fighter. It prevents him not to travel to Stockholm to pick up this weekend's UFC competition in the Globe. 33-year-old from Hawaii is one of the most familiar faces in UFC history and can not walk three feet in the hallways of the hotel without being stopped by eager fans. Nettavisen met the popular American voter to fight in Stockholm on Friday evening. Characterized by jet lag and all the commotion, had B.J. passed out just minutes before the interview. He appeared, however up to the agreement. My last game is done After more than ten years as a fighter to the very highest level in the world, one would think that it would be a little hard to decide to put a line through it all. But B.J. seems to thrive. "I miss not being punched in the face. I don't know, I have no plans to go for a game ever again. I don't miss it" says B.J. Penn Nettavisen. Although he has given himself as a professional MMA athlete, he has not stopped exercising. He admits, however, that has kills more relaxed now than he did before. "I still train martial arts for fun, I do all the time. I don't train as much MMA, so it is mostly grappling and different things." "I practice when I want, and it is good that there is no way that I must be at the gym. If I'm tired one day, I take it easy and teach things to others." Career Highlights From 2008 to 2010 was B.J. the undisputed king of UFCs lightweight class and went to a total of ten title fights in the organization. The highlights are many, but 33-year-old has two memories that skilelr from the rest. *"My best memory is my first fight in the UFC against Joey Gilbert. I still remember the excitement when I walked into the cage. It was great. Also I must mention the time I took the belt from Matt Hughes for many years (2004, editor.). They're probably my two greatest career moments" says Penn. Surprised by Norwegian ban His own career may be over, but B.J. still uses a lot of time in MMA. "I still enjoy myself watching the UFC. It's great to see young players coming up and do new things. New moves, new battle plans, new ways to win. I'm still a big fan of UFC." He is surprised when he learns that either MMA or professional boxing is allowed in Norway. He believes that politicians and the citizens have to put into the sport and understand what it's all about if it ever be legalized. "It's like anything else. People need to educated and understand what it means. Since neither boxing is allowed, I guess that it's punches and kicks to the head that is the problem. It must be the first hurdle to get over, but it sounds like it will be a tough game." Belief in Jon Jones Next weekend is held UFC 145 in Atlanta, and it's time for a major confrontation between the bitter rivals Rashad Evans and Jon Jones. B.J. is delighted. "I think it is a very good match. I think Rashad Evans will do well if he manages to take Jon Jones down, while Jones will do best if the fight remains standing. I think it will be the key in the fight." You would think that it tingled a bit in the arms and legs of an old champion in connection with such a fight, but BJ is sure in his cause. "I am done. I will never fight again." submitted by red1392 [link] [2 comments]

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It’s going to take you several attempts to understand Renato Laranja’s English if you’ve never heard him before. There’s nothing wrong with you. It’s completely normal. You should probably start with this video. Once you’re ready, only then should you click play on the video below. There’s an important message in that video about BJ Penn returning to MMA, but if you struggle with the thick Portuguese accent of the 27 time Brazilian jiu-jitsu champion, you might miss it all together. I missed it the first six times I watched it until I saw the excerpt on BJPenn.com that translated it for me. Good folks over there at BJPenn.com. I’m happy that they took the time to give us hope that BJ Penn will, in fact, be returning to MMA. It’s the best news we’ve heard since the North Korean long-range missile launch screwed-up and fell into the sea this week. Some people say it’s because North Korea doesn’t have the technology, but all of us know better: BJ Penn is training again, and as long as he is, the entire North Pacific is safe.

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"The Prodigy" BJ Penn put the UFC welterweight division on notice at UFC 123 when he smoked former champion Matt Hughes in just 21 seconds.

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Former champions Matt Hughes and BJ Penn met for the third time at UFC 123 in November 2010 to complete their trilogy. But Penn never let Hughes get started. How 'bout a knockout reel for your...

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 Who will be this year's Bubba Jenkins (2-0) to emerge from the NCAA Division I wrestling finals? Top candidates to turn their NCAA title into a MMA career were Boris Novachkov of Cal Poly and Chris Honeycutt of Edinboro who finished third and second in their weight classes respectively. Honeycutt, who has already trained with the American Kickboxing Academy, announced his intentions to go into MMA prior to his championship match-up at 197 pounds.Three 2012 NCAA Champions as five star MMA prospects Frank Molinaro Penn State- The last Nittany Lion to win a national championship after becoming a four time All American was current UFC light heavyweight contender Phil Davis (9-1). Nicknamed the "Gorilla Hulk" Molinaro would make for a wrestling tank as a MMA featherweight. If the New Jersey native does not go into coaching or try his hand on the international scene MMA would welcome him with open arms. Two more MMA prospects, NCAA All American list, notes and results after the jump Ed Ruth Penn State- Only a sophomore Ed Ruth is a huge 174 pound wrestler for the Nittany Lion. In the 2011 NCAA championships Ruth had two pins on the way to a third place finish. With top level skill, size and athleticism Ruth captured a national title in 2012 and the 20 year old could wreck havoc in MMA after his senior year in 2014. David Taylor Penn State- A redshirt sophomore David Taylor is perhaps the most talented wrestler on the 2012 Penn State championship squad. After a 38-1 freshman year Taylor came back with a 31-0 campaign and a national title at 165 pounds. Most likely destined for the Olympic Games, Taylor already does have a built-in MMA rival as it was Bubba Jenkins who pinned him during the 2011 NCAA finals. 2012 NCAA Division I Wrestling Individual Results & All American Honors 125 pounds:1st: No. 1 Matt McDonough (Iowa) dec. No. 10 Nico Megaludis (Penn State), 4-13rd: No. 2 Zach Sanders (Minnesota) dec. No. 6 Frank Perrelli (Cornell), 6-4 SV5th: No. 8 Ryan Mango (Stanford) dec. No. 5 Nic Bedelyon (Kent State), 6-4 SV7th: No. 4 Jesse Delgado (Illinois) dec. No. 12 Steve Bonanno (Hofstra), 3-1133 pounds:1st: No. 2 Logan Stieber (Ohio State) dec. No. 1 Jordan Oliver (Oklahoma State), 4-33rd: No. 3 Tony Ramos (Iowa) pinned No. 10 Chris Dardanes (Minnesota), 6:495th: No. 6 Devin Carter (Virginia Tech) pinned No. 4 B.J. Futrell (Illinois), 1:457th: No. 8 Zac Stevens (Michigan) dec. No. 11 Steven Keith (Harvard), 13-11141 pounds:1st: No. 1 Kellen Russell (Michigan) dec. No. 3 Montell Marion (Iowa), 6-4 SV3rd: No. 6 Boris Novachkov (Cal Poly) dec. No. 2 Kendric Maple (Oklahoma), 4-3 SV5th: No. 4 Michael Mangrum (Oregon State) pinned No. 5 Hunter Stieber (Ohio State), 4:147th: Michael Nevinger (Cornell) dec. No. 8 Darius Little (North Carolina State), 10-3149 pounds:1st: No. 1 Frank Molinaro (Penn State) dec. No. 7 Dylan Ness (Minnesota), 4-13rd: No. 4 Donnie Vinson (Binghamton) dec. No. 10 Cam Tessari (Ohio State), 12-105th: No. 6 Tyler Nauman (Pittsburgh) dec. Justin Accordino (Hofstra), 4-37th: Scott Sakaguchi (Oregon State) dec. Nick Lester (Oklahoma), 1-0157 pounds:1st: No. 1 Kyle Dake (Cornell) dec. No. 2 Derek St. John (Iowa), 4-13rd: No. 7 Dylan Alton (Penn State) dec. No. 3 Jason Welch (Northwestern), 6-25th: No. 6 James Fleming (Clarion) dec. No. 5 Ganbayar Sanjaa (American), 7-57th: No. 11 James Green (Nebraska) dec. No. 4 Walter Peppelman (Harvard), 9-1165 pounds:1st: No. 1 David Taylor (Penn State) tech. fall No. 11 Brandon Hatchett (Lehigh), 22-73rd: No. 4 Bekzod Abdurakhmanov (Clarion) dec. Kyle Blevins (Appalachian State), 6-25th: No. 6 Peter Yates (Virginia Tech) dec. No. 7 Josh Asper (Maryland), 13-77th: Ben Jordan (Wisconsin) dec. No. 9 Conrad Polz (Illinois), 5-2174 pounds:1st: No. 1 Ed Ruth (Penn State) dec. No. 3 Nick Amuchastegui (Stanford), 13-23rd: No. 2 Chris Perry (Oklahoma State) dec. No. 7 Jordan Blanton (Illinois), 4-15th: No. 9 Nick Heflin (Ohio State) dec. No. 4 Logan Storley (Minnesota), 3-27th: No. 5 Ethen Lofthouse (Iowa) dec. No. 6 Ryan DesRoches (Cal Poly), 3-1184 pounds:1st: No. 4 Steve Bosak (Cornell) dec. No. 6 Quentin Wright (Penn State), 4-2 SV3rd: No. 9 Austin Trotman (Appalachian State) dec. No. 2 Robert Hamlin (Lehigh), 3-1 SV5th: No. 5 Kevin Steinhaus (Minnesota) dec. No. 3 Ben Bennett (Central Michigan), 3-17th: No. 1 Joe LeBlanc (Wyoming) med. forfeit over No. 7 Josh Ihnen (Nebraska)197 pounds:1st: No. 1 Cam Simaz (Cornell) dec. No. 2 Chris Honeycutt (Edinboro), 7-53rd: No. 5 Cayle Byers (Oklahoma State) dec. No. 4 Matt Wilps (Pittsburgh), 3-25th: No. 10 Sonny Yohn (Minnesota) dec. No. 9 Alfonso Hernandez (Wyoming), 4-17th: No. 11 Micah Burak (Penn) dec. No. 12 Joe Kennedy (Lehigh), 2-1 SV285 pounds:1st: No. 2 Tony Nelson (Minnesota) dec. No. 4 Zack Rey (Lehigh), 4-13rd: No. 10 Mike McMullan (Northwestern) dec. No. 3 Clayton Jack (Oregon State), 10-55th: No. 5 Bobby Telford (Iowa) med. forfeit over No. 1 Ryan Flores (American)7th: No. 7 Jeremy Johnson (Ohio) dec. Nick Gwiazdowski (Binghamton), 11-5 - Four wrestlers went wire to wire Frank Molinaro, Kyle Dake, David Taylor and Edward Ruth all captured titles and kept perfect records during the 2011-2012 season. -Penn State sophomore David Taylor racked up three awards on the night: the 2012 NCAA Most Dominant Wrestler for the season, the 2012 NCAA Wrestling Championships Most Outstanding Wrestler and the Gorriaran Award winner for the most falls in the least amount of time.-Iowa junior Matt McDonough became the 22nd wrestler in school history to win at least two NCAA titles. Only six Hawkeyes have ever won three national titles. McDonough owns a 100-4 career record heading into his senior season. -Minnesota sophomore Anthony Nelson joins the likes of MMA fighters Cole Konrad (2007) and Brock Lesnar (2000) as Golden Gophers who have won heavyweight NCAA wrestling championship. Nelson was the first Golden Gopher to capture a NCAA championship since 2010. 2012 NCAA Division I Wrestling Team Results 1. Penn State 143.02. Minnesota 117.53. Iowa 107.54. Cornell 102.55. Ohio St. 68.56. Oklahoma St. 66.07. Illinois 62.08. Lehigh 61.09. Northwestern 42.510. Oregon St. 40.5- Penn State's 143.0 score is the most points scored by one team at the tournament since Oklahoma State had 153 in 2005. Penn State also became only the fourth team in NCAA history to win back-to-back titles.    

Posted in: pound, dec, penn, ncaa, state

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Good morning, Maniacs. This past weekend the annual NCAA wrestling championship tournament was held in St. Louis, Missouri. Like any other NCAA championship tournament, it is the crown jewel of the collegiate wrestling season and is one of very few chances that wrestling has to shine on a national stage. With wrestling being one of the most common points of entry into mixed martial arts (MMA) competition, the exposure is a great chance for die hard MMA enthusiasts to get a look at the potential future of their sport. The tournament has been dominated by a handful of schools, with Iowa, Penn State, Minnesota and Oklahoma State having won the past 25 tournaments between them. Penn State is fairly new on the scene, having risen to prominence quickly since Cael Sanderson took over the program in 2009. Sanderson, of course, is one of the most decorated collegiate wrestlers in American history and the only man to have gone undefeated in a collegiate career of over 100 matches (159-0). Leading Penn State this year were a trio of undefeated wrestlers in the middleweight divisions: Frank Molinaro at 149 pounds, David Taylor at 165 pounds and Ed Ruth at 174 pounds. All three were top seeds in their division and so the big story leading into the tournament was could anyone stop these three powerhouses, and if they couldn't, was Penn State on its way to a clear second championship in as many seasons? The first day of action was fairly by the book. There were a couple of upsets, most notably 157 lbs contender Walter Peppleman of Harvard getting pinned by David Bonin of Northern Iowa in the first period. Top seeded heavyweight Ryan Flores had the most impressive day, as he had the misfortune of being selected to wrestle in the play-in match, meaning he would have to win an extra match at the beginning of the day just to ensure his position in the 32-man tournament. It was no problem for Flores, as he won his play-in match by pin and then won his first and second round matches by pin. As for the team standings, it was a fairly close battle for position. As expected, Penn State got out to the lead, but Minnesota was within striking distance at the close of the day. For results of the first day, check out Mania's coverage:Day 1, Session 1 resultsDay 1, Session 2 resultsJason Bryant of USA Wrestling and Shane Sparks of BadgerStateWrestling.com wrapped up the action after the first day in a far more informed fashion than I could, so if you want to get the scoop from a couple of guys who have had their fingers on the pulse of collegiate wrestling for years, I urge you to check out the way they saw things: The tournament really heated up on the second day with the quarter- and semi-final rounds taking place. Penn state would start to pull away from the pack, and the top seeds began to flex their muscle. Kyle Dake of Cornell was wrestling with the intention of becoming the first man ever to win a national championship in three different weight classes. Having already won at 141 and 149 pounds, Dake was looking like a strong bet to win at 157 pounds after the second day. Here he is getting a pin over Frank Hickman of Bloomburg in his quarterfinal match: Another story that began to develop on the second day was that of Nico Megaludis, the 10th seeded 125 pounder, somewhat of a forgotten man on the Penn State team. With Penn State holding a slim lead over Minnesota, Megaludis would go up against Zachary Sanders in the quarterfinals in one of the first matches of the second day. After a scoreless first period, we pick up the action with Megaludis having just scored a point for an escape at the start of the second round: Megaludis would go on to defeat Frank Perrelli of Cornell in the semi-final, making him the first Penn State wrestler to book his place in the finals and also one of the major reasons that State was able to extend it's lead in the team standings to a comfortable 22.5 points after the second day. Again, Mania has the complete breakdown from the second day. Session 1, Quarterfinal resultsSession 2, Semifinal results Bryant and Sparks were back as well: By the time the finals rolled around, it had become quite clear that it was going to be a second straight championship for the Nittany Lions. Molinaro, Taylor and Ruth had joined Megaludis in the finals and they were joined by the only Lion to have won an individual championship last year, 185 pounder Quinton Wright. With a stunning five finalists, by the time the final matches began, State had already wrapped up the title. With the team title out of the way, the final bit of intrigue centered around Kyle Dake and whether or not he could become the first man to win three titles in three different weight classes. Before we could get to Dake though, controversy struck during the 133 pound final. Defending champion Jordan Oliver, from Oklahoma State (Johny Hendricks' alma mater) was taking on freshman talent Logan Stieber of Ohio State. The controversy would stem from an Oliver takedown attempt that was clearly successful to everyone, it seemed, but the referee. The two points would have given Oliver the match, but instead he would be denied his second title. Here is the controversial final match in full: What do you guys think? Was that a legal takedown? Considering Oliver and Stieber both have multiple years of eligibilty left, I suspect we'll be could easily be seeing these guys square off again next year. As for Kyle Dake, here is his final match, against Derek St. John of Iowa: Quite impressive. As for the rest of the finals, if you didn't get a chance to catch them on ESPN 3 over the weekend or read about them on Mania, IronForgesIron.com was kind enough to compile the video of the third place matches to go along with the championship matches. It's over three hours of some of the finest wrestling you're likely to see this year and it certainly puts some of the wrestling we see in mixed martial arts to shame. Yes, I know that striking and submission grappling drastically changes things, but sometimes I think we forget just how young of a sport MMA is, and how much room for improvement there is in the various disciplines. I can't wait for the day when every UFC fighter, not just the elite ones, have had a decorated amateur wrestling career to go along with a jiu jitsu black belt and extensive striking training. What a treat it will be to watch guys at that level go at it. And that wraps up our coverage of the event. I hope you enjoyed the tournament as much as I did.

Posted in: day, championship, tournament, penn, state

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After a three-day tournament among the nation's best collegiate wrestlers, tonight is the finals for the 2012 NCAA Division I National Wrestling Championships. Join MMA Fighting tonight at 7:30 pm ET as we bring you live results for all ten weight classes. Tonight's event (and the entire tournament) takes place at the Scottrade Center in St. Louis Missouri. The finals will air on ESPN or ESPN3.com. Be sure to catch up on the results as well as information about who might be headed into mixed martial arts. In terms of team points, Penn State University (PSU) - headed by U.S. gold medalist Cael Sanderson - has already mathematically clinched the win. Only points deducted for penalties could force them to lose the title. In addition, PSU is sending five wrestlers to the finalists, more than any other program this year. Full results below will be updated in real time. 125lbs FINAL: Matt McDonough (Iowa) vs. Nicholas Megaludis (Penn State) 133lbs FINAL: Logan Stieber (Ohio State) vs. Jordan Oliver (Oklahoma State) 141lbs FINAL: Kellen Russell (Michigan) vs. Montell Marion (Iowa) 157lbs FINAL: Kyle Dake (Cornell) vs. Derek St. John (iowa) 165lbs FINAL: David Taylor (Penn State) vs. Brandon Hatchett (Lehigh) 174lbs FINAL: Nick Amuchastegui (Stanford) vs. Ed Ruth (Penn State) 184lbs FINAL: Steve Bosak (Cornell) vs. Quentin Wright (Penn State) 197lbs FINAL: Cam Simaz (Cornell) vs. Chris Honeycutt (Edinboro) 285lbs FINAL: Zach Rey (Lehigh) vs. Tony Nelson (Minnesota)

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For full results, be sure to consult SB Nation. As it stands, Penn State - the team to beat before the entire tournament kicked off - is now sending five wrestlers into the finals. One of them, sophomore David Taylor at 165lbs, has pinned all of his opposition on the way there. Team scores headed into the finals: 1. Penn State 124.0 2. Minnesota 94.5 3. Iowa 87.5 4. Cornell 86.05. Oklahoma State 57 Full results below. Tomorrow's finals begin at 7:30pm ET and will air on ESPN: 125lbs Nicholas Megaludis (Penn State) dec. Frank Perrelli (Cornell) 3-2Matt McDonough (Iowa) dec. Nicholas Bedelyon (Kent St.) 8-5 FINAL: Matt McDonough vs. Megaludis 133lbs Jordan Oliver (Oklahoma State) dec. Futrell (Illinois), 8-2Logan Stieber (Ohio St.) dec. Tony Ramos (Iowa), 4-2 FINAL: Logan Stieber vs. Jordan Oliver 141lbs Kellen Russell (Michigan) dec. Hunter Stieber (Ohio State) 4-2Montell Marion (Iowa) dec. Kendric Maple (Oklahoma) 3-1 FINAL: Kellen Russell vs. Montell Marion 157lbs Kyle Dake (Cornell) dec. Ganbayar Sanjaa (American), 4-0Derek St. John (Iowa) dec. Jason Welch (Northwestern), 5-1 FINAL: Kyle Dake vs. Derek St. John 165lbs David Taylor (Penn State) pins Bezkod Abdurakhmonov (Clarion), 4:44Brandon Hatchett (Lehigh) dec. Josh Asper (Maryland) 5-4 FINAL: David Taylor vs. Brandon Hatchett 174lbs Ed Ruth (Penn State) dec. Logan Storley (Minnesota), TF 17-1Nick Amuchastegui (Stanford) dec. Chris Perry (Oklahoma State) 6-3 FINAL: Nick Amuchastegui vs. Ed Ruth 184lbs Quentin Wright (Penn State) dec. Robert Hamlin (Lehigh), 3-2Steve Bosak (Cornell) dec. Austin Trotman (Appalachian State), 4-2 FINAL: Steve Bosak vs. Quentin Wright 197lbs Cam Simaz (Cornell) dec. Cayle Byers (Oklahoma State), 6-3Chris Honeycutt (Edinboro) dec. Matthew Wilps (Pittsburgh) FINAL: Cam Simaz vs. Chris Honeycutt 285lbs Zach Rey (Lehigh) dec. Flores (American), 6-2Tony Nelson (Minnesota) dec. Clayton Jack (Oregon St), 4-3 FINAL: Zach Rey vs. Tony Nelson

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After an incredible morning session today (March 16, 2012) at the 2012 NCAA Wrestling Championships from the Scottrade Center in St. Louis, Mo., the semifinals took place this evening, setting the stage for an intense final day tomorrow.MMAMania.com is bringing you coverage of the tournament until the final pin has been recorded -- see Session 1, Day 1 results here, Session 2, Day 1 results here and Session 1, Day 2 results here -- so here is everything you need to know from Friday's action. Remember that you can catch all the action live on ESPN 3 and you can follow along with the live results here.Team OutlookPenn State University (PSU) had a small lead after day one, holding a 5.5 point advantage over Minnesota University. The defending champion Nittany Lions stretched its lead to 18.5 points after this morning's quarterfinals and things only got better in the afternoon, bumping up its lead heading into the final day to a commanding 22.5 points. The battle for second has been a game of musical chairs with Minnesota, Cornell and now Minnesota again occupying the runner up position. 1st. Penn State - 124 points, 5 finalists2nd. Minnesota - 101.5 points, 2 finalists3rd. Iowa - 93 points, 3 finalists 4th. Cornell - 86 points, 3 finalists 5th. Ohio State - 60 points, 1 finalists Guys to Google: I've been following 15 exceptional talents throughout the tournament, and 14 of the 15 advanced through to the semifinals, which of course brought a few up against each other in the semifinals. Here are the results of those matches: 133, Jordan Oliver (Oklahoma State) won by decision (8-2) over Bernard Futrell (Illinois)174, Nick Amuchastegui (Stanford) won by decision (6-3) over Chris Perry (Oklahoma State) As for the rest of the "Guys to Google:" 125, Matt McDonough (Iowa) -- Advanced to Finals. Major Decision133, Logan Stieber (Ohio State) - Advanced to Finals. Decision149, Frank Molinaro (Penn State) -- Advanced to Finals. Decision157, Kyle Dake (Cornell) -- Advanced to Finals. Decision165, David Taylor (Penn State) -- Advanced to Finals, Pin (100% Pin ratio)174, Edward Ruth (Penn State) -- Advanced to Finals, Technical FallHeavyweight, Ryan Flores (American) - LOST to Zachary Rey, DecisionHeavyweight, Anthony Nelson (Minnesota) - Advanced to Finals, Decision Here are the complete semi final results: 125 lbs 1st: Matt McDonough (Iowa) won by major decision (15-7) over 5th: Nicholas Bedelyon (Kent State)10th: Nicholas Megaludis (Penn State) won in overtime (3-2) over 6th: Frank Perrelli (Cornell) 133 lbs 1st: Jordan Oliver (Oklahoma State) won by decision (8-2) over 4th: Bernard Futrell (Illinois)2nd: Logan Stieber (Ohio State) won by decision (4-2) over Tony Ramos (Iowa) 141 lbs 1st: Kellen Russell (Michigan) 32-1 won by decision (5-2) over 5th: Hunter Stieber (Ohio State) 3rd: Montell Marion (Iowa) won in overtime (3-1) over 2nd: Kendric Maple (Oklahoma) 149 lbs 1st: Frank Molinaro (Penn State) won by decision (5-0) over Justin Accordino (Hofstra)7th: Dylan Ness (Minnesota) won by decision (8-5) over 6th: Tyler Nauman (Pittsburgh) 157 lbs 1st: Kyle Dake (Cornell) won by decision (4-0) over 5th: Ganbayar Sanjaa (American)2nd: Derek St. John (Iowa) won by decision (5-1) over 3rd: Jason Welch (Northwestern) 165 lbs 1st: David Taylor (Penn State) won by pin (4:44) over 4th: Bekzod Abdurakhmonov (Clarion)11th: Brandon Hatchett (Lehigh) won by decision (5-4) over 7th: Josh Asper (Maryland) 174 lbs 1st: Edward Ruth (Penn State) won by tech fall (17-1) over 4th: Logan Storley (Minnesota)3rd: Nick Amuchastegui (Stanford) won by decision (6-3) over 2nd: Chris Perry (Oklahoma State) 184 lbs 4th: Steve Bosak (Cornell) won in overtime (4-2) over 9th: Austin Trotman (Appalachian State) 6th: Quentin Wright (Penn State) won by decision (3-2) over 2nd: Robert Hamlin (Lehigh) 197 lbs 1st: Cam Simaz (Cornell) won by decision (6-3) over 5th: Cayle Byers (Oklahoma State)2nd: Christopher Honeycutt (Edinboro) won in overtime (6-3) over 3rd: Matthew Wilps (Pittsburgh) Heavyweight 4th: Zachery Rey (Lehigh) won by decision (6-2) over 1st: Ryan Flores (American)2nd: Anthony Nelson (Minnesota) won by decision (6-2) 3rd: Clayton Jack (Oregon State) Running through the notable semifinal matches, 10th seeded Nicholas Megaludis from Penn State had the day of his athletic career, beating the 2nd and 6th seed in the quarters and semis, respectively, to advance to the 125-pound final. He'll go up against Matt McDonough of Iowa in the finals, making it three straight matches with team championship implications for Megaludis. Penn State has all but wrapped up the title but still, what an impressive run it would be if Megaludis can complete the hat trick. The 133- and 157-pound divisions will feature the top two seeds squaring off in the finals, with top seeded Jordan Oliver of Oklahoma State University battling Logan Stieber of Ohio State University in the 133-pound class, while Cornell's undefeated Kyle Dake meets Derek St. John out of Iowa in the 157-pound class. In what could be the most lopsided final, top seed David Taylor of Penn State, who has pinned his way through the 165-pound division in a total time of just 8:46, meets 11th seed Brandon Hatchett of Lehigh.The only divisions that didn't see the top seed advancing to the finals was the 184-pound class and the heavyweight class. Lehigh heavyweight Zachery Rey pulled off an incredible upset in the semis by taking a decision over Ryan Flores. Considering how Flores had rolled through the rest of the field, what might not be the upset of the tournament on paper certainly was very impressive. Rey will meet Minnesota's Anthony Nelson, who has given up just two points in the tournament so far. Make sure to check out Mania tomorrow, where we'll have a preview of the finals and live play by play as the championships are decided. The finals get underway at 7:30 pm Eastern time tomorrow. They can be seen live on ESPN and ESPN 3.

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The full results and analysis can be found over at SB Nation, but suffice to say like it's basketball counterpart, this March Matness has been filled with storied programs and their dominant wrestlers owning the rest of the competition. 141 was hit with upsets and there was one number-one seed upended, but generally it's been the top draws making their ways to the semis. Tonight's semifinals kicks off at 7pm ET. We'll have more after the conclusion of tonight's semi-finals. Full results of today's matches:125 poundsMatt McDonough (Iowa) dec. Ryan Mango (Stanford), 13-3Nico Megaludis (Penn State) dec. Zach Sanders (Minnesota), 7-4Nic Bedelyon (Kent State) dec. Jesse Delgado (Illinois), 8-5Frank Perrelli (Cornell) vs. Anthony Zanetta (Pitt), 6-3133 pounds Jordan Oliver (Oklahoma State) pins Zach Stevens (Michigan)Logan Stieber (Ohio State) dec. Chris Dardanes (Minnesota), 7-4Tony Ramos (Iowa) pins Steven Keith (Harvard)B.J. Futrell (Illinois) pins Joe Colon (Northern Iowa)141 poundsKellen Russell (Michigan) dec. Nick Dardanes (Minnesota), 7-3Kendric Maple (Oklahoma) dec. Zack Neibert (Virginia Tech), 5-3Montell Marion (Iowa) dec. Boris Novachkov (Cal Poly), 7-6Hunter Stieber (Ohio State) dec. Mike Mangrum (Oregon State), 6-5149 poundsFrank Molinaro (Penn State) dec. Eric Grajales (Michigan), 10-2Dylan Ness (Minnesota) dec. Jamal Parks (Oklahoma State), 3-2Tyler Nauman (Pitt) dec. Cole VonOhlen (Air Force), 9-5Justin Accordino (Hofstra) dec. Nick Lester (Oklahoma), 11-3157lbsKyle Dake (Cornell) pins Frank Hickman (Bloomsburg)Derek St. John (Iowa) dec. Dylan Alton (Penn State), 3-1Jason Welch (Northwestern) dec. No. 11 James Green (Nebraska), 2-1Ganbayar Sanjaa (American) dec. David Kolodzik (Princeton), 7-3165lbsDavid Taylor (Penn State) pins Robert Kolesh (Nebraska)Bedzod Abdurakmonov (Clarion) dec. P.J. Gillespie (Hofstra), 5-1Josh Asper (Maryland) dec. Shane Onufer (Wyoming), 5-3Brandon Hatchett (Lehigh) dec. Andrew Sorenson (Iowa State), 7-3174lbsEd Ruth (Penn State) dec. Nick Heflin (Ohio State), 11-4Chris Perry (Oklahoma State) dec. Jordan Blanton (Illinois), 3-2Nick Amuchastegui (Stanford) vs. Nick DesRoches (Cal Poly)Logan Storley (Minnesota) vs. Ethen Lofthouse (Iowa), 3-1184lbs Quentin Wright (Penn State) pins Ben Bennett (Central Michigan)Steve Bosak (Cornell) dec. Kevin Steinhaus (Minnesota), 1-0Austin Trotman (Appalachian State) dec. Joe LeBlanc (Wyoming), 12-9Robert Hamlin (Lehigh) dec. Josh Ihren (Nebraska), 7-4197lbsCam Simaz (Cornell) dec. Alfonzo Hernandez (Wyoming), 8-2Chris Honeycutt (Edinboro) dec. Sonny Yohn (Minnesota), 9-4Matt Wilps (Pitt) pins Brent Haynes (Missouri)Cayle Byers (Oklahoma State) dec. James Nakashima (Nebraska), 5-4285lbsRyan Flores (American) pins Andrew Delaney (Citadel)Tony Nelson (Minnesota) pins Mike McMullan (Northwestern)Clayton Jack (Oregon State) dec. Cameron Wade (Penn State), 7-0Zach Rey (Lehigh) dec. Bobby Telford (Iowa), 2-0

Posted in: dec, penn, state, pin, minnesota

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The Quarter Finals are done and dusted, featuring perhaps more pin falls at any NCAA past Session 3 event in recent memory. At 7 p.m. ET / 4 p.m. PT / 11 p.m. GMT we got back to the mats one last time tonight as we witness the Semi-Finals that will determine who fights for Gold on Saturday evening. Those in the USA can watch via ESPN U, also available as a live stream via ESPN.com. Unfortunately for those with access to the ESPN Player outside of the USA for a subscription, the live Semi-Finals are not being shown tonight. Current Non-US residents will have to make do with reduced coverage at Flowrestling.org and TheMat.com in the form of live audio play-by-play. For results and a recap of today's earlier action, be sure to check out my coverage of the NCAA Division I Wrestling Quarter Final. Is Penn State a lock for the team championship, or can Cornell or Iowa wrestle it away from them? Does Minnesota stance a chance of getting back into the Top 3? Join us later to find out. Related Stories: NCAA Division I Wrestling Championship Quarter Final Results: Penn State Gallops To Lead, Minnesota Limps Behind, Cornell & Iowa Fill Void NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships Quarter Finals Live Discussion | NCAA Division I Wrestling Championship Session 2 Results: Penn State & Minnesota Go Back And Forth | NCAA Division I Wrestling Championship Session 1 Results: Penn State Take Early Lead | NCAA Wrestling Champions That Have Succeeded In The UFC

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The first session of day two at the 2012 NCAA Wrestling Championships is in the books and, as expected, there were some incredible matches. MMAMania.com continues to bring you coverage of the tournament -- see Session 1, Day 1 results here and Session 2, Day 1 results here -- and we'll start by recapping the team standings, move into some of the key individual results and then of course give you a complete bracket update. Remember that you can catch all the action live on ESPN 3 and you can follow along with the live results here. Team Outlook Penn State continues to lead the way with 78.5 points, going 5-2 in the quarters. Cornell made the big move of the day, jumping into second spot on the strength of going 4-0 in the quarters. Minnesota had eight wrestlers through to the quarters but they only managed to go 3-5, all but ending their chances of winning the team title. 1st. Penn State - 78.5 points, 5 semifinal qualifiers.2nd. Cornell - 60 points, 4 semifinal qualifiers.3rd. Iowa - 58.5 points, 4 semifinal qualifiers. 4th. Minnesota - 56 points, 3 semifinals qualifiers. 5th. Oklahoma State - 50 points, 3 semifinal qualifiers. The match with perhaps the biggest team implications in the semi-finals will be wrestled in the 125 pound divison, as PSU's Nicholas Megaludis will go up against Frank Perrelli of Cornell. Megaludis got a huge upset victory over Minnesota's Zachary Saunders in the quarters, so he has a chance to really cement things for Penn State if he can beat another wrestler from the school directly chasing his Nittany Lions.Guys to Google: In this morning's preview, I gave you the names of 15 guys to watch for as the tournament progresses. How did they do in the quarter finals? Let's take a look: 125, Matt McDonough (Iowa) -- Advanced to Semis, Major Decision.133, Jordan Oliver (Oklahoma State) - Advanced to Semis, Pin133, Bernard Futrell (Illinois) - Advanced to Semis, Pin133, Logan Stieber (Ohio State) - Advanced to Semis, Decision149, Frank Molinaro (Penn State) -- Advanced to Semis, Major Decision.149, Jamal Parks (Oklahoma State) - LOST BY DECISION157, Kyle Dake (Cornell) -- Advanced to Semis, Pin165, David Taylor (Penn State) -- Advanced to Semis, Pin (Just 30 seconds for Taylor to get the pin. Wow!)174, Chris Perry (Oklahoma State) - Advanced to Semis, Overtime174, Edward Ruth (Penn State) -- Advanced to Semis, Decision174, Nick Amuchastegui (Stanford) - Advanced to Semis, DecisionHeavyweight, Ryan Flores (American) - Advanced to Semis, PinHeavyweight, Anthony Nelson (Minnesota) - Advanced to Semis, Pin As you can see, the 133 pound and 174 divisions look to have the best match-ups in the quarter finals. The match to watch this afternoon is undoubtedly going to be Bernard Futrell vs Jordan Oliver. Both men have beaten all their opponents thus far by pin, making them the only semi final pitting two men with 100% pin ratios in the tournament together. Meanwhile, All three of the 174 pounders on this list are working on undefeated seasons. Amuchastegui meets up with Chris Perry, while Edward Ruth faces off against Minnesota's Logan Storley. Also to the semi finals are heavyweight standouts Ryan Flores and Anthony Nelson. Here are the full quarter final results. 125 lbs Matt McDonough (Iowa) won by major decision (13-3) over Ryan Mango (Stanford)Nicholas Bedelyon (Kent State) won in overtime (8-5) over Jesse Delgado (Illinois)Frank Perrelli (Cornell) won by decision (6-3) over Anthony Zanetta (Pittsburgh) Nicholas Megaludis (Penn State) won by decision (7-4) over Zachary Sanders (Minnesota) 133 lbs Jordan Oliver (Oklahoma State) won by pin (2:35) over Zachery Stevens (Michigan)Bernard Futrell (Illinois) won by pin (0:44) over Joe Colon (Northern Iowa) Tony Ramos (Iowa) won by pin (1:57) over Steven Keith (Harvard) Logan Stieber (Ohio State) won by decision (7-4) over Chris Dardanes (Minnesota) 141 lbs Kellen Russell (Michigan) won by decision (7-3) over Nick Dardanes (Minnesota)Hunter Stieber (Ohio State)won by decision (6-5) over Michael Mangrum (Oregon State)Montell Marion (Iowa) won by decision (7-6) over Borislav Novachkov (Cal Poly) Kendric Maple (Oklahoma) won by major decision (15-3) over Zach Neibert (Virginia Tech) 149 lbs Frank Molinaro (Penn State) won by major decision (10-2) over Eric Grajales (Michigan)Justin Accordino (Hofstra) won by major decision (11-3) over Nick Lester (Oklahoma) Tyler Nauman (Pittsburgh) won by decision (9-5) over Cole VonOhlen (Air Force)Dylan Ness (Minnesota) won by decision (3-2) over Jamal Parks (Oklahoma State) 157 lbs Kyle Dake (Cornell) won by pin (4:10) over Frank Hickman (Bloomsburg)Ganbayar Sanjaa (American) won by decision (7-3) over Daniel Kolodzik (Princeton) Jason Welch (Northwestern) won by decision (2-1) over James Green (Nebraska)Derek St. John (Iowa) won in overtime (3-1) over Dylan Alton (Penn State) 165 lbs David Taylor (Penn State) won by pin (0:30) over Robert Kokesh (Nebraska) Bekzod Abdurakhmonov (Clarion) won by decision (6-1) over Paul Gillespie (Hofstra)Brandon Hatchett (Lehigh) won by decision (7-3) over Andrew Sorenson (Iowa State) Josh Asper (Maryland) won by decision (5-3) over Shane Onufer (Wyoming) 174 lbs Edward Ruth (Penn State) won by decision (11-4) over Nick Heflin (Ohio State) Logan Storley (Minnesota) won by decision (3-1) over Ethen Lofthouse (Iowa) Nick Amuchastegui (Stanford) won by decision (6-1) over Ryan DesRoches (Cal Poly)Chris Perry (Oklahoma State) won in overtime (3-2) over Jordan Blanton (Illinois) 184 lbs Austin Trotman (Appalachian State) won by decision (12-9) over Joe LeBlanc (Wyoming) Steve Bosak (Cornell) won by decision (1-0) over Kevin Steinhaus (Minnesota) Quentin Wright (Penn State) won by pin (2:35) over Ben Bennett (Central Michigan) Robert Hamlin (Lehigh) won by decision (7-4) over Josh Ihnen (Nebraska) 197 lbs Cam Simaz (Cornell) won by decision (8-2) over Alfonso Hernandez (Wyoming)Cayle Byers (Oklahoma State) 26-3 won by decision (5-4) over James Nakashima (Nebraska) Matthew Wilps (Pittsburgh) won by pin (7:13) over Brent Haynes (Missouri) Christopher Honeycutt (Edinboro) won by decision (9-4) over Sonny Yohn (Minnesota) Heavyweight Ryan Flores (American) won by pin (2:27) over Andrew Delaney (Citadel)Zachery Rey (Lehigh) won by decision (2-0) over Bobby Telford (Iowa) Clayton Jack (Oregon State) won by decision (7-0) over Cameron Wade (Penn State)Anthony Nelson (Minnesota) won by pin (4:50) over Michael McMullan (Northwestern) With the semi-finals set, how do you think things are going to play out? Is Penn State all but assured of a victory? It would seem that way, but Cornell still has an outside chance at catching them, especially considering they built some impressive momentum by going 4 for 4 in the quarterfinal round.Join me back here for a results recap after the afternoon session, which gets underway at 7:00 pm ET. For those who missed yesterday's results here is Day 1, Session 1 and Day 1, Session 2.

Posted in: decision, penn, state, pin, semi

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With the first day of the NCAA Wrestling Championships in the books, there is a lot to look forward to in today's (March 16, 2012) sessions. As MMAMania.com continues to bring you coverage of the tournament -- see Session 1, Day 1 results here and see Session 2, Day 1 results here -- we take a quick look at what to watch for from the team and individual perspectives when Session 1, Day 2 gets underway at 11 a.m. ET. Remember that you can catch all the action live on ESPN 3 and you can follow along with the live results here. Team OutlookThe race is on between last year's champion, Penn State University (PSU), and perennial contender University of Minnesota. PSU holds a 5.5 point lead, which is easily catchable, especially since the Golden Gophers have eight wrestlers going into the quarterfinals to Penn's seven. Here are the top five teams and the number of wrestlers they have in the quarterfinals: 1st. Penn State - 38.5 points, 7 quarterfinal qualifiers.2nd. Minnesota - 33.0 points, 8 quarterfinal qualifiers.3rd. Oklahoma State - 28.5 points, 4 quarterfinal qualifiers. 4th. Cornell - 27.5 points, 4 quarterfinal qualifiers. 5th. Iowa - 26.0 points, 6 quarterfinal qualifiers. Also within catching distance of the Nittany Lions is Iowa, as they have a couple of high seeds among their six qualifiers. Should PeSU or Minnesota falter, the Hawkeyes could easily swoop into the lead. Here are five key match ups with team championship implications that could go a long way in determining the winner of the tournament. Note that Minnesota is involved in four of these matches, which should serve as motivation, knowing that victories are doubly important for the overall title. Of course, if could prove to be their undoing, if they were to lose a few of their contenders in these matches. 125 lbs: Zachary Sanders (Minnesota) vs Nicholas Megaludis (Penn State)149 lbs: Dylan Ness (Minnesota) vs Jamal Parks (Oklahoma State)157 lbs: Dylan Alton (Penn State) vs Derek St. John (Iowa)174 lbs: Ethen Lofthouse (Iowa) vs Logan Storley (Minnesota)184 lbs: Kevin Steinhaus (Minnesota) vs Steve Bosak (Cornell) Guys to Google:With 60 matches going down today it will be hard to keep track of everyone, so here are 15 guys you'll want to keep track of. Some of these guys made the list because they are working on undefeated seasons, some of them are there because of the dominance they displayed in the opening rounds, but I can guarantee that these guys are going to be involved in the big stories of the day, either for big wins or because should any of them lose, it'll be a big story. Ryan Flores (American) -- Perfect Season, 100% pin ratioFrank Molinaro (Penn State) -- Perfect SeasonDavid Taylor (Penn State) -- Perfect Season, 100% pin ratioEdward Ruth (Penn State) -- Perfect Season, 100% pin ratioMatt McDonough (Iowa) -- 100% pin ratioKyle Dake (Cornell) -- Perfect Season, 100% pin ratioCam Simaz (Cornell) -- Most points scored in first two rounds (36 points)Jordan Oliver (Oklahoma State) -- Perfect Season, 100% pin ratioJamal Parks (Oklahoma State) -- Perfect SeasonChris Perry (Oklahoma State) -- Perfect SeasonLogan Stieber (Ohio State) -- 100% Pin ratioBernard Futrell (Illinois) -- 100% Pin ratioNick Amuchastegui (Stanford) -- Perfect SeasonAnthony Nelson (Minnesota) -- 0 points scored against thus far Here are the championship brackets as they currently sit: 125 lbs Matt McDonough (Iowa) vs Ryan Mango (Stanford)Jesse Delgado (Illinois) vs Nicholas Bedelyon (Kent State)Frank Perrelli (Cornell) vs Anthony Zanetta (Pittsburgh)Zachary Sanders (Minnesota) vs Nicholas Megaludis (Penn State) 133 lbs Jordan Oliver (Oklahoma State) vs Zachery Stevens (Michigan)Joe Colon (Northern Iowa) vs Bernard Futrell (Illinois)Tony Ramos (Iowa) vs Steven Keith (Harvard)Chris Dardanes (Minnesota) vs Logan Stieber (Ohio State) 141 lbs Kellen Russell (Michigan) vs Nick Dardanes (Minnesota)Hunter Stieber (Ohio State) vs Michael Mangrum (Oregon State)Montell Marion (Iowa) vs Borislav Novachkov (Cal Poly)Zach Neibert (Virginia Tech) vs Kendric Maple (Oklahoma) 149 lbs Frank Molinaro (Penn State) vs Eric Grajales (Michigan) Justin Accordino (Hofstra) vs Nick Lester (Oklahoma) Cole VonOhlen (Air Force) vs Tyler Nauman Dylan Ness (Minnesota) vs Jamal Parks (Oklahoma State) 157 lbs Kyle Dake (Cornell) vs Frank Hickman (Bloomsburg)Ganbayar Sanjaa (American) vs Daniel Kolodzik (Princeton)Jason Welch (Northwestern) vs James Green (Nebraska) Dylan Alton (Penn State) vs Derek St. John (Iowa) 165 lbs David Taylor (Penn State) vs Robert Kokesh (Nebraska)Paul Gillespie (Hofstra) vs Bekzod Abdurakhmonov (Clarion)Andrew Sorenson (Iowa State) vs Brandon Hatchett (Lehigh)Josh Asper (Maryland) vs Shane Onufer (Wyoming) 174 lbs Edward Ruth (Penn State) vs Nick Heflin (Ohio State)Ethen Lofthouse (Iowa) vs Logan Storley (Minnesota)Nick Amuchastegui (Stanford) vs Ryan DesRoches (Cal Poly)Jordan Blanton (Illinois) vs Chris Perry (Oklahoma State) 184 lbs Joe LeBlanc (Wyoming) vs Austin Trotman (Appalachian State)Kevin Steinhaus (Minnesota) vs Steve Bosak (Cornell)Ben Bennett (Central Michigan) vs Quentin Wright (Penn State) Josh Ihnen (Nebraska) vs Robert Hamlin (Lehigh) 197 lbs Cam Simaz (Cornell) vs Alfonso Hernandez (Wyoming) Cayle Byers (Oklahoma State) vs James Nakashima (Nebraska)Matthew Wilps (Pittsburgh) vs Brent Haynes (Missouri)Sonny Yohn (Minnesota) vs Christopher Honeycutt (Edinboro) Heavyweight lbs Ryan Flores (American) vs Andrew Delaney (Citadel)Bobby Telford (Iowa) vs Zachery Rey (Lehigh)Clayton Jack (Oregon State) vs Cameron Wade (Penn State)Michael McMullan (Northwestern) vs Anthony Nelson (Minnesota) Now you should be ready for the action. Anything that you think I've missed?Join me back here for a results recap after the first session. For those who missed yesterday's results here is Day 1 - Session 1 and Day 1 - Session 2.

Posted in: vs, lb, penn, state, minnesota

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Cesar Gracie knows a lot about MMA, apparently including when Strikeforce lightweight champ Gilbert Melendez will fight next. One of Melendez’s core coaches, Gracie revealed the date of the 29-year old’s next fight. “Gil is fighting May 19,” the BJJ wizard wrote on Twitter, adding two names he’s crossing his fingers for though neither actually happens to be signed to the organization’s roster. “I hope (B.J.) Penn or (Anthony) Pettis.” The date lines up with the final of the Strikeforce Heavyweight Grand Prix between Josh Barnett and Daniel Cormier, rumored for San Jose, with Nate Marquardt also expected to debut at the summer event. UFC President Dana White has been stated repeatedly the 20-2 Melendez was not likely to join the UFC anytime soon.  As such, Melendez may be hoping for a big name like Penn or even Pettis to help raise his stock in the division. Penn, a former double-divisional champion, has stuck to his retirement since losing to Nick Diaz last October while Pettis has become the odd man out at 155 in the UFC with champion Benson Henderon taking on Frankie Edgar in a rematch and Nate Diaz-Jim Miller fighting for top contendership in May. PHOTO CREDIT – UFC

Posted in: ufc, petti, penn, melendez, date lines

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Gilbert Melendez is fighting May 19. That much he does know. Who his opponent will be however is still the big mystery. Melendez’s trainer/manager Cesar Gracie confirmed on Twitter today that Melendez is fighting on the May 19 Strikeforce card which will feature the finals of the Strikeforce Heavyweight Grand Prix. More interesting though is what he tweeted after. @ufc Gil is fighting May 19th. I hope Penn or Pettis Both BJ Penn and Anthony Pettis would make great match-ups for Melendez. Better than any match-up Strikeforce could make for him. But the question is are they actually on the table as potential opponents or is Gracie just giving his wishlist? That remains to be seen, however Melendez did tell MiddleEasy in a recent video interview that he didn’t think it would be Josh Thomson who seemed to emerge as the frontrunner to fight for the Strikeforce lightweight title next when he beat KJ Noons earlier this month at Strikeforce “Tate vs. Rousey.” Anyone want to see Melendez vs. Penn or Melendez vs. Pettis?

Posted in: strikeforce, anthony pettis, petti, penn, melendez

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Strikeforce lightweight champion Gilbert Melendez will fight at the organization's recently announced May 19 event. Against whom? That's a good question. Josh Thomson and Pat Healy have emerged as top contenders. However, one of Melendez's coaches, Cesar Gracie, has two suggestions: current UFC fighters B.J. Penn or Anthony Pettis.

Posted in: petti, coach, penn, melendez, pettis strikeforce

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When B.J. Penn exploded onto the mixed martial arts (MMA) scene, "The Prodigy" was a quickly given and just as apt moniker. Debuting in the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) rather than paying his dues on the regional circuit, the highly decorated and even more highly touted Brazilian jiu-jitsu (BJJ) specialist scored three first round stoppages to earn himself a shot at the lightweight title wrapped around Jen Pulver's waist. The fight was a classic. The two 155-pounders were the first in their weight class to headline a UFC pay-per-view (PPV) and while the lightweights didn't gain a foothold in the promotion until several years later, they are now a viable moneymaker thanks in part to Penn, Frankie Edgar and the current champion Ben Henderson. Early estimates of UFC 144's buyrate, featuring the title showdown between "The Answer" and "Smooth", clock in at nearly 400,000. Before The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) 5, the lowest the reality series dipped was 170-pounds. Welterweight fighters were featured in the second and fourth seasons and Matt Hughes acted as coach in the sophomore year. TUF 5 saw the reemergence of lightweights, both inside the Octagon and out as Pulver and Penn were tapped as coaches. They were and have been the smallest coaches in TUF history. That is, until this season when bantamweights Dominick Cruz and Urijah Faber take the reins of 16 contestants looking to be the next Ultimate Fighter. Small as they may be, the 135-pound champion and his challenger can still scrap. At the TUF 5 Finale, Penn and Pulver helped prove the old adage true: it's not the size of the dog in the fight; it's the size of fight in the dog. Let's take a look back at the lightweight rematch. They meet in the center of the Octagon and Penn throws a combination which causes his opponent to lose his balance. The Hawaiian continues to swarm, peppering Pulver with hooks and uppercuts. Unrelenting, Penn keeps up the barrage before pushing the former lightweight champion against the cage and then securing a takedown. From there, he lands more punches and elbows on the quickly looking to be overmatched opponent. Pulver manages to get to his feet but he's immediately slammed back down. In this position, Penn looks to land more ground and pound and "Lil Evil" gives up his back. Penn, the BJJ specialist, slides over for an armbar -- the submission photographed above -- but Pulver is able to escape the hold, turning into his opponent. He also turned right into a triangle choke attempt. Despite not being the vaunted grappler "The Prodigy" is, Pulver is more than experienced when it comes to avoid submissions having done so for nearly a decade at that point. This attempt is no different. He loosens himself from the position and ends up in Penn's full guard to the roar of the crowd. The Hawaiian avoids most of the offense Pulver throws his way during this time save for a big elbow that catches Penn cleanly. They're back to their feet and spend the final minute of the opening round clinching, throwing short hooks and uppercuts to the head and knees to the body before breaking and starting all over again. A wild head kick from Pulver whiffs over his opponent's head and the fight looks much different going into the second round as it did early on in the first. They're back in the center of the cage, picking away at each with single punches. An uppercut from Pulver catches Penn; the Hawaiian throws a right that rattles "Lil Evil." A big left from the former champion is caught by Penn and he uses it to secure a trip takedown, landing in half-guard. Keeping his head down to avoid punches, Penn throws his own while slowly but deliberately making his way to full mount. From there, Penn brutalizes his opponent with vicious ground and pound. Pulver -- as he did in the first -- gives up his back which leads to even more ground and pound and eventually the end of the fight. Pulver defended as well and as long as he could but with someone as talented as Penn on your back, defenses will eventually falter. Wrapping his legs around Pulver's body -- and trapping the former champ's left arm as well -- Penn sinks in a rear naked choke and forces his opponent to tap. The submission -- cranked a little longer than it probably should have -- was sweet retribution for the Hilo boy. As much of victory as it was for Penn, it was also a win for the smaller guys fighting in the UFC. The fifth season of TUF blew the doors open for 155-pounders, an act hoping to be replicated by last season's featherweight and bantamweight cast. It also helped establish "The Prodigy" as a star. Will the same be said for Cruz come July?

Posted in: fight, opponent, tuf, penn, pulver

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After three successful defenses, Frankie Edgar's title reign came to an end at UFC 144 last night (Sat., Feb. 25, 2012) at the Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan, when Ben Henderson snatched it away. But minute for-minute, it was probably one of the most exciting reigns in MMA history. That's because the often underrated Edgar supplied dramatic action in virtually any kind of fight. Whether it was the brilliant bookend performances he gave in vanquishing B.J. Penn twice, or his two unforgettable tussles with Gray Maynard in 2011, Edgar demonstrated that the most dangerous weapon a fighter can have is an unyielding heart. He showed it in spades Saturday night against Henderson, who took his title with a unanimous decision that really could have gone either way. With extreme parity the rule at 155-pounds, it may be a while before we see another champion put together more than a couple defenses; styles make fights, and there is so little separating one top lightweight from another. Throw in the time demands of being a champion, and the intensity challengers are sure to bring in trying to unseat you, and you're definitely a guy on the hot seat. Edgar deserves to be commended because he ushered in the post-B.J. Penn era in the division. Rewind to 2010, and Penn looked, finally, like "The Prodigy," his nom de guerre. With three dominant title defenses, Penn's steamroll run through Sean Sherk, Kenny Florian and Diego Sanchez made him seem invincible at 155-pounds. He hadn't been taken down or even come close to it in those bouts, seemingly on cruise control. Penn's lightweight performances resembled man vs. boy contests, often with B.J. content to lay back, let opponents throw themselves at him, and then pick 'em apart, seemingly bemused by their primitive skills. Edgar changed all that with a ballsy game plan to outwork Penn and apply a different strategy, which was to beat him on conditioning and work rate. In doing so, he created considerable buzz in the division. His epic second and third fights with Maynard reminded us of how amazing lighter-weight championship fights can be, and in each of his three defenses, he headlined the pay-per-view card, which Penn did during his defenses, as well. From that perspective, Henderson has some considerable shoes to fill as a promotional attraction. But Saturday night he showed equal panache and every sign that he'll be an exciting champion to watch. Who knows where the lightweight title will end up over next couple years. If every reign is as exciting and inspiring as Edgar's, it won't really matter though, because that will mean 155-pound championship bouts continue to be the most exciting title fights to watch for fans. Jason Probst can be reached at Jason@jasonprobst.com or twitter.com/jasonprobst.

Posted in: fight, title, penn, defense, edgar

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[div class="notice" class2="icon"]The following is from an article on DstryrSG, part of the MiddleEasy Network.[/div] It's meat n' potatoes time, grapplers. Because, who has time to read my carefully selected and extremely clever words when they've got approximately 5 minutes of BJJ Penn awkwardly answering questions in an unprepared, yet charming, way waiting for them? No one, that's who. I think it's safe to refer to BJ Penn as a Brazilian Jiu Jitsu and MMA icon. From his status as the first American black belt to achieve gold at Mundial to his pretty amazing UFC career - his status is huge and his fame is permanent. He has his own action figures. Everyone knows he can jump out of the shallow end of the pool no problem. I don't need to go on. Check out a solid Q & A from OpenMatRadio.com in which the Prodigy answers all your geeky BJJ-related questions. You know you love this stuff. Props to Open Mat Radio - I wasn't familiar with their work until I saw this interview. Watch The Interview With The Prodigy...

Posted in: bj penn, question, penn, q amp, bjj hell

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No one is scared of Frankie Edgar. Not really. No one in the UFC seems especially terrified of him, of what he might do to them, of the ways in which a fight with him might forever alter their lives and/or faces. That’s just not the kind of champion he is, and he knows it, even if he doesn’t know exactly why.Fighters worry about him, maybe. They’re concerned. They know that Edgar keeps finding a way to win -- somehow -- and that’s a problem. Still, it’s not the kind of thing that keeps them up at night or keeps fans enthralled by his dominance, and even Edgar can’t quite explain why that is."I don’t know," he told MMA Fighting. "Maybe it’s because I’m a smaller guy. I’m not supposed to win." According to the oddsmakers, that was true until very recently. The first time Edgar fought B.J. Penn for the UFC lightweight title, Penn was a 7-1 favorite. Even after Edgar beat him via decision to claim the belt, Penn was still somewhere in the neighborhood of a 3-1 favorite in the immediate rematch. Edgar won that fight too, this time even more convincingly than the first, but he was still a slight underdog when he defended the belt against Gray Maynard some four months later.It wasn’t until the third fight with Maynard, which Edgar would go on to win via knockout, that he finally entered a title fight as the (slight) favorite. Even now, coming off arguably the biggest and most decisive win of his career, he’s just barely a favorite -- currently hovering at -130, according to most oddsmakers -- to beat Ben Henderson in Tokyo at UFC 144.At a certain point, how do you not take this personally, if you’re Edgar? How do you resist the urge to smack the oddsmakers and experts upside the head with your championship belt, WWE-style, and ask them why you don’t get the same respect as the rest of the UFC title-holders?Only, for better or worse, that’s not the kind of fighter Edgar is. He seems more inclined to laugh and shrug than launch into the Rodney Dangerfield ‘no respect’ schtick. Maybe he hasn’t made a believer out of everyone, he admitted, but "[t]hat doesn’t bother me. I think the longer it took people to come around, it means the more proving I had to do. And once people do come around, I feel like they’re going to stick with me longer."Besides, there’s not much you can take away from a champion who’s 14-1-1, and has avenged the loss and the draw with a dramatic knockout victory."You can’t deny what I did," Edgar said. "I beat B.J. Penn twice, and a lot of people considered him the best lightweight ever. Then I beat Gray, who had never been beaten before. Not only did I beat him, I stopped him."And yet, even Edgar will admit that the public perception does have some effect, however slight, on the way he perceives his own title reign. This weekend’s fight in Tokyo will mark the first time in over two years that he’s fought someone not named Penn or Maynard, which, for a while there, turned his training into a real mental grind."I think that’s why I didn’t really get caught up in [being the champion,]" he said. "I remember coming home with the belt and getting a call from Dana [White] pretty much that next day saying, ‘You’ve got to fight B.J. again.’ I never really even got to settle in to being the champion. I had to get ready to defend it. ...Then I was the underdog my past few fights, so I never even got a chance to feel like a champion. I felt like I constantly had to prove myself, and I kind of still feel that way today."But how long can that go on? If he beats Henderson, thus defending his title against its third consecutive challenger, who can still doubt him? Who can still look at him and see a champion on borrowed time?Maybe the better question is, who still sees him that way now? If wins over Penn and Maynard aren’t enough, what will be? Perhaps we’ll find out soon enough, but in the meantime it doesn’t seem to be bothering Edgar all that much. He’s had plenty of time to get used to it. At this point, maybe he wouldn’t even know how to be that terrifying, dominant champion who the fight world reveres. Maybe he wouldn’t want to be.

Posted in: fight, way, champion, penn, edgar

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Floyd Patterson, former heavyweight boxing champion of the world, decreed that to win in boxing all that is required is speed; speed of hands to win exchanges, and speed of foot to dictate when they take place. Frankie Edgar has both of these qualities and as the UFC lightweight division's "Cinderella man" upset BJ Penn twice before having two back and forth matches with the gigantic wrestler, Gray Maynard. Frankie Edgar is always entertaining to watch, but he is never going to be a big draw such as Anderson Silva or his predecessor, BJ Penn were - he is neither a submission finisher or a knockout artist. What is unique about Edgar, however, is his method of taking apart lightweights - exploiting the same lack of striking confidence and experience in the lightweight division that Bantamweight champion, Dominick Cruz does in his own weightclass: a lack of ability to deal with lateral movement. Is it possible for Benson Henderson to out-strike Edgar? Of course. Will he actually out-strike Edgar? That remains to be seen, but the opportunities do exist to pick Edgar apart, it is whether Henderson's coaches have noticed this and whether he can focus when he is face to face with Edgar's perpetual motion style. To understand how one might beat Edgar on the feet it is important to note his greatest successes and the times which he has shown weaknesses. In looking at Edgar's fight tape and record, nothing stands out more than his defeat of then number one lightweight in the world, BJ Penn. Penn was touted as a phenomenal boxer with a counter jab that jacked his opponent's head back, slick counter-punches and power which is rarely seen at lightweight. What Edgar exposed in Penn, however, was an inability to deal with lateral movement. Just as Nick Diaz does, Penn often stands in a boxing stance with his front foot turned in to maximize the reach on his dipping counter jab. This does, however mean that circling to the outside of this foot makes it hard for him to set up his punches and exposes the back of his leg for low kicks and his jaw for right hand leads. This circling is Edgar's modus operandi, and against Penn - whose dipping jab and emphasis on head movement is tailor made for inexperienced opponents who are willing to run straight at him, hoping to overwhelm him with combinations - it worked a treat. The fact that he kept having to turn and face Frankie meant that he was often unprepared from Frankie's own charging combinations. Edgar's weakest showings on the feet have been his slow starts against Gray Maynard. Though traditionally not a big finisher (his only notable KO coming over himself), Maynard caught Frankie hard in the opening rounds of both of their title fights. In the first of these two title fights, at UFC 125, Edgar was caught with a slapping left hook, which did not carry a full rotation of Maynard's hips, but caught Edgar so off guard that it was enough to send him stumbling backward and almost cost him his hard earned UFC title. In watching this knockdown, Frankie is circling away from Maynard's left hand, then pauses as if he is ready to circle back the other way, in traditional Edgar fashion - unfortunately his right hand is down by his chest when he intends to change direction so he meets the full force of the left hook while leaning into it. Edgar's habit of dropping his hands as he circles is a bad one, and while Penn was inadequate at chasing him, instead trying to bait him in, Maynard's aggressive pressure in the first rounds of both of their fights put him in position to punch into the space into which Edgar was moving. Circling into the left hook without adequate protection has produced some fantastic knockouts in the past, despite the hook lacking power it is hard to see coming and much of the force is provided by the opponent's movement into it. Here is Mitsuhiro Ishida, whose chin is fairly solid, circling into a short left hand of Hirota (the arm which Aoki went on to savagely break). Notice how Ishida is almost immediately out cold, and that the hole through which Hirota's punch entered was not especially large - Ishida could still be seen to have his hands up, but still lacked protection. Edgar showed the heart which has come to be recognized as his trademark in gritting his teeth and fighting to the draw in his first title fight with Maynard. He also showed a brilliant ability to change strategy on the fly - while he did not change his hand positioning in circling to the left, he pretty much abandoned circling into Maynard's left hook and instead dashed straight in, throwing combinations, before ducking out to Maynard's right side. As Maynard fights squared up, putting power in his left hook most of the time, his right hand lacks the power of his left as well as the room to loop in from the side, making exit to Maynard's right side a much safer option. That is not to say that Edgar could avoid the circling which had been hardwired into him from training, or that Maynard didn't catch him with good right hands once he realized Edgar had simply changed direction. Frankie's habit of dropping his outside hand on the side to which he is circling is very dangerous for someone who is fighting much bigger, heavier men. In their second title match Maynard was less able to take advantage of the left hook, but he did find massive success in another hole Edgar's new game exposed. Edgar, not wanting to take the punishment of the first fight, was no longer circling into Maynard's left hook, but firing combinations, ducking and circling into Maynard's right hand. Maynard's coaches had picked up on this from the latter half of their first title meeting and Maynard was stood more side on, waiting to throw a powerful right uppercut rather than his typical left hook. It met with Frankie's chin several times, and once again Edgar was forced to change up his style. Reverting to more wrestling, clinch boxing and even switching to southpaw, Edgar never looked truly comfortable on the feet in his title fights with Maynard as he did with Penn. In fact it was out of a sprawl which Edgar caught Maynard his own uppercut to rock Maynard before finishing him against the cage, rather than in a pure stand up domain. Of course these are only ways to exploit Edgar's circling, and Maynard got hit plenty of times while attempting to herd Edgar into his punching power. A factor which has been overlooked by many of Edgar's opponents is why he is able to circle so freely - something which also applies to UFC Bantamweight champion, Dominick Cruz. In high level kickboxing and Muay Thai you will never see men circling as freely as Edgar and Cruz because they eat low kicks - something which neither of Edgar's recent opponents have brought to the table. In order to stop Edgar circling, it is important to kick his lead leg, particularly when he is circling to his right - which would make his lead leg the trailing leg and allow a sizable amount of damage to be done to the inner thigh as well as to slow him down. The objective of kicking Edgar's lead leg need not even be to hurt him, in order to shin check low kicks he will need to stop moving to lift his leg , and that is the time to barrel in and take him on in head to head exchanges where his lack of size and power will work to his detriment, rather than in the open where they simply make him a smaller, faster target. Even BJ Penn, who has reportedly never formally trained kicking in his camps, found remarkable success stifling Edgar when he attempted some kicks in the later rounds of their second fight. Being BJ Penn however, he was reluctant to acknowledge any success that he had which wasn't boxing related and so it was pursued no further. Benson Henderson, however, has decent kicks, and perhaps the defensive wrestling to stave off Edgar's trademark running knee tap takedown should he get his leg caught. Whether anyone will take advantage of these holes in Edgar's much vaunted footwork remains to be seen. It is unlikely that he will be matched with Maynard yet again, who seemed to be making decent progress in sussing out the champion, so it is up to the rest of the lightweight field to learn from Maynard's successes. Edgar and Cruz are not excellent strikers in terms of technical proficiency, but have found a gaping chasm in the understanding of striking in mixed martial arts circles and are able to move around their opponents on the feet in a manner which no experienced boxer or kickboxer would allow. It is ultimately Edgar's choice to stand most times, having the wrestling to take down even notable grapplers such as Maynard, Penn and Franca, and if he is being out-struck he has the good sense to adapt and avoid the tactics which are getting him hurt. What will be intriguing about this match is that Edgar has fought the same two opponents for the past two years, with his better performances always being in the rematches, it should be interesting to see what Edgar can do against Henderson with no previous experience against him. Jack Slack breaks down striking strategy and technique at his website www.fightsgoneby.com He can also be found on Twitter @JackSlackMMA

Posted in: penn, hand, edgar, maynard, frankie

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BJ Penn may return to fighting one day, but it doesn’t sound like it’s going to be anytime soon in this interview with Heavy.com’s Megan Olivi. Penn is just enjoying living a “normal life” for now.

Posted in: bj penn, life, penn, bj, sound

Read the full article at MMA Convert

Former multi-divisional champion B.J. Penn, who last seen coming up short against Nick Diaz at UFC 137, discusses his retirement, as well as his plans for the future. Penn insists that his post-fight retirement announcement still holds true, and says that he's enjoying life as a "normal person."

Posted in: nick diaz, retirement, penn, bj, future penn

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Former UFC champion BJ Penn talks about becoming a father, his retirement from MMA and what the future holds for him in the sport.

Posted in: mma, retirement, talk, penn, bj

Read the full article at Heavy MMA

Surefire Hall of Fame fighter B.J. Penn shocked  many the MMA world when he said he was retiring from the sport following a loss to Nick Diaz last year. Still, as genuine as Peen appeared, countless fans believed it would only be a matter of time before the former UFC champion had a change of heart and signed to compete once again. Now, several months removed from the announcement, “The Prodigy” seems happy with his decision. Penn, a former lightweight and welterweight title-holder, lost three of his last five fights, defeating Matt Hughes and going to a draw with Jon Fitch in the other two. The defeat at the hands of Diaz at UFC 137 left him looking like a fighter who was nearing the end. “I’m enjoying my time away from the sport,” said Penn, in a recent interview with ESPN. “That’s where I am right now. I’m living a regular life instead of living the roller coaster.” Penn has been fighting since 2001, so the rigors of the sport have taken a toll both mentally and physically on the Hawaii native, as he added, “I haven’t (lived a normal life) in 15 years. I’m trying to find myself a little bit – not as a fighter trying to come back to the sport, but just as a person.” UFC President Dana White talked recently about hoping Penn would decide to return with the UFC planning a show for Hawaii this year. That doesn’t seem to be enough at the moment to get Penn back inside the Octagon, however. “We would just have to sit down and talk about what made sense,” Penn said. “That’s amazing they are finally deciding to go to Hawaii, but I wouldn’t want to waste Dana’s time, getting his hopes up on something he wants to put together.” PHOTO CREDIT – UFC

Posted in: ufc, fighter, ’t, sport, penn

Read the full article at Five Ounces of Pain

Himself. That's according to the Hawaiian "Prodigy," who is taking some time away from the sport of mixed martial arts (MMA) to reflect on the "heartbreaking" losses he's endured over the last several years, dating back to his fourth round technical knockout stoppage (towel) against Georges St. Pierre at UFC 94. And his pair of losses to Frankie Edgar. While his unanimous decision defeat to Nick Diaz at UFC 137 last October was the straw that broke the camel's back, Penn is more interested in finding himself "as a person" than he is as a fighter. To that end, he's enjoying a "normal" life for the first time in 15 years. The former two-division champion elaborates to ESPN's Brett Okamoto, after the jump. "I’m enjoying my time away from the sport. That’s where I am right now. I’m living a regular life instead of living the roller coaster. I haven’t [lived a normal life] in 15 years. I’m trying to find myself a little bit -- not as a fighter trying to come back to the sport, but just as a person ... I’m heartbroken with the way some of the fights went. The way my UFC 94 fight [against Georges St. Pierre] and my fights with Frankie Edgar went, I’m heartbroken about those fights. I feel I could have made better choices but I don’t feel a major urge that I’ve got to go fix that right now." Penn fans began to stir when news broke that UFC President Dana White was not only considering a pay-per-view (PPV) event at the Aloha Stadium in Hawaii, but that he also wanted its top fighter to headline the show. Would that be enough to coax the 34-year-old master grappler out of his self-imposed sabbatical? For now, Penn just "doesn't know" what his future holds. He's 1-3-1 over his last five fights and that lone victory came over a broken down Matt Hughes. Can he still be competitive in today's MMA landscape? Clock's ticking...

Posted in: ufc, fight, penn, frankie edgar, irsquom

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The UFC is still planning to visit Hawaii in the near future, but its hopes to have former champion BJ Penn headline a stadium event were dashed when the Hawaiian decided to take time off after being dominated by Nick Diaz at UFC 137 in October. “We’re still working on that, but we want to do it. I was kind of hoping to go to Hawaii again and do a B.J. (Penn) fight at the Aloha Bowl, but B.J. wants to take some time off. He’s going to relax for a while,” White recently told MMA Weekly. “We’re coming regardless. But that was the fight I really wanted to do there.” Penn immediately retired after losing to Diaz, but reconsidered in the weeks following the loss and said he would return if fighting excited him again. Now, with the UFC planning its first event in Hawaii at a 50,000 seat stadium, there may not be a more exciting time for Penn’s return. After going just 1-3-1 in his last five fights, with a 21-second knockout of Matt Hughes between a pair of losses to Frankie Edgar for the lightweight title and a draw to Jon Fitch before the loss to Diaz, the biggest question besides whether Penn returns is who he would fight if he does. For the latest UFC news and UFC rumors stay tuned to MMAFrenzy.com.

Posted in: ufc, penn, planning, bj, hawaii

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Back in Dec. 2009, former Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) lightweight and welterweight champion B.J. Penn, who was fresh of his UFC 107 drubbing over Diego Sanchez, told UFC President Dana White that completing his trilogy against Georges St. Pierre in Hawaii would sell 40,000 tickets at Aloha Stadium. While the window for a third dance between the 170-pound rivals is now closed, White may still take him up on that offer and bring the world's largest fight promotion to Hawaii for a future event. Just one problem: Penn is supposedly retired. That hasn't stopped White from moving forward with his plans, telling MMA Weekly that he's going with or wihtout "The Prodigy," but still hopes to get Penn in as eventual headliner. Check it out. "We're still working on that, but we want to do it. I was kind of hoping to go to Hawaii again and do a B.J. (Penn) fight at the Aloha Bowl, but B.J. wants to take some time off. He's going to relax for a while. We're coming regardless, but that was the fight I really wanted to do there." "Penn vs. Diaz" was the main event headliner for UFC 137 back on Oct. 29, 2011, at Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas, Nevada. The unanimous decision win for Diaz, which left Penn battered and bruised, sent him straight into an Interim title bout against Carlos Condit at UFC 143. And sent "The Prodigy" straight into retirement. Penn said he'll be back "if he ever feels it again," which could weigh in White's favor if he needs the longtime veteran to headline a show in his native Hawaii. If he ever comes back, who would you like to see him fight?

Posted in: ufc, fight, penn, bj, hawaii

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In the past UFC President Dana White had expressed his desire to see the UFC make an appearance in Hawaii with former champion (and popular islander) B.J. Penn taking a headlining spot on the card. However, even despite Penn’s continued retirement, it appears White is still planning on taking his fight promotion to Hawaii in the near future. The UFC card would take place inside Aloha Stadium, a venue seating 50,000 people when completely filled. “We’re still working on that, but we want to do it,” said White, in a recent interview with MMAWeekly. “We’re coming regardless (of the Penn situation). But that was the fight I really wanted to do there.” While nothing is set, it is possible Penn could decide to come back to MMA once an event is confirmed for Hawaii. Penn decided to hang up his gloves after falling to Nick Diaz at UFC 137 but has since come out to say he might be willing to return once his batteries are recharged if the situation is right. PHOTO CREDIT – UFC

Posted in: ufc, penn, hawaii, hawaii penn, penn situation

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Former UFC lightweight and welterweight champion B.J. Penn isn't calling it a career just yet, but he's also not ready to commit to his future.

Posted in: bj penn, champion, career, penn, bj

Read the full article at MMA Weekly

Reagan Penn, the brother of BJ Penn had a rough start to his MMA career. Losing in only his second professional fight at Pro Elite 2 in Hawaii, Reagan was forced to take some time off due to injury. With a successful surgery out of the way, Penn was spotted at the Pro Elite 3 [...]

Posted in: bj penn, penn, mma career, way penn, hawaii reagan

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Twitter me this, Twitter me that. Apparently, the B.J. Penn vs. Cesar Gracie/Nick Diaz viral war of words has no end in sight after former Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) lightweight and welterweight champion B.J. Penn responded to the Gracie camp response to his original rant aimed at Nick Diaz. The dispute erupted when "The Prodigy" sent out this tweet to Nick Diaz: @nickdiaz209 Look how much bigger you are in this pic..I thought you were gonna scrap from the beginning homie? What was that coward fence holding strategy to tire out the smaller man? Street fighter my ass! I made you fight like glass jaw @jonfitchdotnet poser! I'll be ready for that weak bs next time we fight! The Gracie camp then fired back via its official website: BJ Penn has apparently not come to terms with the beating he received at the hands of Nick Diaz. At some point it is up to those around you to protect you from yourself. To take you aside and let you know you are wrong and help save you from your folly. Unfortunately for Penn he is surrounded by 'Yes Men' that are unwilling to do that. The outcome will be predictable, resulting in a fighter that will never push himself to the fullest and will always have excuses for his losses. Now, Penn has taken to his official Twitter account yet again, this time to call out Cesar Gracie himself. Check it out: @CesarGracieBJJ Excuses?? The whole world knows I lost the fight including myself. I'm tired of you talking down to me Cesar, I hope you're in training camp right now because the next time I see you, you better not be "scared homie!" Apparently, we all just can't get along. After calling out Diaz and now Gracie, it seems the "The Prodigy" is itching to get back into the fight game and ready to end his short-lived retirement plans. Though a fight with Cesar, who has one professional mixed martial arts (MMA) fight to his credit (a loss to Frank Shamrock in Strikeforce on 2006) is highly unlikely, that didn't stop Penn from challenging the MMA trainer just a few months after Gracie invited Penn to train with him and the whole crew from Stockton, Calif., which inludes Jake Shields, Gilbert Melendez, Nick Diaz and Nate Diaz. Furthermore, Scott Hernandez, manager at BJPENN.COM, posted this article today in order to educate the masses by outlining the series of events that led to Penn losing all respect for Diaz and that the illusion that they were friends was just a "picture painted by the media." In what seems to be the beginning of a bitter rivalry, the Penn/Gracie/Diaz saga is getting more and more intense by the minute. Your move Gracie camp.

Posted in: fight, diaz, penn, gracie, cesar

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Sunday mornings are nothing if you don't spend the first 15 minutes uncontrollably vomiting. My days of eating Hooters wings are over after reading this Holy Taco article. A former employee claims whenever the company had spoiled and rotten wings, the manager would instruct the employees to toss them in a bucket of water, add bleach and stir for a few minutes. The manager stated the bleach gets rid of the smell, and frying the wings gets rid of 'everything else.' Disgusting. Enjoy your Sunday Morning Rumor Mill. After last night's Strikeforce card, someone very close to Luke Rockhold (younger brother, cousin...etc) stood outside the arena at the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino and repeatedly yelled 'Keith Jardine sucks!' Within seconds, an older lady approached the guy from behind and started pummeling him in the back of his head and right shoulder. The security guards rushed to break up the unexpected altercation. Bewildered, the guy asked who started attacking him for no apparent reason. A security guard simply responds with 'That was Keith Jardine's mom.' Lorenz Larkin vs. Ovince St. Preux is on tap for Spring 2012. You heard it first. After BJ Penn made his statements against Cesar Gracie and Nick Diaz on Twitter, another statement was made on his Facebook that seemed to deescalate the entire beef. Within minutes, Penn got on his Facebook and essentially admitted that a PR person accessed his account, and that people need to understand that he's really angry with Cesar Gracie. On a sidenote, this past Friday I had a phone conversation that 100% confirms this is not a PR stunt. BJ Penn really has beef with Cesar Gracie. Judging from the lack of Rockstar promotion at Strikeforce, it's safe to say the energy drink company was not renewed going into 2012. Personally, I will still 'party like a Rockstar' since their sugar-free drinks are the best in the market. It's in a white can. Try it out. A guy heckling Strikeforce ring girl, Kelli Hutcherson, was punched in the face by a fan during last night's Strikeforce card. The puncher was thrown out of the arena. Overall, tons of random punching last night. Wild stuff. ONE FC sees Strikeforce removing their female featherweight division as a 'great opportunity' to sign top women talent for their Asian promotion. Don't be surprised if Gilbert Melendez vs. BJ Penn goes down in Strikeforce at some point this year. It's heavily rumored that Josh Koscheck will move to Strikeforce after his UFC contract is up. In a recent interview, Dana White suggested Jon Jones will face Dan Henderson in his next bout. It appears that Ben Askren will join the ranks of Shinya Aoki and make Evolve MMA his new home this year. Now that Sergio Pettis (Showtime's little brother) has racked up his second professional MMA win, it's rumored that Bellator looks to sign the 18-year-old prospect.

Posted in: strikeforce, penn, sunday, cesar gracie, wing

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If you think this BJ Penn vs. Cesar Gracie feud is going to sporadically disappear one day, then you need to slap yourself in the face for being wrong. Beat yourself up over this. Self-inflicted physical pain is the only solution to your incorrect thinking. Last night on Twitter, BJ Penn responded to Cesar Gracie's response to BJ Penn calling out Nick Diaz and it appears the next time BJ Penn sees Cesar Gracie, he better be ready. Judging from what I've been hearing over the past couple days, this beef BJ Penn has with Cesar Gracie is legit. He's not intentionally trying to gain press coverage, he just really dislikes Cesar Gracie and everyone inside his camp including the Diaz brothers, Gilbert Melendez and Jake Shields. Depending on how this one ends, it may be an early nominee for the 2012 MiddleEasy Award for the 'Greatest Beef in MMA.'

Posted in: penn, bj, gracie, cesar gracie, cesar

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The on going beef between Nick Diaz's coach, Cesar Gracie and B.J. Penn continues. It all started with Penn tweeting Diaz, complaining about the way he fought and taking a shot at Jon Fitch in the process. Gracie responded, saying that Penn is surrounded by "Yes Men" and that he always has excuses for every single loss. A furious Penn once again took to twitter, and even threatened the 46-year-old MMA and BJJ coach: @bjpenndotcomBJ PENN@CesarGracieBJJ Excuses?? The whole world knows I lost the fight including myself. I’m tired of you talking down to me Cesar, I hope you’re in training camp right now because the next time I see you, you better not be “scared homie!” Jan 06 via TwitLonger BetaFavoriteRetweetReply

Posted in: bj penn, penn, time i, gracie, cesar

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It didn’t take long for UFC welterweight Nick Diaz to respond to the trash talking of B.J. Penn. Or Diaz’s camp, anyway.

Posted in: diaz, bj penn, penn, camp, diaz camp

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“BJ Penn has apparently not come to terms with the beating he received at the hands of Nick Diaz… At some point it is up to those around you to protect you from yourself. To take you aside and let you know you are wrong and help save you from your folly. Unfortunately for Penn he is surrounded by “Yes Men” that are unwilling to do that. The outcome will be predictable, resulting in a fighter that will never push himself to the fullest and will always have excuses for his losses.” — Cesar Gracie, via GracieFighter.com, responding to BJ Penn calling out Nick Diaz BJ Penn definitely took what was pretty much a dead story into a completely unexpected direction. Before they fought last October, BJ was super cautious not to say anything that could be perceived as a slight against Nick Diaz because they used to train together and he had a great deal of respect for him. Diaz ruffled some feathers at the weigh-ins, but it seemed like everything was cool again after the fight. Cesar Gracie even extended an invitation to merge camps. Now all of a sudden, BJ’s calling him out like they’re mortal enemies. A little strange, but I’m curious to see how it unfolds. There’s really no good reason to do a rematch, but as many have suggested, I think it would be a great idea to do a Nate Diaz vs. BJ Penn match-up at lightweight. Penn is much better suited for 155 than 170 and Nate has shown tremendous improvement as of late. It would be a hell of a fight if nothing else. Image via Esther Lin for MMA Fighting

Posted in: diaz, nick diaz, penn, bj, cesar gracie

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Yesterday, B.J. Penn decided to turn to twitter and vent a little. He sent a tweet to what he thought was former opponent Nick Diaz's twitter account, complaining about the way Diaz fought against him at UFC 137, and even took a shot at Jon Fitch in the process. Well, you can always count on Nick's manager Cesar Gracie for a quote, and it didn't take him long to respond to Penn's rant (via GracieFighter.com): "BJ Penn has apparently not come to terms with the beating he received at the hands of Nick Diaz...." "At some point it is up to those around you to protect you from yourself. To take you aside and let you know you are wrong and help save you from your folly. Unfortunately for Penn he is surrounded by "Yes Men" that are unwilling to do that. The outcome will be predictable, resulting in a fighter that will never push himself to the fullest and will always have excuses for his losses." Gracie actually asked Penn if he wanted to merge camps a couple of months ago, but Penn refused, saying he had been a member of Nova Uniao for a long time and would stay that way. Cesar Gracie isn't exactly a bastion of honesty at times, but it's hard to argue with what he's saying here. It's the same thing that people have said for years about Penn. While it didn't stop Gracie from being one of the guys that profited from it before (he has sent the Diaz brothers over to Hawaii to help BJ train for fights in the past), he has at least been up front about his feelings for Penn in the aftermath of UFC 137. Will we ever see this rematch? Will we ever even see Penn in the cage again? Diaz certainly has bigger fish to fry at the moment with an upcoming UFC 143 fight against Carlos Condit that will decide who gets the interim UFC welterweight championship. Perhaps someday all of this might mean something again. But it won't be anytime soon.

Posted in: ufc, diaz, penn, bj, gracie

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Earlier this week, seemingly out of nowhere, former UFC welterweight champion B.J. Penn blew a gasket on his official Twitter account, unloading on UFC 137 opponent Nick Diaz, who, according to the outspoken Hawaiian, fought like a coward against a smaller man. "Penn vs. Diaz" was the main event headliner back on October 29, 2011, at Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas, Nevada. The unanimous decision win for Diaz, which left Penn battered and bruised, sent him straight into an Interim title bout against Carlos Condit at UFC 143. And sent "The Prodigy" straight into semi-retirement. Now that Penn has opened some old wounds, the Gracie camp, which houses the Diaz brothers, among others, have responded in kind via their official website, telling B.J. it's time to "come to terms with his beating." Check it out: BJ Penn has apparently not come to terms with the beating he received at the hands of Nick Diaz. At some point it is up to those around you to protect you from yourself. To take you aside and let you know you are wrong and help save you from your folly. Unfortunately for Penn he is surrounded by 'Yes Men' that are unwilling to do that. The outcome will be predictable, resulting in a fighter that will never push himself to the fullest and will always have excuses for his losses. Following the UFC 137 main event, Cesar Gracie, trainer and manager for Diaz, invited Penn to be a part of their camp in 2012. Penn promptly denied the offer and returned to Hawaii to do his own thing. In the aftermath of Georges St. Pierre's knee injury, Condit and Diaz were paired off to find out who will rule the roost in his absence. As for Penn, well, that remains to be seen. After hearing from both parties, whose side are you taking?

Posted in: ufc, diaz, bj penn, penn, bj

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“It’s a good thing I’m icing my balls right now, because all that fence grabbing got me HOT!” BJ Penn has once again verified his BJ Penn-ness by confirming to us that he is in fact BJ Penn. Stop me if you’ve heard this before: Penn is now claiming that Nick Diaz beat him not because he set the record for most significant strikes in a UFC fight, but because he cheated. From BJ’s twitter account: @nickdiaz209 Look how much bigger you are in this pic..I thought you were gonna scrap from the beginning homie? What was that coward fence holding strategy to tire out the smaller man? Street fighter my ass! I made you fight like glass jaw @jonfitchdotnet poser! I'll be ready for that weak bs next time we fight! BJPenn.com news director Pedro Carrasco also posted on the underground forum that BJ’s panties are in a serious bunch about what a coward Diaz is, and that Penn is officially unretired: There is a reason why he posted it, He is fired up because now that the holidays are over and a lot of his post-fight distractions are behind him he has nothing to do but think about things and he is not happy with the way he performed in his last several fights. I am not here to make excuses for him, but I am pretty sure people, at least with some sense of intelligence, can identify that the BJ that fought Edgar, Fitch and Diaz was not the same Penn that fought the Diego's and Florians of the world. Things changed, but as it sits right now, he is back. That killer mentality and fire is back and it's been brewing for a while now and today's tweet is a result of it just boiling over. Expect more to come from Penn for sure! The fact that he looks an awful lot like a Cabbage Patch Kid makes all of this crying from BJ Penn extremely endearing. Even though he will probably never win another title in the UFC, he is still the UFC acting-like-a-child champion, and he will reign for quite some time if Jacob Volkmann stops using jokes written by six year olds. Didn’t scrap... Coward fence holding strategy... I feel like my mind is being raped. At least when Apple uses its reality distortion field, we get some cool apps out of the deal. One can only hope that we will now be treated to another Steven Spielberg-directed video complete with a full orchestral score and six dozen dramatically slowed down angles of the one microsecond of the fight during which Diaz’ finger may have brushed against the fence. +100 additional points will also be awarded to Penn in the event that he sics his mommy (*dun dun dunnnnn*) on the Nevada State Athletic Commission for a serious dressing-down over the “fence grabbing incident”, plus an extra 5000 if it’s not just a verbal dressing-down.

Posted in: fight, diaz, penn, bj, fence

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Filed under: UFC, NewsCesar Gracie suggested on Friday that B.J. Penn should direct his anger towards his own camp for his recent troubles instead of Gracie Fighter member Nick Diaz. "At some point it is up to those around you to protect you from yourself," Gracie said on his official website. "To take you aside and let you know you are wrong and help save you from your folly. Unfortunately for Penn he is surrounded by 'Yes Men' that are unwilling to do that. The outcome will be predictable, resulting in a fighter that will never push himself to the fullest and will always have excuses for his losses." Penn sent a fierce message Thursday to Diaz on Twitter, questioning Diaz's approach two months ago at UFC 137. "@nickdiaz209 Look how much bigger you are in this pic," Penn wrote, referring to this post-fight photo. "You were gonna scrap from the beginning homie? What was that coward fence holding strategy to tire out the smaller man? Street fighter my ass! I made you fight like glass jaw @jonfitchdotnet poser! I'll be ready for that weak bs next time we fight!" Diaz convincingly outpointed Penn through three rounds to eventually earn himself a shot at the UFC welterweight championship. According to BJPenn.com Editor-in-chief Pedro Carrasco, the sudden Tweet came out of Penn's frustration with his recent performances. Penn holds one victory in his last five fights. "... There is a reason why he posted it," Carrasco said on The Underground Forum. "He is fired up because now that the holidays are over and a lot of his post-fight distractions are behind him, he has nothing to do but think about things and he is not happy with the way he performed in his last several fights. "I am not here to make excuses for him, but I am pretty sure people, at least with some sense of intelligence, can identify that the B.J. that fought Edgar, Fitch and Diaz was not the same Penn that fought the Diego's and Florians of the world. Things changed, but as it sits right now, he is back. That killer mentality and fire is back and it's been brewing for a while now and today's tweet is a result of it just boiling over!" As of now, there is no official word on Penn's future in MMA. Following the loss to Diaz, Penn announced his retirement from MMA. Meanwhile, next for Diaz is a UFC interim title bout against Carlos Condit at UFC 143 on Feb. 4. Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Posted in: ufc, fight, diaz, penn, gracie

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Cesar Gracie responded to BJ Penn's famous Tweet, where the multi-time UFC Champion accuses Nick Diaz of "coward fence-holding strategy" during their bout at UFC 137. According to Gracie, Penn's comments are a result of being surrounded by "Yes-men", who will never let the former champion to reach his full potential as a fighter:GracieFighter.com (via our allies at CagePotato.com) BJ Penn has apparently not come to terms with the beating he received at the hands of Nick Diaz. Below is his latest

Posted in: nick diaz, penn, bj, gracie, bj penns

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So the official BJPenn.com twitter account shot off this rather incendiary tweet at Nick Diaz today. . http://yfrog.com/oc35195437j – @nickdiaz209 Look how much bigger you are in this pic..I thought you were gonna scrap from the beginning homie? What was that coward fence holding strategy to tire out the smaller man? Street fighter my ass! I made you fight like glass jaw @jonfitchdotnet poser! I’ll be ready for that weak bs next time we fight! I didn’t post it at first because quite honestly I didn’t think it was real for a number of reasons. 1) It came out of nowhere. 2) Maybe some of you can refresh my memory, but I don’t remember Diaz using a “coward fence holding strategy” to beat Penn. All I remember is Diaz punching Penn in the face… A LOT. 3) Penn has never shied away from trash-talking but that’s pretty harsh even for him. Sounds more like something Nick Diaz would say, minus the obligatory “F@*# your mother!” to round it out of course. In case you didn’t know, Penn doesn’t actually run BJPenn.com himself. He has people that do it for him, so I figured someone gained unauthorized access to the account and sent out the tweet as a prank or something. Well, I was wrong. BJPenn.com’s Editor-in-Chief Pedro Carrasco went on the UG to confirm BJ sent the tweet and explain what it’s about. Its definitely not a hack… I can confirm it, that came straight from the mind of BJ himself… and there is a reason why he posted it, He is fired up because now that the holidays are over and a lot of his post-fight distractions are behind him he has nothing to do but think about things and he is not happy with the way he performed in his last several fights. I am not here to make excuses for him, but I am pretty sure people, at least with some sense of intelligence, can identify that the BJ that fought Edgar, Fitch and Diaz was not the same Penn that fought the Diego’s and Florians of the world - Things changed, but as it sits right now, he is back. That killer mentality and fire is back and it’s been brewing for a while now and today’s tweet is a result of it just boiling over! Expect more from Penn to come for sure! Well, that’s one way to announce you’re not retiring. I suppose we shouldn’t be too surprised. Penn has been hot and cold in and out of the cage his entire career, so maybe this means he’s about to hit another hot streak. If that’s the case, I’m definitely down. The BJ Penn who talks trash, backs it up, then licks his opponent’s blood off his gloves after he destroys them is so much cooler than the apathetic BJ Penn who gets his butt whooped.

Posted in: diaz, bj penn, penn, bj, tweet

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Apparently, no hatchet has been buried between B.J. Penn and Nick Diaz, at least not on "The Prodigy's" side, as it seems the Hawaiian is still a little bitter about his loss to the wily Stockton native. After (temporarily?) retiring from the sport of mixed martial arts (MMA) following his unanimous decision loss to the former Strikeforce welterweight champion at UFC 137 back in October, Penn has seemingly changed his amiable tune and now has some choice words for Diaz. Either that, or someone hacked his social media account. "The Prodigy" took to his official Twitter account to call out the UFC 143 headliner and post the above photo of the two together after the fight, saying that Diaz used coward-like tactics to beat a smaller man. Even Jon Fitch couldn't escape from being picked on by the Hawaiian. Check it out: @nickdiaz209 Look how much bigger you are in this pic..I thought you were gonna scrap from the beginning homie? What was that coward fence holding strategy to tire out the smaller man? Street fighter my ass! I made you fight like glass jaw @jonfitchdotnet poser! I'll be ready for that weak bs next time we fight! Oh snaps! A few weeks after their UFC 137 clash, Cesar Gracie, Nick's trainer, extended an open invitation out to "The Prodigy" in hopes that he would come down to the "209" and join forces with the Cesar Gracie fight team alongside Diaz. The former two division (155 -170) Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) champion wanted no part in joining forces with the crew from California. Did Penn just fire the first bullet in his comeback trail? If so, he will have to wait in line if he hopes to rematch Diaz anytime soon. That's because the Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (BJJ) black belt has bigger fish to fry at the moment in the form of Carlos Condit as they are set to headline UFC 143 on Feb. 4 in Las Vegas, Nevada, to crown the interim UFC welterweight champion in the wake of Georges St. Pierre's recent surgery that will have him sidelined for most of 2012. What's your take on B.J.'s twitter rant, Maniacs? Could 'The Prodigy" be ready to step back into the Octagon, and if so, will a second fight between Diaz and Penn turn out differently than their first encounter? Sound off!

Posted in: ufc, fight, diaz, bj penn, penn

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This afternoon, the official twitter of B.J. Penn sent out an incredibly bizarre tweet. Most immediately believed that the former lightweight champion's twitter was hacked and that it was the work of some deranged fan who decided to have a little fun on twitter. The tweet was an attack on Nick Diaz and Jon Fitch, two former Penn opponents. After the Diaz fight, BJ announced his retirement in the cage and was set to walk away from the sport of MMA. And since UFC 139, he's been extremely quiet and reclusive. It appears that Penn still has the itch to fight. The tweet from BJ Penn: @bjpenndotcomBJ PENN . http://t.co/QfA3igOI - @nickdiaz209 Look how much bigger you are in this pic..I thought you were gonna (cont) http://t.co/hsBMllc3Jan 05 via TwitLonger BetaFavoriteRetweetReply Full text from the tweet: . http://yfrog.com/oc35195437j - @nickdiaz209 Look how much bigger you are in this pic..I thought you were gonna scrap from the beginning homie? What was that coward fence holding strategy to tire out the smaller man? Street fighter my ass! I made you fight like glass jaw @jonfitchdotnet poser! I'll be ready for that weak bs next time we fight! Pedro Carrasco, the MMA news director of BJPenn.com addressed the bizarre tweet on the MMA forum the UG: "Pedro Carrasco - and there is a reason why he posted it, He is fired up because now that the holidays are over and a lot of his post-fight distractions are behind him he has nothing to do but think about things and he is not happy with the way he performed in his last several fights. I am not here to make excuses for him, but I am pretty sure people, at least with some sense of intelligence, can identify that the BJ that fought Edgar, Fitch and Diaz was not the same Penn that fought the Diego's and Florians of the world Things changed, but as it sits right now, he is back. That killer mentality and fire is back and it's been brewing for a while now and today's tweet is a result of it just boiling over! Expect more from Penn to come for sure! " I hope that Pedro Carrasco is right in his assessment of BJ Penn's current attitude regarding his career. The BJ Penn that ruled the lightweight division isn't the one who has shown up lately in the UFC. However, if BJ is using his News Director to plant a story in hopes of angling for another fight with Diaz, he could end up extremely injured. He needs to commit himself 100% to training and unless he does so, he'll just continue to tarnish his legacy.

Posted in: fight, diaz, penn, bj, tweet

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"@nickdiaz209 Look how much bigger you are in this pic..I thought you were gonna scrap from the beginning homie? What was that coward fence holding strategy to tire out the smaller man? Street fighter my ass! I made you fight like glass jaw @jonfitchdotnet poser! I'll be ready for that weak bs next time we fight!" - BJ Penn on Twitter Penn officially retired after getting battered by Nick Diaz during the mentioned above UFC 137 main event in Las Vegas, Nevada, but now it looks like the multi-time MMA

Posted in: bj penn, nick diaz, penn, twitter penn, ass i

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Filed under: UFC, StrikeforceIf Dana White won't bring Gilbert Melendez to the UFC, he should bring the UFC to Melendez. Or at least, someone for him to fight. After beating Jorge Masvidal at last night's Strikeforce event in San Diego, what more is there for him to do? Who else is there for him to beat? What matchup are fans clamoring to see? The answers are nothing, no one and none. Melendez is a top five fighter with nothing left to prove in the division as it stands right now. He's beaten Masvidal, Shinya Aoki and Josh Thomson, three of the best lightweights outside of the UFC, but there's no signed fighter in the division who has truly earned the right to face one of the best. Sure there are fighters like KJ Noons and Gesias "JZ" Cavalcante with some name value, but both of those guys have won exactly one fight in a row. Solution: Bring someone over from the UFC to fight him. It doesn't have to be the champion. Bring one of the many quality guys over to challenge him. I have just the guy. He's a big name, he can bring attention to the promotion, and he offers the instant credibility that only a former UFC champion can provide. Bring over BJ Penn to fight Melendez. Right now, Penn is on a break from fighting. He's home in Hilo, Hawaii spending time with his family after his hard-fought loss to Nick Diaz in October. But Penn does plan to fight again, and he even said that he'd be willing to rematch Diaz. That's not going to happen, as Diaz has moved on to preparing for a big interim UFC welterweight title fight with Carlos Condit. So we need to find something that excites Penn, something that motivates him. Regardless of the skeptics who still refuse to believe that Melendez is for real, Penn knows the truth, that Melendez is for real and has a set of skills that would provide a challenge. Because of that, a bout with Melendez might interest him. As an added bonus, Melendez comes from the same Team Cesar Gracie as Diaz, making the marketing of the fight simple. BJ Penn comes looking for revenge against Diaz's teammate. Penn loves fighting for belts, and as long as Frankie Edgar is the lightweight champ, Penn is stuck. He isn't going to get another shot against Edgar after losing to him twice. The same holds true for his chances of getting a welterweight title fight. He's already lost to Georges St-Pierre twice and Diaz once, so his chances of earning his way back for another title bout anytime soon are slim. So where does that leave him? He's in a legend-at-large role, looking for interesting matchups wherever they might appear. And is there really anything in the UFC that is so much more interesting than Penn-Melendez? Let's face it, Penn would be one of the biggest stars ever to fight in the Strikeforce hexagon, with only Dan Henderson and Fedor Emelianenko able to rival his popularity. He's a former two-division champ in the UFC, every MMA fan knows him, and his presence would certainly bring attention to the promotion. Just as importantly, it would illustrate that Zuffa is serious about Strikeforce. Just last week, White promised that Strikeforce wouldn't be a B-league, or a feeder system for the UFC. They would go after top talent, he said. They would find a way to make Strikeforce's best fighters happy, he said. This match would prove it. The biggest hurdle in this plan would be making it worth Penn's while. Because Strikeforce is on Showtime and not pay-per-view, the pay scale is different, and White would have to dig into his his pocket to make him whole. That investment would be worth it for Strikeforce, to show that they are truly committed to MMA. It's one thing for White to say it on a conference call, it's another entirely for him to send over a UFC legend. That's a statement. That's a promise kept. BJ Penn would be just the fighter to satisfy White's promise, fan interest and Melendez's ambitions. Melendez doesn't just need a legitimate challenge, he deserves one. Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

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BJ Penn Colloborates with VAS brand from Vasyli, LLC Footwear offers built-in orthotic support for injury prevention and after sports therapy.

Posted in: penn, va, vas brand, orthotic support, injury prevention

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TORONTO - It's unfortunate when otherwise intelligent people say really stupid things. But to get out the pitchfork and punish, that's another matter. So said UFC president Dana White today when asked by MMAjunkie.com for a reaction on the comments made by former light-heavyweight champ Rashad Evans, who's off-color comments on the recent Penn State scandal ended a pre-event press conference promoting UFC on FOX 2 on a bad note. "It's not like I'm dealing with stupid people here," White said.

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In a combat sport that involves being struck in your face repeatedly. it is very important to be well versed both offensively and defensively. Mixed martial arts (MMA) since the beginning has featured so many different disciplines being utilized and one of the earliest and most effective even in today's sport has been Jiu Jitsu. The discipline that allows a smaller, less imposing possibly (even weaker) grappler to defeat much larger foes. There has never been a better showing than the run Royce Gracie made in the first Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) open weight tournaments. But just like any strength in a sporting environment, there will always be a counter. Wrestling has become a staple in mixed martial arts because it can neutralize a striker with takedowns and can stifle grappling with superior control on the ground. From the early days of Mark Coleman and Mark Kerr to the current sport world that boasts fighters with incredible Jiu Jitsu stifling wrestling like Chad Mendes, Georges St. Pierre and Mark Munoz. Jiu Jitsu has needed its fair share of evolution over the years. It won't be sufficient enough to just have an effective guard to submit from your back or to have a strong top game to control and submit from atop your opponent. It simply is no longer that easy. For more on what it takes to become an effective grappler, follow me into the extended entry for animated .gifs and breakdowns. The Top Game There are three components to being a successful top game grappler. Control, transitions and submissions make up the core of what a top game requires in order to be well rounded atop your opponent. Control is the most crucial, the reason being that if you can't hold your opponent down comfortably then you will not be able to effectively set anything up. Control will allow you to fish for submissions or look to move into dominant positions. Without control of some sort then those things are just not possible. Clay Guida has fought a very stiff line of dangerous grapplers in his UFC career. From the versatile Diego Sanchez to Rafael Dos Anjos, Guida has always made it his staple to be able to be on the ground with guys far superior on paper and find success. Against Anthony Pettis it would be the same style that earned him another impressive victory. Dealing with a very active and dynamic guard, Guida establishes control very effectively on Pettis. Clutching the legs and stacking Pettis high on his shoulders takes away the slick mobility of the hips. It also makes the person very uncomfortable and in doing so takes away the space needed to get anything going. Even though Pettis is clutching to the wrist, Guida lands some punches to help him get inside the guard of Pettis. As he comes down he evades a submission attempt by Pettis who is searching for an arm bar or possibly a triangle choke. Guida does this by staying very mobile with his limbs and torso while also keeping his posture very upright. In doing so, Guida doesn’t get sucked in too deep to get caught in those submissions. After fighting through the submission attempts Guida now sits comfortably inside the guard. He reaches with both hands behind the neck of Pettis and squeezes which eliminates space and also once again attempts to make Pettis uncomfortable. In order for Pettis to really establish himself to set up a sweep or a submission he would need space. As soon as Guida got inside the guard he worked on posture and control to disallow any sort of movements from Pettis. It is hard not to appreciate the knack for stifling Jiu Jitsu like Clay Guida. After scoring a takedown, Penn immediately sucks in Jon Fitch’s legs with his own in a triangle variation. In doing so Penn shuts down the mobility of Fitch and chooses to calmly hold his position as he sets up his next move. With his legs tied up and his ability to escape limited, Jon Fitch begins to rotate his body in hopes of shaking off the legs of B.J. Penn. Instead, Penn is able to see an opening and by posting his left leg out and using it to sit up and take the back of his opponent. As he does that he has already established his arm near the neck in hopes of setting up the rear naked choke. Transitioning is a major part of the ground game as it allows you to keep your opponent off balance and weakening him defensively as he will be defending something different from each position. Penn is able to effectively move from a semi-mounted position as he sits atop the legs of Fitch to another dominant position by securing back position and trapping him with a body triangle. Penn has nearly passed into dominant position in every fight where Penn has earned top position. Being able to dominate position by passing out of guard or passing into dominant positions in general allow you to comfortably unleash ground and pound, set up position and it makes a great case for the win on scorecards. It is no wonder that Penn has accomplished so much in mixed martial arts. Jon Jones showcases everything previously mentioned by gaining a dominant position and controlling an opponent thoroughly. Then he shows the most lethal of three more important aspects of top game grappling. Submissions. With a dominant position you can risk more and commit fully to a set up knowing that there is little room for offense to be made by an opponent. Comfort is one of the most overlooked aspects of combat sports in that being comfortable will take away hesitation and enable commitment and the ability to take an opportunity to the fullest. With control Jones is able to pick his shots. Whether it is landing strikes or looks for possible another transition, he is able to pick and choose what works best for him. He finds an opening to slip his arm in Ryan Bader’s defense and snatches up his neck for a guillotine choke. Jones remains heavy keeping overwhelming control of the mobility of Bader disallowing any sort of escape and also keeps his position which enables the choke to hit a certain angle with loads of leverage. It is no wonder as to why the Light Heavyweight Champion has found the success he has found in the sport. Tune in next week Maniacs, as we conclude this breakdown when we look at what makes for an effective bottom game.

Posted in: petti, penn, control, guida, position

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Filed under: UFCTORONTO -- UFC president Dana White is well aware that Rashad Evans stepped over the line with his pre-fight trash-talk when he referenced the Penn State sex abuse scandal while taking a verbal jab at former Nittany Lions wrestler Phil Davis on Wednesday. As White told reporters following Thursday's UFC 140 press conference, he made sure Evans knew it too. "We talked." said White, who called Evans' remark "one of the dumbest things you could say," in light of the child abuse allegations against former Penn State assistant football coach Jerry Sandusky. According to White, he didn't have to convince Evans that he'd made a mistake in using the story as a topical reference point at the UFC on FOX presser in Chicago yesterday. "It's not like I'm dealing with stupid people here," White said. "It's one thing when you're dealing with dummies. When you're dealing with people who are really stupid, it's tough to talk to them. But when you call a guy who's an intelligent guy, he gets it. He knows." Evans brought the heat on himself when exchanging words with Davis at the press conference, telling the former NCAA Division I wrestling champ: "I guarantee you'll be the first one to take a shot cause I'm going to put my hands on you worse than that dude did them other kids at Penn State." Evans, who wrestled at Michigan State, later told MMA Fighting that he has nothing against Davis, but was merely trying to play up a rivalry for entertainment value. "I have plenty of respect for him as a fighter and as a person," said Evans. "But when it comes to competing with me, I gotta let my mouth go a little bit." He let it go too far this time, White said, but the UFC president sounded hesitant to take any official punitive action over the remark. "The whole thing with me is people are looking to me, and I saw a couple of stupid stories that were written, people who want attention -- you know who those people are," White said. "What do you want me to do? You want me to have our lawyers draw something up and I'll come out and read it to you guys? You know, he said something stupid. It's probably one of the dumbest things you could say. He gets it, and he knows it was a stupid thing to say, and we'll see what happens." Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Posted in: people, penn, thing, evan, state

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For the rest of the world that is bound by decency, and ethics, rape has been the topic of a tragic scandal. Jerry Sandusky, the former Assistant coach of Penn State under Joe Paterno, was recently indicted for 40 charges of sex crimes involving young boys: actions that were enabled by a once respected institution. That number has increased with the addition of two new accusers. Words like 'oral sex' in this context are vile, and Sandusky's acts seem to transcend disgust. It's what has validated the fog of shame that now proxies for Joe Paterno's once heralded status. The Penn State case was not just about a flesh and blood monster. It was also about corruption. When students idiotically protested the termination of Paterno, it prompted Dave Zirin of The Nation, in contrasting the Penn State protests with the protests that occurred on the campus at Berkeley, to ask the question: "Do you defend the ugliest manifestations of unchecked power or do you fight for a better world with an altogether different set of values?" That's a fine question for students. And perhaps an unfair one for athletes. But is it too much to ask to be even moderately civilized? For MMA fighters, the scandal has turned into a sandbox for auditions at the comedy club. During the press conference for UFC on FOX 2 that will feature Phil Davis and Rashad Evans, Evans joked "I'm gonna put my hands on you worse than that dude on those kids at Penn State". This of course, harkens back to another example of brainless behavior when Forrest Griffin tweeted that "rape is the new missionary" (Griffin was also bouncing off the rape cases at Penn State). To make matters worse, Phil Davis is on the record defending Paterno's actions. While we're at it, let's pour another into the comedy stew and add Miguel Torres to the list of fighters who think rape is hilarious. Inevitably, people will criticize this moral outrage as "too sensitive", and that running "stories" like this reveals the real crime of 'political correctness': a criticism so excessively dumb, it possesses a seat on the stupid branch right alongside creationism. If we take seriously the injustice that is rape, we should take seriously the verbal representation of that injustice when it is mocked, and cheapened. At this point, I'm not asking for Rashad to be fined, or punished (not that I would be opposed to some form of punishment). But who approves of his words? No one. So where is the disapproval? This is not like Martin Scorsese or other acclaimed artists dealing with network censorship. "The prohibition against swearing in broadcast media makes artists and historians into liars, and subverts the responsibility of grown-ups to learn how life is lived in worlds distant from their own", explains Steven Pinker. Discouraging Evans' statement is not about censorship. It's a question about moral philosophy, and what kind of culture we're interested in nurturing. Right now the UFC is looking to the federal judicial system to take action against the ban on MMA in New York. And they've molded for themselves an interesting argument: that MMA is a form of free speech. It's not some parlor trick: it's a clever way of attacking the language used to justify the ban, namely, that MMA promotes a 'message of violence'. Obviously, this is false, and the ban on MMA itself is unjustified. But it prompts the question, 'if not violence, what does MMA stand for?' This is not a pretentious question. It's a question that will be directly addressed in the courtroom given the argument Zuffa is looking to make in order to get MMA legalized. What values do we share as a community? What principles should be cherished, either as media, as fighters, or as fans? There are some fantastic individuals in MMA's unique universe. And Rashad Evans doesn't speak for everyone. But the silence feels like a confession: the confession we don't stand for much of anything. Foregoing any sense of community, the silence in response to Evans' statement would appear to out us as a faceless cauldron of indifference.

Posted in: mma, question, penn, evan, state

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For quite awhile the UFC had targeted the Philippines for their first international TUF season until they found out first hand just how hot the Brazil market was. And it’s not hard to see why considering the massive turnouts for public appearances by Chuck Liddell, Brandon Vera, Georges St. Pierre and now BJ Penn. As you can see from the photograph above taken by BE’s Anton Tabuena, Penn was absolutely mobbed for autographs during an open workout on his UFC press tour at the SM Mall of Asia earlier today. In his weekly blog for the Bleacher Report, Penn expressed just how shocked he was by the turnout. The climax of this tour so far has been today’s open workout at the Mall of Asia. They had me go and workout for the fans, and, man, the Filipino fans are great. I don’t know exactly how many people came out to see me hit pads and work out, but it was a huge mob, several thousands, I couldn’t believe it. After the workout, I took to the crowd and tried to shake everyone’s hand, give autographs and take pictures, there were too many people to greet everyone, but I hung around as long as I could. It was an honor to represent the UFC out here and give the fans a good show. The UFC’s rapid growth cooled off a little bit here in North America this past year, but clearly the UFC craze is just getting starting in other places around the world like Brazil and the Philippines. Check out more of Anton’s pics from the open workout over at BE.

Posted in: ufc, penn, workout, autograph, workout i

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BJ Penn checks in with his latest Bleacher Report blog following a stint on Hawaii Five-O and amid a UFC media tour in the Philippines.

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As part of his busy schedule during his UFC press-tour in the Philippines, B.J. Penn drew thousands of Filipino fight fans in the SM Mall of Asia today, as he had a public workout and demonstration. Penn was overwhelmed by the size of the crowd and constantly thanked the fans for making him feel very welcome. "I wanna thank the fans for coming out and for loving the sport," Penn said to the delight of the crowd. "It won't be long until there's a Filipino champion in the UFC." Although it was impossible to reach every fan who attended, that didn't stop 'The Prodigy' from trying. Shortly after his workout concluded, the former two-division world champion walked through every corner of the venue to try and take pictures or sign autographs for as much fans as he could possibly could. Much like the open workouts held in the country by Georges St. Pierre, Brandon Vera, and Chuck Liddell on these past few years, there was another huge turnout from fight fans who are hungry for a UFC event. Maybe this one finally convinces the UFC brass to bring a show to the country? Stay tuned on the coming days for more on Penn's trip to the Philippines, and do check out more photos after the jump.

Posted in: ufc, filipino, fan, penn, workout

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If former double-divisional champion BJ Penn has any desire to put on a pair of gloves or rash-guard and hit the gym he sure isn’t showing it. Penn recently updated fans on his post-MMA life after having announced he was leaving the sport on the heels of an entertaining clash with current welterweight #1 contender Nick Diaz at UFC 137 he ultimately lost via decision. And, dashing the dreams of some fans, the popular Hawaiian hasn’t done more on the athletic front than some casual fitness and is contemplating a surfing competition against a friend rather than an in-ring match-up against a Mixed Martial Artist. Penn Feels he Never Fulfilled his Potential “Two weeks ago I started to run again. I just couldn’t take sitting around the house anymore without exercising and my body feels so much better now that I have started working out again,” Penn wrote on his blog for Bleacher Report. “I still haven’t gotten into the gym and done any type of martial arts training yet, but the runs are definitely fun and, like I said, they make my body feel better.” So how has Penn kept busy? According to the 32-year old he’s spent time working in the community and enjoying life with friends/family. I have a foundation here in Hawaii called the ‘Penn Hawaii Youth Foundation,’” Penn said of one of the endeavors receiving his focus. “This foundation helps at-risk children that have been in trouble get back on track through martial arts and several other positive activities. This past Saturday, my latest group of kids graduated from the program and I got to go to the ceremony. It was great to see the progress they have all made.” Though it’s impossible to know if Penn’s fire to compete will flare up again, at least for now he appears content with his decision and the free time he now has. Regardless, as cloudy as his future may seem, one thing is clear – Penn is one of the greatest of all time and a surefire Hall of Fame member. PHOTO CREDIT – UFC Tweet

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It's been a month since he fought Nick Diaz and called it quits. BJ Penn has taken to spending time with his family and friends, but has he made any decisions on MMA?

Posted in: bj penn, nick diaz, penn, bj, spending time

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Following his loss to Nick Diaz at UFC 137 BJ Penn all but announced his retirement when speaking to Joe Rogan during his post-fight interview. Penn later told Inside MMA that that he felt that stepping away was something he should have done earlier than the Diaz fight. Penn also said that if the right opportunity came along he would return to the Octagon. Penn recently signed up to write a weekly blog for Bleacher Report. In his first submission, the former UFC champion detailed what he has been up to as

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Penn State graduate Phil Davis knows a thing or two about the Nittany Lions. That's because the UFC light heavyweight racked up a 116-17 record during his collegiate wrestling career, capped off by an NCAA Division I title in 2008. Oh, and he also delivered fruits and veggies to former Penn State football coach Joe Paterno. Not surprisingly, Davis hasn't felt very "wonderful" in the wake of his alma mater's sex abuse scandal, which made national headlines following a grand jury report that indicted former assistant football coach Jerry Sandusky on 40 counts of child sexual abuse. Davis shares his feelings with MMA Weekly (after the jump): "At the end of the day it’s just sad for the children involved and I hate to see Joe Pa (Joe Paterno) removed because of this, he’s had such a long career and to have someone like him, ultimately, I suspect he’s going to be remembered for the way he left, under these circumstances and that’s really not fair. I think he did what he could. In jobs, we have protocol, and I think he followed protocol. Whether he agreed with decisions that were made, especially in a university job, you really don’t have control over what goes on. If you’re in a law enforcement position and your superior says let so and so go, you’ve got to follow your protocol. You can’t just go ‘this is the law and I want to play this the way I want to play it.’ I feel sorry because justice was not done. Was it at the hands of Joe Paterno? No. Some of the other parties involved, I know them, and they’ve always been good to me, and it’s a shame that they were involved in whatever their involvement was. I feel bad for that situation, but whatever happens kind of happens. I would hate for Joe Paterno to be remembered in such a bad way." Paterno, who is not expected to face criminal charges for his role in the Sandusky scandal, was fired by the Penn State board of trustees for failing to go above and beyond the call of duty. The winningest coach in college football history reported the wrongdoing to his superiors, but failed to alert police and took no action when Sandusky was seen on campus following his initial removal. In short, Penn State is a mess, both from an athletics perspective and from a moral perspective. Heads have started to roll as the University tries desperately to right the ship. Anyone out there agree with Davis? Or did Penn State finally do the right thing? Thoughts?

Posted in: joe, penn, davi, state, paterno

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The Penn State/Jerry Sandusky child rape scandal has been front page news for well over a week now featuring twists and turns and seemingly more horrible news by the day. While ESPN attempted to say that the "healing has begun" because PSU played a football game, this isn't a story that is going anywhere any time soon. Joe Paterno's firing was the easier part of the story for most to follow as he is a legend in the coaching ranks who was let go for his looking the other way when told that someone witnessed Sandusky sexually assaulting a young boy. MMA Weekly spoke to the UFC's Phil Davis, a Penn State alum, to get his thoughts on the situation at his alma mater: "At the end of the day it's just sad for the children involved and I hate to see Joe Pa (Joe Paterno) removed because of this, he's had such a long career and to have someone like him, ultimately, I suspect he's going to be remembered for the way he left, under these circumstances and that's really not fair," ... "I think he did what he could," Davis said about Paterno. "In jobs, we have protocol, and I think he followed protocol. Whether he agreed with decisions that were made, especially in a university job, you really don't have control over what goes on. "If you're in a law enforcement position and your superior says let so and so go, you've got to follow your protocol. You can't just go ‘this is the law and I want to play this the way I want to play it.'" First of all, someone in the UFC should probably tell its fighters to go with "no comment" on these situations. The idea that Paterno "did what he could" because he "followed protocol" is absurd. The protocol in any job when you are told that someone is raping children is to call the police, not keep it in-house and then allow the individual in question to continue being around children at your university. Even if you're in law enforcement and you're told to "let so and so go" if it is a case where he is being let go because of his standing in the community and there is a refusal to investigate, you don't just back off. There are actual legal protocols for that. Regardless, this wasn't law enforcement, it was a state university and to act as though there is any "right" thing to do that doesn't involve getting the police involved is absurd. For those looking for more on the Penn State situation, the SB Nation blog Black Shoe Diaries has covered the situation very well.

Posted in: penn, someone, protocol, paterno, joe paternos

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Former four time All-American Penn State grad Phil Davis weighs in on the controversial situation currently surrounding his alma mater.

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Since announcing his shocking retirement after losing a unanimous decision to Nick Diaz at UFC 137 back on Oct. 29, 2011, B.J. Penn has for the most part kept to himself and avoided the limelight.  "The Prodigy" suffered one of the worst losses of his career, eating punches in bunches as Diaz peppered him with shots for an entire three rounds of stand up action. After the beatdown, the distraught Hawaiian declared his retirement to the mixed martial arts (MMA) world after 10 years of competing. While word from his camp claimed that Penn was not 100 percent retired, the former two-division champion remained noncommittal to a return or retirement. Until now. Speaking to Pedro Carrasco of BJPenn.com, the former UFC lightweight and welterweight champion opened up about his loss to Diaz, joining camps with Cesar Gracie and, of course, his retirement. "Nicks good, he's got boxing skill and I know I better be ready for their game plan of pushing me on the fence if we ever fight again. But ya, I have no fear I would take that fight anytime, I would love to take that fight. I am in no position right now to think about that. Nick is fighting for the UFC championship and I'm actually not doing anything right now. I'm just trying to take it easy and enjoy life, but as far as that goes, nothing has changed, and I'll go out and fight the best guys anytime." On whether fans can expect him return to the Octagon: "There's nothing else more that I like than fighting, but every once in a while you need to take some time away. As of right now I don't feel that burning desire, that burning urge to compete and I'm just going to hang out. If I feel that desire again than I will be back, but if I don't feel it than there is no reason for me to make a return. You really gotta feel it, there can be nothing else, when you're standing in the ring across from your opponent he is thinking there is nothing else more important in the world than winning this fight and you have to be thinking the same thing. That's just the truth, I would love to fight again, I'd love to fight all these guys. Right now I don't have that burning desire to compete so as I sit down and just enjoy life, when and if that desire comes back I will be ready to fight again. I'm sure it will." Penn also replied to Cesar Gracie's offer to merge Team Penn and Team Gracie into one: "I've known Cesar for awhile, whether I dislike him at certain times or not I could never stay mad at that guy. That being said, some of things Diaz has done kind of rub me the wrong way so I think I'm just going to kind of keep to myself and do my own thing. I'm not even training for a fight anyways so there is really no reason why I would be up there right now. I'm with Nova Uniao, I've been with them since 1999 and I'm still with them today." While Diaz gets prepared for the biggest fight of his career against UFC Welterweight Champion Georges St. Pierre at UFC 143 on Superbowl weekend, Penn will not have any part in helping him prepare, pretty much slamming the door on any possible union between the two great camps. In the meantime, Penn will take some much needed time off, but will continue to train and teach, and most importantly, spend time with his family. And he'll seemingly do that until he starts to burn.

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UFC 137 drug test results are in from the Nevada State Athletic Commission (NSAC), who today confirmed that 17 fighters tested for illegal/banned substances after competing at UFC 137: "Penn vs. Diaz" on Oct. 29 have all passed with flying colors. Main event participants B.J. Penn and Nick Diaz as well as Cheick Kongo, Roy Nelson, Scott Jorgensen, Hatsu Hioki, Donald Cerrone, Eliot Marshall, Brandon Vera, Chris Camozzi, Francis Carmont, Ramsey Nijem, Danny Downes, Bart Palaszewski, Tyson Griffin, Dustin Jacoby and Clifford Starks were all screened for performance enhancers such as steroids and drugs of abuse like cocaine and marijuana, among others. Results from these battery of tests all returned negative. The fighters mentioned above were randomly selected. However, athletic commissions typically test the main event participants and fight night winners, as well as those who have failed drug tests in the past. "Penn vs. Diaz" featured former Strikeforce welterweight champion Nick Diaz staking his claim to a Super Bowl title shot against Georges St. Pierre by pounding on B.J. Penn for 15-minutes strong. But that's not all. Cheick Kongo maintained his status as the gatekeeper of the heavyweight division by outperforming Matt Mitrione in the co-main event of the evening. Mirko Filipovic went out on a low note, retiring from active competition after getting clobbered by Roy Nelson while Scott Jorgensen stymied the return of Jeff Curran. But don't take my word for it. Complete UFC 137: "Penn vs. Diaz" results, commentary and updates are all right here.

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UFC 137 recorded a live gate of $3,900,650 at the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas, Nevada, on Oct. 29, 2011, according to official figures from the Nevada State Athletic Commission released earlier today. The final attendance of 10,313 was a result of 8,179 tickets sold and 2,134 complimentary tickets while 409 tickets remained unsold. In addition, the "Sin City" hotel also raked in $26,150 for the 523 patrons willing to pay for the closed-circuit viewing party, leaving 2,081 seats empty and 200 moochers there for free. "Penn vs. Diaz" featured former Strikeforce welterweight champion Nick Diaz staking his claim to a Super Bowl title shot against Georges St. Pierre by pounding on B.J. Penn for 15-minutes strong. But that's not all. Cheick Kongo maintained his status as the gatekeeper of the heavyweight division by outperforming Matt Mitrione in the co-main event of the evening. Mirko Filipovic went out on a low note, retiring from active competition after getting clobbered by Roy Nelson while Scott Jorgensen stymied the return of Jeff Curran. But don't take my word for it. Complete UFC 137: "Penn vs. Diaz" results, commentary and updates are all right here.

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Joe Paterno, the king of the collegiate institution known as Penn State, was fired tonight after the arrest of his former football defensive coordinator, Jerry Sandusky, who has been accused of raping multiple children. As Jay Bilas opined today on ESPN, a conspiracy of cowardice. Memo to athletes and media personalities: this is a real [...]

Posted in: penn, state, media personalities, cowardice memo, penn state

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It's been a week and a half since BJ Penn got shellacked by Nick Diaz at UFC 137, which means he's had some time to chill out and really think about whether he wants to stick with that whole 'retirement' thing. Michael Schiavello caught up with him at ProElite's second show and here's what he said: You know what, I kinda think this is something I shoulda did after the first Frankie Edgar fight. A bunch of my coaches pleaded with me to step away from the sport, take some time off. I was just kinda in the mix ... I kept going, kept going, trying to push myself. I don’t really like the results I’ve been getting. I just ... take some time off, take some time away from the sport. If I ever feel it again, I’ll come back, if it interests me, it excites me. I don’t wanna be sitting in the locker room saying "I can’t believe I’m still doing this", you know? So if it excites me, we'll see how everything goes but I definitely need some time away. I can't believe I'm about to say this, but BJ Penn just made a totally rational and sane decision. Taking yourself out of the regular rotation is much smarter than quitting full stop. BJ is on the edge of being just another guy on the roster right now. But after a year or two away, people will freak out when he comes back. Especially if there happens to be someone holding the belt at 155 that he can beat.

Posted in: bj penn, time, ’t, penn, bj

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Inside MMA scored the first interview with BJ Penn since his loss to Nick Diaz and subsequent retirement announcement. Penn basically says that he should have taken time off after the Frankie Edgar fights, but will take it now and come back if he “ever feels it again.”

Posted in: bj penn, nick diaz, loss, penn, bj

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B.J. Penn, a former double-division UFC champion, shocked many in the MMA world when he announced his impending retirement from fighting after a loss to Nick Diaz at UFC 137 last month. Now, after taking some time to think about his career, “The Prodigy” might be having second thoughts. After Penn dropped his UFC lightweight title to Frankie Edgar, he says his own coaches asked him to take some time off and get his mind focused back on the sport. Instead, Penn took an immediate rematch with Edgar and lost. A win over Matt Hughes seemed to right his course, but Penn went to a draw with Jon Fitch before falling to Diaz. Now, Penn seems to be questioning his own desire to continue competing in MMA. “If I ever feel it again, I’ll come back,” said Penn, in an interview featured on Inside MMA recently. “If it interests me, if it excites me, I don’t want to be sitting in the locker room saying, ‘I can’t believe I’m still doing this.’ If it excites me, we’ll see how everything goes, but I definitely need some time away.” Penn might just wait for a possible rematch with Fitch, or another big-time fight that could place him back among the contenders at either lightweight or welterweight. Here is the entire video clip below: PHOTO CREDIT – UFC

Posted in: ufc, mma, time, penn, mma world

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Good news for B.J. Penn fans. After a three round beatdown at the hands of Nick Diaz during last month's UFC 137 pay-per-view, the former lightweight and welterweight champion (perhaps hastily) declared his retirement from combat sports. But that doesn't mean he's fought his last fight: "I kinda think this is something that I should have did after the first Frankie Edgar fight. Bunch of my coaches pleaded with me to step away from the sport, take some time off. I was just kind of in the mix, I kept going, kept going, trying to push myself. I don’t really like the results I’ve been getting. Take some time off. Take some time away from the sport. If I ever feel it again, I’ll come back. If it interests me, if it excites me. I don’t want to be sitting in the locker room saying, I can’t believe I’m still doing this. If it excites me, we'll see how everything goes, but I definitely need some time away." Aside from the Penn faithful, that's good news for any mixed martial arts fan, especially when you consider the kind of impact the Hawaiian "Prodigy" has on the fight game. Love him or hate him, he puts asses in the seats. Hear more about his possible return (via Inside MMA) after the jump. How about it Maniacs, what's the over/under on his return?

Posted in: fight, time, sport, penn, i donrsquot

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BJ Penn abruptly announced that he was “done” fighting after being battered by welterweight contender Nick Diaz in the main event of UFC 137 late last month and the former UFC champion is still planing on taking some time off, but has left the door open for a possible return. “I kind of think this is something I should have did after the first Frankie Edgar fight,” Penn recently said on HDNet. “A bunch of my coaches pleaded with me to step away from the sport and take some time off. I was just kind of in the mix. I kept going and kept going, trying to push myself. I don’t really like the results I’ve been getting. “I’ll just take some time off, take some time away from the sport. If I ever feel it again I’ll come back, if it interests me, if it excites me. I don’t want to be sitting in the locker room saying, ‘I can’t believe I’m still doing this.’ We’ll see how it goes, but I definitely need some time away.” Penn (15-6-1) is just 1-3-1 in his last fight fights, scoring a 21-second knockout of Matt Hughes between a pair of losses to Frankie Edgar and a draw to Jon Fitch and unanimous decision loss to Diaz. For the latest UFC news stay tuned to MMAFrenzy.com.

Posted in: fight, time, penn, locker room, ufc news

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BJ Penn decided to step away from MMA after his UFC 137 loss to Nick Diaz. Will he ever come back? He talked about that and more with HDNet's "Inside MMA."

Posted in: nick diaz, mma, penn, bj, i ’ll

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UFC 118: Edgar vs. Penn II Date: August 28, 2010 Venue: TD Garden Location: Boston, Massachusetts   gate: $3 million (estimated) attendance: 15,575 Fighter Awards & Bonuses ($60,000 each) - Knockout of the Night: none - Submission of the Night: Joe Lauzon - Fight of The Night: Nate Diaz and Marcus Davis   Articles Play-By-Play Salaries Medical Suspensions   Main Bouts (On Pay-Per-View): -Frankie Edgar def. B.J. Penn by unanimous decision (50-45 on [...]

Posted in: ufc, night, bj penn, penn, edgar

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It's no secret that B.J. Penn used to be a Gracie fighter. He started his career under the tutelage of Ralph Gracie, and at the time Ralph and Cesar Gracie were part of one united camp. It obviously didn't last, as B.J. preferred living in Hawaii and branched off on his own. Ralph obviously still has some hard feelings about this - just watch the great documentary Renzo Gracie: Legacy to see what he has to say about that. But Cesar Gracie holds no such grudge, and even though his protege Nick Diaz fought and defeated Penn last weekend at UFC 137, Gracie wants to form an alliance between his own camp and Penn's. Gracie shared this with Pedro Carrasco, editor of BJPenn.com: "I think the joining of our camps, of our teams together, a sort of coalition would benefit him incredibly and it would benefit us too. Guys like BJ Penn, Reagan Penn, Nick and Nathan, you know, Gilbert Melendez all the guys on our team would benefit from having those guys around." Gracie has a lot more to say about the idea, and also gives his honest opinion of Penn's career and how it can be revived. It's actually pretty interesting, and a lot different than the usual Gracie bluster. You can check out the full audio here, and a transcription of some of the best parts here.

Posted in: penn, bj, camp, gracie, cesar gracie

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Cesar Gracie, head coach and trainer for top Welterweight contender Nick Diaz, reaches out to B.J. Penn's camp following "The Prodigy's" recently loss to Diaz at UFC 137. Gracie, who also trains such fighters as Gilbert Melendez, Jake Shields, and Nate Diaz, formally offers to untie his camp with Penn's Hawaiian based team.

Posted in: nate diaz, penn, gracie, cesar gracie, penns hawaiian

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BJ Penn seemed about as happy to be in Moline, Illinois in November as any Hawaiian could ever be, which is not very. Granted he had something to be happy about, his face has healed at a very Wolverine-like rate since getting punched in the face by Nick Diaz 257 times last weekend (which you will see in the video), and frankly I think BJ Penn knows he has a dome that can withstand punishment both aesthetically and professionally. It's really quite incredible, the dude has been punched in the octagon upwards of a thousand times and he's still never been knocked down, and depending on whether his retirement sticks we may say he was never knocked down. It was with the upmost respect and awe for The Prodigy's freshly-healed face that I asked him to break down a fight that he has intimate insight into; GSP/Diaz. [source]

Posted in: bj penn, face, penn, bj, upmost respect

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Sherdog.com will report from the iWireless Center in Moline, Ill., at approximately 8:10 p.m. ET with play-by-play and live results of ProElite "Big Guns," which features former UFC heavyweight champions Andrei Arlovski and Tim Sylvia, as well as Reagan Penn, the brother of B.J. Penn.

Posted in: penn, tim sylvia, iwireless center, reagan penn, proelite ‘

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If you can't beat 'em, join 'em. B.J. Penn shocked the mixed martial arts world last weekend at UFC 137 by announcing his retirement after losing to former Strikeforce welterweight champion Nick Diaz. After having his right eye swollen shot by Diaz after three rounds of pure stand up action, Penn stated: "I'm done, I can't go home looking like this." Fans and media alike were not ready to see the former UFC lightweight and welterweight champion hang up his gloves for good. Among them ... Cesar Gracie, head trainer at Cesar Gracie Jiu-Jitsu. Speaking to Pedro Carrasco of BJPenn.com, Gracie talks about his history with Penn and officially makes an offer to unite Team Penn and Team Gracie into one powerful force. "I'm watching this guys fight and I'm very impressed with his abilities, number one. Not a lot of guys can stand up like that with a Nick Diaz and not a lot of guys can win a round like that.I see the heart that BJ has but I see, well, wait a minute, how come a guy with this much heart with this much technique and natural god given ability, why isn't it happening for him now." "What's wrong here is the stuff around him. I don't know his coaches or anything like that but for whatever reason it's not happening. This guy is coming into a fight and it's not that he is totally out of shape, but he is not in world class shape and that's what it takes these days to make it to the upper levels of fighting." "I've had a relationship with BJ since he was 16 years old, so I obviously always like the kid, always knew of his talent. He's a genuine person; he's a guy that fights with his heart. He's not a steroid user like a lot of these guys he's not a cheater and you know there's respect for a guy like that." "I think the joining of our camps, of our teams together, a sort of coalition would benefit him incredibly and it would benefit us too. Guys like BJ Penn, Reagan Penn, Nick and Nathan, you know, Gilbert Melendez all the guys on our team would benefit from having those guys around.  He's got too much talent to quit right now and he needs to get with some world class athletes and this is the perfect opportunity, the time is ticking and it's time to do it." "It's just a good fit, everyone is talking about BJ's cardio, Nick, Nathan and Gilbert, these guys are the kings of cardio, and they do not get tired. BJ has to change some things up, he's gotta change his diet up a little bit too. BJ has been running off talent and talent alone and that's not good enough to make it these days." "BJ' best days are in front of him. This is a wonderful opportunity to turn the page and look towards the future. He can rewrite his whole future right now, he can do it. This a formal invitation. I talked to Nathan Diaz just a few minutes ago because he is one of the guys I haven't discussed this with yet and he said ‘absolutely!' Nick Diaz told BJ not to quit after the fight because BJ was talking about quitting and that really upset Nick because this guy just gave him a war and he's thinking the same thing I am thinking, No way don't quit." "For the cause of saving MMA in the world these guys need to get together because people are inspired by that kind of fighting and if we keep having these other guys that just want to hold you and not fight it's going to destroy the sport that we love that we have been involved with our whole lives." Cesar Gracie's camp is certainly one of the best in the nation, housing talent such as former Strikeforce welterweight champion Nick Diaz, current Strikeforce lightweight champion Gilbert Melendez, former Strikeforce middleweight champion Jake Shields and Nate Diaz, among others. Would a change of scenery and an alliance between the two camps be enough to convince "The Prodigy" that indeed his best days are ahead of him -- and that he can still make a run in the UFC? Time will tell.

Posted in: diaz, guy, nick, penn, bj

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[div class="notice" class2="icon"]The following is from an article on FighterXFashion.com, part of the MiddleEasy Network.[/div] Commemorating BJ Penn’s headline bout against Nick Diaz at UFC 137, here’s your chance to take home The Prodigy’s complete UFC 137 signature collection in one big bundle with the BJ Penn Fanatic Pack. Marking what BJ called his last match inside the Octagon, following a hard fought three round war with Diaz, the Penn Fanatic Pack includes his MMA Elite UFC 137 weigh-in and training tees, his VAS biomechanical sandals, and three RVCA signature shirts including his official UFC 137 walkout tee. Relive a classic moment in UFC history, with this limited edition UFC 137 fanatic pack, or alternatively take home all three RVCA tees instead, with the RVCA Hang Loose collector’s kit also featured below. See the Shirts...

Posted in: ufc, penn, bj, fanatic, pack

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YES! One of the original winners of The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) wants back on the show ... this time as a coach. Diego Sanchez, the network reality show's season one winner, has expressed interest in coaching the show and already has an opposing coach in mind. B.J. Penn. "The Dream" (via Fight Hub TV) states that while he wants to challenge for the title one day, he wouldn't mind coaching on a future season while he's getting there: "My thing right now is to coach that show, I know that a title shot for me is going to happen one day it will but I would love to coach that show right now. I would like it to be against BJ (Penn); he is back at welterweight, let's go do it and have a rematch, I think it would be great. I have a lot I can show these guys and Jesus Christ has blessed me with an ability that needs to be shared." As is tradition on the show, the two opposing coaches fight each other at the end of the season. Penn and Sanchez have already faced off at UFC 107 back in December of 2009. Penn defeated Sanchez in the fifth and final round of their lightweight title fight via doctor stoppage due to a cut on Diego's forehead thanks to a well placed kick by "The Prodigy." Sanchez will probably have to find another counterpart if he were to earn a slot as coach, as Penn recently announced he was taking time off to enjoy life after his loss to Nick Diaz at UFC 137 last weekend. The athlete formerly known as, "The Nightmare" would join Rashad Evans, Forrest Griffin, Michael Bisping, Josh Koschek and Matt Serra as former participants on the show to return as coaches. The Ultimate Fighter is in its last season on SPIKE and will now be carried on FOX in 2012. Anyone lucky enough to grab a spot as a coach will recieve some very good exposure to such a wide audience. Would a season of The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) pitting "The Dream" and "The Prodigy" as opposing coaches be must see TV for you, or does Penn stand benefitting anything from a fight with Sanchez after already having soundly defeated him? Thoughts?

Posted in: show, season, coach, sanchez, penn

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Filed under: UFC, Rankings, WelterweightsNick Diaz is the top contender for Georges St. Pierre's UFC welterweight title, and he deserves to be. The reason the UFC decided to reverse course and book Diaz vs. GSP is that it has all the makings of a pay-per-view blockbuster. But it was also the right decision from a competitive standpoint: After Diaz's UFC 137 victory over B.J. Penn, he's demonstrated that he deserves to be considered the No. 2 fighter in mixed martial arts at 170 pounds. So as we rank the Top 10 welterweights in MMA, GSP stays on top with Diaz on his heels. Find out how we rate the rest of the division below. Top 10 welterweights in MMA (Editor's note: The individual fighter's ranking the last time we did welterweights is in parentheses.) 1. Georges St. Pierre (1): St. Pierre has really never been threatened since losing to Matt Serra in April of 2007; his current nine-fight winning streak consists of six unanimous decisions, two TKOs and one submission win without ever being in any trouble. I don't think St. Pierre is going to lose to Diaz, but I do think Diaz has the right style, both with his high-volume punching and his ability to submit people off his back, to challenge St. Pierre in a way he hasn't been challenged before. 2. Nick Diaz (4): As Diaz won 10 fights in a row over the last three years, a lot of skeptics raised questions about whether the guys he was beating were really all that good. No one can ask that about his 11th straight win: Penn is universally regarded as a Top 10 welterweight, and Diaz gave him a thorough pounding. Jon Fitch, who's No. 2 in most welterweight rankings, wasn't as successful against Penn as Diaz was. Diaz can compete with the elite, and he's earned his opportunity to fight the best of the best in St. Pierre. 3. Jon Fitch (2): After 11 months off following his draw with Penn, Fitch is slated to return against Johny Hendricks at UFC 141 on December 30. That's a fight that won't do much for Fitch in the welterweight division, but it should be a good opportunity for him to grab another unanimous decision victory. 4. Josh Koscheck (5): Koscheck looked great in his first-round knockout of Matt Hughes in September. Koscheck isn't ever going to beat St. Pierre, but it was good to see that Koscheck has recovered and is ready to resume his role as one of the welterweight division's elite fighters. 5. Carlos Condit (7): Condit has looked great on his current four-fight winning streak, but I see no reason he's more deserving of a title shot than Diaz. I'd like to see Condit win another fight against another Top 10 opponent before he becomes the top welterweight contender. 6. Jake Ellenberger (NR): Ellenberger enters the Top 10 on the strength of his 53-second knockout of Jake Shields. I'd love to see him rematch Condit, whom he lost to by split decision in 2009. 7. Rory MacDonald (9): The 22-year-old MacDonald is 12-1, with the only loss coming to Condit. There's little doubt that he'll be fighting for the UFC welterweight title some day, although he's in no rush to do that. He gets Brian Ebersole next at UFC 140. 8. B.J. Penn (6): Penn is 1-3-1 in his last five fights, but there's no shame in losing to Frankie Edgar and Nick Diaz, or drawing with Jon Fitch. No matter how discouraged he was after losing to Diaz, Penn shouldn't retire. He has a lot of big fights ahead of him. 9. Jake Shields (3): Shields is now on a two-fight losing streak after being decisioned by GSP and knocked out by Ellenberger. But look for him to bounce back in 2012. He has too much talent not to. 10. John Hathaway (10): A tough decision at No. 10, but I'll stick with Hathaway for now. An injury forced Hathaway to drop out of UFC 138, but he's a very promising 24-year-old with a 15-1 record. Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Posted in: ufc, diaz, st, welterweight, penn

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Check out this MMAWeekly.com photo gallery with all of the UFC 137: Penn vs. Diaz official scorecards.

Posted in: ufc, diaz, vs, penn, scorecard

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When last we saw BJ Penn, the Hawaiian legend was battered and bloody and seemingly adamant about his UFC 137 appearance – a hard loss to Nick Diaz that left his eye purple and swollen – being his last trip into the Octagon.  Then, days later, came the post on Penn’s website, saying he would take some time off and see where it goes from there.  Which leaves us with what?  A former welterweight and lightweight champ on the cusp of retirement?  A warrior in the waning years of his career?  Or simply a fighter who needs some time to reassess his place in the sport?  I’d say definitely all of the above.  Which isn’t to say Penn is washed up; he is, and will always be, one the best MMA has ever seen.  To examine his triumphs, when fists were flying and chokes were constricting, is to be imparted with a lesson in greatness. I was there when Penn first fought in the UFC, and remember clearly the hype that had surrounded him.  He was some sort of jiu-jitsu prodigy (hence his nickname, “The Prodigy”), attaining a black belt in only a few short years and using those skills to kick ass at the Mundials in Brazil.  So, while it was amazing that Penn’s first MMA fight ever was at UFC 31, most already harbored great expectations of him.  And against an overmatched Joey Gilbert, he did not disappoint.  Two crushing performances later (against Din Thomas and Caol Uno) and Penn was taking on Jens Pulver for the title. Many measure Penn’s performances against those same high expectations, and use that as a gauge of his successes and failures in lieu of the usual “win/loss” method.  That’s unfair.  When Penn didn’t destroy the likes of Paul Creighton, Matt Serra and others, his victories in those bouts somehow meant less.  But the fact is Penn won those fights, and he went on to handily defeat Takanori Gomi (considered Japan’s best at the time) and Matt Hughes (the UFC’s dominant welterweight champ).  And he made it look easy. What made the Prodigy’s victory over Hughes all the more impressive was the step up in weight class, and he continued the trend, taking on everyone from Rodrigo Gracie to Lyoto Machida (!) to George St. Pierre to Hughes again.  However, it was a return to the lightweight division that reasserted Penn’s mastery of the game, and he redefined the word “murder” with the way he put away top competitors Joe Stevenson, Sean Sherk, Kenny Florian and Diego Sanchez. If Penn retires, his record will stay at twenty-six fights, and his losses will have come at the hands of only the best – 155-pound champ Pulver, 205-pound champ Machida, 170-pound champs Hughes and St. Pierre, 155-pound champ Frankie Edgar, and Strikeforce champ Diaz.  That’s one heck of a list of fighters to fall to, and there’s zero shame in it.  Can he still compete with the sport’s elite, though?  Only Penn can decide that, but worth noting is how many fighters can still be the best who saw their Octagon debuts in 2001 (answer: none).    But in the end, it shouldn’t matter.  As a fighter, a TUF coach, and the subject of a New York Times Bestselling autobiography, Penn has done and accomplished so much in his years in the mixed martial arts.  If he never comes back, then in a year or two we won’t be talking about how he lost to Edgar and Diaz.  No, we’ll be talking about BJ Penn’s legacy. That right there is greatness.

Posted in: ufc, ’t, year, champ, penn

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I thought round 1 was lopsided for Penn, round 2 was lopsided for Diaz, and round 3 was slightly for Diaz. Seems like all three judges agreed with me (29-28, 29-28, and 29-27), but Joe Rogan, the fans, and the talking heads are acting like Diaz murdered Penn and ate his soul. I thought round 1 clearly showed who was the more skilled fighter, and rounds 2 and 3 showed who had the better reach and cardio. submitted by ciscomd [link] [4 comments]

Posted in: diaz, round, penn, joe rogan, soul i

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Walking away from the sport - even if only for a moment - was the smartest thing B.J. Penn could have done after UFC 137.

Posted in: ufc, decision, penn, thing, bj

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“Hats off to Nick Diaz, he’s the man. Joe, it’s probably the last time you’re ever going to see me in here. I can’t keep, uh, I want to perform at the top level. That’s it, Joe, I’ll shake your hand right here. I’ve got a daughter (and) another daughter on the way. I don’t want to go home looking like this. I’m done.” – BJ Penn, speaking to UFC commentator Joe Rogan immediately following his unanimous decision loss to Nick Diaz at UFC 137. Needless to say, those heart-felt comments from a physically exhausted Penn, his left eye badly swollen and nearly shut, blindsided most spectators, especially the man holding the microphone and asking the questions. A haggard-looking BJ was just a few minutes removed from having absorbed and weathered the worst beating of his famed 10-year career. Yet the Hawaiian hero is only 32 years old. He is still in his physical prime, still a crowd-pleasing headliner, still in possession of some of the slickest boxing and Brazilian jiu-jitsu skills in the fight game. So his spontaneous declaration inside the Octagon, if BJ does indeed make good on it, would make him a notorious exception to the laws of probability: To my vast recollection, the number of legendary UFC fighters who have voluntarily walked away from the sport age 32 or younger is … ZERO. The enigma that is BJ has always walked to the beat of his own drum, so you can never discount that he will become the first to break the mold. But a great many fans, in keeping with the natural skepticism of many reporters and fans who have witnessed too many pro fighters flip-flop on retirement vows, will only believe in a BJ Penn denouement if they never see the former two-division world champ fight again over the next few years. Indeed, two days after his 15-minutes of riveting reckoning with Diaz secured Fight of the Night honors, Penn himself seemed to subscribe to the school of thought that fighters – like people in general – should refrain from making decisions while consumed by raw emotions or while the fresh wounds of battle make it hard to rise out of bed in the morning or scamper to the fridge. “I want to thank all of the fans for their love and support. I’m going to take some time off to enjoy life, train and teach. I will keep you guys’ posted with what’s next,” was what Penn wrote on his Web site, BJPenn.com, on Monday. I’ve seen a lot of gifted fighters up close. And if I endeavored to rank which fighters are must-see every time they fight, no matter who the opponent is, I’m not sure whom I would peg in the No. 2 slot. But the guy who consistently and always delivers as the No. 1 fighter-as-entertainer is easy: My vote goes to BJ Penn. Unequivocally. Without hesitation, no need for deliberation. I don’t have a Hawaii birth certificate and have no ties whatsoever to the Aloha State. Fortunately, you don’t need to hail from the nation’s 50th state to have been emotionally moved time and again by the former lightweight and welterweight world champion, who was game to fight anybody – even going up three weight classes to take on 205-pound Lyoto Machida. The baby-faced Hilo fighter, Hawaii’s most popular and adored athlete, alongside Philadelphia Phillies All-Star center fielder Shane Victorino, never needed a Fight of The Night bonus check as incentive to leave it all in the cage. BJ just always brought it. Straight from the heart. That was the one certainty with him – whether he stepped into the cage shredded at 155 pounds or slightly bloated at 170 pounds, whether fighting on a full tank or on fumes, he always came to throw down and to take the other guy out. He “brought it” despite the fact that everything else about his training camp preparation, diet, etc., was usually a humongous question mark leading up to his fights. You know the questions that always shadowed him: Which BJ will show up? How hard did he train for this fight? How much longer does he want to fight? Is his heart still in it? Penn has often been cast as a supreme athlete, with uncanny fight instincts, who never quite poured 100 percent of himself into fight preparation. Yet every time this guy fought, electricity filled the arena. He never backed down when the fists were flying, never backpedaled, never stopped trying to finish a fight. And he never ran from an a—whipping if he had to be on the receiving end once his cardio had betrayed him. And, in my mind, even before he ever stepped into the cage, Penn (16-8-2) was a force to behold. For my money, his walkouts are among the three or four best in the sport’s history, neck and neck with Matt Hughes and Chuck Liddell. As I’ve often said, many times in sport (and in life) the anticipation of THE  MOMENT can actually be as compelling and gripping as THE MOMENT itself. BJ Penn embodied the power of anticipation. His walkouts to the late Israel “IZ” Kamakawiwo’s hybrid anthems of “E la E” and “Hawaii 78” are so visceral and palpable. You can feel in that moment, while witnessing his accelerated swagger toward the cage, that he is not only fighting for himself, out of personal pride, but for the pride of all his people. BJ is to Hawaii what Manny Pacquiao is to the Philippines. Only Hawaii has just 1.35 million people, versus 92 million for the Philippines. BJ is the Hawaii fans’ ambassador, a representation of their ferocious will. It is a role that differentiates him from nearly all other fighters, who fight for their own fulfillment and dreams. With BJ, despite a rather privileged upper class upbringing, it is always as if he had showcased extra heart because he would much rather suffer tremendous physical agony than disappoint his people, his fans. Even when his legs went wobbly in the Octagon, even when his heart-rate shot up and lactic acid overwhelmed his muscles – as they did in contests against Georges St-Pierre, Jon Fitch and Diaz -- he dared not let his fellow Hawaiians down. He dared not quit, even when his not-quite-in-peak-shape body screamed for him to quit. So you must understand that when BJ walks to the cage to “Bruddah IZ,” it is a particularly emotional experience for his sympathizers, who view him as a brother, a loved one. Those songs hold deep symbolic meaning to the Hawaiian people, signifying unity and a preservation of their proud island culture during times when outsiders tried to take their lands. “When that song plays, every Hawaiian in the house stands up and it gives you chicken skin. BJ lifts everybody’s spirits up,” said Blaise Soares, a 36-year-old Hawaii native who is a former pro boxer and Golden Gloves champion. “BJ Penn is the biggest name in Hawaii culture. Hawaiians love MMA because fighting is something we’ve been doing since we were in diapers. We all learn how to fight in the backyard with the boxing gloves or wrestling. People love BJ because he brings it. He brought the fight to Diaz. There were a few moments where I thought the fight might get stopped, but BJ just kept coming back, which prevented the referee from stopping the fight. But it hurt me to see him take so many punches, the big shots. I think that took a lot out of (our) people.”It was a battle between two stallions who should be the poster boys for the slogan, “Let’s Scrap.” BJ Penn had to be transported to the hospital for treatment immediately following the fight, so he could not attend the post-fight press conference, which featured Dana White making a very poignant observation about what had transpired in the cage.“In the 10 years we’ve all seen BJ Penn perform and fight,” White said, “you’ve never seen BJ Penn get busted up. He got busted up tonight, let me tell you.” That “leather skin,” as Dana called it, could not withstand the nearly 260 strikes unleashed by Diaz – an extraordinary volume of punches. While Diaz’s punches often appear to be moving in slow-motion, those blows inflict much more damage than often meets the eye because of the tremendous snap and whip Diaz puts on them – enabling him to not just land “arm” punches, but to also put the force of his body weight behind them. Those are the kind of punches that can split even a fighter with “leather skin.” While BJ had claimed Diaz was a near mirror image of himself, the difference in the all-out war of attrition was that Diaz has the limitless cardio of a Triathlete. There will be naysayers who criticize Penn for his at times questionable work ethic, the fact that he did not appear as obsessive or disciplined in all facets of his training as some other elite pros. There is the prevailing perception, even among his most ardent defenders, that BJ could have given more to his art. That he should have left Hawaii more frequently for better training camps, that he should have dieted more stringently throughout his career. So, despite two world titles, and a BJJ black belt world title, it is possible that we never really saw the Best B.J. there could have been. Yet what Penn ACTUALLY accomplished should not detract from all that he MIGHT HAVE accomplished. He was such a sponge, such an instinctive wonder, a one-in-a-million natural fighter and entertainer. In fact, his perceived flaws are perhaps part of the reason so many people empathize with him. There is a vulnerability that emanates from BJ and his aura. He does not fight like a stoical machine, as some do, but as an emotional human. He is impulsive. There is an unpredictability about him. You never really know what the guy is going to do next (even when he says he’s retiring!).Personally, I prefer my fighters emotional, with a chip on their shoulder, as if they’re out to exact some revenge for something disrespectful you said. That was BJ Penn. A BJJ wizard who often preferred to beat the other guy up standing and excelled at it. He made you pick your poison. BJ’s legacy is bulletproof. Two wins over Matt Hughes, triumphs over Sean Sherk, Kenny Florian, and Jens Pulver and Takanori Gomi in their primes. You could also make a strong case that BJ deserved to get the nod in his first fight against St-Pierre (which Penn lost via split decision despite inflicting more damage on the Canadian). If he does return, my best guess is it’ll be at 155 pounds. BJ is 1-3-1 in his past five fights and seems better suited when he has defined abs and is competing against guys his own size. Some day the UFC will host a show in Hawaii, and maybe we’ll see 60,000 plus people in an outdoor stadium. Wouldn’t it be awesome if BJ was on that card? How could he resist being on that card?It is fitting that one of the sport’s most enigmatic figures again has the rest of us guessing. His opponents in the cage often had no idea what was coming next. Once again, nobody knows BJ’s next move.“BJ Penn will always be a legend to the people of Hawaii,” Soares said. “Hawaii has a lot of up and coming fighters and there will be another Hawaiian champion someday. But I don’t think there will ever be one as big as BJ Penn.”You got that right. They didn’t make two. They didn’t make two.

Posted in: fight, fighter, penn, bj, hawaii

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"I want to thank all the fans for their love and support. I have decided to take some time off to enjoy life, train and teach. I will keep you posted with what's next." B.J. Penn today took to his website (BJPenn.com) to release his first statement following his surprise retirement announcement after his loss to Nick Diaz this past weekend (Oct. 29, 2011) at UFC 137. With his left eye nearly swollen shut, a distraught Penn told Joe Rogan in his post fight speech that he did not want to go home to his family looking the way he did and that he was done. "The Prodigy," shockingly, retired from mixed martial arts (MMA) just like that.  Later in the evening, Penn's Brazilian jiu-jitsu coach, Allan Goes, posted this message, which was relayed to him by Penn, on his Facebook page, saying "I'll be back," giving all fans hope that the former UFC lightweight and welterweight champion may have spoken prematurely. UFC President Dana White was also not 100 percent convinced that Penn's retirement would last long, leaving the door open with his remarks at the UFC 137 post-fight press conference that the proud Hawaiian had not seen the inside of the Octagon for the last time. Read his remarks in the extended entry: "B.J. is a warrior, what happened to him tonight has never happened to him in his entire career. What he's thinking tonight he might not think eight weeks from now." Penn was a no-show at the UFC 137 post fight conference because of a post-fight trip to the hospital. Nonetheless, from the sound of things, if time does indeed heal all wounds, "The Prodigy" will possibly grace us with his presence once again in the world famous Octagon. And maybe more.

Posted in: ufc, retirement, penn, bj, retirement announcement

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Exclusive MMAWeekly.com fight photos from the UFC 137: Penn vs. Diaz main card, featuring BJ Penn, Nick Diaz, Mirko Cro Cop, Cheick Kongo, and more.

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After dropping a decision to Nick Diaz in the main event at UFC 137 and having his eye swollen up to grotesque proportions, B.J. Penn announced his retirement from MMA in an interview with Joe Rogan. Penn has talked about retirement many times before, and the moment seemed appropriate for that sort of announcement. But today he released a statement through his webpage BJPenn.com, and it might have opened the door to a return just a tiny bit: "I want to thank all the fans for their love and support. I have decided to take some time off to enjoy life, train and teach. I will keep you guys posted with what's next." - BJ Penn "Take some time off" and "retire" are very different things. Could we see Penn back in the cage someday? He is definitely still a top guy in the sport and is only 32 years old, so it's possible. Whatever he decides to do, he's a surefire Hall of Famer. I wonder how long it will take for the UFC to jump on that idea.

Posted in: penn, time, ufc, bj, nick diaz

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Welcome to another edition of Payout Perspective. This time we take a look at UFC 137 coming from the Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas, Nevada. In the main event, Nick Diaz convincingly defeated BJ Penn affirming the need for a showdown with Georges St. Pierre. Diaz retires Penn; GSP next So now its obvious why Dana White kept Nick Diaz on the Zuffa roster despite no-showing press conference after press conference. Diaz showed his boxing skills as well as his jiu jitsu proficiency. For Penn, it sounded like he is eyeing retirement. At only 32, it seems like Penn could still make one last run at a title. But, if he were to end his career, he was one of the most dominant fighters in the UFC. While it appeared Penn acted like it was his last match in the UFC, he may just take some time off and reassess. At 32, he is still fairly young, but his dominant reign in the UFC is over. Kongo dominates Mitrione In the “co-main event,” Cheick Kongo defeated Matt Mitrione in a less than exciting match. For as much a personality Mitrione is, he could not handle Kongo. This fight was a main event in name only as a result of GSP’s injury. While it is written that this puts Kongo’s name in the heavyweight title picture, it seems like Kongo may need one or two more fights before he goes up against JDS or Cain. Nelson defeats Cro-Cop Nelson’s fat suit at the weigh-ins was pretty funny considering the fact that it initially looked like him. Still Nelson looked sharp. For Cro-Cop, it was his last fight in the UFC ring. He has been on the decline for a while at he gave a very nice post-match interview. Attendance and Gate MMA Junkie reports that the attendance of the event was 10,313 for $3.9 million. Bonuses MMA Junkie also had the bonuses for UFC. The bonuses were $75K each and were as follows: Fight of the Night: Diaz and Penn Submission of the Night: Donald Cerrone KO of the night: Bart Palaszewski Cerrone and Palaszewski were featured on the Spike TV Prelims. Salaries Salaries were released (via MMA Fighting) Nick Diaz: $200,000 (no win bonus) def. BJ Penn: $150,000 Cheick Kongo: $70,000 ($70,000 win bonus) def. Matt Mitrione: $10,000 Roy Nelson: $20,000 ($20,000 win bonus) def. Mirko “Cro Cop” Filipovic: $75,000 Scott Jorgensen: $16,500 ($16,500 win bonus) def. Jeff Curran: $8,000 Hatsu Hioki: $15,000 ($15,000 win bonus) def. George Roop: $8,000 Donald Cerrone: $27,000 ($27,000 win bonus) def. Dennis Siver: $27,000 Bart Palaszewski: $18,500 ($10,000 win bonus) def. Tyson Griffin: $25,500* Brandon Vera: $60,000 ($60,000 win bonus) def. Eliot Marshall: $15,000 Ramsey Nijem: $10,000 ($10,000 win bonus) def. Danny Downes: $4,000 Francis Carmont: $6,000 ($6,000 win bonus) def. Chris Carmozzi: $8,000 Clifford Starks: $6,000 ($6,000 win bonus) def. Dustin Jacoby: $6,000 * Griffin was scheduled to earn $34,000 for his fight against Palaszewski; Palaszewski was scheduled to make $10,000. Griffin missed weight, however, and was penalized 25 percent ($8,500) of his show money, which was added to Palaszewski’s show money total. Diaz’s salary likely would have been the same if he had fought GSP. Also, I’m wondering how much of a locker room bonus BJ Penn received for fighting Diaz instead of Carlos Condit. Its also interesting that Brandon Vera made $120,000 despite having his fight on Facebook (and almost breaking his arm). I am in favor of how the UFC penalizes those that don’t make weight. In the case of Tyson Griffin, who missed by 3 pounds, he forfeited his scheduled salary and that amount was given to Palaszewski. Also worked out for Palaszewski considering he picked up a KO bonus as well. Pre-Fight Promotion Initially a Primetime series was going to follow GSP and Nick Diaz for their showdown. However, with Diaz being reassigned, the Primetime series was scrapped. The UFC Countdown show for 137 was only 30 minutes as opposed to the normal hour edition. Still, I thought it did a good job in telling the Nick Diaz backstory as well as including his hobby of triathlons. The re-revised promos for UFC 137 featured the infamous “Don’t be scared homie” quote. It’s weird to think that Bill Goldberg was the interviewer in the middle of Diaz and KJ Noons (the recipient of the Diaz trash talk). Sponsorships The UFC Octagon did not have any new sponsors with the exception of signage for UFC Undisputed 3 which was in the Octagon and had the checkpoint area. When it was announced that Nick Diaz would be facing BJ Penn, Metal Mullisha announced its sponsorship deal with Diaz. Diaz has worn the brand in Strikeforce. In addition, Diaz was to have a sponsor for his walkout music. The UFC announced that the BJ Penn-UFC branded Gym in Hawaii would be taking memberships about a week before 137. Jaco ran a deal for Brandon Vera fans with a special coupon code on Vera’s fight gear. Vera also was sponsored by Toyo Tires for his Facebook fight. Matt Mitrione sported new fight shirt company Traumma. Strikeforce heavyweight Daniel Cormier is also sponsored by the company as he wore the shirt on a recent episode of InsideMMA. Mitrione also wore a Chris Lytle for Senate shirt at weigh-ins. Its the first political shirt of campaign season. Donald Cerrone wore SafeAuto and Tapout stickers on his cowboy hat during his post-fight interview. Once again, a great use of the hat by the Cowboy. Post UFC 137 storylines GSP-Diaz next. Carlos Condit, meet Anthony Pettis. Although, Dana White stated Condit “stepped aside” for GSP-Diaz. Condit’s manager, Malki Kawa, states otherwise. It would be disappointing if Condit does not get a shot through no fault of his own. But, let’s face it. He will have another fight before his “promised” title shot against the GSP-Diaz winner. If he loses, its almost certain he loses his shot as well. Certainly, GSP-Diaz is the match everyone wants to see. In fact, I think they made it before. Odds and ends -Pink gloves by the refs. I understand the intent and the cause, but do we really need it in the octagon. The NFL has jumped on the branding for Breast Cancer Awareness month, but it seems like its overdone. -Donald Cerrone. I believe “The Cowboy” is one of the best fighters coming out of the WEC merger. I like the personal branding. Wearing jeans, cowboy hat and cowboy boots at the weigh-ins distinguishing him from others. Plus, he’s a pretty good fighter. The Cowboy will be the co-main event on PPV for UFC 141. -Speaking of personal branding, Ramsey Nijem embracing a Chippendale’s gimmick at weigh-ins with bow-tie and no-shirt. Did we not learn anything from Dennis Hallman? -Brandon Vera arm was nearly broken by Eliot Marshall but he still won by unanimous decision. -I really liked Hatsui Haoki’s Dethrone “bird” shirt. FighterxFashion has the rest of the walkout shirts. -The UFC sent a press release of video of the Penn-Diaz weigh-in which it described as a “scuffle.” Not sure if its done this before or sent to hype the card due to concern about the drawing power. -Alex Rodriguez was in attendance. Does this help or hurt the UFC’s popularity? PPV Numbers The top of this card was hurt first by Diaz’s no-shows, the card reshuffle and GSP’s injury. The UFC first touted UFC 137 as being Champion vs. Champion. Despite the removal of GSP from the main event, the UFC indicated that the show was a sell-out. After GSP’s injury, the card took a big star power hit despite BJ Penn in the main event. The co-main event featured mid-card level talent (Nelson, Mittrione, Kongo and Cro-Cop). Cro-Cop is past his prime while the other 3 are not top of the card caliber. It would be hard to foresee the buys for this card exceeding 350K.  

Posted in: ufc, fight, diaz, penn, bonus

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The Nevada State Athletic Commission released the info on fighter salaries for UFC 137 this morning. Nick Diaz was the top earner at the event, making $200,000. Nick's opponent B.J. Penn came in next at $150,000, while Cheick Kongo and Brandon Vera both collected healthy six-figure paydays as well. Here's the rundown of the whole card: Nick Diaz: $200,000 (no win bonus) B.J. Penn: $150,000 Cheick Kongo: $140,000 (includes $70,000 win bonus) Matt Mitrione: $10,000 Roy Nelson: $40,000 ($20,000 win bonus) Mirko Filipovic: $75,000 Scott Jorgensen: $33,000 ($16,500 win bonus) Jeff Curran: $8,000 Hatsu Hioki: $30,000 (includes $15,000 win bonus) George Roop: $8,000 Donald Cerrone: $54,000 ($27,000 win bonus) Dennis Siver: $27,000 Bart Palaszewski: $28,500 ($10,000 win bonus)* Tyson Griffin: $25,500* Brandon Vera: $120,000 ($60,000 win bonus) Eliot Marshall: $15,000 Ramsey Nijem: $20,000 ($10,000 win bonus) Danny Downes: $4,000 Francis Carmont: $12,000 ($6,000 win bonus) Chris Camozzi: $8,000 Clifford Starks: $12,000  ($6,000 win bonus) Dustin Jacoby: $6,000 *Griffin gave up 25% of his purse to Palaszewski for missing weight. There was no actual fine since the contract was re-drawn up before the fight. This doesn't include the performance bonuses that were handed out after the card, in which Diaz and Penn won an additional 75k each for fight of the night, Donald Cerrone won 75k for submission of the night, and Bart Palaszewski won 75k for knockout of the night. Obviously these numbers don't include any other discretionary bonuses handed out by the promotion either.

Posted in: diaz, penn, bonus, bart palaszewski, numbers dont

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UFC 137: Penn vs. Diaz took place Saturday in Las Vegas. B.J. Penn and Nick Diaz both ended up bloodied and bruised and on the UFC 137 medical suspension list.

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Nick Diaz ($200,000), B.J. Penn ($150,000), Cheick Kongo ($140,000) and Brandon Vera ($120,000) were the top...

Posted in: diaz, kongo, penn, mmajunkiecom, brandon

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Despite saying "I'm done" following his loss to Nick Diaz at UFC 137, BJ Penn on Monday appears to have backed off of making his retirement definitive.

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A two time UFC champion. One of only two men to hold belts in two different weight classes. A fighter who has fought everywhere from Lightweight up to Heavyweight against the best in the world. And now, he's gone. B.J. Penn, one of the most exciting fighters in the sport, has retired. After a decision loss to Nick Diaz at UFC 137, Penn quietly stepped away from the game, bringing his 10 year, 26 fight career to an end. There's no question that he accomplished much in those years, but where does he stand in the all time ranks? Penn entered the sport as a dynamic 22 year old... well, "Prodigy." It's a fitting nickname, given to Penn after he became a top ranked jiu jitsu competitor a mere three years after he started training. With that background, he came to MMA, immediately diving into the UFC and challenging for a world title less than a year after his debut. Of those early fights, it was Penn's 3rd fight that really turned heads - a blistering 8 second destruction of Caol Uno that remains one of the sport's all-time great highlights. Based on the strength of that win, Penn challenged Lightweight champion Jens Pulver in what was only B.J.'s fourth fight. Pulver outpointed Penn, earning a unanimous decision victory. Most fighters would take a decision loss to the champion in their fourth fight as a positive accomplishment, but Penn had loftier goals. Right from the beginning, he stated that his goal was not simply to be champion, but to be the best ever. Losing was not a part of the equation for him, and the Pulver loss was a shock to the young fighter. When Pulver left the UFC, Penn had a second shot at the now vacant title, but once again was thwarted when he and Uno battled to a Draw. Penn was frustrated, but as it turned out, he was also on the verge of his greatest glory. More on the career and legacy of B.J. Penn in the full entry. SBN coverage of UFC 137 Results: Penn vs. Diaz After the Uno fight, the UFC began disbanding the Lightweight division. Penn took a fight outside the company, defeating top Japanese Lightweight Takanori Gomi. Penn then returned to the UFC and was surprisingly given an immediate title shot at Welterweight champion Matt Hughes. This despite the fact that Penn had never before fought at Welterweight. Hughes at the time was absolutely dominant, on a 13 fight win streak that included 5 straight title defenses. He was a heavy favorite, but Penn shocked the world by taking Hughes's back and choking the champion out in the first round. Finally, B.J. Penn was a champion. But the celebration didn't last long. Penn left the UFC over an ugly contract dispute, citing a lack of competition for him in the company. Over the next two years, he fought around the world anywhere from Welterweight to Heavyweight, facing men like Renzo Gracie and Lyoto Machida.  In 2006, Penn returned to the UFC, touting himself as the real Welterweight champion. Unfortunately, his Welterweight return left something to be desired, as he dropped back to back fights to Georges St. Pierre and Matt Hughes before leaving the Welterweight division to return to Lightweight. After a coaching stint on The Ultimate Fighter and earning revenge by defeating old rival Jens Pulver, Penn got his third shot at the Lightweight title. He faced Joe Stevenson for the vacant title, choking Stevenson out in a brutal bloodbath to claim his second UFC championship. Penn would prove to be the most dominant Light weight champion to date in the UFC, defending the belt three times, all in impressive fashion, before being upset by Frankie Edgar in two straight fights. During that title run, the wandering eye of Penn returned. Unhappy with simply ruling over the 155 ranks, Penn moved up to challenge Georges St. Pierre, for GSP's Welterweight title. The champion vs. champion fight was huge, but in the end, once again Penn could not topple his old foe. After the Edgar loses, he returned to Welterweight for one final run, going 1-1-1 against Hughes, Diaz, and Jon Fitch. When you look at these accomplishments, there can be no question that B.J. Penn is a Hall of Fame fighter. And yet, his career still leaves a lingering air of disappointment. Why? Perhaps it's the lofty goals B.J. set for himself early on. Not just greatness, but THE greatest. That's a high bar, and Penn never cleared it. But it's more than that. It's also the feeling that maybe, just maybe, he could have cleared it. What if Penn had not left the UFC after losing to Hughes? What if he hadn't moved up to fight in divisions that allowed him to go easy on his training? What if, every time he had stepped into the cage, B.J. Penn had been dedicated and focused and had fought up to the potential he showed in many of his fights? "[T]he thing with BJ Penn is sometimes you don't know what BJ Penn will show up to the fight. If he's well prepared or injured - I don't know. Sometimes, I saw him perform very well at the best of his ability he's the best guy. But when he doesn't perform at the best of his ability he can be beat." That's the reality of B.J. Penn as spoken by a man who knew it well - Georges St. Pierre.  In the end, B.J. Penn managed to be two seemingly contradictory things - one of the best the sport has ever seen, as well as a man who never quite lived up to his fullest potential. It's a career 99% of fighters would be proud to have. For Penn's sake, I hope he's in that 99%.

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First let me start out by painting this article with a very broad brush: If you're not a fan of B.J. Penn, you're not a fan of MMA. A non sequitur in a philosophy classroom, perhaps, but not in the real world. I know we all have our favorite fighters, but on the question "who speaks for MMA?", I can think of few better candidates than B.J. Penn. This is not to say he was the best. Because he wasn't. But in boxing, the description for the sport has been synonymous with 'the sweet science'. MMA can't make such a claim. Why? Well look at our fighters. Some can box, but can't wrestle. Some can wrestle, but can't box. Others barely qualify as athletes. And certainly fewer can put the skills together in such a seamless way. The 'jack of all trades' principle that defines the identity of the mixed martial artist just doesn't allow for an approximation of what MMA might consider a "science". However, Penn is that approximation. Before Penn ever entered the sport of mixed martial arts, he became the first non-Brazilian to win Mundials gold after beating Edson Diniz in the Finals (which you can watch here). This was only three years after entering his first grappling tournament. Grappling aficionados sometimes criticize Penn's Mundials win because he won the year Royler Gracie (who won the previous three years), and Fredson Paixao (who would take gold the following two years) were absent. But it's a hollow criticism. Given the amount of time Penn had been training, it was every bit as amazing as the UFC has advertised. Even so, for the purists, it's worth noting that the year before, Penn won bronze at a weight class above what he'd typically compete in, and his defeat came against an icon in Fernando 'Terere' Augusto (in a bout that is said to be competitive, in which Penn lost by an advantage, though I don't know much about the match other than rumors). Of course, we've seen this story before: "grappler tries hand at mixed martial arts". Rani Yahya, Roger Gracie, Marcelo Garcia...the list goes on of grappling experts who become dartboards for 'real' fighters. Even those at the elite level, like Shinya Aoki, still haven't found a real rhythm in trying to apply their grappling prowess in an MMA context (as counter intuitive as that sounds). Not so for Penn.  In fact, this was sort of Penn's hype: His first three fights, fights fought in the UFC no less, were won by TKO or KO in a combined total of less than 8 minutes. His first loss, which occurred against Jens Pulver, was a learning experience. It was a close fight that Penn lost by choice (faded late in the fight), and by chance (he had secured an armbar to end one of the early rounds,and it's not fanboy hyperbole to say that not a second or two more, and Jens would have tapped).  When Penn got another crack at the UFC LW title, he would do so against Caol Uno, who found success against Penn in the clinch, scoring sporadic clinch takedowns, and minimizing Penn's offense on the feet (this was, of course, in very stark contrast to the blitz from Penn that put Uno in a folded corpse of a mess in their first bout). The draw that resulted essentially ruined the LW division (I should point out that the decision was terrible: not a memorable fight, but Penn clearly won 3 rounds). BJ rebounded by wining two titles back to back: one at LW at Rumble on the Rock over Takanori Gomi and another at WW, against Matt Hughes at UFC 47. On the former, it's worth noting that Gomi was a big deal even then. He hadn't yet developed the striking game that would make him famous, but he won the Shooto WW Championship against Rumina Sato 2 years earlier when Sato was still damn good. On top of that, his striking was what should have given him the win over Joachim Hansen, who he had badly hurt at one point (which would have made Gomi undefeated). It was a great win even at the time. But it's the win over Hughes everyone remembers. Penn was given no chance at 47. Hughes was a massive WW, and Penn was a small LW. Many fans on the internet mocked the fight, yes, rooting for Penn, but also the additional weight Penn was carrying around his waist to make 170, which clearly wasn't his natural weight. BJ's subsequent victory put Penn on the map as a force of nature. But it also started Penn's awkward walk on the tightrope between the 'prodigal' and the 'plebian'.              Penn has a secure place in MMA history: he won two UFC titles in two UFC weight classes. That distinction can never be taken away from him, and it's a distinction that will define his career in a way few other fighters can claim. But it's a distinction that also carries with it, a sort of curse. "Traversing the land of the rising sun in an adjustable fat suit, he clowns larger opponents with a potent mix of resolute takedown defense, and jiggly standup fighting". That's a line from MiddleEasy's famous guide to BJ Penn. Despite the tongue planted in cheek, there's real history beneath the humor.  Following Penn's win over Hughes, Penn went to Japan, where the competition wasn't easier at the time. He clowned Duane Ludwig going up in weight yet again, who at the time was coming off a (contested, granted) win over Japanese icon, Genki Sudo. He would then go even higher in weight, first to MW against Rodrigo Gracie (in a tepid affair that still had some nice moments, like seeing Penn try to stomp an opponent: ROTR allowed soccer kicking to a downed opponent), and then essentially to HW. Despite a spirited effort against Lyoto Machida, fans still didn't quite know what to make of Penn's journey. It's part of what Penn's allure has always been. Even against larger opponents, he always felt like a threat. Either in passing Renzo Gracie's guard, or landing vicious punches on a LHW prospect (and future LHW champion) in Machida, Penn seemed formidable at any weight. But this lack of focus is also what has made him 5-5-1 in title fights. There's not much to criticize beyond the numbers either. Three of those came at LW: the weight class many considered Penn unbeatable. And his losses at WW were definitive.  "BJ Penn, when it is all said and done, will be considered a disappointment. From the time, before his UFC debut, that Frank Shamrock announced the "Prodigy" would be the greatest fighter of all time until this latest loss to Edgar, Penn has little to show for what should have been a legendary career." Those were the words of Jonathan Snowden following Penn's loss to Edgar at UFC 118. Many fans took issue with Snowden's article. I don't agree with his overall point, that Penn is "overrated" (a term that by itself is loaded with assumptions). But there is a considerable amount of truth to Penn's failure to meet his expectations: and because he never settled down, his legacy will always be constrained by his appetite for adventure (and therefore be limited in a way great fighters typically avoid). However, my counterpoint to Snowden's criticism is abstract, though no less valid in my opinion. I don't think Penn was disappointing. More than anything, Penn forces us to look beyond the numbers. Yes, BJ wrote an MMA check his ambition couldn't cash, but he willed his way into success, no matter how brief, wherever he went.  'Who speaks for MMA' as it relates to performance? That Penn is high up on anyone's list is a testament to what he accomplished. To how he elaborated on what it means to be both fighter, and participant in this sport. Some mixed martial artists can compete, but struggle to fight. Others can fight, but struggle to compete. BJ Penn found that balance, despite a career that will always be considered flawed. The canvas of mixed martial arts combat Penn was looking to paint on was too vast, his ambitions exceeding beyond even his abilities, illuminating further his failures. But he was painting on a canvas only a limited number of fighters could even hope to attempt, let alone entertain. In a world of athletes averse to risking greatness, Penn's hubris carries with it, an amount of charm. And for that, history will look favorably on Jay Dee Penn.   E ala e (via 0fficialbjpenn)

Posted in: ufc, mma, penn, weight, bj

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Posted in: bj penn, tekprodfx, fan, penn, bj

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While the headlines coming out of UFC 137 were all about Nick Diaz, both for his dominant win over BJ Penn and Dana White’s announcement that Diaz would challenge welterweight champion Georges St. Pierre instead of Carlos Confit, the biggest news should not have been about Diaz at all. As great as Diaz’s performance was, the biggest news was the possible retirement of two MMA legends. Firstly, an expected retirement occurred with Mirko Cro Cop. He looked okay at times, but mostly struggled with Roy Nelson. He was stopped with punches in the third round for the third fight in a row joining losses to Frank Mir and Brendan Schaub. Cro Cop never made the transition to the UFC that was expected of him after signing with the organization in early 2007. He struggled to adapt to the cage, and was never even close to the legend he created in Japan. He won consecutive fights just once during his ten fight UFC career, and won via strikes just three times. While it was nearly impossible for Cro Cop to surpass the expectations, or even come close to living up to them, his UFC career can be viewed as a supreme disappointment. He holds only two career wins against current UFC fighters, and one of those is against the struggling Pat Barry. The other occurred against a natural light heavyweight in Anthony Perosh. Meanwhile, while Cro Cop’s retirement was expected, BJ Penn abruptly announced in the moments after losing to Nick Diaz that the main event would also be his last fight. It does need to be mentioned that a fighter’s words following a loss should not be written in permanent ink. Luckily for me, this is only on the internet, so I can always go back and act like I never wrote this. If Penn’s announcement holds true, the UFC is losing arguably the greatest fighter in the organization’s history. His accolades do not need to be listed in their entirety in order to fully grasp his legacy. With that said, I do feel the need to mention Penn winning both the lightweight and welterweight belts, only the second fighter to ever hold two different belts during his UFC career. Penn’s kryptonite has really come to the forefront over the last two years. He was outpaced by Frankie Edgar in their two fights for the lightweight title. He lost his momentum and pace in the third round in a draw to Jon Fitch in February 2011. Lastly, he completely fell off the cliff following a strong first round against Nick Diaz on Saturday. Some will question Penn’s desire and motivation during his career. It goes to note just how talented of a fighter Penn was to win two titles. It is not my position to criticize another person’s desire, but one can easily imagine what Penn could have done if he did have the kind of motivation to match his talent. It seems ironic, but a comparison could be made between Penn and Fedor Emelianenko, neither of whom were ever knocked down during their career going into their last few fights, but were both easily battered and left the cage with similar looks in those final fights. Biggest Winner: Nick Diaz I have to mention Donald Cerrone and his fantastic performance against Dennis Siver. With a four fight win streak to begin his UFC career, 2012 could be even more special for Cowboy. With that said, Deiaz took the show over in the main event against Penn. Diaz displayed his premier boxing against Penn. No one has ever dismantled Penn that much, bruising and battering Pnn throughout the final two rounds. Following the fight, Diaz called out champion Georges St. Pierre, and St. Pierre responded, demanding Dana White make the matchup with Diaz. That will now take place in February at the Super Bowl weekend UFC card. Biggest Loser: Tyson Griffin Griffin got off to a bad start this past weekend, failing to make weight for his second featherweight fight in the UFC. He weighed 149 pounds at weigh-ins, and he did not even attempt to cut the remaining three pounds in order to refrain from having some of his purse money taken away. Then on Saturday, that failed weight cut was on display, as Griffin looked sluggish against Bart Palaszewski. He was knocked out just three minutes into the first round, which does not bode well for a fighter who is now 1-4 in his last five fights. Biggest Question: What do we make of Hatsu Hioki’s debut? Hioki looked uncomfortable at times against UFC and WEC veteran George Roop. Hioki is arguably the number two featherweight in the world, but he did not look like that against Roop on Saturday. At 5’11, Hioki rarely has a height and reach disadvantage, but he had that with the 6’1 Roop. While his grappling was as strong as ever, his striking looked pedestrian. That will not go over well in a matchup with champion Jose Aldo. Hioki will more than likely have another fight before being matched up with Aldo, so he will get another opportunity to improve on his very close victory over Roop. Future Matchups: Nick Diaz vs. Georges St. Pierre: Dana White agrees with this one. While I do not agree with pushing Carlos Condit to the side, just weeks after criticizing Diaz and coming close to cutting him for his behavior, this is correct if you want people to believe in paying for a St. Pierre fight again. How does St. Pierre fight when he truly does not like an opponent? We have never seen that before. I am anxious to see how the two react to the upcoming months of banter. Cheick Kongo vs. Mark Hunt: This one is like an old school PRIDE fight, and those are the ones I love to see. Both are sporting two fight win streaks, and at 36 and 37, are nearing the ends of their careers. Surprisingly, only Frank Mir has more career fights amongst active UFC heavyweights than Kongo. He never came close to a title shot, and probably never will. But he can still put on exciting fights, and Mark Hunt would most certainly help provide that. Scott Jorgensen vs. Eddie Wineland: Jorgensen is arguably a top five bantamweight, and he deserves to face top competition at 135 pounds. If he does not make the move to the upcoming flyweight division, he will have to really impress in order to get another opportunity at fighting for the bantamweight belt. Wineland, while on a two fight losing streak, still provides the top notch competition Jorgensen desires. Roy Nelson vs. Travis Browne: I do not expect Nelson’s request to fight the winner of Cain Velasquez/Junior Dos Santos to be granted. He states he is getting too old to wait around, but he isn’t leaving himself with many choices. He showed better conditioning, as evident with his slimmed down physique. Browne is coming off a less than impressive win over Rob Broughton at UFC 135. Hatsu Hioki vs. Ross Pearson: As mentioned, Hioki did not look incredible against Roop. It is very rare for a Japanese fighter to look overly impressive in his UFC debut, so this was not out of the ordinary. Pearson announced a successful test cut to 145 pounds, so he seems ready to make his featherweight debut. While he is coming off of a loss, Pearson will definitely prove to be a force in the new division. This matchup would test Hioki’s striking, while he would challenge Pearson’s ground game in return. Donald Cerrone vs. Nate Diaz: This one seems to be on the brink of being announced. While the main event is Alistair Overeem taking on Brock Lesnar, this matchup could be the best one that takes place at UFC 141.

Posted in: ufc, fight, diaz, career, penn

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Filed under: UFC, NewsLAS VEGAS - Ten fighters from Saturday's UFC 137 card have been given medical suspensions by the Nevada State Athletic Commission, including one of up to six months for a winning fighter. The NSAC on Monday released the suspensions to MMA Fighting. Brandon Vera, who beat Eliot Marshall on the preliminary card at the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas, is on the shelf until April 28 unless a likely torn ligament in his left elbow is cleared by a doctor. A dominant third round by Marshall included a late armbar attempt that apparently did the damage to Vera's elbow. And Bart Palaszewski must have his right hand x-rayed and cleared for a possible break before he can return. Palaszewski told Joe Rogan after his knockout upset win over Tyson Griffin that he thought he broke both his hands. Main event fighters Nick Diaz and BJ Penn were also handed short suspensions. Penn, who said after the fight he intends to retire, was shut down for 60 days; Diaz, who dominated Penn in the second and third rounds to win a unanimous decision, is out until Nov. 29. He is expected to fight Georges St-Pierre for the welterweight title on Feb. 4 in Las Vegas. The full list of medical suspensions is below. Danny Downes: Suspended until Nov. 29 with no contact until Nov. 20 due to lacerations. Brandon Vera: Suspended until Dec. 14 with no contact until Nov. 29. In addition, must have torn ligament in left elbow cleared by orthopedic doctor or no contest until April 28. Bart Palaszewski: Suspended until Dec. 14 with no contact until Nov. 29 for lacerations. In addition, must have right hand x-rayed cleared by orthopedic doctor or no contest until April 28. Tyson Griffin: Suspended until Dec. 14 with no contact until Nov. 29. Dennis Siver: Suspended until Dec. 14 with no contact until Nov. 29. George Roop: Suspended until Dec. 14 with no contact until Nov. 29 for lacerations. Mirko "Cro Cop" Filipovic: Suspended until Dec. 14 with no contact until Nov. 29. Matt Mitrione: Suspended until Dec. 14 with no contact until Nov. 29. BJ Penn: Suspended until Dec. 29 with no contact until Nov. 14. Nick Diaz: Suspended until Nov. 29 with no contact until Nov. 20. Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Posted in: suspension, dec, penn, nov, contact

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UFC 137 fighter payouts for those who competed at the "Penn vs. Diaz" pay-per-view event this past Saturday night (Oct. 29) from the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas, Nevada, were released earlier today by the Nevada State Athletic Commission (NSAC). Former Strikeforce Welterweight Champion Nick Diaz was the top earner of the night, earning $200,000 for his main event win over Hawaiian "Prodigy" B.J. Penn, who collects $150,000 in defeat. Second place went to heavyweight slugger Cheick Kongo. The Parisian wasn't exactly money in his win over Matt Mitrione, but he sure got paid like it, banking a staggering $140,000 for fifteen minutes of work. "Meathead" leaves "Sin City" with just $10,000. Here is the complete list of UFC 137 payouts: Nick Diaz: $200,000 (no win bonus)B.J. Penn: $150,000 Cheick Kongo: $140,000 (includes $70,000 win bonus)Matt Mitrione: $10,000 Roy Nelson: $40,000 (includes $20,000 win bonus)Mirko "Cro Cop" Filipovic: $75,000 Scott Jorgensen: $33,000 (includes $16,500 win bonus)Jeff Curran: $8,000 Hatsu Hioki: $30,000 (includes $15,000 win bonus)George Roop: $8,000 Donald Cerrone: $54,000 (includes $27,000 win bonus)Dennis Siver: $27,000 Bart Palaszewski: $28,500 (includes $10,000 win bonus)def. Tyson Griffin: $25,500 Brandon Vera: $120,000 (includes $60,000 win bonus)Eliot Marshall: $15,000 Ramsey Nijem: $20,000 (includes $10,000 win bonus)Danny Downes: $5,000 Francis Carmont: $12,000 (includes $6,000 win bonus)Chris Camozzi: $8,000 Clifford Starks: $12,000 (includes $6,000 win bonus)Dustin Jacoby: $6,000 The total disclosed payroll for the UFC 137 was $1,026,000. Keep in mind the salaries listed above do not include fight bonuses, sponsorships, percentages and other unofficial payments. It also does not include deductions for expenses such as insurance, taxes, etc. For example, the UFC often hands out extra cash for "Fight of the Night," "Knockout of the Night" and "Submission of the Night." To check out these figures for UFC 137 go here. For complete UFC 137 results and blow-by-blow coverage of the main card action click here.

Posted in: ufc, night, diaz, payout, penn

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Nick Diaz ($200,000), B.J. Penn ($150,000), Cheick Kongo ($140,000) and Brandon Vera ($120,000) were the top earners at this past weekend's UFC 137 event. Overall, the 22 fighters who competed on the card earned purses totaling $1,026,000. MMAjunkie.com today requested and received the list of disclosed paydays from the Nevada State Athletic Commission.

Posted in: ufc, diaz, kongo, penn, nevada state

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Filed under: UFCNow that he's had a chance to think it over, maybe B.J. Penn isn't "done" with MMA after all. In a short post on his website entitled "UFC 137: BJ Penn's Message to the Fans," the 32-year-old former UFC lightweight and welterweight champ seemed to leave the door open for a possible return to competition. "I want to thank all the fans for their love and support," Penn wrote. "I have decided to take some time off to enjoy life, train and teach. I will keep you guys posted with what's next." It's not exactly a vow to return to the cage, but it is a departure from the dejected note Penn sounded in the Octagon immediately following his unanimous decision loss to Nick Diaz at UFC 137. It's also the right move for a fighter at a career crossroads, who could certainly benefit from some time to relax and think things over. If you've been following combat sports for a while, this slight change of heart shouldn't come as a surprise. Even though Penn told UFC commentator Joe Rogan that the loss to Diaz was "probably the last time you're ever going to see me" in the cage, that statement came at an emotional time for "The Prodigy." If he does decide to come back, Penn certainly wouldn't be the first UFC star to declare himself officially retired after a loss, only to return at a later date and in a different frame of mind. Randy Couture, following his second knockout loss to Chuck Liddell at UFC 57 in February of 2006, told fans that it was the last time they'd see him fighting in the Octagon. Thirteen months later he was back to take on Tim Sylvia for the UFC heavyweight championship, and he'd go on to compete for four more years before calling it quits (again) this past April. As anybody who's ever come home after a horrible round and golf and declared themselves done forever with the game already knows, the agony of defeat and sound decision-making don't necessarily go together. That's exactly why, even when things started heading downhill for Liddell, he always said he'd decide on retirement in the gym -- not the cage. Whatever he chooses in the end, Penn's decision not to decide just yet is the right move. He can still compete at the UFC level if he wants to, but if the fire isn't there and the upside doesn't seem worth all the pain and suffering anymore, he'd be wise to move on in life. At least now we know he'll take some well earned time away to settle on a decision. Hopefully it will be one he can live comfortably with, and without second-guessing himself years from now. Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Posted in: ufc, time, loss, penn, right move

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The Scorecard hits the highs and lows of the latest big event offering in MMA. Points are assigned completely at random but stay between ten and negative ten because I hate math. UFC returned to Las Vegas this past weekend. Unfortunately, Las Vegas didn’t come to the UFC. After multiple main event changes, I guess the Vegas crowd didn’t feel that the headliner was worthy of their time when there were so many Halloween parties going on. I can’t say I blame them because for most of the event, I wish I was trapped in a room with scantily clad women instead of watching half-naked men grapple and punch each other in the face as well. Lets go to the scorecard: *I missed Clifford Starks walk-out music, but Dustin Jacoby came out to “Go DJ” by Lil Wayne. I give him credit for using an older song by Weezy. PLUS TWO *Joe Rogan’s pyramid of importance when it comes to MMA techniques sounds like a book waiting to happen. Don’t let us down Rogan. PLUS THREE *”His takedown defense sucks.” Nothing warms my heart more than Rogan putting things bluntly. PLUS ONE *New drinking game: take a shot every time Rogan wants someone to throw kicks. MINUS FOUR for Rogan and his love of kicks. PLUS THREE for getting drunk. *Starks vs. Jacoby was very lackluster. There’s nothing more boring than two unknown guys putting on a boring fight. No interest going in and neither guy did anything to get me interested during it. MINUS FOUR *I give some credit to Starks for doing what he needed to do. But I have to knock off more since Jacoby didn’t do a thing all fight. PLUS TWO for Starks. MINUS THREE for Jacoby. *It was nice to see that Georges St. Pierre showed up for UFC 137, even though he wasn’t fighting. PLUS ONE *Rogan called Joe Warren a “former Bellator champion.” Not even Rogan can understand this whole “non-title” and “tournament” thing that Bellator does. MINUS ONE *Some great knees in the clinch by Francis Carmont. He really started to break Chris Camozzi with those. PLUS THREE *Why was Camozzi yelling at Carmont in the third round? Maybe he didn’t realize that Carmont was allowed to punch him in the face. MINUS ONE *Impressive debut by Carmont. There are obvious flaws in his game and he was a little too cocky for a guy who couldn’t finish Camozzi, but he dominated a tough guy and made it look pretty easy. PLUS FOUR *Obligatory points for the obligatory mention of Chuck Liddell during Danny Downes vs. Ramsey Nijem. PLUS TWO *Arianny is still beautiful, Chandella is still lovely, there is still no blonde ring girl. MINUS THREE *I honestly felt bad for Downes. 30 minutes inside the octagon and he’s just been a glorified punching bag and grappling dummy. He has a ton of heart but hasn’t shown much else. I hope he got his “Guide to Unemployment” back. MINUS TWO *Great performance by Ramsey. A little disappointing that he couldn’t finish, but it wasn’t for a lack of trying. PLUS FOUR *Eliot Marshall’s walk-out started so good with “Not Afraid” by Eminem and then it turned into “Coming Home” by Diddy. I guess he thought he was Jon Jones or something. MINUS ONE *I always want to believe in Brandon Vera and then he reminds me why he’s Brandon Vera. MINUS FOUR *Great third round between Vera and Marshall. Granted it was mostly Marshall dominating Vera but I give some credit to Vera for not tapping to that armbar and surviving. PLUS FIVE *And the biggest flaw of the judging system was once again revealed in this fight. Vera won the decision, which wasn’t that outrageous because he did well in the first two rounds, but it was clear that Marshall did more damage, broke the dudes arm, and was closer to finishing the fight. Just start judging fights as a whole and I’ll never complain about judging ever again. MINUS SIX *The fact that Vera couldn’t finish and nearly lost to Marshall tells you all you need to know about him. MINUS THREE *Shame on Tyson Griffin for missing weight. And boy did he look flabby in the cage. MINUS THREE *Bart Paleszewski was like, “You miss weight, you get knocked out.” Great performance by Paleszewski. PLUS FIVE *Extra points for Paleszewski for not only finishing the fight but for the way he finished the fight. I definitely had flashbacks to the UFC 47 main event. PLUS THREE *Glad Spike TV actually televised the walk-out for Donald Cerrone since they had extra time. PLUS TWO *Is there anyone more awesome in MMA than Cerrone? Nope, didn’t think so. PLUS FIVE *More points because Cerrone is awesome and laid a beatdown on Dennis Siver, who was in line for a title shot with his recent victories. PLUS FIVE *I’m not sure the relationship between cowboys and pirates, but I have faith that Cerrone could bring them together. When all else fails, a lock in should do the work. I mean, come on. PLUS THREE *YELL AT ME JOE AND DANA! PLUS TWO *Hatsu Hioki vs. George Roop wasn’t very good, especially for guys like me who were expecting a lot more from Hioki. MINUS THREE *That said, Roop looked pretty good, even in defeat. He had a very bad second round but I give him credit for not taking much damage in that round despite being mounted for three minutes and then coming back strong in the third. PLUS FOUR *Even though I scored the fight for Roop, I wasn’t all that upset with the decision because the first round could of gone either way depending on what you look for when scoring. EVEN *Great technical fight between Scott Jorgensen and Jeff Curran. PLUS FOUR *Curran doesn’t have the most impressive record in the world but the dude is no-pushover and is a tough out for any opponent. I was most impressed with his striking in this bout. PLUS THREE *Jorgensen did what he needed to do, getting takedowns and controlling the top game, but he didn’t look all that great in victory. PLUS TWO *I don’t like this new “buffer” Roy Nelson. I like my “Big Country” fat and happy. MINUS ONE *That said, what an epic beard Nelson was sporting. PLUS ONE *Also, Nelson appears to bring back the nipple tweaking. PLUS ONE *Nelson was definitely right hand happy on the feet, but he did a nice job mixing in some takedowns and keeping Mirko Filipovic off balance. PLUS TWO *I’m sure Mirko had the fire back, but this fight pretty much proved that he couldn’t do it anymore. He didn’t look terrible on the feet, but he only threw three kicks the entire fight. MINUS TWO *HOW YOU SUPPOSED TO GET THE ¾ MOON OFF YOU?!?! PLUS ONE *Even though Mirko lost, I’m happy that he remained conscious this time. He had a great career and his highlight reel in the heavyweight division is second to none. PLUS TWO *Come on Roy, who gets a title shot after going 1-2 in their last three fights with the only victory coming over an aging legend? Oh, wait. EVEN *Any man that sings their walk out music all the way to the cage, is a great man. I salute you Matt Mitrione. PLUS ONE *Good on Cheick Kongo for coming out to “Livin’ Proof” by Bad Meets Evil. PLUS ONE *The less said about Mitrione vs. Kongo, the better. Very lackluster fight and I don’t know what Mitrione was thinking. He had Kongo backing up but didn’t let his hands go and then got dominated in the third round. MINUS SIX *I’ll give credit to Kongo for not cheating in this fight. PLUS ONE *B.J. Penn crying during his walk out should have been a sign of bad things to come. MINUS ONE *This was another typical Penn performance. He looked great in the first round and did everything he needed to do. He was countering, he got a takedown, and he made Nick Diaz work. Then he got tired and dominated in the second and third rounds. MINUS THREE *I love Diaz’s striking. He still gets hit way too much, but luckily he has the chin to back it up. Offensively he’s an outstanding boxer. The way he uses his reach and puts combinations together to the head and body is a thing of beauty. PLUS FIVE *Penn vs. Diaz was an absolutely outstanding fight. I loved every second of it. PLUS EIGHT *I also loved Diaz’s post-fight promo. He called out St. Pierre in his own little way and he got GSP so upset that he ended up re-jumping Carlos Condit to get the title fight. Good move by the UFC. PLUS FOUR *Sad to see Penn go out the way he did, although he’s an emotional guy and may rethink things when he’s had a chance to calm down. Right now Penn may believe that he’s retired, but we’ll see how he feels in a couple of weeks. EVEN *I’m docking points for the Vegas crowd simply not showing up. The building felt empty all night. Penn vs. Diaz could have been so much better if the actually made some noise. MINUS FOUR *Also, did UFC show a single ad for UFC 138? I know the card sucks, but at least act like you’re trying. MINUS THREE *While the main event was awesome, the rest of the PPV was pretty lackluster and the Facebook prelims weren’t great either. MINUS TWO Final Score: 35 PHOTO CREDIT – UFC

Posted in: ufc, fight, round, ’t, penn

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-For B.J Penn his loss to Nick Diaz was his first to a fighter who has never held a UFC title. All seven of Penn's previous career losses came at the hands of a UFC champion. -Penn is 1-3-1 in his last five fights-As a welterweight in the UFC Penn is 2-4-1 in the Octagon. In the UFC both of Penn's welterweight wins have come versus Matt Hughes-Penn is 3-6-2 during his career in fights that went to a decision-Diaz has not lost a fight since a November 2007 stoppage to K.J Noons -The win over Penn was his second over a former UFC champion-Diaz was the main event of UFC 137. He last competed for the UFC at UFC 65 in November 2006 and defeated Gleison Tibau on the untelevised undercard-Diaz is on an 11 fight winning streak -Per Compustrike Diaz out struck Penn 239 to 76 in total strikes landed-Fight Metric scored the fight 29-28 in favor of Diaz with a 748 to 434 edge in effectiveness score over Penn-Per Fight Metric Nick Diaz now holds the record for most significant strikes landed in a UFC fight with 178 versus BJ Penn-After a two fight losing streak Cheick Kongo is now 3-0-1 in his last four fights -Kongo is now 10-4-1 in his UFC career which began in July 2006 at UFC 61-The decision win for Kongo was his first fight to go the distance since a June 2009 loss to Cain Velasquez -All six of Matt Mitrione's career fights have come inside the UFC-The loss to Kongo was Mitrione's second appearance on a UFC pay per view main card -Mitrione last fought to a decision at UFC 119 versus Joey Beltran -Per Compustrike Kongo hit on 48/156 of his strikes (31%) while Mitrione landed 25/57 total strikes (44%)-Betting favorites at UFC 137 went 6-5 on the night. Bart Palaszewski's first round knockout of Tyson Griffin at +225 was the biggest upset of the night.-With UFC 137 the promotion returned to Las Vegas, Nevada's Mandalay Bay Events Center for the first time since UFC 126 in Febuary 2011. UFC 126 was headlined by Anderson Silva vs. Vitor Belfort. Below is a gate and attendance comparison. UFC 126Attendance: 10, 893Gate: $3.6 million UFC 137Attendance: 10,313Gate: $3.9 million

Posted in: ufc, fight, kongo, penn, strike

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Filed under: UFC, News, salariesLAS VEGAS - The Nevada State Athletic Commission on Monday released the salary figures for UFC 137, which took place Saturday at the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas. Former Strikeforce welterweight champion Nick Diaz, who vacated his belt in that promotion to rejoin the UFC to challenge for Georges St-Pierre's 170-pound title, led all fighters with a $200,000 payday. His opponent in the main event, former UFC lightweight and welterweight champion BJ Penn, earned $150,000 in the loss. Following the fight, which Diaz won by unanimous decision, Penn told Joe Rogan his intention is to retire from the sport. Diaz, though, was given an immediate title shot against St-Pierre - a title shot he was scheduled to have at UFC 137 before UFC president Dana White pulled him from that fight after he missed two press conferences to promote the event. Additionally, Diaz and Penn each earned another $75,000 for winning the Fight of the Night bonus award. Co-main event heavyweight Cheick Kongo was the third highest paid fighter on the card. After his $70,000 win bonus, he made $140,000. And Brandon Vera, fighting for the first time since a January loss to Thiago Silva that was overturned to a no contest when Silva tested positive for banned substances, made $120,000 for his win over Eliot Marshall. Mirko "Cro Cop" Filipovic alluded all week that his fight against Roy Nelson may be his last one. And after his third-round TKO loss, Cro Cop told Rogan that would be his last fight. He earned $75,000 in the loss. The complete purses (show money/win bonus) are listed below. They do not include post-fight bonus totals, non-disclosed "locker room" bonuses or any sponsorship monies. Nick Diaz: $200,000 (no win bonus) def. BJ Penn: $150,000 Cheick Kongo: $70,000 ($70,000 win bonus) def. Matt Mitrione: $10,000 Roy Nelson: $20,000 ($20,000 win bonus) def. Mirko "Cro Cop" Filipovic: $75,000 Scott Jorgensen: $16,500 ($16,500 win bonus) def. Jeff Curran: $8,000 Hatsu Hioki: $15,000 ($15,000 win bonus) def. George Roop: $8,000 Donald Cerrone: $27,000 ($27,000 win bonus) def. Dennis Siver: $27,000 Bart Palaszewski: $18,500 ($10,000 win bonus) def. Tyson Griffin: $25,500* Brandon Vera: $60,000 ($60,000 win bonus) def. Eliot Marshall: $15,000 Ramsey Nijem: $10,000 ($10,000 win bonus) def. Danny Downes: $4,000 Francis Carmont: $6,000 ($6,000 win bonus) def. Chris Carmozzi: $8,000 Clifford Starks: $6,000 ($6,000 win bonus) def. Dustin Jacoby: $6,000 * Griffin was scheduled to earn $34,000 for his fight against Palaszewski; Palaszewski was scheduled to make $10,000. Griffin missed weight, however, and was penalized 25 percent ($8,500) of his show money, which was added to Palaszewski's show money total. Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Posted in: ufc, fight, diaz, penn, bonus

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Filed under: UFCWith UFC 137 in the books and the spookiest day of the year now upon us, let's all grab a mini-Snickers and sort through the biggest winners, losers, and everything in between from Saturday night's action in Las Vegas. Biggest Winner: Nick Diaz I remember around this time last year, before Diaz fought KJ Noons, watching him put on the boxing gloves and headgear in his gym in Lodi, Calif., and walk down one sparring partner after another. In the beginning, most of them did pretty well against him. They landed some punches, circled away, and you could see their confidence growing. But Diaz never slowed down, never stopped coming, and eventually he'd end up backing them against the fence and digging into their ribs with hooks that you could hear over the constant stream of Tupac songs that blared all day long in the gym. One by one, he wore them down with sheer pace and pressure until they quit, both mentally and physically. Diaz performed the exact same act of will against Penn on Saturday night, and it was just as effective. He started slowly and gradually cranked up the volume, confident that his opponent would wilt before he would. He took it and he dished it out, and by the end of three rounds there was no doubt that he was the better fighter. Of course, as soon as the fight was over, he went back to being the bizarre, mercurial person we've gotten to know (and yet not know) over the last several years. Even when things had gone well for him, he remained unhappy. Even when he was offered the title shot he'd recently squandered, he remained utterly convinced of his own status as the permanent victim. What can you do with a guy like that? Put him up against the champ, I suppose. Let him do what he does best, which is fight, and hope the rest of us can tolerate what he does worst, which is just about everything else. Biggest Loser: B.J. Penn The nicest thing you can say about Penn's performance is that he didn't quit. Even though he didn't look thrilled about it, he got up off the stool for round three and took his medicine for five more minutes. Other than that, the bright spots were few and they dimmed in a hurry. I can understand why Penn, a nearly 33-year-old former champ, thinks it would be better to hang it up than continue on as some novelty act or gatekeeper, but beware of any retirement announcement that comes in the emotional moments just after a bad beating. This is the same Penn who licked his gloves and promised death to future opponents while jacked up on post-fight adrenaline. If those were the highs, this could simply be the low. Calling it quits in the cage immediately after a loss is a little like breaking up during an argument. The chances of it sticking are inversely proportional to how long you've been together. Six months? Sure, one bad argument might do it. But Penn and MMA have had a lengthy, sometimes rocky relationship. Seems unlikely that they won't try to patch things up at least once or twice. Hardest Working Man in the Fight Biz: Donald Cerrone His knockout of Dennis Siver was his sixth straight win and his fourth of 2011. Apparently he's not content with that, because he immediately turned around and lobbied for another fight before the end of the year, which it now looks like he'll get against Nate Diaz at UFC 141 in December. I'm not sure if Cerrone is putting title shots and other typical concerns out of his mind because he's savvy enough to see the situation for what it is in the crowded lightweight division, or if he's driven only by the reckless pursuit of a paycheck. Either way, he's at his best when he's busiest, and 2011 is turning out to be a banner year for his career and his bank account. After all the paper he's stacked via purses and bonuses, this is one year when you really want to be on "Cowboy's" Christmas list. Most Impressive in Defeat: Eliot Marshall Brandon Vera came in to the fight with Marshall as a 5-1 favorite, nearly got his head knocked off and his arm snapped in half, but still somehow emerged with the decision victory. It goes down as a loss for Marshall at a time when he can't afford it, but will the UFC brass see the process in addition to the result? It might not have been a spectacular fight, but for Marshall it was clearly a step in the right direction. It would be a shame for the UFC to cut him after a third round like that, which just might have been the single best round of his UFC career. If he sticks to his promise to retire after another UFC release, that's the kind of finish that could keep a man up at night for years to come. If only he'd had just a few seconds. If only he'd landed one or two more punches. You can play that game for a long time, particularly if it cost you your career. Least Impressive in Victory: Hatsu Hioki He did just enough to get the decision over George Roop, but not much more. At least Hioki started off his stay in the UFC with a win, which is more than you can say for a lot of his compatriots, though if that's the best you can do against a mid-level featherweight like Roop, how far can you really go in this organization? Maybe Hioki struggled with nerves, and maybe Roop's size and strength gave him more problems than he expected. I don't know. What I do know is that the Hioki we saw on Saturday looked like just another fighter, not some big name acquisition. You hate to judge a guy too harshly on the basis of one performance, so let's just say that Hioki still has plenty of work to do to make a name for himself on this side of the Pacific. Let's Hope We've Seen the Last Of: Mirko "Cro Cop" Filipovic He acquitted himself well in what he'd have us believe was the final fight of his career. He took some of Roy Nelson's best shots and even fired off a few of his own (though with that beard he probably had to guess at the location of Nelson's chin). Even if he didn't have enough to pull out the win, he still did better than most of us expected and ended on a classy, dignified note in his post-fight remarks. Unlike Penn, his retirement declaration didn't seem driven by emotion. It was clearly something he'd given a lot of thought to before the fight, and he did what he said he'd do if he came up short. The question is, will he disappear from the fight game entirely, or just the UFC? Cro Cop wouldn't be the first man to have a hard time turning down an easy buck from some small-time promoter looking to sell what's left of his name. You couldn't exactly blame him if he gave in to a tempting offer from M-1 Global or ProElite somewhere down the line, and he clearly still has at least a little bit of gas left in the tank. Still, no matter how many times you see that particular drama playing out with an aging fighter, it never gets any easier to watch. For the sake of his legacy and his health, let's hope Cro Cop really does know when it's time. Most Disappointing: Cheick Kongo vs. Matt Mitrione In retrospect, it seems silly. This was the co-main event? The UFC seemed to be banking on some heavyweight fireworks to help out a flagging fight card after the injury to GSP, but what it got instead resembled a staring match more than a slugfest. If you could knock a man out just with crazy eyes and feints, Mitrione would be the heavyweight champ by now. But once Kongo finally realized that the "Meathead" blitz wasn't coming, he settled down and managed to wrestle his way to a decision win. It was a fight both men might rather forget, albeit for different reasons. Kongo looked tentative and overly defensive in his first fight since the comeback win over Pat Barry. Mitrione never got started at all, and showed his inexperience on the mat in the final frame. In the end, it was a bummer of a fight that likely reminded the UFC why these two aren't quite ready for the top of a pay-per-view card just yet. Meanwhile, Donald Cerrone will just be over here, kicking people in the head on Spike TV for free. Begging for His Walking Papers: Tyson Griffin He missed weight (by a lot), looked flat and uninspired from the opening bell, and got himself knocked out in a little under three minutes for his fourth loss in five fights. I know he said he was under the weather coming into this fight, but I don't see how Griffin doesn't get cut after this terrible weekend. After he missed weight, he was on Twitter basically shrugging his virtual shoulders and explaining that he had "no excuses." Okay, so he's taking responsibility for his mistakes. That's a good sign. Then he gets knocked out and he's back on there telling his followers about his after-party at the Luxor. I'm not saying he needs to post pictures of himself crying into an appletini at Cathouse, but if he's not feeling a sense of desperation about his career now, what's it going to take? Best Quick Change: Roy Nelson He showed up to fight looking like a roadie for Foghat, then showed up to the post-fight press conference looking like a henchman from a James Bond movie. That's versatility, right there. Okay, so maybe that, plus his current one-fight win streak, isn't enough to get him that title shot he asked for, but at least it keeps him in the conversation at heavyweight. The guy's a character, and he can fight a little bit. Now his physique is even moving in the right direction, though there's still work to be done in that department before he appears in an Under Armour ad alongside GSP. Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

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Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) returned to pay-per-view last Saturday night (Oct. 29, 2011) with UFC 137: "Penn vs. Diaz," featuring former Strikeforce champion Nick Diaz staking his claim to the title shot that was always his by beating up B.J. Penn for 15-minutes strong. But that's not all. Cheick Kongo maintained his status as the gatekeeper of the heavyweight division by outperforming Matt Mitrione in the co-main event of the evening. And what else is there to say about the final fight in the career of Mirko "Cro Cop" Filipovic? In cased you missed any or all of it -- or just want to keep the discussion alive -- below are links to all the major storylines borne from Saturday night's event in Las Vegas, Nevada. In we go. UFC 137: "Penn vs. Diaz " Results and live blow-by-blow Recap and discussion Post-fight press conference video Bonuses and awards Event photo gallery B.J. Penn vs. Nick Diaz video highlights Facebook "Prelims" results and recap Fight recap: Nick Diaz overwhelms B.J. Penn in decision win Fight recap: Cheick Kongo takes a decision from Matt Mitrione Fight recap: Roy Nelson finishes Mirko Cro Cop Fight recap: Scott Jorgensen gets it done against Jeff Curran Fight recap: Hatsu Hioki wins a split decision over George Roop Fight recap: Donald Cerrone chokes out Dennis Siver Fight recap: Bart Palaszewski knocks out Tyson Griffin Fight review and analysis: Scott Jorgensen vs. Jeff Curran Fight review and analysis: Roy Nelson vs. Mirko Cro Cop Fight review and analysis: Cheick Kongo vs. Matt Mitrione Fight review and analysis: B.J. Penn vs. Nick Diaz UFC 137 post-fight fallout Big winners and lowly losers B.J. Penn retires from MMA B.J. Penn's coach says "The Prodigy" will be back The Nick Diaz vs. B.J. Penn fight metric report shows a straight Stockton style beatdown Nick Diaz vs. Georges St. Pierre re-booked for Feb. 4, 2012, in Las Vegas Cesar Gracie says Diaz vs. St. Pierre will be the biggest fight in UFC history Nick Diaz thinks Georges St. Pierre is scared, homie Georges St. Pierre calls Nick Diaz the most disrespectful human being he's ever met Carlos Condit didn't step aside, GSP just really wants to smash Nick Diaz Nick Diaz flips the bird to all the doubters by smashing B.J. Penn B.J. Penn and Nick Diaz hug it out after duking it out Saying goodbye to B.J. Penn, just in case he really leaves Saying goodbye to Mirko "Cro Cop" Filipovic, who really is leaving Mirko Cro Cop announces his retirement Roy Nelson was happy to win but sad to see Cro Cop go George Roop vs. Hatsu Hioki fight metric report is rather interesting At lightweight or not, Donald Cerrone just wants to fight Donald Cerrone gets his wish to remain active, booked to fight Nate Diaz at UFC 141 on Dec. 30 That my friends, should be enough to keep you talking -- at least for the time being. What gets your vote for the biggest story coming out of UFC 137? Sound off, Maniacs.

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Nick Diaz and BJ Penn went toe to toe for most of their 15-minute fight on Saturday night. The two hit the ground for a brief period during the first round, but other than that, the UFC 137 main event was all stand up. When the horn sounded at the end of the second round both fighters’ faces were marked up, which is not a rarity for Diaz, but for Penn, it’s not something fans are accustomed to seeing. Diaz had so dominated the second round that at the post-fight press conference UFC President

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In the main event of UFC 137, Nick Diaz defeated B.J. Penn in an exciting and engaging battle. Diaz came in the underdog in the eyes of many fans, but after a tough first round, he began implementing his game, bloodying Penn up and easily winning the unanimous decision. For Penn, it was a tough loss - his 3rd in his last 5 fights - and in the post-fight interview with Joe Rogan, B.J. Penn retired from MMA. After a rough night of boring fights, and a show that saw mega-star Georges St. Pierre drop out due to injury, this fight needed to deliver. And it did. There were some worries that these two friends would play too nicely, but once the fight started, it was clear that Diaz was not going to go easy on Penn. Diaz fought like a man possessed, with something to prove. He put on one of the best performances of his career, and capped the night off by calling out his original opponent, Georges St. Pierre. Post-show, Dana White confirmed that Diaz vs. St. Pierre would indeed be the next Welterweight title fight. What was the high spot of this fight? Mid-way through round 2, you saw Diaz begin to dial it up and start truly implementing his game. Then the taunting started, and you knew you were watching a classic Nick Diaz performance. Where do these guys go from here? Apologies to Carlos Condit, but booking Georges St. Pierre vs. Nick Diaz as the next Welterweight title fight is the correct move. Fans were excited about it before, but they will be more excited now. Diaz showed that he's not an overhyped name with a padded record - he is a serious threat to the division. That fight can't come soon enough. Penn has been talking quietly about retirement since his losses to Frankie Edgar, and it wasn't a total shock to hear that from him last night. I'm still not totally convinced that we'll never see B.J. Penn fight again, but if we do, it won't be for awhile. And if we never do? Then UFC 137 will mark the end of the road for another MMA great. Watch it now, later, or never? Now. Drama, theatrics, an amazing performance, and the last fight in the career of B.J. Penn. How could you not want to watch this? More BE coverage of UFC 137 in the full entry. UFC 137 Results: Donald Cerrone's Destruction of Dennis Siver Vaults Him Into Relevancy - Leland Roling UFC 137 Results: Mirko Cro Cop Retires, but What Is His Legacy? - Fraser Coffeen UFC 137 Results: Nick Diaz Punches His Way to Momentous Opportunity - Leland Roling UFC 137 Results: Post-Fight Press Conference Video - Matthew Roth UFC 137 Results: Fights To Make After The Card, Where Do We Go From Here? - Matthew Roth UFC 137 Results: Biggest Winners, Losers, and Other Thoughts - Matthew Roth UFC 137 Results: Dana White Announces Georges St. Pierre vs. Nick Diaz - Matthew Roth UFC 137 Results: BJ Penn vs. Nick Diaz Fight Video Highlights - Anton Tabuena UFC 137 Results: Nick Diaz vs. B.J. Penn Post-Fight Recap and Analysis - Brent Brookhouse UFC 137 Results: Mirko Cro Cop Announces Retirement After Loss - Fraser Coffeen UFC 137 Results: Nick Diaz Starches BJ Penn To A Decision In A FOTY Candidate - Matthew Roth Bad Boy Presents Bloody Elbow Radio - Episode 93: UFC 137 Results Review - Matt Bishop UFC 137 Results: B.J. Penn Retires After Loss to Nick Diaz - Brent Brookhouse UFC 137: Penn vs. Diaz - Live Results and Play-By-Play for Pay-Per-View Fights - Brent Brookhouse UFC 137 Results: Cheick Kongo Decisions Matt Mitrione In A Lackluster Fight - Matthew Roth UFC 137 Results: Roy Nelson Stops Mirko Cro Cop In The Third Round - Matthew Roth UFC 137 Results: Scott Jorgensen Wins Unanimous Decision Over Jeff Curran - Matthew Roth UFC 137 Results: Hatsu Hioki Wins Split Decision Over George Roop - Matthew Roth UFC 137 Results: Donald Cerrone Forces Dennis Siver To Submit - Matthew Roth UFC 137: Penn vs. Diaz - Live Results and Play-By-Play for Spike TV Prelims - Brent Brookhouse UFC 137 Results: Bart Palaszewski Knocks Out Tyson Griffin In UFC Debut - Matthew Roth UFC 137 Results: Brandon Vera Wins Close Decision Over Eliot Marshall - Matthew Roth UFC 137 Results: Ramsey Nijem Dominates Danny Downes - Matthew Roth UFC 137: Penn vs. Diaz - Live Results and Play-By-Play for Facebook Prelims - Brent Brookhouse UFC 137: Francis Carmont Dominates Chris Camozzi In UFC Debut - Matthew Roth

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It's all over! Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) just wrapped another successful weekend campaign as UFC 137: "Penn vs. Diaz" came, saw and conquered the Mandalay Bay Event Center in Las Vegas, Nevada. This event seemed doomed from the start, as it was plagued by injuries, disappearing acts and enough fight card changes to make mixed martial arts (MMA) fans' heads spin. Luckily, the details were eventually worked out and the pieces fell into place. The show must go on. And what a show it was. Though things started slow and even seemed stagnant at points, the main event made it all worthwhile. After the jump, MMAmania.com examines the highlights of UFC 137 -- the good, the bad and the ugly: In the main event, we saw Nick Diaz and B.J. Penn put on a fireworks-filled, bloody match up between two welterweights who desperately wanted a crack at Georges St. Pierre and his 170-pound belt. Prior to the fight, Diaz admitted he was battling nerves because of the fact that "The Prodigy" has always been one of his heroes. The first round revealed some of Diaz's nerves and, for a few minutes, it looked like the Hawaiian was going to make quick work of the man who once had his poster up on his wall. Not so fast. In the second round, Diaz came out like a man on a mission, using precision striking to bludgeon the face of a fighter we've rarely even seen cut in previous fights. Read a full recap of the B.J. Penn vs. Nick Diaz fight at UFC here.  When it was all said and done, Penn, battered and bruised, told Joe Rogan that he had entered the Octagon as a fighter for the very last time. Diaz got on the microphone and called out the champion, St. Pierre, going as far as to accuse him of faking an injury to avoid having to fight. As a result of Diaz's strong performance (and possibly his strong words), UFC president Dana White went back on his original plan to have "GSP" defend his belt against Carlos Condit and have the champion fight Diaz instead. The bout is rumored to be going down on Super Bowl weekend. Watch video highlights from B.J. Penn vs. Nick Diaz UFC 137 fight right here. Penn wasn't the only fighter to hang up the gloves after his fight. After losing badly to fellow heavyweight Roy Nelson, renowned head kick specialist Mirko Filipovic announced that we had seen the last of "Cro Cop." Matt Mitrione was unable to get past the heavyweight divisional gatekeeper as Cheick Kongo proved to be too seasoned and experienced for "Meathead" to overcome. Donald Cerrone catapulted himself right into the lightweight division title mix by violently stopping Dennis Siver in a bout that left the German kickboxing specialist asking for the license plate of the truck that hit him. Hatsu Hioki made a triumphant UFC debut with a very controversial decision win over George Roop. Afterward, he proclaimed that Japanese MMA is not dead. (Apparently, it was just taking a little nap.) Enough from us. What was your favorite UFC 137 highlight, Maniacs? For complete UFC 137 results and a detailed recap of all the action click here. To check out a recap of the UFC 137 fights that were streamed online via Facebook click here. Want to know what happened on the UFC 137 "Prelims" portion of the card? To read a full recap click here and here. And just in case you want to get up to speed on the entire UFC 137 fight card from top to bottom click here.

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WELCOME BACK, NICKNick Diaz certainly knows how to return to the limelight. His win over BJ Penn on Saturday night was the single most impressive performance of his career by leaps and bounds. Not only did he put his ethereal fighting skills on display in front of millions of fans, proving that he deserves to be regarded as one of the very best in the sport, pound for pound. He also showed tremendous heart and courage by surviving a very rocky first round, one that left him bloodied and swollen as he walked back to his corner regroup for the rest of the fight.I almost always watch the fights with my brother, Tony. I turned to him after the first round and remarked that Diaz was getting a rude reminder that the UFC is on a whole different level than any other mixed martial arts promotion in the world. His response surprised me a bit, but it was absolutely insightful. “Penn can’t keep this up for three rounds,” he said. “The pressure will get to him. Mark my words.” Bingo. Diaz didn’t really do anything differently in the second and third rounds, other than remind “The Prodigy” that he could keep up his pace of crisp, non-stop punching for as long as he wanted. The pressure of having to deal with a Diaz hammering away with an unyielding attack is both mentally and physically exhausting. Penn learned that the hard, painful way. Nobody, not even former UFC light heavyweight champion Lyoto Machida, has ever handed Penn a loss like that. He has never been dominated on his feet in his entire career. Machida outpointed him, but at no point in their fight did Penn seem out of his league. Frankie Edgar also outpointed him on the feet, but again, it wasn’t a brutal beating by any stretch of the imagination.Penn looked like he got jumped by half a dozen baseball bat-wielding gang members after the fight. That is what Diaz can do to a fighter with his two fists. Sure, he has knees, elbows and kicks in his arsenal, too, but Diaz overwhelmingly prefers to box, and he put on a virtuoso boxing performance against Penn on Saturday night, one that put the entire division on notice that Diaz is the real deal.This was the single most impressive return to the UFC since Penn returned to dethrone Matt Hughes for the 170-pound championship after his absence from the organization. Actually, I will take it one step further. Considering the hype and what was at stake, that was the best fight that I’ve seen this year—period. GSP-DIAZ IN FEBRUARY AN EVEN BIGGER EVENT NOWSay what you will about Diaz’s bad boy persona. Getting into Penn’s face during the weigh-ins. Yelling “I won that s**t” over and over again after pounding Penn into retirement. And proclaiming that Georges St-Pierre pulled out of his fight with Carlos Condit because he is scared, not injured. All those are polarizing moments for a fighter. I’m sure volumes of UFC fans, particularly those who follow the promotion, not necessarily the sport as a whole, and thus haven’t been watching Diaz over the past five years, developed a very real distaste for the Stockton native at UFC 137.  Others probably grew to love the sport’s biggest rebel. But everyone now knows with absolute certainty that Diaz is one bad dude, and he has a very legitimate shot at dethroning GSP.GSP-Diaz was supposed to be the main event at UFC 137. But after Diaz’s amazing performance against Penn, as well as his venom-laden comments about GSP after the fight and the champion’s equal desire to face his toughest test, convinced UFC President Dana White to drop another surprise on the fans. White announced at the post-fight presser that Carlos Condit, the man who was supposed to take Diaz’s place as GSP’s next opponent, will step aside so that GSP and Diaz can settle their score on Super Bowl weekend.Mark my words. GSP-Diaz, the remix, will sell out in record time, and the hype surrounding the fight is so much greater now. The lore of Nick Diaz is far, far bigger. And GSP-Diaz just became a bigger, more intriguing fight. Period.MAKE ROOM IN THE HALL OF FAME, IF THIS IS TRULY THE ENDPenn announced to the world moments after his loss to Diaz that he was hanging up the gloves. The words weren’t a surprise. It is far more damaging to a fighter’s psyche to suffer a sustained, three-round beating than to lose by quick, brutal knockout. The latter can be explained by a mistake. The former makes one question whether he still belongs in the sport. I’m sure Penn’s words were largely driven by the emotion of the moment. He never dreamed the fight would unfold the way it did—more precisely, the way the second and third round went. Again, nobody has ever battered him like that. Still, Penn has often talked about retirement, causing critics to question if his heart is still in the game. It is a legitimate question. At 32, Penn is financially secure. Plus, his comment about not wanting to let his children see him on the wrong end of a beating strums the heartstrings of every father. It would not surprise me at all, if this truly is the end for Penn. For what it is worth, I think he should retire if he no longer has the fire burning white hot in his belly. But if that fire returns, Penn should return. He is, and will always be, one of the greatest fighters to ever step in the Octagon. It has been a privilege and an honor to watch him compete, since he debuted in the UFC back in 2001.I have not seen any deterioration in his skills. Fans must not forget that this is the same man who fought Jon Fitch to a draw back in February. I firmly believe that Penn deserved the nod that night. There was no way the third round was a 10-8 round. None whatsoever. I digress.Penn’s problem isn’t deteriorating skills. His size is his biggest enemy at 170 pounds. It is tough fighting bigger, stronger guys. I think he should return to action and drop back down to 155. Eliminate Edgar from the picture and Penn likely regains the title he held with such dominance.But again, if this is, indeed, the end, the world needs to take a moment to celebrate just how great BJ Penn is as a fighter. Remember that he is one of only two men (Randy Couture being the other) to win titles in two different UFC weight classes. He also did the perceived impossible when he moved up from lightweight to dethrone Matt Hughes, a man viewed at the time as being the single most unbeatable fighter in the UFC. He nearly beat Machida in a heavyweight bout. And he has two Gracies (Renzo and Rodrigo) on his list of victims.Baby Jay Penn is a surefire Hall of Famer. The only question is when will Dana White open up the books and straighten this guy out by adding his name alongside the other true legends of the sport. That was a Donnie Brasco reference, for those keeping score at home.UFC FANS WILL NEVER QUITE UNDERSTAND The majority of UFC fans probably never watched Pride Fighting Championships. Those fans will never fully understand the legend of Mirko Cro Cop. No chance. All they see is the fighter who entered the Octagon and had his aura of invincibility stripped thanks to a violent knockout loss to Gabriel Gonzaga in his second UFC bout. Cro Cop was never the same again. His loss to Roy Nelson on Saturday night highlights that fact.Today’s version of Cro Cop is hesitant to pull the trigger with his fists. And he simply refuses to throw kicks. I don’t know why. Nobody knows why. Cro Cop probably doesn’t even know why.None of that matters, though. Twenty years from now, nobody will care about Cro Cop’s UFC career, which has now come to an end, after three consecutive knockout losses. He will be remembered instead for his days in PRIDE, where he was the single-most feared striker in the history of the Japanese fighting promotion. Cro Cop might be the most fearsome striker in the history of mixed martial arts. That is how I will remember him.Cro Cop is a former K-1 star who scored wins over elite kickboxing greats like Jerome LeBanner, Mike Bernardo, Musashi, Peter Aerts, Mark Hunt, and Remy Bonjasky before transitioning to MMA. Over the next five years, Cro Cop developed a cult-like following due to his ability to seemingly beat opponents with little more than his left leg. Sure, he could knock out opponents with his straight left hand. Yes, he had a good right hook. And he certainly knew how to slam his right shin into his opponent’s legs and body. But it was his left leg that really struck fear in the hearts of opponents.Cro Cop had a famous saying. “Right leg hospital; left leg cemetery.” It was pretty accurate. Cro Cop scored highlight-reel knockout after highlight-reel knockout using his left leg. Most of the time, he destroyed an opponent’s head with it. Less often, he would hammer it into an opponent’s midsection. He regularly battered opponent’s legs with his left shin, too.Nobody really had an answer to his standup skills, until he ran into fellow future all-time great Fedor Emelianenko. Cro Cop was viewed as an apex predator on the feet, and he lived up to the hype by scoring brutal knockout wins over Josh Barnett, Wanderlei Silva, Hidehiko Yoshida, Mark Coleman, and Heath Herring, among others.The Croatian entered the UFC fresh off his PRIDE Open Weight Grand Prix win. Everyone expected him to walk through the heavyweight division and destroy then-heavyweight champion Randy Couture. It wasn’t to be. Cro Cop faced Gonzaga in a title eliminator in his second UFC bout. Gonzaga scored a takedown by catching one of Cro Cop’s first kicks. The punishment he unloaded over the next couple of minutes on the ground forever changed Cro Cop as a fighter. It was as if he never wanted to be in that position again. Cro Cop experienced up-and-down success from that point forward, finishing his UFC career with a 4-6 record. But again, none of that matters. The guy is a legend in Japan for a reason. As we say goodbye to that legend, I encourage UFC fans to seek out his PRIDE fights in the UFC library or on DVD. Trust me, it will be a treat.BIGGEST COMPLIMENT I CAN POSSIBLY GIVE MITRIONEMatt Mitrione lost to Cheick Kongo. I get that. But he is far from a loser in my mind.Kongo is supposed to a top-of-the-food-chain striker. Yet, he wanted nothing to do with Mitrione on the feet. Nothing at all. Kongo will probably take umbrage with that statement, pointing to the fact that he was merely exploiting the weakest part of Mitrione’s game.Hogwash. He got hit a few times by the monstrous former NFL lineman and wanted nothing to do with those punches. Period.It was obvious midway through the first round that Kongo was facing a serious deficit in speed and athleticism against his bigger, stronger foe. Kongo kept waiting to counter what he thought would be wild strikes from the relative newcomer to the sport. Those openings really never materialized. Mitrione instead used excellent head movement and good combinations to score on the feet during most exchanges. All he needed to do was throw with more frequency, and I really believe that he would have gotten Kongo out of there. The problem, of course, is that he didn’t. He was himself a bit wary of Kongo’s power and reputation. Fair enough. This was the first time that Mitrione had ever faced a true A-list opponent. Freezing up a bit was understandable. His inactivity allowed Kongo to land good shots in the second round and ultimately take the fight to the floor in the third, sealing Mitrione’s fate.I fully believe that Mitrione will grow tremendously as a fighter from this loss. He definitely knows what he needs to work on more than anything else – getting up off his back when the fight hits the canvas. That is a glaring hole in his game, one that will prevent him from taking his career to the next level. With his amazing athleticism, I have a feeling that Mitrione will figure it out soon.

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  After the 15-minute beating B.J. Penn took from Nick Diaz last night (Oct. 29, 2011) at UFC 137, the bloodied and battered Hawaiian shocked the mixed martial arts (MMA) world by announcing his retirement. Many believed it was a premature proclamation said in the heat of the moment. And rightfully so -- the disheartened former two-division champion had never been manhandled and bruised up in such a manner in his entire career. However, all Penn fans can perhaps breathe a deep sigh of relief if one is to believe Allan Goes, Penn's Brazilian jiu-jitsu coach. Last night, after taking several pictures of Penn in his locker room, which Goes later posted to his Facebook page, he relayed the message that Penn's words to him were, "I'll be back." Goes didn't elaborate on what that means, exactly, but it could be good news to all fans who hope Penn's retirement announcement will be short lived. Stay tuned to MMAmania.com further details on Penn's retirement and possible return to the Octagon. For more on Penn's surprise announcement last night at UFC 137 click here.

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A few observations from UFC 137: “Penn vs. Diaz”: -Bart Palaszewski’s destruction of Tyson Griffin wasn’t just a win for himself, it was a win for the Illinois Woodchucks.  Because, you know, the IFL.  Heh. -Don Cerrone dominated Dennis Siver so badly, Siver must now act as Cerrone’s manservant, and do things like fetch him his pipe and slippers after dinner. -Remember when Brandon Vera was a heavyweight knockout machine and complete badass?  Yeah, me neither. -In the grand tradition of his countrymen, Shooto and Sengoku champ Hatsu Hioki came to the UFC, went to war, and failed to impress.  But hey, he didn’t lose.  That’s something, right? -Color me surprised, but Jeff Curran actually did pretty well.  His jiu-jitsu was crafty as hell, especially from the bottom, and when he stood and threw leather, he did it with confidence. -Please, Mirko CroCop.  Be retired.  You’ve had a great career, and nowadays it just hurts to see you fight. -It was gratifying to see Cheick Kongo blast Matt Mitrione.  Too bad it was for only one round, and the two prior rounds were sucky. -*Said in my best Morpheus voice* “He’s stood in front of everyone from KJ Noons to Paul Daley to BJ Penn, and out-struck them all.  Now do you believe he’s the One, Trinity?”  Yeah, Nick Diaz is the One.

Posted in: ufc, diaz, penn, jeff curran, illinois woodchucks  

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UFC 137 will be remembered by fans for numerous reasons but none more prevalent than the all-out war between headliners Nick Diaz and B.J. Penn. From the moment the main event match-up was made it had the makings of one of 2011’s top tussles and delivered in full with both welterweights leaving it all inside the Octagon, Diaz’s fluidity on his feet ultimately making the difference in earning the judges’ favor. The bout was also marked by the possible retirement of former double-divisional champion Penn who said he was focusing on his family in the future after being shown he can’t compete at the highest level. However, the proud Hawaiian is known for being emotional and nearly called it quits after his fight with Jon Fitch earlier this year. Were that not enough, Diaz’s profanity-laden rant after having his hand raised was enough to light a fire under Georges St. Pierre’s typically cool exterior to the point the Canadian urged his superiors to book the two of them in a bout as had originally been planned for last night’s event and they obliged. Now the UFC has offered a look at the moments leading up to their classic clash including access to Diaz and Penn before the pre-event press conference, as well as during and after their shoving contest at the weigh-ins. “B.J. kinda came up a little hard, was looking and trying to get in the soul of Nick, and one thing I’ve learned (is) you don’t out-crazy Nick,” Cesar Gracie explained of his prize pupil before pointing to the fact Diaz, like Penn, is a fighter at his core and it boiled over for both of them in that moment. Diaz is also seen discussing his return to the UFC, saying, “I expected to be back here in the UFC fighting. I expected to come back and fight for the title. I don’t like to come out and say I’m the baddest…I’m the best. I try to train hard so people will try to recognize that sort of thing but nobody understands when you do that. If I’m not hitting a tire or pushing a car or something crazy it’s not the same to people.” Another highlight involves Diaz’s sarcastic reply to Dana White after the UFC President kids him about making a media-related event. Check out the entire video below: PHOTO CREDIT – UFC

Posted in: ufc, diaz, nick, penn, moment

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UFC 137: "Penn vs. Diaz" took place last night (Sat., Oct. 29, 2011) from the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas, Nevada, featuring Stockton's own Nick Diaz representing the 209 by putting a beaten on the pride of Hilo, Hawaii, B.J. Penn, in a three-round, 15-minute war. For his efforts -- and his mouth -- Diaz has been re-inserted into a welterweight title fight against Georges St. Pierre over the Super Bowl weekend early next year. Matt Mitrione's rise through the heavyweight ranks ran into a brick wall named Cheick Kongo, as he was neutralized for the better party of three rounds en route to a decision loss. In other action, Roy Nelson sent Mirko Filipovic off to retirement with a third round technical knockout loss. Hatsu Hioki was successful in his UFC debut with a split decision win over George Roop, while Scott Jorgensen took care of business against Jeff Curran. A photo gallery (via UFC.com) is available for your viewing pleasure after the jump. Nick Diaz vs. B.J. Penn Matt Mitrione vs. Cheick Kongo Roy Nelson vs. Mirko Filipovic Scott Jorgensen vs. Jeff Curran Hatsu Hioki vs. George Roop Donald Cerrone vs. Dennis Siver Bart Palaszewski vs. Tyson Griffin

Posted in: diaz, nick, vs, penn, george

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Posted in: ufc, diaz, tekprodfx, penn, scene

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Former UFC champion B.J. Penn announced his retirement from the Octagon Saturday night after falling to Nick Diaz in the main event of UFC 137. However, “The Prodigy” has plenty yet to finish before he actually exits the cage for good. Penn, who fought to a draw with Jon Fitch earlier this year, needs to finish off their war after the two called each other out. Penn and Fitch are two of the greatest fighters in the history of the UFC, and they need to settle their differences before either retires. While he is currently competing at welterweight, Penn will forever be known as one of the best lightweights in history. He may not be able to match up with the likes of current champ Frankie Edgar or Strikeforce champion Gilbert Melendez, Penn would make a great opponent for Gray Maynard, Ben Henderson, or even Clay Guida. Penn has re-focused himself on his training and would make an excellent candidate for The Ultimate Fighter (plus the show would give him a break to re-collect himself and re-ignite the fire inside). He previously coached on the groundbreaking reality series during Season 5, and now with the transition to FOX the name and face of Penn would help push the ratings to an even higher level. “The Prodigy” has every right to do what he wants in terms of his MMA career, but I am hoping that he continues to compete as Penn is one of the best ever to fight in the UFC. PHOTO CREDIT – UFC

Posted in: ufc, nick diaz, penn, mma career, prodigy ”

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"He's got great hands." Yeah, but B.J. Penn's striking is almost mythical in the mixed martial arts (MMA) world. "He's got a hell of a chin." So does "The Prodigy." "He's never been knocked out, not even close." A 10-fight win streak is nothing to sneeze at. Do you really think wins against Octagon castoffs like Paul Daley and 36-year old Frank Shamrock even begin to compare to the cream of the welterweight crop that the UFC offers? "His Brazilian jiu-jitsu (BJJ) credentials are mighty impressive." Are you kidding me? Penn won the Mundials after earning his black belt in only three years time. Nick Diaz seemingly had no avenue to win his main event fight last night (Oct. 29, 2011) at UFC 137. Almost everything he excelled at, Penn was simply better. In a fight he had no business winning, Diaz put in his most impressive performance against a future UFC Hall of Famer. The former lightweight and welterweight champion was supposed to be too good, too talented for Diaz to overcome. But after 15 minutes, the bad boy from Stockton had his arm raised after he had pummeled his opponent for the better part of rounds two and three.  Diaz came out and -- if Penn is to be believed -- retired an opponent he shouldn't have even beaten. In typical 209 fashion, Diaz flipped off all his doubters. In the 25 fights leading up to UFC 137's headliner, Penn had only been beaten by five men. The first loss of his career came at the hands of Jens Pulver, a defeat he would later avenge. Following that, he came up short against Lyoto Machida in a bout he weighed in at 191 pounds for. Matt Hughes took the second fight in his trilogy with "The Prodigy" but a submission win and a brutal 21-second knockout proved that the Hawaiian had the wrestler's number. A pair of losses to both Georges St. Pierre and Frankie Edgar round out the blemishes on his record and as they do, a common thread begins to appear. Every man Penn has fallen short in front of has been recognized as the champion of the world, as the best in their weight class. Penn just doesn't lose to any Tom, Dick, or Harry that steps inside the Octagon. You can go ahead and add Diaz to that list. And while the BJJ player can claim a pre-Zuffa World Extreme Cagefighting (WEC) and a Strikeforce title on his resume, the UFC's 170-pound division has always been considered the best and deepest in the sport.  After a near-five year sabbatical from the Octagon, Diaz made his return to the shark-infested waters that is the welterweight division and made it to shore with the most impressive win of his career. Once criticized for his "pitter patter" style of boxing that seemed to be more of quantity over quality, the 209 representative absolutely shredded Penn's face throughout their 15-minute fight. "The Prodigy" left the Octagon bloody, bruised, and swollen and claimed to be retiring. HIs face a mangled mess, Penn didn't look or act like the fighter that choked out Matt Hughes or ran roughshod through the lightweight division. Diaz took it to the Hawaiian like no one else ever had, plain and simple. In a sport where fighters like Wanderlei Silva and Fedor Emelianenko bleed if breathed on too heavily, "The Prodigy" used to be touted as one of those guys who didn't really cut, didn't really bruise. Diaz proved that line of thinking dead wrong last night. Penn's left eye was swollen nearly completely shut as he wore the effect of over a hundred punches on his face. Many said the former Strikeforce champion didn't deserve an immediate title shot when fighters like Jon Fitch, Carlos Condit, and Penn had already spent years in the cut-throat world of the UFC. He needed to earn the shot was their rationale.  And when he skipped a press conference to hype the event, he was booted out of the main event and Condit took his place. He was then booked in a bout with the Hawaiian essentially swapping places with "The Natural Born Killer." A blessing in disguise, perhaps, for both Diaz and his doubters. Penn would be no easy task to overcome but if Diaz was able to defeat "The Prodigy," he would have more than enough ammunition to quiet his doubters who claimed he was nowhere near deserving of a title shot. He got that ammo, enough to fully arm an entire militia and his sights are dead set on "Rush" and his welterweight title.  Not deserving? Diaz doesn't want to hear it. Take a look at Penn's face if that's what you think.

Posted in: ufc, fight, diaz, penn, prodigy

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A rundown post-fight news and notes from UFC 137… — 10,313 people attended UFC 137 at the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas for a $3.9 million live gate. — No surprises with the bonuses. Nick Diaz and BJ Penn took home Fight of the Night honors for their epic fight in the main event. Donald Cerrone earned Submission of the Night for battering Dennis Siver and choking him out. Bart Palaszewski earned Knockout of the Night for annihilating Tyson Griffin against the cage. Each bonus was worth $75,000. — Nick Diaz may have beat BJ Penn in thrilling fashion last night, but you wouldn’t have known it by the way he talked at the press conference. Instead of realizing what he had accomplished, Nick criticized his performance up and down. “I’m not happy with my performance at all,” Diaz said of his win over Penn, which served as the main event of Saturday’s UFC 137 event in Las Vegas. “I wasn’t 100 percent today. I felt good, but just leading up to this fight, I went through a lot of hard times.” “I can look a lot better than that,” Diaz said. “I can do a lot better than that, and that’s what I would like to do. “I didn’t have any sort of workouts like I have had in the past. I would have come out 10 times better than I look tonight, that’s for sure. I don’t take punches like that when I’m working out with guys like Andre Ward and the guys even that are working out with Andre Ward. If I could have got any of the sparring that I’ve had in the past, I would have been a lot more confident just having known that I worked out with some of these guys that are at that top level.” As he touched on at the end of that quote, Diaz blamed his performance on a lack of quality sparring partners and training. “There’s not enough money in this sport,” Diaz told MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com). “You’ve got Floyd Mayweather making $25 million. He can’t stop a double-leg. I had to go to school to learn how to do that [expletive]. I had to work hard, and I had to study every aspect. That’s what we’re doing out here. I think that if I was making a tiny piece of that that everybody I know would be compensated – everybody I know, including my family. “They’re not taking care of me because they’re not compensated. My team needs to be compensated, and the people around me, they’re not getting nothing out of it. They’re not getting airtime. They’re not getting paid like they should. My sparring partners, they’re not getting paid like they should. That’s why nobody wants any part of this. Nobody wants to help me train if they’re not getting anything out of it, and I don’t blame them. “It’s hard to find sparring these days. Nobody’s ready, or they have to be in the best condition before they want to come in and work out with me now because everybody is intimidated or their trainer tells them, ‘No, you can’t go. It ain’t good for you to go spar with that guy.’ People aren’t going to do this stuff. I’m not going to get the training I need unless these people are compensated for their efforts and what they’re doing to help me.” Cesar Gracie later explained that getting boxers to come spar with Nick is becoming increasingly more difficult because they don’t want a MMA fighter making them look bad. And if they are willing to do it, they’re charging their camp twice as much as they charge others. — Despite the setbacks in training, Diaz made it a point to let everyone know he still showed up to fight with the same problems and injuries GSP backed out with and a tougher life back home to boot. “I’ve never backed out of a fight in my life,” Diaz said angrily. “You show me someone else who hasn’t done that, pulled some [expletive] about an injury. I’ve been injured all these last fights, even this one. I didn’t pull out, you know? I had no reason to fight. I’m depressed about this whole not fighting [St. Pierre], not getting paid what I wanted to get paid. I could have pulled out with any of these injuries. My knee hurts. Oh, my hamstring. My hamstring … I’ve got the same issues, man. I go running all the time out of my neighborhood, out of the bad neighborhood into the good neighborhood where I like to run. I run by hundreds of these nice huge houses with these big yards, and fountains everywhere. They have their picnic-patio little side yards with a pool. All this stuff, right? “Then I take a little circle around and go back into my neighborhood, where my car gets robbed, there’s a dude out in front of my house looking for cigarette butts, hoping some friend might have left some. It’s ridiculous.” — You would think Diaz would have cheered up when Dana White announced that he would fight Georges St. Pierre next, but this is Nick Diaz. Standard logic doesn’t apply. Instead, Nick started complaining about how he has to be the bad guy to get the fight he wants. “See how I gotta come off just to get a fight. I gotta come off like that just to get a fight. I gotta be the bad guy. You gotta point the finger, make me the bad guy, I’m the bad guy, now I get a fight.” Dana’s reaction? “It worked.” That it did. — BJ Penn didn’t show up to the post-fight press conference or talk to reporters after the show. As of now, the last thing we heard from BJ Penn was his psuedo-retirement speech right after the fight. “Hats off to Nick Diaz, he’s the man. It’s probably the last time you’ll ever see me in here. I want to perform at the top level. This is the end. You know what, I’ve got another daughter on the way, I don’t want to go home looking like this.” Like many, including myself, Dana White was skeptical after the fight that this is the last we’ve seen of BJ Penn. “B.J. is a warrior,” White said. “What happened to him tonight has never happened to him in his entire career. What he’s thinking tonight he might not think eight weeks from now.” “They took B.J. right to the hospital,” White told MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com). “Who knows. It might be or it might not be (Penn’s last fight). That’s up to him. I don’t know.” While Penn can certainly compete at the top level of the welterweight division, he really belongs in the lightweight division. I’d like to see him give 155 another shot, but the question is whether Penn has the motivation to do it. Right this minute, probably not, but hopefully that will change in time. — Roy Nelson didn’t show up looking like he was sculpted out of clay like Cheick Kongo does, but he definitely lost some belly fat and gained a little muscle mass. When asked about the weight loss after the fight, Nelson jokingly explained why he wore the fat suit to the weigh-ins. “I wasn’t really trying to keep it a secret,” Nelson said. “I think the biggest thing … was that the porn industry is kind of going down. If you want to see a half-naked man, you’re going to pay for it.” How did you lose the weight? “Secret ninja training,” he said. When the jokes stopped, Nelson added that he’s still the same fighter with or without the belly. “I’m the same Roy Nelson – just trying to be more active, trying to be a more complete martial artist by adding takedowns with the kicks,” he said. “I’m still 100 percent in the UFC with kicks. But it’s just one of those things – trying to be a complete martial artist and keep on adding to the repertoire and more tools to the belt. “I’ve been doing kung fu and martial arts all my life. I was just trying to change it up a little bit – just being a complete martial artist. You saw a lot of striking, a lot of groundwork today. I’m just trying to add more to the repertoire so that whoever I fight next gets to see two different looks.” In addition to the belly, Nelson also lost the beard. He shaved it after the fight and told reporters he did it to give them something to talk about on a slow news day. — It definitely seemed like we had seen the last of Mirko Cro Cop after his loss to Roy Nelson last night, but Dana White didn’t sound so sure. “Cro Cop has been a good guy since the day we signed him,” said White. “The guy’s a guy a warrior, a legend, has done tons of good things in the sport. I know he’s disappointed with his run in the UFC. I’m 42; at 38 [actually 37] to still be fighter, fighting younger, faster, more explosive guys … He came out and said, ‘I’m going to give you guys a fight; it won’t be a boring fight like with Frank Mir.’ He said he wants to retire. We’ll see how that plays out.” While it remains to be seen if Mirko calls it a career, we won’t see him back in the UFC. This was the last fight on his contract and there’s little to no reason to re-sign him. If Mirko wants to continue fighting though, I’m sure there’s an organization or two that would give him that opportunity. ProElite and M-1 Global (Fedor rematch) come to mind. — Donald Cerrone surprised a lot of people last night when he basically outclassed Dennis Siver on the feet. Perhaps the only person who wasn’t surprised though was Donald Cerrone. “I wasn’t impressed with his striking,” Cerrone told MMAjunkie.com. “I wanted to show the world what real kickboxing looks like. I was glad to go out there and be kind of technical. “I don’t want to overlook anyone, but I felt like my striking was better than his striking. He’s really flashy and did a lot of spinning and karate-type kicks. I didn’t want to say I didn’t respect his striking. I just thought mine was better.” With many of the top lightweight contenders losing recently, Cerrone may find himself in the title picture sooner than later if he keeps it up. Cerrone isn’t thinking about that now though. He just wants to fight ” anybody, anywhere, anytime,” in both the lightweight and featherweight divisions. It’s a noble approach, but now might be the time to choose his fights carefully. A couple wins over the right opponents and a little luck could land him a title shot in the next 12 months. Image via Twitter.com/LorenzoFertitta

Posted in: fight, diaz, guy, penn, lot

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"I've got a daughter. I've got another on the way. I don't want to go home looking like this again. I'm done." And with those words, one of the greatest fighters on the planet hung up his gloves and stepped out of the Octagon for the last time.  Being a relatively new father myself, I can understand the sentiment. Children shift a man's priorities radically. For Penn, training for six weeks followed by getting punched in the face for 15 minutes was no longer near the top of his "To Do" list. While many feel that we haven't seen the last of "The Prodigy" and the former champion was speaking merely out of emotion, I can't help but recall Penn's post-fight interview after his UFC 127 tilt with Jon Fitch. Squeaking out with a draw against the long-time welterweight contender, the Hawaiian spoke of retirement then as well. At only 32-years old, he seems like he could just be entering his prime but a decade-long career has put unfathomable mileage on his body which, I guarantee you, is far more damaged than any normal man in his early 30s. I truly believe the Hilo fighter has every intention of making his losing effort against Nick Diaz at UFC 137 his last appearance inside the Octagon. And if that's the case, he leaves behind one of the greatest and most exciting careers the sport has and likely will ever have. Here's to you, "Prodigy." Before he shook up the sport of mixed martial arts (MMA), he was sending shockwaves through the Brazilian jiu-jitsu (BJJ) world.  He began training in 1997 under Ralph Gracie and after three short years had earned his black belt and was winning world championships in grappling, being the first American to do so. Penn had more than earned his nickname of "The Prodigy." Following his impressive run through the world of competitive BJJ, the UFC managed to coax Penn into making his MMA debut inside the Octagon. We were finally going to see top-level BJJ in what was considered the modern era of the sport.  Or were we? Penn knocked out his first opponent with seconds left to spare in the first round. Then he took on highly ranked lightweight Din Thomas who had impressive wins both stateside and in Japan. Penn knocked him out too. Caol Uno was next on the chopping block. The Japanese fighter was the Shooto 154-pound champion and regarded as one of the best lightweights in the entire world. The young Hawaiian would surely have his hands full. 11 seconds into the fight, Penn connected with a flurry of punches that left his opponent unconscious. "The Prodigy" was finally proven human when he lost to Jens Pulver at UFC 35 in a five-round war and then again three fights later when the previously easily felled Uno took him to a draw. His inability to beat "Lil Evil" and Uno -- for the second time -- took some of Penn's luster. At UFC 46, he was eager to get it back. Riding off the momentum of a three-round thumping he handed Takanori Gomi in Hawaii, Penn was booked against 170-pound champion Matt Hughes after the wrestler had seemingly run out of credible challengers in the welterweight division. It was Penn's first flirtation with weight jumping, a practice he continued throughout his entire career. He choked Hughes out in the first round and capture UFC gold. But as quickly as his bicep flexed into his opponent's throat that night, he was just as quickly gone from the Octagon. He signed with K-1 parent company Fighting and Entertainment Group (FEG) and was stripped of his title by the UFC. He spent his next four fights in Japan and Hawaii, fighting at welterweight, middleweight, and even as high as 191-pounds when he took on Lyoto Machida. He finally made his return to the Octagon in 2006 and was immediately placed in a number one contender's bout against Georges St. Pierre. The Hawaiian dominated the first round but "Rush" was able to grind Penn out for the remaining 10 minutes and picked up the split decision. Despite losing, "The Prodigy" was given a title shot after the French-Canadian suffered an injury during training. At long last, fans were going to see the rematch between Penn and Hughes. Much like his bout with "GSP," Penn took the opening round at UFC 63 handily but faltered as the fight progressed. Trapped in a crucifix late in the third round, the Hawaiian was unable to defend himself against a barrage of Hughes' punches and the fight was stopped. Faced with back to back losses for the first time in his career, Penn decided to return to the weight division he took by storm half a decade prior. And with a submission win over Pulver at The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) 5 Finale, he let every 155-pounder in the UFC know: "The Prodigy" was back at lightweight. He won the vacant title at UFC 80 when he submitted Joe Stevenson and then Sean Sherk, Kenny Florian, and Diego Sanchez all fell at the feet of the mighty Hawaiian. The only blemish on Penn's record during this time was another ill-fated attempt at welterweight. Penn seemingly had no equal at lightweight. It wasn't until he took on Frankie Edgar at UFC 112 that anyone proved up to the challenge "The Prodigy" provided. It was -- and still is -- a hotly debated contest that saw "The Answer" wrest away the lightweight title from Penn's waist. If their fight in Abu Dhabi left any doubts, the rematch in Boston erased them all. Edgar thoroughly controlled the UFC 118 main event to make his first successful defense. "The Prodigy" had now lost two to Edgar, making a third match -- at least for the foreseeable future -- illogical. So Penn moved back up to 170-pounds to take care of some unfinished business. The first matter was a rubber match between he and Hughes, a fight that ended in 21 seconds and with the Hall of Famer unconscious on the mat. The second matter was a third bout with St. Pierre and an opportunity for revenge. But standing in his way was American Kickboxing Academy product Jon Fitch. Fitch has always been on the cusp of a second title shot but his fan-unfriendly style always put the kibosh on it. Both he and Penn knew their bout would help determine a number one contender. Except it didn't. The bout was ruled a majority draw after "The Prodigy" took the first two rounds but gassed out in the third allowing Fitch to earn a 10-8 score. Neither got a title shot and both were booked against other welterweights while Nick Diaz was offered the chance to fight St. Pierre. Fate intervened and the UFC 137 main event ended up being between the former Strikeforce champ and Penn. "The Prodigy" fought mightily but in the end, Diaz was too much to overcome. The Stockton fighter battered Penn's face to a bloody pulp in a record-setting performance. His left eye nearly swollen shut from the damage he absorbed, Penn told Rogan he was done. The sacrifice has become too much for him, it seems. And no one can fault him. MMA can be the cruelest of mistresses, demanding so much and giving next to nothing in return. There was no early period of Penn's career where he stalked the regional scene, evolving as a fighter with each fight he took. He exploded onto the scene on the sport's grandest stage and stayed there for 10 years. Almost more impressive than the list of fighters he bested is the list of men he lost to, all UFC champions at one point or another. The Hawaiian was the perfect example of how far insane amounts of natural, raw talent can take you. And during his run as the 155-pound champion, that talent was combined with top-level training and produced one of the greatest fighters I've ever had the pleasure of watching. Quite simply, there will never be another B.J. Penn.

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ESPN has video highlights from the UFC 137 main event, which saw welterweight contender Nick Diaz return to the Octagon with a unanimous decision over BJ Penn. The win pushed Diaz ahead of Carlos Condit for the next shot at welterweight champ Georges St-Pierre and sent Penn into an abrupt retirement. Highlights from Diaz vs. Penn at UFC 137 are below:

Posted in: ufc, diaz, bj penn, penn, carlos condit

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Nick Diaz may not show competence when it comes to his obligations to hype a fight. In fact, it has become an assumption that Diaz will either show up late, or not show up at all to conference calls or press conferences without someone holding his hand. When it comes to stepping into the cage, however, there is no doubt in Diaz's resolve. The former Strikeforce welterweight champion proved once again that he always shows up to fight, bombarding the defenses of UFC legend B.J. Penn from the second round on to win by unanimous decision on Saturday night at the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas, Nevada. Penn was supposed to provide a technically superior striking game to thwart Diaz's stubborn, aggressive stand-up game, and in the first round -- Penn was proving his superiority. By the second round, however, the dominance we've come to expect from Diaz began to show. Penn's shots from range couldn't counter the constant pressure from Diaz, and it became more apparent as seconds ticked off the clock that Penn's conditioning was faltering in the face of adversity. The third round was more of the same, and the only consolation that Penn could extract from the loss is that he survived to the final bell.  Surprisingly, very few people predicted that Diaz could walk through a legend like B.J. Penn similarly to how he defeated Paul Daley, Evangelista Santos, and KJ Noons. Those fighters don't possess the offensive prowess of Penn, yet Diaz made it look easy, barreling through Penn's power without taking a step back or slowing his output. The question that arises from such a dominant win is whether Diaz can compete with an overpowering champion like Georges St. Pierre. Most fans gave Diaz slim chances against the wrestling-centric champion when they were previously matched against each other as the UFC 137 headliner. Strangely, the circumstances that led to Diaz being pulled from the main event gave him the opportunity to prove he's more dangerous than people believed.  UFC President Dana White seems to agree, pushing Carlos Condit aside and pitting Diaz against St. Pierre for the UFC welterweight title. After Diaz's win at UFC 137, the intrigue in a title showdown is even higher. Despite the lessened pay-per-view presence UFC 137 will have due to the absence of St. Pierre, Diaz has undoubtedly created a buzz around himself that we've never seen before. The event's main event shake-up, in all its confusion and disappointment, has put Diaz in a better position. Diaz punched his ticket to the opportunity of a lifetime on Saturday night in Las Vegas. Not only does he have the chance to solve his perceived financial problems, there is evidence to suggest Diaz could become a household name among the UFC's casual fanbase. Diaz has been away from the UFC for roughly six years, yet he became somewhat of a phenomenon that fans went out of their way to watch when he fought under the Strikeforce banner. Those fans have long been staples of the UFC's fanbase, perhaps more of a hardcore base than casual. With the UFC's marketing behind Diaz and performances like the one he put together against Penn, who's to say Diaz, despite his strive for obscurity, can't reach the newer generation of fans? The Nick Diaz who failed against Sean Sherk, Joe Riggs, and Diego Sanchez isn't the Nick Diaz of today. Will the more matured skills of Nick Diaz finally help him achieve the moniker of undisputed world champion? We can't look past the possibility now.

Posted in: ufc, diaz, nick diaz, nick, penn

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For one round, it looked like everyone that thought B.J. Penn was too much for Nick Diaz appeared to be correct. For one round, B.J. Penn showed terrific movement, offensive grappling and crisp boxing. Unfortunately for "The Prodigy" last night (October 29, 2011) in the main event of UFC 137, the fight was for three full rounds. In those final two rounds, the former Strikeforce welterweight champion Diaz picked the Hawaiian apart with his patented volume punching and crazy offensive onslaught, an attack so brutal that fans were shocked to hear the announcement of Penn's retirement after the bout was over. So what was the key factor that allowed Nick Diaz pull off the minor upset? And what's next for both fighters? (You should probably know this one already.) B.J. Penn got off to a strong start. He hung out in the pocket, darted in and out and landed his strong punches against Diaz's defensive liabilities in the stand-up. He ducked down with a beautiful takedown and nearly took Diaz's back during a scramble. Penn ducked down with a beautiful takedown, grabbing a leg and swiftly taking Diaz to the canvas. Diaz attempted to defend with a guillotine choke but Penn rolled through it and nearly took Diaz's back during the resulting scramble. Notice how as Penn attempts to get his second hook in, Diaz swiftly pushes it off with both hands and forces Penn to have to work from his back with just the one hook. This would allow Diaz to escape the dangerous position moments later. It was some very clever defense from the Cesar Gracie trained black belt  Once back to the feet, Penn initiated a clinch and simply never allowed the Stockton native to put much offense together.  Round two, on the other hand, was the turning point of the bout. Diaz appeared to have let his Octagon jitters subside and he began to really go to work with his patented taunting and trash talk. "The Prodigy" found himself pinned against the fence in the clinch, but that's not a place to relax against Nick Diaz. Instead, Diaz pounded on Penn with some dirty boxing and short, swift knees. He really knows how to put some offense together from that position.  After stuffing a takedown attempt from Penn, Diaz unloaded with a combination to the body that appears to take some of the fight out of the multi-divisional champion. Some tremendous footwork allowed Diaz to get Penn right where he wanted him, with his back against the fence and in perfect range to be on the end of his full offensive onslaught of punches.  At this point, Nick Diaz simply began to just beat B.J. Penn up. Penn was stuck on the outside with no escape routes. Every time he tried to move to the side, Diaz cut him off and began unloading on him with his patented "Stockton slaps" as Mike Goldberg calls them. Watch how Diaz is simply able to overwhelm Penn with sheer offense. He's not showcasing any defense but Penn does not have the time to counter. He was in pure survival mode for the final two minutes of the second round. Diaz also drops to the body just long enough to keep Penn honest with his defense.  It truly was a thing of beauty to witness live, seeing Diaz work against a very high level opponent like that. Penn showed true heart in round three, refusing to wilt under the pressure of Diaz's offense, even backing the Team Cesar Gracie fighter up at times, but he simply couldn't keep up with the pace that the occasional triathlete was able to set. The third round was closer than the second, as Penn did get some offense off, but the ridiculous volume of Diaz's attack made up for anything that "The Prodigy" was able to muster.  In the end, the judges decided unanimously in Nick Diaz's favor, all three giving him the final two rounds, with one even giving Diaz a 10-8 score in round two. It was the prototypical Nick Diaz performance. The key factors in the victory for the pride of Stockton were:  a.) Body punches - Diaz really began to work the body of B.J. Penn early in round two and it really began to play a factor as the Hawaiian faded badly in the final two minutes. You could tell that his lateral quickness had been affected as well as his endurance. I believe the body punches of Nick Diaz were the most important factor in his victory as they laid the groundwork for his offensive onslaught in the later rounds. b.) Range - Nick Diaz found his range in the second round. From about the four minute mark on until the remainder of the fight, he was able to connect on Penn with nearly every strike he threw while the former two-time UFC champ routinely came up short with his counter strikes. c.) Footwork - The last place you would ever want to be against Nick Diaz is with your back pinned against the fence while he's in perfect range to keep you on the end of his punches, yet B.J. Penn found himself there routinely in the final two rounds of the fight. Credit this to Nick Diaz's excellent use of footwork which enabled him to maneuver Penn into the fence. He also cut Penn off every time he tried to escape the position, trapping him along the fence time and time again. d.) Endurance - The Cesar Gracie black belt has some of the best cardio in MMA, bar none. He overwhelmed Penn in round two, connected with over 100 punches and he didn't even look like he was breathing hard in between rounds. The fact that he's able to push that sort of pace and not get tired was huge. e.) Volume - Once Diaz got going after his typical slow start, Penn got overwhelmed by the pure volume of strikes being thrown in his his direction. Even though Diaz wasn't using great defensive boxing, Penn was never able to capitalize on an opening because he was constantly on the defensive. For B.J. Penn, he put up one great round against Diaz, but his inability to score a takedown or put his opponent in the clinch in the beginning of the second round was his downfall. He allowed Diaz to get comfortable, which is the last thing in the world you want to do. He announced his retirement after the fight, but Penn is also incredibly emotional after his fights. He may stick with it, and with an 0-2 record against both champions at lightweight and welterweight, this may be a legitimate retirement. If he doesn't call it quits, though, don't be surprised to see Penn return to lightweight and face someone like Gray Maynard or Melvin Guillard. For Nick Diaz, this was his true coming out party to UFC fans around the world. Everyone got a taste of what the Stockton bad boy brings to the table and they loved every second of it. Dana White announced during the post-fight press conference that Diaz, not Carlos Condit, would be getting the next title shot against Georges St. Pierre, and quite a bit of it had to do with Diaz calling out GSP in his post-fight speech, claiming he was faking an injury to duck him. This has the potential to be a huge pay-per-view for the UFC if they market it correctly, as it will go down on Super Bowl weekend. So what do you think Maniacs? Were you shocked by what Nick Diaz was able to do last night to one of the UFC's all-time greats? Do you think Penn's retirement will stick? Sound off! For complete UFC 137 results, including blow-by-blow, fight-by-fight coverage of the entire pay-per-view (PPV) event as well as immediate post-fight reaction click here, here and here. All gifs by Zombie Prophet via IronForgesIron.com.

Posted in: diaz, nick diaz, nick, round, penn

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Filed under: UFCLAS VEGAS -- It doesn't matter what Nick Diaz says, you want to hear it. It doesn't matter who he fights, you want to see it. It doesn't if you want him to win or lose, you have a strong opinion either way. In a matter of weeks, he has become the most riveting, polarizing man in MMA. Soon, he might become its biggest star. That may sound a bit illogical right now, but excuse me, I've spent the whole week absorbing the philosophies of the 209's most famous export, and I'm sold. Illogical is the new normal. There are obviously several stars in the UFC sky that eclipse Diaz in the popularity department, from Brock Lesnar to Anderson Silva to Georges St-Pierre. But that could change. More Coverage: UFC 137 Results | UFC 137 Post-Fight Press Conference Diaz's allure is two-fold. In the cage, he's a tremendously skilled athlete with unshakeable belief in his skills and unbreakable stamina. Outside of it, he is a fascinating subject with a unique world view and an inability to hold back from saying what is truly on his mind. In the past, the only thing holding him back from real stardom was a lack of visibility. After Diaz left the UFC in 2006 -- after two straight wins, by the way -- he began an odyssey of fights around the world, in promotions from PRIDE to EliteXC to DREAM to Strikeforce. No matter how well he fought -- and he went 11-1 with 1 no contest since the start of 2007 -- the perception existed that he was cleaning up in the B leagues. Now back in the UFC, that argument is no longer valid. Just a few months ago, Penn was fighting top welterweight contender Jon Fitch to a draw. On Saturday, Penn, could do little with Diaz, especially after the first round. According to FightMetric, Diaz out-struck Penn by an overwhelming total of 218-58 in the last two rounds. He also bloodied and bruised him in a way we've rarely seen. Diaz also may benefit from his own counter-culture behavior. Polarizing is always good. Many sports superstars are loved and hated in equal measures, including LeBron James and Tiger Woods. Diaz isn't a bad guy, he's just a different breed. Like all great athletes, he is intensely driven. He doesn't have a chip on his shoulder; he has a boulder. But he does make us scratch our heads. As you're probably aware, he missed two press conferences leading up to UFC 137 that cost him a title match and led to a matchup with Penn that he didn't especially want. The switch angered Diaz, but it also helped raise his profile. People who supported him rallied around him. And those who didn't know much about him invariably spent time trying to to learn more about him and whether he was self-destructing or simply didn't play by anyone else's rules. By the time the UFC 137 conference call came about, and Diaz was late, he had become such a story that he was a worldwide trending topic on Twitter. And by the time his fight with Penn came about, certainly nearly anyone with any hint of interest in MMA had his interest piqued. "He blew up out of nowhere," UFC president Dana White said. "Part of it is his attitude, but I think people love a real fighter. He's definitely a real fighter." Diaz's words and actions are so magnetic that it appears there's no one he can't pull into his forcefield. After beating Penn, he hung out bait for welterweight champ Georges St-Pierre. "I don't think Georges was hurt," Diaz said. "I think he was scared." %VIRTUAL-Gallery-137903% St-Pierre, who was sitting cageside, smiled and pretended his hands were shaking. But the UFC machine was already in hyperdrive. According to White, St-Pierre approached him backstage and said he felt disrespected by Diaz. In White's words, the normally composed GSP "flipped out." He wanted Diaz, and soon. So White audibled, contacting Carlos Condit and asking him to step aside. Condit, stuck in a terrible situation, agreed, and White had his matchup. To Diaz, that was hardly a reward. Even though he'd won, even though he'd been granted a title fight and a big paycheck, he seemed torn up by everything that had come before it. He characterized his own performance as "poor" and "stupid," bemoaned fighting while injured, and as has become the norm, complained about money. If you didn't know any better, you would have thought he lost the fight. I asked him if he took any joy in what he'd just accomplished, and he said no. I asked him if moving into a title shot and getting a big payday would make him feel any better. No, he said again. Because in his eyes, he had already earned those things. In Diaz's mind, he had to be the bad guy to get what had already been promised to him. "The only reason I'm getting this fight is because people want to see me take an ass-whipping right about now," he said. "So, alright, great. I worked for it. I'll take my ass-whipping, I'll take my money, and I'll go home." That may not be so true though. While Penn was the crowd favorite on Saturday, Diaz heard his fair share of cheers coming in, and he certainly got a star-like reaction upon winning. Then, he moved on to the press conference. He joined it in progress, and from the moment he walked on stage until the moment it was over 30 minutes later, not a single question was directed to any of the other five fighters on the stage. On a night when BJ Penn and Mirko Cro Cop both said they were done fighting forever, all of the buzz was about Nick Diaz. He managed to steal headlines. He managed to steal back his title shot, too. UFC 137 was supposed to be about Diaz vs. GSP, and it was. Just not in the way we thought. Instead of the culmination, it was just a masterful setup. Should Diaz win, stardom beckons. Because now, everyone knows who Diaz is, and everyone knows how he can fight. Whatever he says, we'll be listening. Whatever he does, we'll be watching. Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Posted in: ufc, fight, diaz, penn, stpierre

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UFC co-owner Lorenzo Fertitta tweeted this picture shortly following the conclusion of the UFC 137: "Penn vs. Diaz" pay-per-view event last night (Oct. 29, 2011) in Las Vegas, Nevada. As you can see, Nick Diaz and B.J. Penn, who had spent 15 minutes kicking the ever loving crap out of one another just minutes prior, renew their friendship backstage at the Mandalay Bay Events Center. Both men sport black eyes, Penn's being completely swollen shut, but the respect for each other shines through. In many ways, this can be considered a veritable passing of the torch. "The Prodigy" retired after the beating he received, while Diaz will move on to fight Georges St. Pierre for the welterweight title over the Super Bowl weekend in what should prove to be one of the biggest fights of 2012. Will Penn's retirement stick? Maybe, maybe not. But this is the natural order of things, in sport just as much as life. Diaz got past his first major test in his return to the UFC. Can he make it past the next? For a complete breakdown of Penn vs. Diaz click here. For the fight metric report click here. To watch highlights of the bout click here and to see complete UFC 137 results click here.

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In case you missed it live, or just want to relive the action from the UFC 137 main event, here's a quick highlight video from ESPN on the thrilling bout between Nick Diaz and B.J. Penn. SBN coverage of UFC 137 Results: Penn vs. Diaz Here's the complete play-by-play of the bout from our live blog: B.J. Penn vs. Nick Diaz - Round 1 - Penn with a punch to the body early and Diaz pushes him into the cage. They're working against the cage. Diaz lands a few punches, BJ lands one on the way out. BJ landing solid jabs here. Overhand right by Diaz and another very quick one. Hard left hand by Penn. Penn takedown, odd scramble and now Penn has the back. B.J. landing punches and he turns to side control. Penn stands up and Diaz manages to get back to his feet. Diaz looking for a single leg and Penn landing punches. Diaz goes to the body. Right hand by Penn lands solidly. B.J. witha nice counter and a solid uppercut. Diaz tries coming in with a right hand and Penn lands a few in return. 10-9 Penn. Round 2 - Diaz talks and Penn hits him with two punches. Leg kick by Diaz and throws a right hand that misses. Diaz pushes him into the cage and throws some punches to the body. Diaz doing decent work against the cage here. Diaz getting warned for grabbing the cage. Penn ducks down looking for a single leg and Nick defends. Nice combination by Diaz. Diaz is starting to connect a little better now. Very nice combination by Diaz. Diaz is coming on now. Diaz drops down for a takedown and can't get it. Left hand lands hard for Diaz. Big combo now and he has taken the fight over. Penn is in serious trouble. Penn needs to find a takedown or something. Penn is getting tagged. Diaz just took over the second half of that round. 10-9 Diaz. Round 3 - They touch gloves and immediately start throwing. Penn lands to the body, Diaz throwing a good amount of punches already. Penn looked for a takedown and Diaz defended. Two left hands get through for Diaz and a right hand. Penn is not going to win this fight without a takedown. Great job going to the body and then they head by Diaz. Penn still throwing back but he's getting beat up here. Penn with a big right hand. Another big right by Penn. Diaz with another flurry against the cage. B.J. is trying to walk forward and keep throwing but he has to do something really impressive to take this round back in the last 90 seconds. Penn landing now and Diaz answers back. Penn lands a right, Diaz lands a left. Left hand gets through for Diaz. Both men land as the fight ends. 10-9 Diaz on my card gives him a 29-28 win. Official Scorecards: 29-28, 29-27, 29-28 all for Nick Diaz.

Posted in: diaz, right, penn, hand, land

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In the days leading up to the main event at UFC 137 it looked like Nick Diaz was going to have a tough time getting motivated to fight BJ Penn, a fighter that he had trained with in the past.  Diaz seemed to find the motivation he needed during the weigh-ins on Friday when he and Penn went head to head and had to be separated by, among others, UFC President Dana White.  It was clear that both fighters, as well as the UFC, recalled Friday’s run in as the fighters were not permitted to get to

Posted in: ufc, diaz, fighter, penn, friday ’s

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It's no secret what Nick Diaz's game plan is when he steps inside the cage but the fact that he was able to land 257 strikes against B.J. Penn, one of the better boxers in MMA, is astounding. On top of that, he landed 178 significant strikes, which, according to Fight Metric, is the most of any UFC fight ever. Talk about taking volume to a whole new level. Diaz simply overwhelmed Penn in the main event of UFC 137 last night (Sat., Oct. 29, 2011) at the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas, Nevada. "The Prodigy" faded in the later rounds and as soon as Diaz noticed the Hawaiian slowing down, he put his foot on the gas. The result is impossible to argue against. The grappling report (which is admittedly light) and performance ratings (which is definitely not) are after the jump. As you can see, there wasn't a lot of grappling to go around. Penn was credited with just one takedown on four attempts, which he earned in the first round. That's the round he had the most success in, as he also took Diaz's back and briefly threatened from there. In the end, though, that only seemed to hurt Penn's cause. Fatigue quickly set in upon and that's when Diaz took over. That's an unbelievable effectiveness score and and this is easily the biggest victory of Diaz's entire career. Up next is Georges St. Pierre and while he's not likely to break any records for strikes in that fight, fans most definitely have to take note of just how dangerous he can be, no matter the opponent. For a complete breakdown of Penn vs. Diaz click here. To watch highlights of the bout click here and to see complete UFC 137 results click here.

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UFC 137 was a decent enough card on paper. The Spike telecast boded well for the night with two excellent performances by its victors. Unfortunately once the main card got going, the night slowed to a crawl with relatively lackluster performances. To say Nick Diaz and BJ Penn more than made up for it would be an understatement. In fact, it's an insult. The only thing more insulting than mentioning the rest of the main card in the same sentence as Penn/Diaz is the fact that it was three rounds. Granted, two more rounds, and Penn might have died in that cage, but it's the principle of the matter. Elite fighters should fight 25 minutes. Period.  For Penn, his exit highlights one of the more unique careers in mixed martial arts. I'll have more to say about Penn in the future, but for now I just want to say that the sport has lost one of its consummate prizefighters. If I were to introduce a person to MMA, there are few fighters that elaborate on what the sport's about better than Penn through performance. He doesn't bore you. He doesn't fight for points. His abilities no matter what aspect of MMA we're talking about are not mockable (see Aoki). He only ever confounds you with his talent, even in defeat. And as Nick proved, he's also one tough sonofabitch. With Penn's head having been genetically fused with a coconut's exocarp, BJ is not a fighter you put down with one punch. After a competitive first round that Penn won, Nick began to run away with the fight, specifically in the 2nd round. It was worth asking whether Penn's corner should consider stopping the fight. They didn't, and it seemed like the correct decision, as BJ still had considerable fight left in him.  I'm not sure what will come of it, but Nick called out Georges St. Pierre. In an atypical display, GSP mocked the idea that he "was scared". Still, it's unclear whether or not Dana will give Nick the shot with Carlos Condit having been "promised". Of course, Condit is merely taking the shot Nick fumbled by being Nick.  Update: According to Dana White, Nick Diaz is indeed set to face GSP. I often feel like the village idiot, so it's with considerable pleasure that I say, I told you so. I always felt like Nick would present Penn with the interesting task of dealing with someone who would get in his face, and wouldn't be discouraged with BJ's counterpunching prowess. We're talking about a guy that took Paul Daley's best, and still kept coming. On top of that, I felt like Nick's reach wouldn't leave him open to as many counters as he might otherwise take. Granted, he still took a ton of shots, but where he keeps his head is just as important. He inches forward and maintains his range which keeps him from taking the entire force of the punches that he does absorb. It's still not great technique, and it's owed in large part to his chin, but it works for Nick because it allows him to stay active to the body, head, body, etc. Here's where I go back to being the village idiot: I still think Carlos Condit is a more compelling matchup for GSP. Not by much, but St. Pierre won't stand with Diaz at all. And if he does, Nick will need time to land a barrage. Carlos still has the ability to kill in one shot. Either way, I'm not confidant either man can submit GSP from their back. Having said that, I'm perfectly fine with Nick getting the title shot next. Now he can say he's truly earned it. A win over Penn is simply more than what Condit has accomplished. Oh Heavyweight MMA: you're the gift that keeps on giving the opposite of inspiration, and acumen. I feel bad saying that about Mirko, who should have retired well before this fight, but in a way his presence is symbolic. The division is so lacking that it allows fighters to stay relevant even passed their expiration date. I don't think any of the HW's were impressive. Kongo is still too tentative, and gets confused when fighters rush him. And as he and Roy Nelson were the winners, I'm confidant in saying there's nothing that interests about a Nelson/Kongo matchup except that I have to talk about it.          "Japanese MMA is not dead", Hatsu Hioki proudly proclaimed in his post fight victory speech over George Roop. Well, you wouldn't have known it by his performance. Much like JMMA, you would have been hard pressed to find a pulse in this fight. For one, Hioki's defense was just downright porous. I live in the middle in this JMMA debate. I don't consider it "fraudulent", as some of its critics do, but I think its proponents tend to ignore the tangible reasons for its decline. To Hioki's credit, he fought to his strengths in the 2nd round, but he still has problems doing that with any consistency. Hioki is a world class fighter who took Brian Geraghty (the guy on TUF who made Joe Lauzon look like Fedor Emelianenko) to a decision. The same thing happened in his loss to Antonio Carvalho, which he simply let slip from his grappling fingers. These are the kinds of mistakes can't afford to make at this level. If he struggles to live up to the hype, it will be because he doesn't always fight the way he's capable. You know what is defiantly not dead? The WEC. Kudos to Donald Cerrone and Bart Palaszewski fo being the only other fighters to put on memorable performances. Cerrone's low to high kick transition to put Siver on queer street was magical. The guy is simply a killer. Message to Joe Silva and Dana White: if you don't match up Donald Cerrone against Nate Diaz in a five round fight (preferably on FOX), you don't love MMA. Who would have thought Tyson Griffin would one day turn into a punchline? The guy misses weight tonight, having snapped a three fight losing streak by just barely beating Manny Gamburyan, and now he's yet another highlight on someone's knockout reel. Bartimus' went Rolling Thunder on Griffin, and once again Tyson disputes that he wasn't momentarily a vegetable. Speaking of punchlines, Elliot Marshall holds the distinction of looking so lackluster even in victory, that the UFC cut him with a 3-1 record. Despite that, he nearly finished Brandon Vera on the feet, and broke his arm in two. I have no idea where Vera's head is, but it's not in this sport. For the genesis of this apathy, you might have to go back to the Jon Jones fight, when the interest in MMA got elbowed out of him.        

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Nick Diaz overwhelms B.J. Penn in the main event of UFC 137 tonight (Oct. 29, 2011) in Las Vegas, Nevada, to earn a hard-fought, bloody unanimous decision victory. The Stockton slugger used his superior cardiovascular conditioning and never-say-die attitude to blast his way past "The Prodigy," who was undoubtedly the toughest match-up to date for Diaz. After the victory, he called out Georges St. Pierre. Anyone think Carlos Condit needs to take a backseat to let the original two handle their business? To check out MMAmania.com's LIVE UFC 137 results post, which includes up-to-the-minute, blow-by-blow coverage of EVERY fight click here. B.J. Penn vs. Nick Diaz Round one: Nice left from Penn to start. Body shot from BJ. Now their tied up against the cage. Short uppercuts from Penn and knees from Diaz. Good knees from Penn. Both men trading punches. Penn lands a right on the break. Jab from Penn. Jab from Diaz. Right form Diaz. Hard right from Diaz. Good hard combo from Penn. Short uppercut from Penn. Jab from Penn. Left hook from BJ. Single leg take down from Penn and DIaz tries to roll him over. Now BJ has the back!! Good punches from behind by BJ. Left from Penn who is in side control. Short punches from BJ. Diaz works his way to the feet and has a hold of a single leg. Diaz with knees to the thigh. Body punches from Diaz against the cage. Good knee and punch from Penn. Nice left from Penn. Right from Diaz. Hard right from Penn and then a good uppercut. Jab from Diaz. Right from Diaz. Jab from Penn. Left from Penn. Jab from Penn. Hard right then left from Penn. DIaz with a good right. That is the bell and BJ Penn looked amazing on the feet. 10-9 Penn. Round two: Jab from Penn. Jab from Diaz. Hard combo from Penn. Leg kick from Diaz. Nice jab and uppercut from Penn. Now their tied up against the cage as Diaz lands some body shots. Short punches from Diaz. Jab from Diaz. Both of Diaz's eyes are swelling up now. BJ goes for a single and is stuffed and DIaz lands some knees to the body. Good body shot and right hook combo from Diaz. Jab from Diaz. Good right from Diaz. Left from Penn. Good right and left from Diaz. Good body shots from Diaz. Nice left hook from Penn. Good hook to the body from Diaz. Great combo finished with a body shot from Diaz. BJ now ties things up and Diaz going for a double leg take down but is stuffed. Short punches from Diaz. Hard left from Diaz and Penn is hurt!! Diaz with a big combo and now is going to the body and the head. Hard left from Diaz. Body and head hook from Diaz. Penn is hurt. Jab from Penn. Body shots and hook from Diaz. Diaz unloading with bdoy shots and hooks. Big right from Diaz. Diaz now lands a flurry and BJ with a good counter right and left. Right hook from Diaz lands hard and more body shots and now Penn is bloody. Short punches form Diaz against the cage. That is the bell and that round was all Diaz. 10-9 Diaz. Round three: Hard body shot from BJ. Jab from Penn. Jab from Diaz. Penn shoots and is stuffed by Diaz now their tied up against the cage. Great double left hook from Diaz and now a right. Jab from Diaz and then a right. Nice right from Diaz. Body shot and double hook from Diaz. Short uppercuts from Diaz in the clinch. Great body shot hook combo from Diaz. Both men trade rights. One two combo from Diaz and a big right from Penn. HARD right from Penn. Uppercut from Penn. Both men trading hooks and good body shots from Diaz. Right from Diaz and a big left. Jab from Diaz. Big left from Diaz. Now their tied up against the cage. Good right from Penn and more body shots from Diaz. Hard right from Penn. Jab from Diaz. Right and left from Penn. Right from Diaz. Jab from Penn. Good right from Diaz and now their tied up against the cage. Good combo from Diaz and left from Penn. Penn lands a hard left and right. Uppercut from Penn. Good right from Penn. Right left from Diaz. Head kick from Diaz. Left hook from Penn. Combo from Diaz. Right hook from Diaz and now Penn with a big flurry and a huge left hook. Wow that was an awesome fight but Diaz took it. 10-9 Diaz. Final result: Nick Diaz defeats B.J. Penn via Unanimous Decision

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The late money was coming in on Nick Diaz, moving him to a favorite at many sportsbooks by the time his UFC 137 main event with B.J. Penn started. That combined with Penn appearing to be in tears gave the fight a strange feeling before it even got underway. The opening frame went how many fans and media expected it to go as Diaz got countered by Penn's sharper boxing and B.J. even scored a takedown and got a little work done on the ground, setting himself up well for the fight ahead. Unfortunately for Penn, Diaz and his unrelenting cardio were just too much and wilted B.J. in the second round. For the majority of the second frame it was Diaz trapping Penn against the cage and opening up with the trademark Diaz flurries. Penn came back in the third to go out swinging, throwing his hands even in a losing effort. Penn lost on the scorecards but put on a fun and exciting fight that should have fans remembering him the right way after he announced his retirement following the loss. For Diaz, he put on the kind of performance that has many insisting that the UFC should abandon the idea of giving Carlos Condit the title shot against Georges St. Pierre. Diaz claimed after the fight that GSP wasn't really hurt, he was just scared. UFC president Dana White was saying that the outcome of this fight would have no impact on Condit's title shot as recently as this weekend but one has to wonder if that will hold up. As of the time of this article it's sounding like Diaz may be told that he earned a title shot as soon as the post-fight press conference. Before I get to some of the other fights on this somewhat lackluster card I have to say one thing about the broadcast. There seems to have been way more production problems than normal. A lot of missed shots, bad camera angles and other very unusual things for the normally very crisp UFC product. They don't seem fully confident in the new wirecams yet which is probably a part of it. Matt Mitrione vs. Cheick Kongo wasn't exactly a thriller but Kongo was able to hand Mitrione his first career loss. Given that this was a heavyweight fight most felt would deliver some action, it was a little disconcerting to see the fighters spend several minutes at a time not throwing strikes. In the end it was Kongo's ability to muscle some takedowns in the third round that took the fight away from Mitrione. Mirko Filipovic joined the retirement parade tonight, seeming to hang up the gloves after a TKO loss to Roy Nelson. Mirko simply spends too much time circling and not throwing strikes. He landed on Nelson several times, most notably in the second round when he had Roy hurt and pinned against the fence unloading with strikes. But once he couldn't get the finish he went back to being overly cautious and appeared to quit on the fight. Nelson just finished the fight off at that point to get a big win, but one that is hard to appropriately gauge given Mirko's recent performances. Hatsu Hioki was given a split decision win over George Roop in a rather uninspiring UFC debut. I scored the fight for Roop as did Fight Metric as I thought he won rounds one and three. Even the round Hioki clearly won was not exactly much in terms of damage or anything beyond positional dominance. It's simply not the kind of fight that is going to get a fighter the vast majority of UFC fans have heard of a title shot, unless it's on a show in Japan and done to try to sell the event to the locals. I feel like I'm being too negative, so let's talk about Donald Cerrone. I may not care for the guy's personality, but he is a straight killer in the cage. His performance since coming to the UFC is so far beyond what he showed in the WEC that it's actually stunning. The way he laid waste to Dennis Siver tonight was very impressive and the kind of showing that proved that he's "in the mix" for a title shot. The "old Brandon Vera" is back. And by that, I mean the Brandon Vera who we've seen the most. There simply is no reason that Vera shouldn't have run through Eliot Marshall, but instead he was hurt multiple times and almost finished twice in the third round. That he escaped with a win instead of a draw is a statement on the flawed state of MMA judging more than anything. Good on Marshall for coming in and fighting like a guy who actually wanted to win and not just be an opponent. The night belongs to Diaz and Cerrone as they were far and away the highlights of an otherwise disappointing card. We're heading into a big November for the UFC though Photo of the Night: via Ben Fowlkes Twitter The two main event fighters, both showing the marks of their battle. Bloody Elbow Fight of the Night Via Zuffa LLC via Getty Images I can't change from Diaz vs. Penn. It was the one fight that was truly good start to finish on the card and that we'll still be talking about weeks from now.

Posted in: ufc, fight, diaz, time, penn

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Nick Diaz irked Georges St-Pierre so much after winning a decision over B.J. Penn Saturday that the two will meet Super Bowl weekend.

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Nick Diaz proved he belongs with the best in the world after punishing his way to a win at UFC 137 and when it was over BJ Penn says that he's done fighting.

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UFC 137: "Penn vs. Diaz" from the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas, Nevada, has officially wrapped, which means it's time for those select fighters who went above and beyond in their respective fights to get a little extra grease for their efforts. To the tune of $75,000 each. The promotion dished out its standard post-fight monetary bonuses to four out of the 22 fighters on the card, and it's probably no surprise who's leaving "Sin City" with a second sack of simoleons. On a night that featured just one victory by way of tapout, Donald Cerrone's rear naked choke of Dennis Siver earned "Submission of the Night" honors thanks to a lack of options. Let's not sell "Cowboy" short, though. He roped in the German dynamite stick and absolutely owned him. Who's next? Also hauling in a wheelbarrow full of cash is Bart Palaszewski, who brought home his extra bacon by earning "Knockout of the Night" via flying flurry against the fence that Tyson Griffin had no answer for. You know, other than to fold up like a cheap lawn chair. Finally, B.J. Penn and Nick Diaz took home "Fight of the Night" honors after their thrilling back-and-forth, war of attrition that saw the Strikeforce welterweight champion earn the biggest win of his career. Was it enough to move him back to the front of the 170-pound line, Carlos Condit be damned? Stay tuned. Here are the special fight bonuses for UFC 137: Submission of the Night -- Donald Cerrone Knockout of the Night -- Bart Palaszewski Fight of the Night -- B.J. Penn vs. Nick Diaz Again, each fighter received $75,000 extra for their performances in addition to their respective base salaries, which we will pass along as soon as possible. For complete UFC 137 results and blow-by-blow coverage of the main card action click here.

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Legendary fighters B.J. Penn and Mirko Filipvoic announced their retirements in the Octagon after losing at UFC 137.

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Saturday night marked a bittersweet evening for MMA fans who watched two legends of the sport, B.J. Penn and Mirko Filipovic, walk away from competition after being handed defeats in their respective bouts at UFC 137. However, at least one saving grace was involved as Penn’s pairing with Nick Diaz was named “Fight of the Night” with each man taking home $75,000 as a result. Penn and Diaz duked it out for fifteen minutes with the outspoken Diaz ultimately earning the victory in large part due to his superior stand-up. “Submission of the Night” and “Knockout of the Night” were both fairly obvious choices with Donald Cerrone and Bart Palaszewski doing the prelims proud by earning the awards. Cerrone’s distinction came after outclassing opponent Dennis Siver in the striking department, then maneuvering onto the injured German’s back to procure a Rear-Naked Choke. Comparably, Palaszewski rendered Tyson Griffin into a puddle of goo with a series of powerful, precise punches. Like Diaz and Penn, each man earned an extra $75,000 for their showings. PHOTO CREDIT – UFC

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This was the fight that everyone wanted to see. The fight that was hyped as the real main event prior to Georges St. Pierre dropping off the card due to a knee injury. In the lead up both fighters were incredibly respectful of the other's skills and never committed to the usual trash talk. It was only at the weigh ins that they showed even the slightest hint of animosity with Diaz and Penn going nose to nose on stage before Dana White jumped in to split them apart.  The fight was everything the fans hoped it would be, with both fighters coming forward in the first round looking to put the most hurt on the other. The clear aggressor was Penn who found his range early and head hunted Diaz the first five minutes. In the second round Diaz took over, forcing Penn against the cage and just battering him with punches in bunches. Penn's face showed the cumulative damage going into the final round and he was unable to keep up with the pace that Diaz set. There were times when Penn was landing well, he just wasn't able land with the same pop that he had in the first.  The judges scored the fight for Diaz who celebrated by calling out Georges St. Pierre making the claim that the champion wasn't actually hurt and was instead ducking everyone. To his credit St. Pierre didn't let the trash talk get to him.  This was the first time in his career that a fighter made B.J. Penn look old. He retired in the post fight and if this truly was the last time that fans will see the Hawaiian, he went out on his shield. He never backed down and stayed in the fight all the way to the final bell.  SBN coverage of UFC 137 Results: Penn vs. Diaz

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Nick Diaz took out B.J. Penn and took aim at welterweight champion Georges St. Pierre.

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Nick Diaz successfully made his return to the Octagon with a unanimous decision over BJ Penn in Saturday’s UFC 137 main event in Las Vegas, battering the former welterweight and lightweight champion with his patented striking over the later rounds to earn a 29-27 and two 29-28 scores from the judges. After the fight, Diaz said he believed Georges St-Pierre wasn’t injured and that the UFC welterweight champion was scared to fight him, while Penn vowed to retire after falling to 1-3-1 in his last five fights. Stay tuned for a more detailed recap in the coming minutes… The complete UFC 137 results were: MAIN CARD (PPV) Nick Diaz def. BJ Penn via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-27, 29-28) Cheick Kongo def. Matt Mitrione via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-28, 29-28) Roy Nelson def. Mirko Cro Cop via TKO (punches) – Round 3, 1:30 Scott Jorgensen def. Jeff Curran via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 30-27) Hatsu Hioki def. George Roop via split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28) PRELIMINARY CARD (Spike TV) Donald Cerrone def. Dennis Siver via submission (rear naked choke) – Round 1, 2:22 Bart Palaszewski def. Tyson Griffin via KO (punches) – Round 1, 2:45 PRELIMINARY CARD (Facebook) Brandon Vera def. Eliot Marshall via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28) Ramsey Nijem def. Danny Downes via unanimous decision (30-25, 30-26, 30-27) Francis Carmont def. Chris Camozzi via unanimous decision (30-26, 30-27, 30-27) Clifford Starks def. Dustin Jacoby via unanimous decision (30-27,30-27,30-27)

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UFC 137 - Nick Diaz vs. BJ Penn

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B.J. Penn is one of the best fighters the UFC has ever seen and after his UFC 137 loss to Nick Diaz it appears that we will never see him compete again. Penn looked very good in the opening round against Diaz but faded as Nick turned up the pressure in the second and third round. In the post fight interview with Joe Rogan, Penn said that he is ready to retire. Penn told Rogan "Hats off to Nick Diaz. He's the man. Joe, this was probably the last time you'll see me in here. I can't keep performing at the top level. That's it Joe. I got a daughter and another daughter on the way, I don't want to go home looking like this. I'm done." Penn remains one of only two men, along with Randy Couture, to win UFC titles in multiple weight classes. Penn made his professional MMA debut at UFC 31 and became one of the sport's biggest stars, capturing the welterweight title from Matt Hughes in a shocking fight at UFC 46. He would never actually lose that title, instead leaving the UFC for two years. At UFC 80 he captured the UFC lightweight title with a win over Joe Stevenson, a title he would defend three times before losing it to Frankie Edgar. After tonight, Penn had only won one of his previous five bouts and decided it was time to step away from the sport. Bloody Elbow will have much more on the card and the great career of B.J. Pen in the coming days. SBN coverage of UFC 137 Results: Penn vs. Diaz

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After his beatdown in the main event of UFC 137 tonight (Oct. 29) at the hands of Nick Diaz, B.J. Penn says that he is retiring from mixed martial arts. In the post-fight interview with Joe Rogan, Penn kept it short and sweet: "I've got a daughter. I've got another on the way. I don't want to go home looking like this again. I'm done." So it would appear that not only did Diaz make the best case possible for a title shot against Georges St. Pierre with his performance inside the Octagon, he also retired one of the greatest fighters that ever lived. Anyone think Penn is just running on emotion right now and needs some time to think it through before making a huge decision like this? Or have we truly seen the final fight of "The Prodigy's" career? Sound off, Maniacs.

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UFC 137 was live in Las Vegas, NV tonight and showcased a great fight between two former champions, MMA legends and fighter on the rise. Listed below are complete results from the action inside the octagon this evening. MAIN CARD Nick Diaz def. BJ Penn via UD (29-28 x2, 29-27)* BJ Penn retire after this [...]

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The main event of UFC 137 tonight (Sat., Oct. 29, 2011) in Las Vegas, Nevada, although re-worked a million times, settled on a welterweight war pitting two of the greatest mixed martial artists in recent memory, as B.J. Penn and Nick Diaz took it to the cage to slug it out. They were friends before stepping inside the Octagon but became enemies just as soon as the horn sounded. The staredown at the weigh-in promised us fireworks tonight. Did it deliver? It sure did. Diaz, the Strikeforce welterweight champion, showed exactly why he deserves all the accolades he's received for the past few years, as he blew right past "The Prodigy" in a three round slugfest. There was no finish, but this one lived up to the carnage it promised. Georges St. Pierre, were you watching? Penn came out aggressive, throwing punches early and looking to engage his pugilistic foe. Diaz responded with a clinch and some knees but they quickly disengaged and went back to slinging leather. Once it went to the floor, "The Prodigy" looked to take the advantage by taking Diaz's back but he was defended expertly by the Gracie jiu-jitsu black belt. The remained of the round featured Penn using Diaz's own strategy against him, peppering him with punches to close out the first five minutes. Round two saw the kid from Stockton act accordingly, as he taunted the pride of Hilo, Hawaii, by launching his own head into Penn's many jabs. It was clear, though, that B.J. had the edge standing up. Midway through the frame the blood was in the water ... and it was Penn's. He was tired and Diaz, a world class triathlete, smelled it and started taking advantage. Those peppering shots didn't feel so light anymore. Diaz put Penn against the fence and just started unloading. "The Prodigy" backed away but couldn't run far enough to get away from the onslaught. Stockton's own walked the Hawaiian down and just unloaded. Punch after punch after punch after punch against the cage. Somehow, someway, Penn made it to the third and final frame while the crowd chanted Diaz's name. Out early in the third and Penn came swinging. It didn't matter, though, because Diaz kept the pressure on. The only option for B.J. was to shoot for a takedown, which he did ... but he couldn't get it. These two literally threw the kitchen sink at each other, trying to do whatever they could to finish the fight. Ultimately, it was Diaz who walked away with the unanimous decision win after three hard-fought round. Title shot? To check out MMAmania.com's LIVE UFC 137 results post, which includes up-to-the-minute, blow-by-blow coverage of EVERY fight click here.

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Filed under: UFC, NewsLAS VEGAS -- BJ Penn walked into the octagon with emotion in his eyes, and walked away leaving some of his fans with tears in theirs. The longtime MMA legend, just 32 years old, dropped a unanimous decision in a spirited scrap with Nick Diaz, and then shocked the sold-out crowd at the Mandalay Bay Events Center with the surprising announcement that he had just fought for the last time. Penn won the first round on all three judges scorecards before Diaz seized momentum in the second with his unrelenting pace and punishing body shots. Penn appeared to be on wobbly legs for the second half of the round and Diaz went for the finish, but Penn's chin and heart kept him on his feet. Overall in the round, Diaz landed 115 strikes, according to Compustrike. Though Penn survived the assault, he had little left to combat Diaz's attack. The Stockton, California native was unrelenting in attacking the Hawaiian, frequently switching stances and landing at a high rate. Though he couldn't finish him, the outcome was obvious even before cage announcer Bruce Buffer read off the judges' scores, which were 29-28, 29-27, 29-28. By the end, Penn's face was bloodied and battered. "That's probably the last time you're ever going to see me," Penn said afterward. "I can't keep doing this." Penn didn't attend the post-fight press conference, with his injuries requiring a trip to the hospital. Diaz, known for his high-pressure pace, out-landed Penn 239 to 76, according to Compustrike. "In the 10 years we've seen BJ perform, we've never seen him busted up like that," UFC president Dana White said. "Even on bottom getting smashed by [Matt] Hughes and Georges St-Pierre. He doesn't cut, he doesn't bleed, he doesn't swell up. It's like he's got leather skin. He got busted up tonight. Nick Diaz is the real deal." If it is the end for Penn, he leaves as one of the most respected mixed martial artists in history, with a career that spanned a decade and bridged eras from the dark days of the sport to the current boom. He arrived on the scene as "the Prodigy" with a first-round knockout over Joey Gilbert at UFC 31, and became one of only two fighters in UFC history to win championships in multiple divisions, joining Randy Couture. Penn is held in the highest regard by fighters for his willingness to fight at any weight class, and despite being just 5-foot-9 and around 180 pounds at his natural weight, he fought from lightweight all the way up to heavyweight. Penn's signature win may be his UFC 46 welterweight championship victory over Matt Hughes, who had been considered an unbeatable champion after five successful title defense over a two-year span. But after that win, he left the UFC in a contract dispute, only returning two years later. By then, the promotion had begun to gain momentum with The Ultimate Fighter's success, and Penn's return soon jump-started the lightweight division when he captured the belt in 2008. He defended it three times before losing to Frankie Edgar in April 2010. Penn would win only one more time in his career, knocking out old rival Hughes in just 21 seconds last November. In his last five fights, he was 1-3-1, though the draw came against Jon Fitch, who was considered by most to be the No. 2 welterweight in the world, and two of the losses came to current champ Edgar. Of course, given his snap decision and relatively young age, many believe Penn will find his way back to the cage one more time. Given the beating he took, the UFC will likely give him some time to spend with his family before checking his future status. "BJ's a warrior, man" White said. "Like I said, what happened to him tonight, it's never happened to him in his entire career. What he's thinking tonight, he might not think eight weeks from now. Who knows? It might be or it might not be. That's up to him." Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

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Filed under: UFC, NewsLAS VEGAS - It was one of the most bizarre back stories in UFC history, and on Saturday night Nick Diaz and BJ Penn were rewarded for making the fight live up to the hype. Diaz and Penn were given Fight of the Night honors at UFC 137 at the Mandalay Bay Events Center for their three-round slugfest in the main event. Diaz and Penn each got bonus checks for $75,000 for their performances in the fight, which Diaz dominated in the standup game for a unanimous decision win - and prompting Penn to announce his retirement. Also picking up bonus checks for their performances were Donald Cerrone for Submission of the Night and Bart Palaszewski for Knockout of the Night. Cerrone's submission was the only one on the 11-fight card. Penn was the clear fan favorite early in the fight, but as Diaz continued to pepper him with shots to the face, the crowd seemed to turn in favor of Diaz - or at least in favor of hoping to see an exciting finish after seeing seven decisions leading up to the main event. Though Diaz couldn't finish the two-time UFC champ, he left his face battered and bloodied. After the fight, Penn said the fight would be his last. "It's probably the last time you're ever going to see me in here," Penn told Joe Rogan. "That's it. I've got another daughter on the way - I don't want to go home looking like this." Diaz, who was supposed to face Georges St-Pierre for the welterweight title on the card until he was removed from the fight for missing two press conferences, now is back in line to likely face the winner of St-Pierre vs. Carlos Condit. That fight won't take place until St-Pierre recovers from a knee injury suffered in training earlier this month. Cerrone continued his blitz up the UFC's lightweight ladder, submitting Dennis Siver with a first-round rear naked choke. That win gave Cerrone six straight and four straight in the UFC - all in 2011 after moving over from the WEC. Siver's four-fight winning streak was snapped with the loss. Palazewski was the card's biggest underdog winner. Fighting in the UFC for the first time, and back in action for the first time in 10 months, Palaszewski stunned Tyson Griffin with a hook, then battered him with lefts and rights until one big right put Griffin on the canvas. After the fight, Palaszewski, a former WEC and IFL standout, said he believes he broke both of his hands landing the shots that ended the fight. Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

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Filed under: UFCNick Diaz has made his triumphant return to the UFC. And B.J. Penn may have fought for the last time. Diaz, the former Strikeforce welterweight champion who hadn't fought in the UFC since 2006, battered Penn for 15 minutes on Saturday night at UFC 137, winning a unanimous decision. The judges scored it 29-28, 29-28 and 29-27 for Diaz. It was a great showing by Diaz, whose high-volume punching turned Penn's face into a bruised, bloody mess. Penn also marked up Diaz's face, but Diaz seemed to shake off all of Penn's punches, while Penn looked worn down by Diaz's punches. It was the 11th straight victory for Diaz, who is now expected to be the No. 1 contender in the UFC welterweight division. Diaz called out UFC welterweight champion Georges St. Pierre after the fight, accusing St. Pierre of being scared to fight him. A Diaz-St. Pierre fight would be a huge one, which the UFC knows -- it originally booked St. Pierre vs. Diaz before Diaz's refusal to show up for press conferences promoting the fight got that bout scrapped. It seems just a matter of time before St. Pierre and Diaz settle it inside the Octagon. But the shocking news came after the fight, when Penn said he doesn't want to fight anymore. "This is probably the last time you're going to see me here," Penn said. "I've got a daughter, another daughter on the way. I don't want to go home looking like this. I'm done." Whether Penn is really done we likely won't know for a long time: Plenty of fighters have announced their retirement only to change their minds later. But Penn has seemed recently like his heart wasn't really in MMA anymore. Diaz may have taken away Penn's will to keep fighting. And now Diaz will set his sights on St. Pierre. Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

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Filed under: UFCLAS VEGAS -- This is the UFC 137 live blog for B.J. Penn vs. Nick Diaz, a welterweight bout and is the main event of tonight's UFC pay-per-view card from the Mandalay Bay Events Center. Penn (16-7-2), a former UFC lightweight and welterweight champion, in February fought Jon Fitch to a majority draw at UFC 127. Diaz (25-7) is returning to the UFC and riding a 10-fight win streak. He vacated the Strikeforce belt for a title opportunity with the UFC, but was later removed from a fight against Georges St-Pierre for missing press conferences. The live blog is below. More Coverage: UFC 137 Results | Latest UFC 137 News Round 1: Round 2: Round 3: %VIRTUAL-Gallery-137903% Follow Us on Twitter Friend Us on Facebook Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

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It’s been a couple of weeks but the octagon is back on television. Kicking off a string of four straight events, from the fight capital of the world in Las Vegas, it’s UFC 137: Penn vs. Diaz. As always Five Ounces of Pain will provide complete results including a round by round recap of all the live televised action. The action kicks off at 6:15PM EST with the preliminary fights on Facebook. Then at 8PM EST there are two more prelim fights on SpikeTV. Finally, the main card goes live at 9PM EST on PPV. UFC 137 is headlined by a welterweight showdown between former two division UFC champion BJ Penn scrapping against former Strikeforce welterweight champion Nick Diaz. The co-main event features heavyweight KO artists Cheick Kongo battling Matt Mitrione. Also on the card is another heavyweight showdown between MMA legend Mirko Filipovic and Roy Nelson along with the UFC debut of top featherweight Hatsu Hioki against George Roop. PRELIMINARY CARD (FACEBOOK) Francis Carmont vs. Chris Camozzi Dustin Jacoby vs. Clifford Starks Brandon Vera vs. Eliot Marshall Daniel Downes vs. Ramsey Nijem PRELIMINARY CARD (SPIKETV) Dennis Siver vs. Donald Cerrone Bart Paleszewski vs. Tyson Griffin MAIN CARD Hatsu Hioki vs. George Roop Scott Jorgensen vs. Jeff Curran Roy Nelson vs. Mirko Cro Cop Cheick Kongo vs. Matt Mitrione BJ Penn vs. Nick Diaz

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For all its technique, all its nuances and details, fighting is about as simple as it gets. In the now immortal words of UFC co-owner Lorenzo Fertitta: WAR! That's what fight fans can expect tonight (Sat., Oct. 29, 2011) when two bad boys, B.J. Penn and Nick Diaz, meet in the center of the Octagon to do battle against one another in the main event of UFC 137 in Las Vegas, Nevada. It's been a rocky road to get to the Mandalay Bay Events Center. Penn was originally scheduled to square off against Carlos Condit while Diaz had a date with welterweight champion Georges St. Pierre. Thanks to a few press conference no-shows and a late knee injury, all that remained was "The Prodigy" and the Stockton slugger. Truth be told, they represented the best match-up anyway. Friends or not, they were destined to lock horns inside a cage. Penn was driven out of the lightweight division by Frankie Edgar, who dealt him consecutive losses at UFC 112 and UFC 118, respectively. He made his return to 170-pounds a memorable one by knocking out an old enemy in Matt Hughes in just 23 seconds. A uneven performance against Jon Fitch earlier this year raised a few more doubts as to whether or not he can still be a force in MMA. After all, if he can't do it at welterweight, there really isn't anywhere left for him to go, at least not as long as Edgar is ruling the roost at 155-pounds. Diaz, meanwhile, has seen nothing but success since leaving the UFC back in 2006. He's won 11 of 13 fights, with his lone loss coming by way of cut. The other bout was a spectacular gogoplata submission win over Takanori Gomi that was later overturned due to a failed drug test. The California native tore through DREAM, EliteXC and Strikeforce on his way back to the world's largest fight promotion. 10 wins in a row is difficult under any circumstances, perceived lack of competition or not. And while he's not getting the shot against St. Pierre that he wanted, this match-up against Penn is just as dangerous if not even more so. That's because, as Diaz himself admits, Penn comes from the same school he does. These two came up the hard way, fighting anyone and everyone with reckless abandon. There's no lay-n-pray round these parts, folks. Diaz and Penn are laid back outside the cage but quickly turn into animals just as soon as the prospect of fighting inside it becomes evident. Look no further than the altercation between the two at the weigh-ins just yesterday (Oct. 28). It's time, folks. Time for WAR!

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In an intriguing UFC vs. Strikeforce battle, former UFC Welterweight and Lightweight champion B.J. Penn (16-7-2; 12-6-2 UFC) faces former Strikeforce Welterweight champion Nick Diaz (25-7, 1 NC; 6-4 UFC) at UFC 137: Penn vs. Diaz. This Welterweight fight is the main event of the PPV. Penn is currently ranked #7 in the Welterweight USA Today/BE Consensus Rankings, with Diaz a few spots above him at #4. The PPV begins at 9 p.m. ET / 6 p.m. PT. It's been a wild ride to the UFC 137 main event. After Georges St. Pierre vs. Jake Shields at UFC 129 drew some negative reactions, the UFC opted for a GSP vs. Nick Diaz champion vs. champion fight, hoping the unpredictable Diaz would create some fireworks. Trouble is, he proved to be a bit too unpredictable, and after missing press conferences, he was sacked from the card with Carlos Condit taking his place. Of course, that left Condit's former opponent B.J. Penn alone, so he was given... Nick Diaz. When St. Pierre went down to injury, this former semi-main event was bumped up to the main event slot, putting Diaz back in the main, and leaving poor Condit off the card entirely. How do these two stack up? Penn: 32 years old | 5'9" | 70" reachDiaz: 28 years old | 6'1" | 74" reach What have these two done recently? Penn: D - Jon Fitch (Majority Draw) | W - Matt Hughes (KO)  | L - Frankie Edgar (UD)Diaz: W - Paul Daley (TKO) | W - Evangelista Santos (Sub) | W - K.J. Noons (UD) How did these two get here? After an inconsistent return to the UFC in 2006, B.J. Penn looked to bring all his skills together and realize his great potential with a dominant Lightweight title run in 2008-2009. But a pair of losses to Frankie Edgar left Penn, and some analysts, questioning his spot in the sport. He decided to abandon Lightweight and head back up to Welterweight, knocking out Matt Hughes, and battling Jon Fitch to a draw. Penn is often held up as a great Welterweight, but that is almost solely based on his 2004 title win over Hughes. That was indeed impressive, but it was also nearly 8 years ago. His UFC record at Welterweight stands at just 2-3-1, though every one of those fights has come against a world class Welterweight. Could he be moving into position for Georges St. Pierre vs. B.J. Penn III? Nick Diaz left the UFC in 2006, and has gone on an incredible 11-1 run since. That run includes winning the Strikeforce title, which he vacated in order to move to the UFC. The Cesar Gracie black belt has a great jiu jitsu game, though he is much more known for his unique high-volume punching style these days. His combination of unique style, exciting fights, and huge personality has made him a massive cult favorite amongst hardcore fans, though it's not yet known how much of a draw he is to the casual fanbase. Despite his impressive run in recent years, many still have questions about where he stands in the division, as he has not faced many ranked fighters during this time. Diaz has a lot to prove in this fight. Why should you care? It won't have the title drama of St. Pierre vs. Diaz, but it's still a great fight. Diaz almost never has a boring outing, and Penn tends to bring the excitement as well. This will also be a fascinating stylistic battle, with both men comfortable on the ground and on the feet. Add in the future title fight implications and the notoriously wild Diaz and you have a fight to watch. More UFC 137 preview coverage from Bloody Elbow after the jump. UFC 137 Weigh In Video: BJ Penn and Nick Diaz Almost Come To Blows - Matthew Roth UFC 137: Mirko Cro Cop vs. Roy Nelson Dissection - Dallas Winston UFC 137 Penn vs Diaz: Staff Predictions UFC 137 Weigh-In Video and Results - Tim Burke UFC 137: Cheick Kongo vs. Matt Mitrione Dissection - Dallas Winston UFC 137: Scott Jorgensen vs. Jeff Curran Dissection - Dallas Winston Judo Chop: B.J. Penn's Back Control - Ben Thapa UFC 137: The Sober Reality of Nick Diaz's Continued Presence in MMA - Leland Roling UFC 137: Dana White Video Blog, Part 2 - Matthew Roth Judo Chop: Nick Diaz's Ground Game - Ben Thapa UFC 137: George Roop vs. Hatsu Hioki Dissection - Dallas Winston UFC 137 Striking Breakdown: Mirko Cro Cop Filipovic - Fraser Coffeen UFC 137 Press Conference Recap: Jon Anik to Broadcast Booth, UFC on Fox Undercard on Facebook and Fox.com - Brent Brookhouse UFC 137 Video: B.J. Penn Challenges Cesar Gracie, Admits to Being 'Hookwinked' By Him - Tim Burke UFC 137: Roy Nelson 'I'd Have to Cut Off A Leg To Make 205' - Matthew Roth Bad Boy Presents Bloody Elbow Radio - Episode 92: UFC 137 Preview - Matt Bishop UFC 137 Video: Nick Diaz Goes In-Depth About Press Conference Fiasco, Not Loving Fighting - Tim Burke UFC 137: The Card That Could Have Been and the PPV Repercussions - Matthew Roth UFC 137 Video: B.J. Penn Talks Fighting Nick Diaz and Future Title Shots - Brent Brookhouse UFC 137: B.J. Penn Explains Lack of Hype for Nick Diaz Fight - Brent Brookhouse UFC 137: Nick Diaz Wishes He'd Stuck to Boxing Plans - Brent Brookhouse UFC 137: George Roop Discusses Bout With Hatsu Hioki, Death of Shawn Tompkins - Tim Burke UFC 137 Video: Danny Downes Fighter Diary In Preparation for Ramsey Nijem - Anton Tabuena UFC 137: Tyson Griffin vs. Bart Palaszewski Dissection - Dallas Winston UFC 137: Penn vs. Diaz Betting Lines - Tim Burke UFC 137: Penn vs. Diaz Countdown Video - Tim Burke UFC 137: Dennis Siver vs. Donald Cerrone Dissection - Dallas Winston UFC 137: Matt Mitrione's Rapid Rise the Exception, Not the Rule - Leland Roling UFC 137 Roundtable: Analyzing Nick Diaz's Chances Against B.J. Penn UFC 137: Nick Diaz Discusses Looking Up to B.J. Penn, Gameplanning - Tim Burke UFC 137: Breaking Down the Striking of Matt Mitrione - Fraser Coffeen UFC 137: B.J. Penn Not Offended By Nick Diaz At All - Tim Burke UFC 137: Penn vs. Diaz - Best Bets for Fight of the Night - Brent Brookhouse UFC 137: Donald Cerrone's Unlikely Run May Land Him in Title Contention - Leland Roling UFC 137: Facebook Card Dissection - Dallas Winston UFC 137: Dana White Video Blog, Part 1 - Tim Burke UFC 137: Cesar Gracie - If Nick Diaz Finishes B.J. Penn, He Should Get GSP Next - Tim Burke

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In a Heavyweight showdown, Matt Mitrione (5-0; 5-0 UFC) meets Cheick Kongo (16-6-2; 9-4-1 UFC) at UFC 137: Penn vs. Diaz. This is the co-main event of the evening. The USA Today/BE Consensus Rankings currently has Kongo ranked at #13 in the Heavyweight division and Mitrione at #18. The PPV begins at 9 p.m. ET / 6 p.m. PT. This is the kind of fight Kongo has been in before. He's the gatekeeper to the upper ranks of the UFC Heavyweight division, while Mitrione looks to get past him. Fighters who beat Kongo have moved into the title picture, such as Frank Mir and Cain Velasquez. But those who lose (Paul Buentello, Pat Barry) see their runs to the top halted, possibly permanently. This is a big test for Mitrione, and one he needs to pass to keep his fast rise moving. How do these two stack up? Mitrione: 33 years old | 6'3" | 82" reachKongo: 36 years old | 6'4" | 82" reach What have these two done recently? Mitrione: W - Christian Morecraft (KO)  | W - Tim Hague (TKO) | W - Joey Beltran (UD)Kongo: W - Pat Barry (KO) | D - Travis Browne (Draw) | W - Paul Buentello (TKO) How did these two get here? Matt Mitrione is an unlikely Ultimate Fighter success story. During season 10, he didn't show much beyond a personality that rubbed many the wrong way. But since the show, he has gone undefeated, taking out an increasingly difficult level of opponent. He's in the rare position of having fought every professional fight in the UFC, and for him to have a perfect 5-0 record in that situation is impressive. Still, Kongo is his toughest opponent to date by far. A win here will put Mitrione into a major fight next time out. Cheick Kongo has been just outside the very top of the division for almost the entirety of his 5 year UFC run. He's long settled into his spot as the gatekeeper to the top. Kongo brings in a strong kickboxing background, but also has added good ground skills to round out his game. Against strikers, Kongo is happy to drag the fight to the ground and make his opponent uncomfortable. He's also coming off a spectacular KO victory over Mitrione's good friend Pat Barry - a fight that is sure to play heavily on both men's minds leading into this encounter. Why should you care? This is the moment to find out if Mitrione is for real. Is he a future title challenger, or has he reached the limit of his skills? I honestly don't know the answer, but this fight will go a long way towards figuring it out. More UFC 137 preview coverage from Bloody Elbow after the jump. UFC 137 Weigh In Video: BJ Penn and Nick Diaz Almost Come To Blows - Matthew Roth UFC 137: Mirko Cro Cop vs. Roy Nelson Dissection - Dallas Winston UFC 137 Penn vs Diaz: Staff Predictions UFC 137 Weigh-In Video and Results - Tim Burke UFC 137: Cheick Kongo vs. Matt Mitrione Dissection - Dallas Winston UFC 137: Scott Jorgensen vs. Jeff Curran Dissection - Dallas Winston Judo Chop: B.J. Penn's Back Control - Ben Thapa UFC 137: The Sober Reality of Nick Diaz's Continued Presence in MMA - Leland Roling UFC 137: Dana White Video Blog, Part 2 - Matthew Roth Judo Chop: Nick Diaz's Ground Game - Ben Thapa UFC 137: George Roop vs. Hatsu Hioki Dissection - Dallas Winston UFC 137 Striking Breakdown: Mirko Cro Cop Filipovic - Fraser Coffeen UFC 137 Press Conference Recap: Jon Anik to Broadcast Booth, UFC on Fox Undercard on Facebook and Fox.com - Brent Brookhouse UFC 137 Video: B.J. Penn Challenges Cesar Gracie, Admits to Being 'Hookwinked' By Him - Tim Burke UFC 137: Roy Nelson 'I'd Have to Cut Off A Leg To Make 205' - Matthew Roth Bad Boy Presents Bloody Elbow Radio - Episode 92: UFC 137 Preview - Matt Bishop UFC 137 Video: Nick Diaz Goes In-Depth About Press Conference Fiasco, Not Loving Fighting - Tim Burke UFC 137: The Card That Could Have Been and the PPV Repercussions - Matthew Roth UFC 137 Video: B.J. Penn Talks Fighting Nick Diaz and Future Title Shots - Brent Brookhouse UFC 137: B.J. Penn Explains Lack of Hype for Nick Diaz Fight - Brent Brookhouse UFC 137: Nick Diaz Wishes He'd Stuck to Boxing Plans - Brent Brookhouse UFC 137: George Roop Discusses Bout With Hatsu Hioki, Death of Shawn Tompkins - Tim Burke UFC 137 Video: Danny Downes Fighter Diary In Preparation for Ramsey Nijem - Anton Tabuena UFC 137: Tyson Griffin vs. Bart Palaszewski Dissection - Dallas Winston UFC 137: Penn vs. Diaz Betting Lines - Tim Burke UFC 137: Penn vs. Diaz Countdown Video - Tim Burke UFC 137: Dennis Siver vs. Donald Cerrone Dissection - Dallas Winston UFC 137: Matt Mitrione's Rapid Rise the Exception, Not the Rule - Leland Roling UFC 137 Roundtable: Analyzing Nick Diaz's Chances Against B.J. Penn UFC 137: Nick Diaz Discusses Looking Up to B.J. Penn, Gameplanning - Tim Burke UFC 137: Breaking Down the Striking of Matt Mitrione - Fraser Coffeen UFC 137: B.J. Penn Not Offended By Nick Diaz At All - Tim Burke UFC 137: Penn vs. Diaz - Best Bets for Fight of the Night - Brent Brookhouse UFC 137: Donald Cerrone's Unlikely Run May Land Him in Title Contention - Leland Roling UFC 137: Facebook Card Dissection - Dallas Winston UFC 137: Dana White Video Blog, Part 1 - Tim Burke UFC 137: Cesar Gracie - If Nick Diaz Finishes B.J. Penn, He Should Get GSP Next - Tim Burke

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In the first of two big main card Heavyweight fights, Roy Nelson (15-6; 2-2 UFC) meets Mirko Filipovic (27-9-2, 1 NC; 4-5 UFC) at UFC 137: Penn vs. Diaz. This is the third fight on the PPV portion of the show. Roy Nelson is currently ranked #15 in the Heavyweight USA Today/BE Consensus Rankings, and Cro Cop is ranked #25. The PPV begins at 9 p.m. ET / 6 p.m. PT. This is a battle between two Heavyweights with real knockout power. CroCop's ability to knock his opponents out is the stuff of legend, though it's been quite some time since we have seen his full destructive power. Nelson started as a grappler, but in his UFC run has become more of a one punch KO fighter who looks to connect a right hand to end the fight. Nelson has options here, but this may be decided by who can land that KO shot first. How do these two stack up? Nelson: 35 years old | 6'0" | 73" reachCro Cop: 37 years old | 6'2" | 73" reach What have these two done recently? Nelson: L - Frank Mir (UD) | L - Junior dos Santos (UD)  | W - Stefan Struve (KO)Cro Cop: L - Brendan Schaub (KO) | L - Frank Mir (KO) | W - Pat Barry (Sub) How did these two get here? Mirko CroCop was, at one time, one of the most feared men in the sport. His highlight reel is non-stop brutality. But his near 5 year run in the UFC has been a disappointment for fans of the K-1 and Pride veteran. He's just 4-5 in the UFC, with those losses looking increasingly brutal. He comes into this fight off back to back nasty KO losses. It's tempting to say that with a loss here he is done, but I feel like we've been saying that pretty much since the moment Gonzaga head kicked him back at UFC 70. And yet here we are, 70 UFC's later and it's CroCop still fighting on the main card while Gonzaga has left the company. But truly, how many more fighters moving up the ranks can make their name off of a CroCop KO? Roy Nelson is the season 10 winner of The Ultimate Fighter, although he came into the show with significantly more experience than most fighters in recent seasons. He started his UFC career with two good KO wins, but then ran into a brick wall against Junior dos Santos. Nelson showed a lot of heart and a powerful chin there, despite the loss. He comes in here off another loss, this time to Frank Mir. Nelson has built a fanbase partly around his girth, but is he really in the shape that will give him the best success as a fighter? He desperately needs a win here to prove he is a relevant contender, not a sideshow. Why should you care? It's either a miraculous Cro Cop win, or Nelson reestablishing himself as an upper level name, likely via big KO. The first option would be incredible, the second depressing for many fans, but both merit viewing. More UFC 137 preview coverage from Bloody Elbow after the jump. UFC 137 Weigh In Video: BJ Penn and Nick Diaz Almost Come To Blows - Matthew Roth UFC 137: Mirko Cro Cop vs. Roy Nelson Dissection - Dallas Winston UFC 137 Penn vs Diaz: Staff Predictions UFC 137 Weigh-In Video and Results - Tim Burke UFC 137: Cheick Kongo vs. Matt Mitrione Dissection - Dallas Winston UFC 137: Scott Jorgensen vs. Jeff Curran Dissection - Dallas Winston Judo Chop: B.J. Penn's Back Control - Ben Thapa UFC 137: The Sober Reality of Nick Diaz's Continued Presence in MMA - Leland Roling UFC 137: Dana White Video Blog, Part 2 - Matthew Roth Judo Chop: Nick Diaz's Ground Game - Ben Thapa UFC 137: George Roop vs. Hatsu Hioki Dissection - Dallas Winston UFC 137 Striking Breakdown: Mirko Cro Cop Filipovic - Fraser Coffeen UFC 137 Press Conference Recap: Jon Anik to Broadcast Booth, UFC on Fox Undercard on Facebook and Fox.com - Brent Brookhouse UFC 137 Video: B.J. Penn Challenges Cesar Gracie, Admits to Being 'Hookwinked' By Him - Tim Burke UFC 137: Roy Nelson 'I'd Have to Cut Off A Leg To Make 205' - Matthew Roth Bad Boy Presents Bloody Elbow Radio - Episode 92: UFC 137 Preview - Matt Bishop UFC 137 Video: Nick Diaz Goes In-Depth About Press Conference Fiasco, Not Loving Fighting - Tim Burke UFC 137: The Card That Could Have Been and the PPV Repercussions - Matthew Roth UFC 137 Video: B.J. Penn Talks Fighting Nick Diaz and Future Title Shots - Brent Brookhouse UFC 137: B.J. Penn Explains Lack of Hype for Nick Diaz Fight - Brent Brookhouse UFC 137: Nick Diaz Wishes He'd Stuck to Boxing Plans - Brent Brookhouse UFC 137: George Roop Discusses Bout With Hatsu Hioki, Death of Shawn Tompkins - Tim Burke UFC 137 Video: Danny Downes Fighter Diary In Preparation for Ramsey Nijem - Anton Tabuena UFC 137: Tyson Griffin vs. Bart Palaszewski Dissection - Dallas Winston UFC 137: Penn vs. Diaz Betting Lines - Tim Burke UFC 137: Penn vs. Diaz Countdown Video - Tim Burke UFC 137: Dennis Siver vs. Donald Cerrone Dissection - Dallas Winston UFC 137: Matt Mitrione's Rapid Rise the Exception, Not the Rule - Leland Roling UFC 137 Roundtable: Analyzing Nick Diaz's Chances Against B.J. Penn UFC 137: Nick Diaz Discusses Looking Up to B.J. Penn, Gameplanning - Tim Burke UFC 137: Breaking Down the Striking of Matt Mitrione - Fraser Coffeen UFC 137: B.J. Penn Not Offended By Nick Diaz At All - Tim Burke UFC 137: Penn vs. Diaz - Best Bets for Fight of the Night - Brent Brookhouse UFC 137: Donald Cerrone's Unlikely Run May Land Him in Title Contention - Leland Roling UFC 137: Facebook Card Dissection - Dallas Winston UFC 137: Dana White Video Blog, Part 1 - Tim Burke UFC 137: Cesar Gracie - If Nick Diaz Finishes B.J. Penn, He Should Get GSP Next - Tim Burke

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In a Bantamweight fight, Scott Jorgensen (12-4; 1-0 UFC) faces Jeff Curran (33-13-1; 0-1 UFC) at UFC 137: Penn vs. Diaz. This is the second bout of the PPV portion of the show. Jorgensen is currently ranked #6 at Bantamweight in the USA Today/BE Consensus Rankings, while Curran is unranked. The PPV begins at 9 p.m. ET / 6 p.m. PT. The Bantamweight division is in a bit of a corner right now. Dominick Cruz is dangerously close to having cleaned out the division, and the UFC has not yet built any new challengers for him. This fight has earned a main card slot partly by default after the St. Pierre vs. Condit cancellation, but it is a real opportunity for both men and the division. A big, exciting fight will add some esteem to the 135 pounders, and possibly propel the winner into quick title contention. How do these two stack up? Jorgensen: 29 years old | 5'4" | 66" reachCurran: 34 years old | 5'6" | 69" reach What have these two done recently? Jorgensen: W - Ken Stone (KO) | L - Dominick Cruz (UD) | W - Brad Pickett (UD)Curran: W - Billy Vaughn (UD) | W - David Love (UD) | L - Bryan Goldsby (UD) How did these two get here? Jorgensen has the distinction of being the last man to challenge for the WEC Bantamweight title before it was absorbed into the UFC. That fight was a typical Cruz victory, with the champion doing his thing and earning a decision over Jorgensen. Although he lost to Cruz, Jorgensen is still a highly regarded BW on a 6-1 run. Over the past two years, he's really found his groove and is performing excellently every time out. The former NCAA Division I wrestler holds wins over some top fighters in the division, but the fact that he is so recently removed from the Cruz loss makes a title shot for him a tough sell. Jeff "Big Frog" Curran is a near 14 year veteran of the sport, with roughly 50 pro fights to his name. The popular Midwest fighter has competed all over. UFC, Strikeforce, Pride, Bellator, WEC, IFL... all have played home to Curran at one time. His highest profile run came in the WEC in 2007-2009 when he challenged Urijah Faber for the Featherweight title. He dropped down to Bantamweight and dropped 4 in a row before leaving the WEC, and has gone 4-1 since. Curran is the kind of veteran that always poses a challenge, but at 34 years old and 14 years into his career, this run may be coming too late. A win over Jorgensen would be huge for him and would be his biggest win since at least 2006. Why should you care? Even if you don't know either man well, the Bantamweights always deliver. This is a definite front-runner for Fight of the Night, and a welcome chance to see the Bantamweights on the main card. More UFC 137 preview coverage from Bloody Elbow after the jump. UFC 137 Weigh In Video: BJ Penn and Nick Diaz Almost Come To Blows - Matthew Roth UFC 137: Mirko Cro Cop vs. Roy Nelson Dissection - Dallas Winston UFC 137 Penn vs Diaz: Staff Predictions UFC 137 Weigh-In Video and Results - Tim Burke UFC 137: Cheick Kongo vs. Matt Mitrione Dissection - Dallas Winston UFC 137: Scott Jorgensen vs. Jeff Curran Dissection - Dallas Winston Judo Chop: B.J. Penn's Back Control - Ben Thapa UFC 137: The Sober Reality of Nick Diaz's Continued Presence in MMA - Leland Roling UFC 137: Dana White Video Blog, Part 2 - Matthew Roth Judo Chop: Nick Diaz's Ground Game - Ben Thapa UFC 137: George Roop vs. Hatsu Hioki Dissection - Dallas Winston UFC 137 Striking Breakdown: Mirko Cro Cop Filipovic - Fraser Coffeen UFC 137 Press Conference Recap: Jon Anik to Broadcast Booth, UFC on Fox Undercard on Facebook and Fox.com - Brent Brookhouse UFC 137 Video: B.J. Penn Challenges Cesar Gracie, Admits to Being 'Hookwinked' By Him - Tim Burke UFC 137: Roy Nelson 'I'd Have to Cut Off A Leg To Make 205' - Matthew Roth Bad Boy Presents Bloody Elbow Radio - Episode 92: UFC 137 Preview - Matt Bishop UFC 137 Video: Nick Diaz Goes In-Depth About Press Conference Fiasco, Not Loving Fighting - Tim Burke UFC 137: The Card That Could Have Been and the PPV Repercussions - Matthew Roth UFC 137 Video: B.J. Penn Talks Fighting Nick Diaz and Future Title Shots - Brent Brookhouse UFC 137: B.J. Penn Explains Lack of Hype for Nick Diaz Fight - Brent Brookhouse UFC 137: Nick Diaz Wishes He'd Stuck to Boxing Plans - Brent Brookhouse UFC 137: George Roop Discusses Bout With Hatsu Hioki, Death of Shawn Tompkins - Tim Burke UFC 137 Video: Danny Downes Fighter Diary In Preparation for Ramsey Nijem - Anton Tabuena UFC 137: Tyson Griffin vs. Bart Palaszewski Dissection - Dallas Winston UFC 137: Penn vs. Diaz Betting Lines - Tim Burke UFC 137: Penn vs. Diaz Countdown Video - Tim Burke UFC 137: Dennis Siver vs. Donald Cerrone Dissection - Dallas Winston UFC 137: Matt Mitrione's Rapid Rise the Exception, Not the Rule - Leland Roling UFC 137 Roundtable: Analyzing Nick Diaz's Chances Against B.J. Penn UFC 137: Nick Diaz Discusses Looking Up to B.J. Penn, Gameplanning - Tim Burke UFC 137: Breaking Down the Striking of Matt Mitrione - Fraser Coffeen UFC 137: B.J. Penn Not Offended By Nick Diaz At All - Tim Burke UFC 137: Penn vs. Diaz - Best Bets for Fight of the Night - Brent Brookhouse UFC 137: Donald Cerrone's Unlikely Run May Land Him in Title Contention - Leland Roling UFC 137: Facebook Card Dissection - Dallas Winston UFC 137: Dana White Video Blog, Part 1 - Tim Burke UFC 137: Cesar Gracie - If Nick Diaz Finishes B.J. Penn, He Should Get GSP Next - Tim Burke

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In a fight with major ranking implications, Hatsu Hioki (24-4-2; UFC Debut) faces George Roop (12-7-1; 2-3 UFC) at UFC 137: Penn vs. Diaz. This Featherweight contest is the opening bout of the PPV portion of the show. Hioki is currently the world's #2 Featherweight according to the USA Today/BE Consensus Rankings, while Roop is unranked. The PPV begins at 9 p.m. ET / 6 p.m. PT. Dana White's mantra on the UFC has always been that he brings the best fighters in the world together. That has quite happened yet in the fledgling Featherweight and Bantamweight divisions, but the arrival of Hatsu Hioki is a positive step, on paper at least. The big question here will be - is Hioki for real, or is he another Japanese ace doomed to failure in the US? We've seen men like Shinya Aoki and Marlon Sandro come over with big hype, only to lose. Hioki is, rightly, being touted as perhaps the best of the bunch. If he loses here, it's more fuel on the "Japan is overrated" fire. How do these two stack up? Hioki: 28 years old | 5'11"Roop: 29 years old | 6'1" What have these two done recently? Hioki: W - Donald Sanchez (Sub) | W - Marlon Sandro (UD)  | W - Jeff Lawson (Sub)Roop: W - Josh Grispi (KO) | L - Mark Hominick (TKO) | W - Chan Sung Jung (KO) How did these two get here? As I said, Hatsu Hioki comes in incredibly hyped. The former Sengoku World Victory Road Featherweight champion is ranked #2 in the world at 145, behind only Jose Aldo. He's only lost once in his last 14 fights, and that loss was a very controversial decision against Michihiro Omigawa. He holds wins over Marlon Sandro, Jeff Curran, and former #1 contender Mark Hominick. That Sandro win was particularly impressive, as Hioki became the first man to definitively defeat the tough Brazilian. Some are already penciling in a Hioki vs. Aldo showdown, and that road starts here. George Roop is ready to be the spoiler. The former Ultimate Fighter contender went 1-2 as a Lightweight in the UFC before moving down to Featherweight and the WEC. There, he scored a career highlight KO over The Korean Zombie Chan Sung Jung before coming back to the UFC after the closing of the WEC. He's 1-1 since, and coming off of a solid win over Josh Grispi. He definitely has his work cut out for him here, but if he wins, it will be a huge feather in his cap. Why should you care? Sorry Roop, but this one is all about Hioki. Is he legit, or will Japan fall again? Time to find out. More UFC 137 preview coverage from Bloody Elbow after the jump. UFC 137 Weigh In Video: BJ Penn and Nick Diaz Almost Come To Blows - Matthew Roth UFC 137: Mirko Cro Cop vs. Roy Nelson Dissection - Dallas Winston UFC 137 Penn vs Diaz: Staff Predictions UFC 137 Weigh-In Video and Results - Tim Burke UFC 137: Cheick Kongo vs. Matt Mitrione Dissection - Dallas Winston UFC 137: Scott Jorgensen vs. Jeff Curran Dissection - Dallas Winston Judo Chop: B.J. Penn's Back Control - Ben Thapa UFC 137: The Sober Reality of Nick Diaz's Continued Presence in MMA - Leland Roling UFC 137: Dana White Video Blog, Part 2 - Matthew Roth Judo Chop: Nick Diaz's Ground Game - Ben Thapa UFC 137: George Roop vs. Hatsu Hioki Dissection - Dallas Winston UFC 137 Striking Breakdown: Mirko Cro Cop Filipovic - Fraser Coffeen UFC 137 Press Conference Recap: Jon Anik to Broadcast Booth, UFC on Fox Undercard on Facebook and Fox.com - Brent Brookhouse UFC 137 Video: B.J. Penn Challenges Cesar Gracie, Admits to Being 'Hookwinked' By Him - Tim Burke UFC 137: Roy Nelson 'I'd Have to Cut Off A Leg To Make 205' - Matthew Roth Bad Boy Presents Bloody Elbow Radio - Episode 92: UFC 137 Preview - Matt Bishop UFC 137 Video: Nick Diaz Goes In-Depth About Press Conference Fiasco, Not Loving Fighting - Tim Burke UFC 137: The Card That Could Have Been and the PPV Repercussions - Matthew Roth UFC 137 Video: B.J. Penn Talks Fighting Nick Diaz and Future Title Shots - Brent Brookhouse UFC 137: B.J. Penn Explains Lack of Hype for Nick Diaz Fight - Brent Brookhouse UFC 137: Nick Diaz Wishes He'd Stuck to Boxing Plans - Brent Brookhouse UFC 137: George Roop Discusses Bout With Hatsu Hioki, Death of Shawn Tompkins - Tim Burke UFC 137 Video: Danny Downes Fighter Diary In Preparation for Ramsey Nijem - Anton Tabuena UFC 137: Tyson Griffin vs. Bart Palaszewski Dissection - Dallas Winston UFC 137: Penn vs. Diaz Betting Lines - Tim Burke UFC 137: Penn vs. Diaz Countdown Video - Tim Burke UFC 137: Dennis Siver vs. Donald Cerrone Dissection - Dallas Winston UFC 137: Matt Mitrione's Rapid Rise the Exception, Not the Rule - Leland Roling UFC 137 Roundtable: Analyzing Nick Diaz's Chances Against B.J. Penn UFC 137: Nick Diaz Discusses Looking Up to B.J. Penn, Gameplanning - Tim Burke UFC 137: Breaking Down the Striking of Matt Mitrione - Fraser Coffeen UFC 137: B.J. Penn Not Offended By Nick Diaz At All - Tim Burke UFC 137: Penn vs. Diaz - Best Bets for Fight of the Night - Brent Brookhouse UFC 137: Donald Cerrone's Unlikely Run May Land Him in Title Contention - Leland Roling UFC 137: Facebook Card Dissection - Dallas Winston UFC 137: Dana White Video Blog, Part 1 - Tim Burke UFC 137: Cesar Gracie - If Nick Diaz Finishes B.J. Penn, He Should Get GSP Next - Tim Burke

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Filed under: UFC, ResultsMMA Fighting has UFC 137 results for all of the Oct. 29 UFC 137 fights, plus live coverage from Las Vegas, live blogs of all the fights and live UFC 137 twitter updates. In the main event, B.J. Penn will face former Strikeforce champion Nick Diaz. Check out the full results below. Main card BJ Penn vs. Nick Diaz (live blog) Cheick Kongo vs. Matt Mitrione (live blog) Mirko Filipovic vs. Roy Nelson (live blog) Hatsu Hioki vs. George Roop (live blog) Scott Jorgensen vs. Jeff Curran (live blog) Preliminary card Dennis Siver vs. Donald Cerrone (live blog) Tyson Griffin vs. Bart Palaszewski (live blog) Brandon Vera vs. Eliot Marshall (live blog) Ramsey Nijem vs. Danny Downes (live blog) Francis Carmont def. Chris Camozzi via unanimous decision (live blog) Clifford Starks def. Dustin Jacoby via unanimous decision (live blog) %VIRTUAL-Gallery-137880% Follow Us on Twitter Friend Us on Facebook Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

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By Shaun McElreath UFC 137 on Saturday October 29th will be headlined by former UFC lightweight and welterweight champion BJ Penn. Standing across the cage will be former Strikeforce welterweight champion Nick Diaz. As compiled in this breakdown, Penn is able to end the fight on the feet or the ground and will be the [...]

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The Spike TV prelims show already has a solid featherweight bout to start with, and this lightweight bout just puts it over the top as one of the best prelims shows of 2011. Fireworks are sure to erupt on the feet when these two meet in the center of the cage. Donald Cerrone (16-3, 1 NC, 3-0 UFC) meets Dennis Siver (19-7, 8-4 UFC) in a lightweight bout at UFC 137. Cerrone is currently ranked at number 13 at lightweight on the USA Today/BE Consensus Rankings, while Silver is holding down the 10 spot. A win by other fighter would likely cement a top 10 ranking and leave the guy a couple of fights from a title shot. This lightweight UFC 137 fight will be on the televised portion of the preliminary card, and will air live on Spike TV. The Spike broadcast begins at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT. How do these two stack up? Cerrone: 28 years old | 6'0" | 73" reachSiver: 32 years old | 5'7" | 70" reach What have these two done recently? Cerrone: W - Charles Oliveira (TKO)  | W -  Vagner Rocha (UD) | L - Paul Kelly SUB)Siver: W - Matt Wiman (UD) | W - George Sotiropoulos (UD) | W - Andre Winner (SUB)  How did these two get here? Donald "Cowboy" Cerrone is a former kickboxer than made the transition to MMA in 2006. It was his ground game that got him noticed in MMA though, ratting off seven straight submission wins to earn a shot in the WEC. After a failed drug test caused a no contest in his first WEC bout, he picked up two wins (including one over Razor Rob McCullough that was one of the most exciting fights ever) to earn a lightweight title shot against Jamie Varner. The bout ended controversially in the 5th round when Varner landed an unintentional illegal knee and the bout went to the scorecards. He rebounded and was fighting for the title again 10 months later, this time against Ben Henderson. He lost a very close decision in what turned out to be the fight of the year for 2009. He later dropped another title fight to Henderson before picking up a win over Varner. Then it was off to the UFC, where he has rattled off three straight wins, including a knockout of the night performance against Charles Oliveira in his last bout at UFC on Versus 5. Dennis Siver is a Russian-born fighter who moved to Germany when he was 17. He is a former kickboxer as well, and switched over to MMA back in 2004. A 10-3 run in Europe earned Siver a shot on the UFC's first UK card, but he was quickly submitted by Jess Llaudin. Additional losses to Melvin Guillard and Gray Maynard sent him packing, but just one win outside the promotion was enough to get him back in and he's been excellent ever since, going 7-1 and picking up four bonuses in the process. His biggest win probably came over George Sotiropoulos at UFC 127. He'll inch closer to title shot contention with a win over Cerrone. Why should you care? This is going to be a barnburner. They have nine performance bonuses between them in the UFC and WEC. What's not to like? More UFC 137 preview coverage from Bloody Elbow after the jump. UFC 137 Weigh In Video: BJ Penn and Nick Diaz Almost Come To Blows - Matthew Roth UFC 137: Mirko Cro Cop vs. Roy Nelson Dissection - Dallas Winston UFC 137 Penn vs Diaz: Staff Predictions UFC 137 Weigh-In Video and Results - Tim Burke UFC 137: Cheick Kongo vs. Matt Mitrione Dissection - Dallas Winston UFC 137: Scott Jorgensen vs. Jeff Curran Dissection - Dallas Winston Judo Chop: B.J. Penn's Back Control - Ben Thapa UFC 137: The Sober Reality of Nick Diaz's Continued Presence in MMA - Leland Roling UFC 137: Dana White Video Blog, Part 2 - Matthew Roth Judo Chop: Nick Diaz's Ground Game - Ben Thapa UFC 137: George Roop vs. Hatsu Hioki Dissection - Dallas Winston UFC 137 Striking Breakdown: Mirko Cro Cop Filipovic - Fraser Coffeen UFC 137 Press Conference Recap: Jon Anik to Broadcast Booth, UFC on Fox Undercard on Facebook and Fox.com - Brent Brookhouse UFC 137 Video: B.J. Penn Challenges Cesar Gracie, Admits to Being 'Hookwinked' By Him - Tim Burke UFC 137: Roy Nelson 'I'd Have to Cut Off A Leg To Make 205' - Matthew Roth Bad Boy Presents Bloody Elbow Radio - Episode 92: UFC 137 Preview - Matt Bishop UFC 137 Video: Nick Diaz Goes In-Depth About Press Conference Fiasco, Not Loving Fighting - Tim Burke UFC 137: The Card That Could Have Been and the PPV Repercussions - Matthew Roth UFC 137 Video: B.J. Penn Talks Fighting Nick Diaz and Future Title Shots - Brent Brookhouse UFC 137: B.J. Penn Explains Lack of Hype for Nick Diaz Fight - Brent Brookhouse UFC 137: Nick Diaz Wishes He'd Stuck to Boxing Plans - Brent Brookhouse UFC 137: George Roop Discusses Bout With Hatsu Hioki, Death of Shawn Tompkins - Tim Burke UFC 137 Video: Danny Downes Fighter Diary In Preparation for Ramsey Nijem - Anton Tabuena UFC 137: Tyson Griffin vs. Bart Palaszewski Dissection - Dallas Winston UFC 137: Penn vs. Diaz Betting Lines - Tim Burke UFC 137: Penn vs. Diaz Countdown Video - Tim Burke UFC 137: Dennis Siver vs. Donald Cerrone Dissection - Dallas Winston UFC 137: Matt Mitrione's Rapid Rise the Exception, Not the Rule - Leland Roling UFC 137 Roundtable: Analyzing Nick Diaz's Chances Against B.J. Penn UFC 137: Nick Diaz Discusses Looking Up to B.J. Penn, Gameplanning - Tim Burke UFC 137: Breaking Down the Striking of Matt Mitrione - Fraser Coffeen UFC 137: B.J. Penn Not Offended By Nick Diaz At All - Tim Burke UFC 137: Penn vs. Diaz - Best Bets for Fight of the Night - Brent Brookhouse UFC 137: Donald Cerrone's Unlikely Run May Land Him in Title Contention - Leland Roling UFC 137: Facebook Card Dissection - Dallas Winston UFC 137: Dana White Video Blog, Part 1 - Tim Burke UFC 137: Cesar Gracie - If Nick Diaz Finishes B.J. Penn, He Should Get GSP Next - Tim Burke

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UFC 137 takes place later tonight at the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas, Nevada. The event airs live on pay-per-view at 9pm ET/6pm PT. The pay-per-view broadcast will be preceded by prelim specials on Facebook at 6pm ET/3pm PT and Spike TV at 8pm ET/5pm PT. In the main event, Nick Diaz returns to the UFC to take on BJ Penn. Matt Mitrione takes a step up in competition in a heavyweight bout against Cheick Kongo. Mirko Cro Cop and Roy Nelson potentially fight for their UFC careers. Hatsu Hioki makes his UFC debut against George Roop. Jeff Curran returns to the UFC to take on Scott Jorgensen. Results, recap and bonuses after the jump. Results BJ Penn vs. Nick Diaz Cheick Kongo vs. Matt Mitrione Mirko “Cro Cop” Filipovic vs. Roy Nelson Hatsu Hioki vs. George Roop Jeff Curran vs. Scott Jorgensen Donald Cerrone vs. Dennis Siver Tyson Griffin vs. Bart Palaszewski Eliot Marshall vs. Brandon Vera Danny Downes vs. Ramsey Nijem Chris Camozzi vs. Francis Carmont Dustin Jacoby vs. Clifford Starks Recap & Thoughts Tyson Griffin vs. Bart Palaszewski: Donald Cerrone vs. Dennis Siver: Jeff Curran vs. Scott Jorgensen: Hatsu Hioki vs. George Roop: Mirko “Cro Cop” Filipovic vs. Roy Nelson: Cheick Kongo vs. Matt Mitrione: BJ Penn vs. Nick Diaz: Bonuses $??? Submission of the Night: Knockout of the Night: Fight of the Night:

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For fans of mixed martial arts, this past week has been a slow crawl of steadily rising anticipation for tonight's "Penn vs. Diaz" event, going down at the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas, Nevada. UFC 137 will feature a re-re-worked main event pitting a pair of bad boys against each other as B.J. Penn squares off against Nick Diaz. The co-main event of the night is a heavyweight double feature with Matt Mitrione taking on Cheick Kongo while Mirko Filipovic says goodbye against Roy Nelson. It's been a flurry of non-stop news, analysis, quotes, predictions and previews for the past week and it's certainly understandable if you missed out on a few stories. But don't worry, Maniacs, we've got you covered.  In cased you missed any or all of it — or just want to keep the discussion alive — below are links to all the major storylines heading into tonight's broadcast. In we go: UFC 137: "Penn vs. Diaz" Fight card and line-up Results and live fight coverage UFC 137 predictions and previews: Predictions from the man himself, Nostradumbass Spike TV Prelims preview and predictions Facebook Prelims preview and predictions Fight preview: B.J. Penn vs. Nick Diaz Fight preview: Matt Mitrione vs. Cheick Kongo Fight preview: Mirko Filipovic vs. Roy Nelson Fight preview: George Roop vs. Hatsu Hioki Fight preview: Scott Jorgensen vs. Jeff Curran UFC 137 press conferences: Pre-fight press conference Press conference staredown pics Press conference video UFC 137 weigh-ins: Weigh-in results Weigh-in photos gallery Weigh-in staredown pics Weigh-in staredown videos Weigh-in video UFC 137 odds: B.J. Penn vs. Nick Diaz Matt Mitrione vs. Cheick Kongo Roy Nelson vs. Mirko Filipovic Scott Jorgensen vs. Jeff Curran Complete odds and betting guide UFC 137 news: Event poster How to watch the event online Conference call live blog Nick Diaz conference call audio highlights Open workouts photo gallery Anatomy of another cursed fight card Behind the numbers: Complete statistical breakdown of "Penn vs. Diaz" Behind the numbers: Complete statistical breakdown of "Mitrione vs. Kongo" Behind the numbers: Complete statistical breakdown of "Cro Cop vs. Nelson" Exclusive interview with Roy Nelson Exclusive interview with Brandon Vera Exclusive interview with Dustin Jacoby Exclusive interview with George Roop Exclusive interview with George Roop part deux Roy Nelson slims down for Mirko Cro Cop fight UFC 137 editorials: History in the Making: B.J. Penn becomes the undisputed lightweight king at UFC 84 History in the Making: B.J. Penn shocks the world by choking out Matt Hughes at UFC 46 History in the Making: Nick Diaz comes up short against Karo Parisyan at UFC 49 Nick Diaz will slap you if you ask him stupid questions B.J. Penn is a much more dangerous fighter than Georges St. Pierre If Nick Diaz finishes B.J. Penn, Cesar Gracie will ask for GSP next B.J. Penn is too old to talk smack, doesn't need to prove anything anymore Georges St. Pierre: If he uses all his skills, B.J. Penn will beat Nick Diaz Dana White sweetened the pot for a hoodwinked B.J. Penn Matt Mitrione -- from zero to hero Matt Mitrione feels like a baby in mixed martial arts Matt Mitrione is a very, very dangerous human being right now Mirko Cro Cop: A big part of me will die when I stop fighting Pride never die: Mirko Filipovic wants to prove that he's still Cro Cop Roy Nelson prepares for Mirko Cro Cops left head kick by training at the cemetary George Roop is going to get his respect with Shawn Tompkins as the angel on his shoulder Donald Cerrone plans to get in the cage and whoop Dennis Siver's ass UFC 137 videos: Dana White video blog episode one Dana White video blog episode two Countdown to UFC 137 Event trailer Main card preview Chael Sonnen predicts "Penn vs. Diaz" The pros pick "Penn vs. Diaz" "Diaz vs. Penn" breakdown from Cesar Gracie B.J. Penn road to Nick Diaz episode one B.J. Penn road to Nick Diaz episode two B.J. Penn is a real American, brother Dana White gives B.J. Penn title shots easier than everyone else Nick Diaz calls B.J. Penn his favorite fighter Nick Diaz: This could be my last fight Nick Diaz: I can't beat B.J. Penn unless I overcome my own personal faith in him Matt Mitrione willing to stand and bang with Cheick Kongo Cheick Kongo is not worried about Matt Mitrione's punching power That, my friends, should be enough to keep you talking -- at least for the time being. What has been the biggest story heading into this event? Nick Diaz's tomfoolery? B.J. Penn claiming the UFC is trying to force him to say things? Something else? Sound off, Maniacs.

Posted in: ufc, diaz, vs, penn, bj

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There is a glaring lack of contenders for Jose Aldo's UFC featherweight championship right now, something that many lightweights are keenly aware of. It's not surprising that former lightweight stalwarts are dropping to 145 to try and cash in, and two of them are facing off in the first fight on Spike TV. Tyson Griffin (15-5, 8-5 UFC) meets Bart Palaszewski (34-14, 0-0 UFC) in a featherweight bout at UFC 137. Griffin is currently ranked at number 9 at featherweight on the USA Today/BE Consensus Rankings, while Palaszewski is currently unranked. Griffin has just one UFC fight at featherweight, but his reputation as a lightweight and a lack of contenders at FW pushed him up the rankings quickly. Bartimus would definitely earn a ranking if he could knock off Griffin. This featherweight UFC 137 fight will be on the televised portion of the preliminary card, and will air live on Spike TV. The Spike broadcast begins at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT. How do these two stack up? Griffin: 27 years old | 5'6" | 68" reachPalaszewski: 28 years old | 5'9" | 70" reach What have these two done recently? Griffin: W - Manny Gamburyan (MD)  | L Nik Lentz (SD) | L - Takanori Gomi (KO)Palaszewski: L - Kamal Shalorus (SD) | W - Zach Micklewright (KO) | W - Karen Darabedyan (SUB)  How did these two get here? Tyson Griffin won seven straight fights to earn his way into the UFC in 2006 as a lightweight. Despite an early loss to current LW champ Frankie Edgar, Griffin made his way into the upper echelon of the 155 pound division with wins over the likes of Clay Guida and Gleison Tibau, before running into Sean Sherk and dropping a decision. Two more wins kept him near the top, but the wheels fell off for Griffin in 2010 with three straight losses. That forced a drop to featherweight, where he beat former title contender Manny Gamburyan in his 145 pound UFC debut (he fought at FW early in his career as well) at UFC on Versus 4. Griffin has won five fight of the night bonuses in his career. Bart "Bartimus" Palaszewski has been competing in MMA for almost 10 years now, and has fought all over the place. After a long run in the IFL he was brought into the WEC, where he went a respectable 4-3. His UFC debut was supposed to come back at UFC 130 but he was forced off the card with an injury. This will be the first featherweight fight of his career. Why should you care? This should be a fast-paced matchup between two well-rounded guys. There's almost no way it will be boring. More UFC 137 preview coverage from Bloody Elbow after the jump. UFC 137 Weigh In Video: BJ Penn and Nick Diaz Almost Come To Blows - Matthew Roth UFC 137: Mirko Cro Cop vs. Roy Nelson Dissection - Dallas Winston UFC 137 Penn vs Diaz: Staff Predictions UFC 137 Weigh-In Video and Results - Tim Burke UFC 137: Cheick Kongo vs. Matt Mitrione Dissection - Dallas Winston UFC 137: Scott Jorgensen vs. Jeff Curran Dissection - Dallas Winston Judo Chop: B.J. Penn's Back Control - Ben Thapa UFC 137: The Sober Reality of Nick Diaz's Continued Presence in MMA - Leland Roling UFC 137: Dana White Video Blog, Part 2 - Matthew Roth Judo Chop: Nick Diaz's Ground Game - Ben Thapa UFC 137: George Roop vs. Hatsu Hioki Dissection - Dallas Winston UFC 137 Striking Breakdown: Mirko Cro Cop Filipovic - Fraser Coffeen UFC 137 Press Conference Recap: Jon Anik to Broadcast Booth, UFC on Fox Undercard on Facebook and Fox.com - Brent Brookhouse UFC 137 Video: B.J. Penn Challenges Cesar Gracie, Admits to Being 'Hookwinked' By Him - Tim Burke UFC 137: Roy Nelson 'I'd Have to Cut Off A Leg To Make 205' - Matthew Roth Bad Boy Presents Bloody Elbow Radio - Episode 92: UFC 137 Preview - Matt Bishop UFC 137 Video: Nick Diaz Goes In-Depth About Press Conference Fiasco, Not Loving Fighting - Tim Burke UFC 137: The Card That Could Have Been and the PPV Repercussions - Matthew Roth UFC 137 Video: B.J. Penn Talks Fighting Nick Diaz and Future Title Shots - Brent Brookhouse UFC 137: B.J. Penn Explains Lack of Hype for Nick Diaz Fight - Brent Brookhouse UFC 137: Nick Diaz Wishes He'd Stuck to Boxing Plans - Brent Brookhouse UFC 137: George Roop Discusses Bout With Hatsu Hioki, Death of Shawn Tompkins - Tim Burke UFC 137 Video: Danny Downes Fighter Diary In Preparation for Ramsey Nijem - Anton Tabuena UFC 137: Tyson Griffin vs. Bart Palaszewski Dissection - Dallas Winston UFC 137: Penn vs. Diaz Betting Lines - Tim Burke UFC 137: Penn vs. Diaz Countdown Video - Tim Burke UFC 137: Dennis Siver vs. Donald Cerrone Dissection - Dallas Winston UFC 137: Matt Mitrione's Rapid Rise the Exception, Not the Rule - Leland Roling UFC 137 Roundtable: Analyzing Nick Diaz's Chances Against B.J. Penn UFC 137: Nick Diaz Discusses Looking Up to B.J. Penn, Gameplanning - Tim Burke UFC 137: Breaking Down the Striking of Matt Mitrione - Fraser Coffeen UFC 137: B.J. Penn Not Offended By Nick Diaz At All - Tim Burke UFC 137: Penn vs. Diaz - Best Bets for Fight of the Night - Brent Brookhouse UFC 137: Donald Cerrone's Unlikely Run May Land Him in Title Contention - Leland Roling UFC 137: Facebook Card Dissection - Dallas Winston UFC 137: Dana White Video Blog, Part 1 - Tim Burke UFC 137: Cesar Gracie - If Nick Diaz Finishes B.J. Penn, He Should Get GSP Next - Tim Burke

Posted in: ufc, diaz, vs, penn, griffin

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We’re counting down the hours to tonight’s UFC 137 PPV, which takes place live from the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas. It’s been a long road to Vegas, and overall, this could probably be described as one of UFC’s ‘cursed’ eventss, in which we’ve seen several significant changes to the fight card, including a reshuffling of the main event. From Nick Diaz’s press conference disappearances, to the unfortunate training injury sustained by the champion Georges St Pierre, the event has also been marred by Tim Credeur being “forced out” of his bout with Brad Tavares for reasons that are still not clear. After Dustin Jacoby was wheeled in to replace Credeur, Tavares himself then pulled out of the fight due to injuries sustained during training, being replaced by the undefeated rookie, Clifford Starks. In the final last minute twist, Tyson Griffin failed to make weight for his featheweight fight against Bart Palaszewski. After a change to ‘catchweight’ status and a hefty financial penalty for Griffin, the fight will, however, be going ahead tonight. Remember to catch the first portion of the prelims for free on Facebook, including Brandon Vera vs Eliot Marshall (I’m calling Vera by submission), before switching over to SPIKE TV for Tyson Griffin vs. Bart Palaszewski (I’m calling Griffin by TKO) and Dennis Siver vs. Donald Cerrone (I’m calling The Cowboy by TKO). Then, in the words of Bruce Buffer himself, “It’s time!” Here’s my breakdown for tonight’s card… Hatsu Hioki vs. George Roop Prediction: Hatsu by submission Hatsu crossed the ocean tonight for his first fight in the USA. A submission specialist and former SRC Featherweight champion, Hatsu brings with him and impressive record. Roop will be looking for some of the knockout ability that took out both Gripsi and Chan-Sung in recent fights. His mixed success so far in the UFC makes this an important fight for the 29 year old. I see Hatsu catching Roop in the third round and tapping him out. Scott Jorgensen vs. Jeff Curran Jorgensen by decision Unlike some of his WEC counterparts, Jorgensen made the transition to the UFC quite smoothly with an impressive first round knockout of Ken Stone at The Ultimate Fighter Finale back in June. Jeff Curren returns to UFC after seven successful years travelling around such organizations as PRIDE, WEC, XFO and Bellator, even mounting an unsuccessful challenge against Urijah Faber for his WEC Feathweight Championship. Both men tend to favor submission victories if they can get them, with the majority of their combined fights heading to the judges. I predict the same here, with Jorgensen leading the fight and controlling the cage, but in the end, this one will go all three. Roy Nelson vs. Mirko Filipović Prediction: Nelson by unanimousdecision Both guys really need a convincing win at this stage. ‘Big Country’ is fresh off to major losses to Junior Dos Santos and Frank Mir, although he was able to show his impressive ability to take a beating, especially against JDS when his heart and stamina won over the crowd and helped him survive a three round onslaught. Cro Cop is also coming away from losses to Mir and JDS, except both guys were able to finish Filipovic decisively with a KO and submission respectively. The fact that neither man could finish Nelson, but had little trouble putting down Cro Cop could be an indication of what we will see tonight. Nelson could end this fight with a well placed punch and earn a ground and pound victory. Cro Cop would have to hope to wear Nelson down and go for a submission, but I personally see both fighters playing this one safe and heading to the judges for a Nelson victory. Matt Mitrione vs. Cheick Kongo Prediction: Mitrione by split decision Kongo continues to be a somewhat unpredictable and inconsistent fighter, which makes it tough to make clear predictions in his fights. After the crazy ‘Knockout of the Night’ victory over Pat Barry back in June (which some fans feel Kongo owed to a very lenient referee who gave him plenty of time to recover from a Barry beatdown), Kongo looks to be a formidable opponent for Mitrione. However, when we look at how Kongo struggled against Travis Browne and Frank Mir in recent fights, the uncertainty returns. The man known as “Meathead” during his Ultimate Fighter run is currently enjoying a clean 5-0 record in the UFC, but it can be argued that Kongo will be his toughest challenge to date. I see Mitrione by decision, this one will probably go all the way. That being said, I can also see Mitrione catching Kongo for a 2nd round TKO, but I’m going with the decision win. B.J. Penn vs. Nick Diaz Prediction: Penn by 3rd round submission. This one all depends on which Penn shows up tonight. The Prodigy looked out of it, and almost bored, during his two fights with Frankie Edgar that ultimately ended up in losses. After rumors began to swirl that Penn’s heart just wasn’t in the fight game anymore and he was about to call it a day, Penn returned at UFC 123 for a stunning first round knockout of Matt Hughes. The recent draw with Jon Fitch at Australia’s UFC 127 left things somewhat in the air as far as Penn’s current fighting standard. Overall, if we see the UFC 123 Penn, fired up and focused, with his conditioning in the right place, I think Diaz will be outclassed by The Prodigy.

Posted in: ufc, fight, submission, vs, penn

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The Truth vs. The Fire. Both men earned reprieves from the organization in different ways, and the loser of this bout will probably be out of the organization again. So there's a lot on the line when former top contender Brandon Vera (11-5, 1 NC, 7-5 UFC) meet TUF 8 veteran Eliot Marshall (10-3, 3-2 UFC) in a light heavyweight bout at UFC 137. Vera is currently ranked at number 25 at light heavyweight on the USA Today/BE Consensus Rankings, while Marshall is currently unranked. Vera has steadily slipped down the chart over the last couple of years, but a win would at least keep him in the top 25. A Marshall win would go a long way towards earning some ranking points for him. This light heavyweight UFC 137 fight will be on the preliminary card, which will be streamed live on Facebook. The Facebook stream begins at approximately 6 p.m. ET/3 p.m. PT. How do these two stack up? Vera: 34 years old | 6'3" | 78" reachMarshall: 31 years old | 6'3" | 77" reach What have these two done recently? Vera: Thiago Silva (NC)  | L -Jon Jones (TKO) | L - Randy Couture (UD)Marshall: L - Luiz Cane (TKO) | W - Chris McNally (SUB) | W - Adriano Camolese (UD)  How did these two get here? Brandon "The Truth" Vera debuted in the UFC waaay back in 2005 as a heavyweight, bragging about being the first guy to win the title at both HW and LHW. Four straight wins, including a 69-second TKO stoppage of Frank Mir, earned him a shot against former champ Tim Sylvia. Vera broke his hand early and dropped a decision, and a weird stoppage win by Fabricio Werdum chased Vera to light heavyweight. He won 3 of his first 4, only losing a razor-thin split decision to Keith Jardine. He then fought Randy Couture, and was quite frankly robbed when Couture won a decision. He was then destroyed by a fast-rising Jon Jones and dismantled by Thiago Silva, which was enough to earn his walking papers from the UFC. A positive drug test from Silva earned  him one more shot though. Eliot "The Fire" Marshall was a contestant on TUF 8 that actually lose his prelim fight, but earned his way into the house anyway due to an injury. He was eliminated in his second fight by eventual winner Ryan Bader. He actually fared quite well in the UFC, picking up three straight wins. None of them were very exciting though, and when he lost a split decision to Vladimir Matyushenko at UFC on Versus 1, he was unceremoniously dumped by the promotion. Three straight regional wins earned him a last-minute replacement spot against Luiz Cane, but Banha finished him via TKO in just over two minutes. Marshall is undoubtedly fighting to stay in the promotion tonight. Why should you care? Loser leaves the UFC. Frankly, this has all the makings of an ugly fight but the implied stipulation at least adds a little bit of drama. More UFC 137 preview coverage from Bloody Elbow after the jump. UFC 137 Weigh In Video: BJ Penn and Nick Diaz Almost Come To Blows - Matthew Roth UFC 137: Mirko Cro Cop vs. Roy Nelson Dissection - Dallas Winston UFC 137 Penn vs Diaz: Staff Predictions UFC 137 Weigh-In Video and Results - Tim Burke UFC 137: Cheick Kongo vs. Matt Mitrione Dissection - Dallas Winston UFC 137: Scott Jorgensen vs. Jeff Curran Dissection - Dallas Winston Judo Chop: B.J. Penn's Back Control - Ben Thapa UFC 137: The Sober Reality of Nick Diaz's Continued Presence in MMA - Leland Roling UFC 137: Dana White Video Blog, Part 2 - Matthew Roth Judo Chop: Nick Diaz's Ground Game - Ben Thapa UFC 137: George Roop vs. Hatsu Hioki Dissection - Dallas Winston UFC 137 Striking Breakdown: Mirko Cro Cop Filipovic - Fraser Coffeen UFC 137 Press Conference Recap: Jon Anik to Broadcast Booth, UFC on Fox Undercard on Facebook and Fox.com - Brent Brookhouse UFC 137 Video: B.J. Penn Challenges Cesar Gracie, Admits to Being 'Hookwinked' By Him - Tim Burke UFC 137: Roy Nelson 'I'd Have to Cut Off A Leg To Make 205' - Matthew Roth Bad Boy Presents Bloody Elbow Radio - Episode 92: UFC 137 Preview - Matt Bishop UFC 137 Video: Nick Diaz Goes In-Depth About Press Conference Fiasco, Not Loving Fighting - Tim Burke UFC 137: The Card That Could Have Been and the PPV Repercussions - Matthew Roth UFC 137 Video: B.J. Penn Talks Fighting Nick Diaz and Future Title Shots - Brent Brookhouse UFC 137: B.J. Penn Explains Lack of Hype for Nick Diaz Fight - Brent Brookhouse UFC 137: Nick Diaz Wishes He'd Stuck to Boxing Plans - Brent Brookhouse UFC 137: George Roop Discusses Bout With Hatsu Hioki, Death of Shawn Tompkins - Tim Burke UFC 137 Video: Danny Downes Fighter Diary In Preparation for Ramsey Nijem - Anton Tabuena UFC 137: Tyson Griffin vs. Bart Palaszewski Dissection - Dallas Winston UFC 137: Penn vs. Diaz Betting Lines - Tim Burke UFC 137: Penn vs. Diaz Countdown Video - Tim Burke UFC 137: Dennis Siver vs. Donald Cerrone Dissection - Dallas Winston UFC 137: Matt Mitrione's Rapid Rise the Exception, Not the Rule - Leland Roling UFC 137 Roundtable: Analyzing Nick Diaz's Chances Against B.J. Penn UFC 137: Nick Diaz Discusses Looking Up to B.J. Penn, Gameplanning - Tim Burke UFC 137: Breaking Down the Striking of Matt Mitrione - Fraser Coffeen UFC 137: B.J. Penn Not Offended By Nick Diaz At All - Tim Burke UFC 137: Penn vs. Diaz - Best Bets for Fight of the Night - Brent Brookhouse UFC 137: Donald Cerrone's Unlikely Run May Land Him in Title Contention - Leland Roling UFC 137: Facebook Card Dissection - Dallas Winston UFC 137: Dana White Video Blog, Part 1 - Tim Burke UFC 137: Cesar Gracie - If Nick Diaz Finishes B.J. Penn, He Should Get GSP Next - Tim Burke

Posted in: ufc, diaz, vs, penn, tim

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In what could be a loser-leaves-town match, a TUF 13 veteran will face off with a prospect from the WEC that hasn't impressed in the UFC so far. These guys are two of the tallest lightweights on the roster, and both will be looking for their first win in the organization. Ramsey Nijem (4-2, 0-1 UFC) will face Danny Downes (8-2, 0-1 UFC) in a lightweight bout at UFC 137. Neither fighter is currently ranked at lightweight on the USA Today/BE Consensus Rankings, and it's going to take a few wins for either to get a sniff at them. Both are pretty young though, so anything is possible. This lightweight UFC 137 fight will be on the preliminary card, which will be streamed live on Facebook. The Facebook stream begins at approximately 6 p.m. ET/3 p.m. PT. How do these two stack up? Nijem: 23 years old | 5'11" | 74" reachDownes: 25 years old | 5'11" | 72" reach What have these two done recently? Nijem: L - Tony Ferguson (KO)  | W - Scott Casey (SUB) | W - Eric Uresk (TKO)Downes: L - Jeremy Stephens (UD) | W - Taurean Bogguess (SUB) | W - Tiequan Zhang (UD)  How did these two get here? Ramsey Nijem attended Utah Valley university where he was an NCAA Division 1 wrestler. He was chosen to compete on The Ultimate Fighter 13, where he made it all the way to the finals. Unfortunately he was knocked out by Tony Ferguson in under four minutes. This is his first bout since he competed on the show, and the second lightweight fight of his career. Danny Downes was considered a solid prospect when he was signed by the WEC in mid-2010. He was 6-0 with five finishes, and was matched up with former IFL lightweight champion Chris Horodecki. Unfortunately for Downes, he was dominated and eventually finished in the third round. He rebounded with a solid win over Tiequan Zhang. After the merger, he took a fight outside the UFC since they hadn't booked him, and survived an early scare to pick up the W. His UFC debut was a lopsided loss to Jeremy Stephens, but he showed a ton of heart by fighting off a brutal kimura and staying in the fight despite taking a hellacious beating. He'll need a win here to stay in the organization though. Why should you care? To be perfectly honest, I'm not sure. Downes has a ton of heart and usually gives it his all. And I guess if you liked TUF 13 you might like Nijem. That's about the best I can do. More UFC 137 preview coverage from Bloody Elbow after the jump. UFC 137 Weigh In Video: BJ Penn and Nick Diaz Almost Come To Blows - Matthew Roth UFC 137: Mirko Cro Cop vs. Roy Nelson Dissection - Dallas Winston UFC 137 Penn vs Diaz: Staff Predictions UFC 137 Weigh-In Video and Results - Tim Burke UFC 137: Cheick Kongo vs. Matt Mitrione Dissection - Dallas Winston UFC 137: Scott Jorgensen vs. Jeff Curran Dissection - Dallas Winston Judo Chop: B.J. Penn's Back Control - Ben Thapa UFC 137: The Sober Reality of Nick Diaz's Continued Presence in MMA - Leland Roling UFC 137: Dana White Video Blog, Part 2 - Matthew Roth Judo Chop: Nick Diaz's Ground Game - Ben Thapa UFC 137: George Roop vs. Hatsu Hioki Dissection - Dallas Winston UFC 137 Striking Breakdown: Mirko Cro Cop Filipovic - Fraser Coffeen UFC 137 Press Conference Recap: Jon Anik to Broadcast Booth, UFC on Fox Undercard on Facebook and Fox.com - Brent Brookhouse UFC 137 Video: B.J. Penn Challenges Cesar Gracie, Admits to Being 'Hookwinked' By Him - Tim Burke UFC 137: Roy Nelson 'I'd Have to Cut Off A Leg To Make 205' - Matthew Roth Bad Boy Presents Bloody Elbow Radio - Episode 92: UFC 137 Preview - Matt Bishop UFC 137 Video: Nick Diaz Goes In-Depth About Press Conference Fiasco, Not Loving Fighting - Tim Burke UFC 137: The Card That Could Have Been and the PPV Repercussions - Matthew Roth UFC 137 Video: B.J. Penn Talks Fighting Nick Diaz and Future Title Shots - Brent Brookhouse UFC 137: B.J. Penn Explains Lack of Hype for Nick Diaz Fight - Brent Brookhouse UFC 137: Nick Diaz Wishes He'd Stuck to Boxing Plans - Brent Brookhouse UFC 137: George Roop Discusses Bout With Hatsu Hioki, Death of Shawn Tompkins - Tim Burke UFC 137 Video: Danny Downes Fighter Diary In Preparation for Ramsey Nijem - Anton Tabuena UFC 137: Tyson Griffin vs. Bart Palaszewski Dissection - Dallas Winston UFC 137: Penn vs. Diaz Betting Lines - Tim Burke UFC 137: Penn vs. Diaz Countdown Video - Tim Burke UFC 137: Dennis Siver vs. Donald Cerrone Dissection - Dallas Winston UFC 137: Matt Mitrione's Rapid Rise the Exception, Not the Rule - Leland Roling UFC 137 Roundtable: Analyzing Nick Diaz's Chances Against B.J. Penn UFC 137: Nick Diaz Discusses Looking Up to B.J. Penn, Gameplanning - Tim Burke UFC 137: Breaking Down the Striking of Matt Mitrione - Fraser Coffeen UFC 137: B.J. Penn Not Offended By Nick Diaz At All - Tim Burke UFC 137: Penn vs. Diaz - Best Bets for Fight of the Night - Brent Brookhouse UFC 137: Donald Cerrone's Unlikely Run May Land Him in Title Contention - Leland Roling UFC 137: Facebook Card Dissection - Dallas Winston UFC 137: Dana White Video Blog, Part 1 - Tim Burke UFC 137: Cesar Gracie - If Nick Diaz Finishes B.J. Penn, He Should Get GSP Next - Tim Burke

Posted in: ufc, diaz, nick, vs, penn

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Why is the UFC 137 main event between B.J. Penn and Nick Diaz such a timeless and monumental match up? For me, it's because fighters like Penn and Diaz are why I'll always be more of a fan than a journalist. Trumpeted as the first non-Brazilian to win a BJJ world championship in the black belt category, the scrawny Hawaiian kid that meekly made his way into the cage looked commonplace and far from menacing. He seemed like just another fighter in just another fight. This was during an era where most submission specialists were flailing punches like school girls or butt flopping uncontrollably like a dog with the runs dragging himself across the carpet. Instead, Penn erupted into a violent storm of strikes and left his first three opponents broken and asleep on the canvas before screaming something about Hilo and rappelling up into the arena rafters, exiting with a "WTF just happened?"sort of panache like Batman. The same went for Diaz. The intro was "blah, blah, Cesar Gracie black belt" but it was "bam, bam, god damn!" and Robbie Lawler, who was actually being likened to Roy Jones Jr. at the time, was knocked the f**k out. Not immediately christened a god like Penn was, Diaz's path was more circuitous after three consecutive losses in a division dominated by wrestlers, but he still foreshadowed his individuality with the urban legend of handling round four with Joe Riggs at the hospital after the fight. The mystique continued to grow and, though not a staple in the UFC, Diaz refused to go away. The hype heightened even further with a gogoplata finish of Pride champ Takanori Gomi in a mesmerizing war. The clamor crescendoed when the career-defining win was overturned for his habit of toking grass, etching his exultation so thoroughly that even legions of bong-toting stoners with a five-minute memory billed the fight as unforgettable.  Love 'em or hate 'em, win or lose, Penn and Diaz have chiseled their legacies into the annals of MMA. The defiant Nick Diaz will greet Frank Shamrock's handshake with his signature middle finger at the press conference, but help him up and raise his hand in respect after beating the braces off of him. The polarizing B.J. Penn will credit Edgar and his team after losing his lightweight belt, move up in weight, crush Matt Hughes and head to Subway on the back of his Harley a few months later, then take down the number-two wrestler and welterweight in a rousing fight dampened by a draw. And what I love the most about these two is that they have an unparalleled natural talent and martial arts diversity, yet tear into their opponents like brawling but technical street fighters, unafraid to take risks and leave it all in the cage. Gifs and analysis in the full entry. SBN coverage of UFC 137 Results: Penn vs. Diaz There is simply not enough available internet bandwidth to share my complete thoughts on this dynamic match up, so let me start with some bullet points of the popular strengths, weaknesses and perceived advantages for both fighters. Penn -- Strengths Punching power Crisp, tight, and straight-thrown boxing Under-rated wrestling abilities Unreal takedown defense Insane flexibility Elite grappling, excellent scrambling, though more power- and position-based Bulletproof chin and difficult to finish Diaz -- Strengths Pissed off Unorthodox boxing Long reach, odd angles and off-beat timing Under-rated clinch and Judo skills Sick scrambling and sweeps; virtually impossible to hold down Elite level, liquid-like guard game Bulletproof chin and difficult to finish Cardio for days Penn -- Weaknesses Cardio and heart, especially in later rounds Dedication and motivation Dealing with unyielding pressure Predictable Defending high caliber boxing in the pocket Diaz -- Weaknesses Wrestling and takedown defense Footwork and head movement Easy to hit Predictable Willing to fight anywhere, often resulting in a perceived lack of cage control A pivotal aspect is whether one of them will change up their typical routines. In both Edgar fights, Penn was stuck in the same gear and content to shuffle forward, throwing almost nothing but the jab, cross and left hook; consistently stringing those same three punches together in heated exchanges. To the right, Penn's follow up to the one-two is a quick level drop, getting deep and clasping his hands around the waist while Fitch goes for the Thai plum. Considering Diaz's static stance and stationary footwork, it makes sense that this has become a popular suggestion for Penn. We can't forget, however, that Fitch turned the sequence to his advantage and that Diaz has busier hips and is better with sweeps than Fitch. With two gifted and high level grapplers like this, I have no clue what will happen when the fight hits the ground. History is our only evidence and Diaz has never been contained on his back and Penn has never enforced the strategy against a slippery guard player like Diaz. Since Diaz does things like dropping both hands down to waist when cornered by one of the most devastating strikers in MMA, the next logical guess is that Penn's heavy and knifing punches will do the same. Of course, the kicker is that Diaz quickly recovered, used more head movement on all fours in the turtle position than he normally does standing, got back to his feet and went on to disarm Semtex with a classic pitter-patter TKO. With Fort Knox level chins, I have a tough time believing either one will fall to anything other than a gradual accumulation of earth-leveling strikes. That's where Diaz's relentlessly pressuring, preying mantis tactics of volume punching comes into play, along with the varied arsenal of strikes he throws in undetectable rhythms. Blasting the bread basket is now a staple in his onslaught and he's at his best when he can find his groove with opponents who stand in front of him. Penn is pretty straightforward in the stand up as well, generally moving in one direction at one speed and welcoming an in-your-face range to trade strikes. When pressed, he hasn't demonstrated the knack to cut angles or circle out into open space, which is how most of the welterweight wrestlers (GSP, Hughes, Fitch) ushered him to the fence to complete takedowns. Diaz will do the same but while seeking to shut the door to escape routes and brawl at close quarters. Penn also struggled with the variety of angles of Edgar's distinct boxing behavior, and I think Diaz will present the same problems, but do so with upper-body movement, indecipherable rhythm and crazy punching trajectories rather than speed and in-and-out footwork. Diaz has not typically been shellacked with the straight punches that Penn tends to throw. For those, he takes the risky approach of ducking and countering, palm blocking or retracting his head to move back from the blow. Wide hooks were how Zaromskis and Daley caught him, while Gomi's Hadouken Punch was a sloppy hail mary of an overhand. Penn is excellent in cracking a hard left hook through after his standard one-two -- which I think is the strike most likely to rock Diaz -- but that also means Penn is the ideal spot for a counter, and his defense isn't impenetrable either. While I agree Penn is the better wrestler and there's a better chance of him taking Diaz down, I wouldn't rule out Diaz landing a takedown. Penn isn't a better wrestler than Fitch, yet his quickness, timing and intelligence made it possible. Diaz could do the same and is just as crafty and domineering from the top (maybe more?) than Penn is. Penn, though unquestionably an exorbitant grappler, has not demonstrated his guard playing acumen as well as Diaz and could be subject to the same perils of fending off a world class tactician from his back. Though I believe that Penn's MMA performances haven't elevated his guard prowess as much as Diaz ... c'mon, it's still B.J. Penn. Here from the Octopus Guard versus Hughes, Penn has exquisite scrambling and grappling transitions, it's just that most of his submissions were basic and facilitated by his thunderous striking. Still, you can never fault Penn for blasting people on the feet and then pounding them into a vulnerable position to snare a choke. He definitely has intricate skill everywhere on the ground and it's a toss up with what will happen against Diaz. So, you're wondering who I'm picking to win by now, and my answer is this: how the hell would I know? How could anyone? In addition to being a drooling fanboy of both fighters and not wanting to see either lose, a logical case can be made for either to end up with their hands raised. I would wager that we'd see a wide range of different outcomes if these two fought twenty times, meaning I don't think whatever happens tonight will decide who is better and three rounds won't be satisfying enough. This should be a frenetically paced barn-burner between two predatory and opportunistic killers that's decided by inches. One split-second decision could turn the tide or end the fight. On paper, there may be a viable list of pros and cons, but I envision the match up like mixing two volatile and unknown elements in a test tube and estimating the explosive reaction when you shake it up. Penn is the narrow favorite on the betting lines which his superior level of overall competition justifies alone. My intent is to analyze rather than predict, so with a gun to my head I would hesitantly guess that Diaz might take a decision. His length, chin and awkward stand up matched with his nonpareil gameness has me leaning his way, especially in a stand up fight. Penn's under-rated wrestling could over-ride everything if Diaz doesn't move his feet, but the way the Stockton scrapper has conducted himself from his back along with his chin, cardio and relentless tenacity gets him my vote. My Prediction: Nick Diaz by decision   Suggested Reading Material Judo Chop: B.J. Penn's Back Control Judo Chop: B.J. Penn Takes Matt Hughes' Back with Octopus Guard Judo Chop: Nick Diaz's Ground Game Judo Chop: The Unconventional MMA Boxing of Nick and Nate Diaz Judo Chop: The Boxing and Jiu Jitsu of Nick Diaz   Penn x Hughes gif via Grappo Diaz x Zaromskis gifs via Sherdog Forums All others via Zombie Prophet of IronForgesIron.com               Poll B.J. Penn vs. Nick Diaz B.J. Penn Nick Diaz   58 votes | Results

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A TUF 11 veteran will be returning to the promotion after defeating a respected veteran (barely) in a regional bout. He will meet a French fighter who has looked quite impressive since he returned from a year out of the sport. Chris Camozzi (15-4, 2-1 UFC) will meet Francis Carmont (16-7, 0-0 UFC) in a middleweight bout at UFC 137. Neither fighter is currently ranked at middleweight on the USA Today/BE Consensus Rankings. It would take a nice run of wins before either would even be considered for the list, to be honest. This middleweight UFC 137 fight will be on the preliminary card, which will be streamed live on Facebook. The Facebook stream begins at approximately 6 p.m. ET/3 p.m. PT. How do these two stack up? Camozzi: 24 years old | 6'3" | 75.5" reachCarmont: 30 years old | 6'3" | Unknown reach What have these two done recently? Camozzi: W - Joey Villasenor (SD)  | L - Kyle Noke (SUB) | W - Dongi Yang (SD)Carmont: W - Jason Day (TKO) | W - Kelly Anundson (SUB) | W - Simon Carlsen (TKO)  How did these two get here? Chris "Kamikaze" Camozzi had 15 pro fights, including a stint in the MFC, before he was selected for season 11 of The Ultimate Fighter.  He won his prelim fight, but had his jaw broken in the process and that saw him leave the show early. He picked up a win at the TUF 11 Finale, then defeated Dongi Yang by super-close split decision at UFC 121. He was then submitted quickly by Kyle Noke at UFC 127, and inexplicably released from the promotion. He earned his way back in with a split-decision win over Joey Villasenor at Shark Fights 15 that was initially ruled a draw, but the scores were read wrong. He'll look to stay with the promotion for a longer stint this time by defeating Carmont. Francis "Limitless" Carmont is a native of France that made his name in Europe as a talented-but-inconsistent light-heavyweight. He trains at Tri-Star Gym and is a teammate of UFC welterweight champion Georges St. Pierre. He is currently on a five-fight winning streak, and finished all five of those opponents. In fact, he's finished 14 of his 16 victories. This will be his middleweight debut. Why should you care? Both of these guys are surprisingly well-rounded, but I expect a slugfest on the feet here. Both are very tough to finish with strikes, so it could be quite the battle. More UFC 137 preview coverage from Bloody Elbow after the jump. UFC 137 Weigh In Video: BJ Penn and Nick Diaz Almost Come To Blows - Matthew Roth UFC 137: Mirko Cro Cop vs. Roy Nelson Dissection - Dallas Winston UFC 137 Penn vs Diaz: Staff Predictions UFC 137 Weigh-In Video and Results - Tim Burke UFC 137: Cheick Kongo vs. Matt Mitrione Dissection - Dallas Winston UFC 137: Scott Jorgensen vs. Jeff Curran Dissection - Dallas Winston Judo Chop: B.J. Penn's Back Control - Ben Thapa UFC 137: The Sober Reality of Nick Diaz's Continued Presence in MMA - Leland Roling UFC 137: Dana White Video Blog, Part 2 - Matthew Roth Judo Chop: Nick Diaz's Ground Game - Ben Thapa UFC 137: George Roop vs. Hatsu Hioki Dissection - Dallas Winston UFC 137 Striking Breakdown: Mirko Cro Cop Filipovic - Fraser Coffeen UFC 137 Press Conference Recap: Jon Anik to Broadcast Booth, UFC on Fox Undercard on Facebook and Fox.com - Brent Brookhouse UFC 137 Video: B.J. Penn Challenges Cesar Gracie, Admits to Being 'Hookwinked' By Him - Tim Burke UFC 137: Roy Nelson 'I'd Have to Cut Off A Leg To Make 205' - Matthew Roth Bad Boy Presents Bloody Elbow Radio - Episode 92: UFC 137 Preview - Matt Bishop UFC 137 Video: Nick Diaz Goes In-Depth About Press Conference Fiasco, Not Loving Fighting - Tim Burke UFC 137: The Card That Could Have Been and the PPV Repercussions - Matthew Roth UFC 137 Video: B.J. Penn Talks Fighting Nick Diaz and Future Title Shots - Brent Brookhouse UFC 137: B.J. Penn Explains Lack of Hype for Nick Diaz Fight - Brent Brookhouse UFC 137: Nick Diaz Wishes He'd Stuck to Boxing Plans - Brent Brookhouse UFC 137: George Roop Discusses Bout With Hatsu Hioki, Death of Shawn Tompkins - Tim Burke UFC 137 Video: Danny Downes Fighter Diary In Preparation for Ramsey Nijem - Anton Tabuena UFC 137: Tyson Griffin vs. Bart Palaszewski Dissection - Dallas Winston UFC 137: Penn vs. Diaz Betting Lines - Tim Burke UFC 137: Penn vs. Diaz Countdown Video - Tim Burke UFC 137: Dennis Siver vs. Donald Cerrone Dissection - Dallas Winston UFC 137: Matt Mitrione's Rapid Rise the Exception, Not the Rule - Leland Roling UFC 137 Roundtable: Analyzing Nick Diaz's Chances Against B.J. Penn UFC 137: Nick Diaz Discusses Looking Up to B.J. Penn, Gameplanning - Tim Burke UFC 137: Breaking Down the Striking of Matt Mitrione - Fraser Coffeen UFC 137: B.J. Penn Not Offended By Nick Diaz At All - Tim Burke UFC 137: Penn vs. Diaz - Best Bets for Fight of the Night - Brent Brookhouse UFC 137: Donald Cerrone's Unlikely Run May Land Him in Title Contention - Leland Roling UFC 137: Facebook Card Dissection - Dallas Winston UFC 137: Dana White Video Blog, Part 1 - Tim Burke UFC 137: Cesar Gracie - If Nick Diaz Finishes B.J. Penn, He Should Get GSP Next - Tim Burke

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One of the greatest fighters of all time, "The Prodigy" B.J. Penn has announced his retirement from mixed martial arts.In what was the 26th fight of his professional career, Penn went head to head with former Strikeforce Champion Nick Diaz in the UFC 137 main event.In nothing short of in all out war, Penn and Diaz exchanged strikes for much of their fifteen-minute clash. Though the Hawaiian appeared to have the edge in the opening-round, Diaz came out for the following two like a madman, pushing the pace

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Strikeforce Welterweight Champion Nick Diaz made a successful, and a convincing Ultimate Fighting Championship return with a victory over BJ Penn in the main event of UFC 137. Penn started the fight aggressively, connecting with a lot of striking combinations that started to paint a crimson mask on Nick Diaz's face. Penn also executed a takedown followed by a submission attempt, but Nick Diaz managed to defend well as the fight continued. Second by second, Diaz took control of the fight, as BJ Penn started

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A boatload of injuries has turned a proposed Brad Tavares  vs. Tim Credeur bout into a bout between two debuting 185 lb. fighters. One of the guys has known he was climbing into the octagon for a while, and was even on the main card for a couple of days. The other guy just fought (and won) less than two weeks ago. Dustin Jacoby (6-0, 0-0 UFC) will face Clifford Starks (7-0, 0-0 UFC) in a middleweight bout at UFC 137. Obviously, neither fighter is currently ranked at middleweight on the USA Today/BE Consensus Rankings. Hardly surprising since they only have 13 fights between them and neither has fought on a big stage before. This middleweight UFC 137 fight will be on the preliminary card, which will be streamed live on Facebook. The Facebook stream begins at approximately 6 p.m. ET/3 p.m. PT. How do these two stack up? Jacoby: 23 years old | 6'4" | Unknown reachStarks: 30 years old | 5'10" | Unknown reach What have these two done recently? Jacoby: W - Billy Horne (TKO)  | W - Ryan Sturdy (TKO) | W - Oscar Glover (TKO)Starks: W - Artenas Young (UD) | W - Rudy Aguilar (TKO) | W - Roe Harris (KO)  How did these two get here? Dustin Jacoby was a college football player at Quincy University, and started training at what used to be Matt Hughes' H.I.T. Squad gym after he graduated from college. He went 9-1 as an amateur and picked up three titles, all at light-heavyweight, before turning pro. He has picked up five of his six pro wins by TKO. He hasn't faced much stiff competition so far, but his 6'4 frame will be a big advantage over his 5'10 opponent. Clifford Starks was an NCAA division 1 wrestler at Arizona State University and was a teammate of UFC heavyweight champion Cain Velasquez. He fights out of Arizona Combat Sports. He made his pro debut in late 2009 and mostly fought for the Rage in the Cage promotion before getting a shot in the main event of Shark Fights 20 just under two weeks ago. He picked up a decision in an uneventful fight, mostly due to his opponent refusing to engage. Wrestling is his biggest strength in the cage and he'll look to ground Jacoby as soon as possible. Why should you care? It will probably be tough to have much of an emotional investment in a bout featuring two unknown, debuting fighters. They're both undefeated though, and someone's 0 has got to go! Wow, that was lame. More UFC 137 preview coverage from Bloody Elbow after the jump. UFC 137 Weigh In Video: BJ Penn and Nick Diaz Almost Come To Blows - Matthew Roth UFC 137: Mirko Cro Cop vs. Roy Nelson Dissection - Dallas Winston UFC 137 Penn vs Diaz: Staff Predictions UFC 137 Weigh-In Video and Results - Tim Burke UFC 137: Cheick Kongo vs. Matt Mitrione Dissection - Dallas Winston UFC 137: Scott Jorgensen vs. Jeff Curran Dissection - Dallas Winston Judo Chop: B.J. Penn's Back Control - Ben Thapa UFC 137: The Sober Reality of Nick Diaz's Continued Presence in MMA - Leland Roling UFC 137: Dana White Video Blog, Part 2 - Matthew Roth Judo Chop: Nick Diaz's Ground Game - Ben Thapa UFC 137: George Roop vs. Hatsu Hioki Dissection - Dallas Winston UFC 137 Striking Breakdown: Mirko Cro Cop Filipovic - Fraser Coffeen UFC 137 Press Conference Recap: Jon Anik to Broadcast Booth, UFC on Fox Undercard on Facebook and Fox.com - Brent Brookhouse UFC 137 Video: B.J. Penn Challenges Cesar Gracie, Admits to Being 'Hookwinked' By Him - Tim Burke UFC 137: Roy Nelson 'I'd Have to Cut Off A Leg To Make 205' - Matthew Roth Bad Boy Presents Bloody Elbow Radio - Episode 92: UFC 137 Preview - Matt Bishop UFC 137 Video: Nick Diaz Goes In-Depth About Press Conference Fiasco, Not Loving Fighting - Tim Burke UFC 137: The Card That Could Have Been and the PPV Repercussions - Matthew Roth UFC 137 Video: B.J. Penn Talks Fighting Nick Diaz and Future Title Shots - Brent Brookhouse UFC 137: B.J. Penn Explains Lack of Hype for Nick Diaz Fight - Brent Brookhouse UFC 137: Nick Diaz Wishes He'd Stuck to Boxing Plans - Brent Brookhouse UFC 137: George Roop Discusses Bout With Hatsu Hioki, Death of Shawn Tompkins - Tim Burke UFC 137 Video: Danny Downes Fighter Diary In Preparation for Ramsey Nijem - Anton Tabuena UFC 137: Tyson Griffin vs. Bart Palaszewski Dissection - Dallas Winston UFC 137: Penn vs. Diaz Betting Lines - Tim Burke UFC 137: Penn vs. Diaz Countdown Video - Tim Burke UFC 137: Dennis Siver vs. Donald Cerrone Dissection - Dallas Winston UFC 137: Matt Mitrione's Rapid Rise the Exception, Not the Rule - Leland Roling UFC 137 Roundtable: Analyzing Nick Diaz's Chances Against B.J. Penn UFC 137: Nick Diaz Discusses Looking Up to B.J. Penn, Gameplanning - Tim Burke UFC 137: Breaking Down the Striking of Matt Mitrione - Fraser Coffeen UFC 137: B.J. Penn Not Offended By Nick Diaz At All - Tim Burke UFC 137: Penn vs. Diaz - Best Bets for Fight of the Night - Brent Brookhouse UFC 137: Donald Cerrone's Unlikely Run May Land Him in Title Contention - Leland Roling UFC 137: Facebook Card Dissection - Dallas Winston UFC 137: Dana White Video Blog, Part 1 - Tim Burke UFC 137: Cesar Gracie - If Nick Diaz Finishes B.J. Penn, He Should Get GSP Next - Tim Burke

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B.J. Penn had no plans to fight Nick Diaz inside the Octagon anytime soon, if ever. However, after several problems arose in trying to put together Saturday’s UFC 137 card, the two former training partners were paired up and will face off across from each other in just a few short hours. UFC 137 is set for tonight from Las Vegas, Nevada’s Mandalay Bay Events Center with the PPV also featuring Matt Mitrione vs. Cheick Kongo in the co-main event. Penn, who originally was scheduled to meet Carlos Condit, has remained a follower of Diaz for quite some time. In fact, he sees quite a bit of himself in Diaz. “I’ve kept a close eye on Nick Diaz’ career. He’s one of my favorite fighters that I love to watch out there and I think right now, he’s probably the best boxer in mixed martial arts today,” said Penn, in a recent conference call with media. “He spars with Andre Ward, he was signed to fight Jeff Lacy, he was considered to fight Roy Jones Jr., and with accolades like that and with the performances that he puts on in the right, with a high volume of punches and all those things, I definitely think that he’s probably the best boxer in the sport today.” Penn has held the UFC title before, while Diaz was the Strikeforce champion when he signed with the company. The two have stepped inside the cage countless times against some of the best fighters in the world. “We’re similar in a lot of the same ways. With the boxing, with the jiu-jitsu and with the way our careers have gone,” Penn said. “Once in a while we end up clashing with the powers that be, and it just ends up going that way for some reason. There are a lot of similarities between me and that guy (Diaz).” PHOTO CREDIT – UFC

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UFC 137 goes down tonight at the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas featuring a main event showdown between welterweight contenders BJ Penn and Nick Diaz. The UFC 137 also includes heavyweights Matt Mitrione vs. Cheick Kongo and Roy Nelson vs. Mirko Cro Cop among its 11 bouts. MMAFrenzy.com will have live results snf play-by-play for UFC 137 starting at 6pm ET tonight, but while you wait check out our UFC 137 previews, UFC 137 weigh-in highlights, and UFC 137 walkout shirts. MAIN CARD (PPV) BJ Penn vs. Nick Diaz Matt Mitrione vs. Cheick Kongo Mirko Cro Cop vs. Roy Nelson Jeff Curran vs. Scott Jorgensen Hatsu Hioki vs. George Roop PRELIMINARY CARD (Spike TV) Dennis Siver vs. Donald Cerrone Bart Palaszewski vs. Tyson Griffin PRELIMINARY CARD (Facebook) Brandon Vera vs. Eliot Marshall Ramsey Nijem vs. Danny Downes Francis Carmont vs. Chris Camozzi Dustin Jacoby vs. Clifford Starks Pictured: BJ Penn and Nick Diaz

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LAS VEGAS, October 29 – 15 compelling minutes with BJ Penn made it clear - it’s been too long since we’ve seen Nick Diaz in the Octagon. But in defeating “The Prodigy” via unanimous decision in the UFC 137 main event Saturday night, Diaz’ first UFC bout since 2006 sent shockwaves through not only the Mandalay Bay Events Center, but through the MMA world, as he apparently retired Penn and put himself squarely in line for a shot at Georges St-Pierre’s welterweight title.“I don’t think Georges is hurt, I think he’s scared,” said Diaz, who was originally scheduled to face St-Pierre on this card before he was pulled from the bout after no-showing two press conferences to promote the fight. St-Pierre was then slated to face Carlos Condit before injuring his knee and withdrawing, pushing Diaz-Penn into the main event slot.And while seeing the surging Diaz score the win over Penn wasn’t a shocker, Penn’s sudden retirement in the Octagon after the bout was.“Hats off to Nick Diaz,” said Penn. “This is the last time you’ll see me in here. I want to perform at the top level.  I’ve got a daughter and another one on the way. I don’t want to go home looking like this.”Scores were 29-28 twice and 29-27 for the former Strikeforce welterweight champion, who shook off Penn’s strong first round to dominate the next two framesThe in-arena anticipation for the bout was like that for a world title fight, and Penn came out firing to start the bout, landing a couple good shots before Diaz wrapped him up against the fence. Penn broke loose fairly quickly, again working his striking game and reddening Diaz’ face. After a miss by Diaz, Penn scored a takedown, taking Diaz’ back in an ensuing scramble before settling in the top position. Diaz stayed busy with strikes from his back, and with a little over two minutes left he found his way back to his feet.  Pinning Penn to the fence, Diaz’ tried to get his offense in gear, but Penn got away with a quick elbow and continued to impress with his standup. Diaz fired back with his usual busy attack, as well as some taunts, but Penn kept his cool.A fired up Diaz slapped away Penn’s punches and stuck his chin out as round two began, but again, Penn’s cool served him well as he got in some quick shots before the two tied up. After breaking, the two exchanged at close quarters, but after stuffing a takedown attempt, Diaz was able to mark up Penn’s face with some knees. After that sequence, Diaz began to open up as Penn stood with his back to the fence, and the Stockton native’s body attack appeared to do the most damage.  With 1:40 left, Diaz hurt Penn with a left to the head and he opened up with both hands, putting the former two division UFC champ in serious trouble. With less than 20 seconds remaining, Penn finally got a brief respite as the two locked up, but as the bell sounded, Diaz was clearly in control of the fight.Barely able to contain themselves at the bell to start the final round, Penn tried to lock up with Diaz to get the fight to the ground, but the tireless Diaz wasn’t having it. Penn did use the time to get back to the middle of the Octagon for a moment, a key to him getting back in the fight. Diaz’ relentless attack wasn’t allowing for too many moments of daylight, but Penn did get his shots in, with the evidence showing on Diaz’ face. Diaz was doing the lion’s share of the scoring though, with Penn’s amazing chin on display for all to see. With under two minutes left, Penn surged with a series of hard shots, not ready to give in. A brief tie-up against the fence wasn’t a break, it was just an opportunity for the two to recharge for one last assault, and that’s just what they gave each other, drawing an appreciative roar from the crowd for a final blast of toe-to-toe slugging.With the win, Diaz improves to 27-7 with 1 NC; Penn falls to 16-8-2.

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The UFC 137 fight card hit the scale on Friday to make their fights official for tomorrow’s pay-per-view event in Las Vegas. Headliners BJ Penn and Nick Diaz scuffled after hitting the scale, while heavyweights Matt Mitrione and Cheick Kongo made weight for the co-main event. Highlights of the UFC 137 weigh-ins are below: BJ Penn vs. Nick Diaz: Matt Mitrione vs. Cheick Kongo: MORE: UFC 137 Weigh-In Results: BJ Penn, Nick Diaz Scuffle After Making Weight Stop back to MMAFrenzy.com tomorrow for live UFC 137 results and complete UFC 137 coverage.  

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Remember that line that your mom or grandmother would say whenever you made a funny face or crossed your eyes? "If you don't know that off it will stay like that!" or some similar variant? Nobody really believed it, but doubt no more. Nick Diaz is proof that it's possible as he cannot help busting out his mad-dog against BJ Penn, a man he claims he doesn't want to fight. Who needs enemies when you've got friends like these?

Posted in: diaz, bj penn, penn, morenbspnick diaz, variant nobody

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So here's the amazing stare down video between B.J. Penn and Nick Diaz. There were concerns that they were being too cordial with each other during media calls leading up the fight and that there was absolutely zero animosity between them. Well, this video proves that even if Nick Diaz respects you, he'll still mad dog you at the weigh ins. Both Penn and Diaz made weight making the fight official.  Following the scuffle Nick Diaz walked off the stage, opting to not take part in the post-weigh in interview with Joe Rogan. Is this the kind of thing that the UFC is prepared for should Diaz get past Penn and somehow become the welterweight champion after Georges St. Pierre finally defends his belt against Carlos Condit? I don't think it matters at this point. Diaz is the anti-hero and has a massive fan base that loves his attitude.  SBN coverage of UFC 137 Results: Penn vs. Diaz

Posted in: diaz, nick diaz, nick, penn, joe rogan

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Considering their respect for each other and past relationship, no one expected the explosion of emotions from BJ Penn and Nick Diaz at the UFC 137 weigh-ins.

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MMAWeekly.com's exclusive UFC 137: Penn vs. Diaz weigh-in photo gallery.

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B.J. Penn vs Nick DiazLeland Roling - I've bounced back and forth on the logic in picking Nick Diaz in this fight, but at the end of the day -- it's difficult to look past what Penn can do to opponents with porous defenses. Diaz, while possessing an insane offensive output, is one of the worst defensive fighters standing, mainly because he's throwing leather rather than defending. Noons took advantage of that in both fights, and Penn, who's far more accurate and powerful with straight punches, will too. I wouldn't put it past Penn to take down Diaz and smother him from the top either. B.J. Penn via decision.Anton Tabuena - Tough fight to pick and I've been going back and forth in my head about the reasons why either guy would win. Both have good chins, good boxing, good jiujitsu. Penn is better with wrestling, while Diaz wins the cardio battle by a mile. It would be funny if Penn tries to ‘Fitch' Diaz, because he can, although I don't think that's going to happen. On a stand up battle, Penn is much more technical, but if Diaz can use his reach and push his pace, and land constantly to the body, he could win this. It could go either way, but I'm going for the upset though. Nick Diaz via Decision.Tim Burke - I just don't see many ways Diaz can win this fight. It's not a good style matchup for him and I don't think he's as good as his Strikeforce run made him out to be. Dare I say it, BJ might be the better boxer. And that's Nick's only chance, so I'm gonna go with B.J. Penn by dominant decision.Fraser Coffeen - I admit it right off the bat, this might be bias talking, because I really am not a big fan of B.J. Penn. But I honestly think Diaz takes this. Penn has never been as much a force at Welterweight, but more than that, all that I've read from him just seems to show that his head is not in the best place. And he's a fighter that desperately needs focus and drive to perform to his best. I don't think we see the best B.J. Penn here, and I think Diaz's pace and high output of punches is enough to outlast that version of Penn. Nick Diaz by decisionKJ Gould - I think there's only one reason for Penn to have spent time training with Matt Hughes in Iowa: get some wrestling in with similar weight fighters you won't be facing down the road. With that in mind logically Penn will use his jab but if he feels Diaz crowding him trying punches in bunches, Penn will take him down and it'll be his top game versus Diaz's guard game. Plus this is the first fight in a long time Diaz will have been in a fight that allows elbows on the ground and he's shown to cut up easily in previous fights. I think he might hang in there and not be finished and all it takes from Diaz is one well placed bodyshot to turn the fight in his favour. Penn seems the sensible choice. BJ Penn by Bloody Elbows.Matt Roth - It's crazy that even after all the baloney, Diaz still finds himself in the main event role. He's definitely good and has a ridiculous chin and cardio. I just don't think he beats BJ. And if he does? Power to him, I'll eat crow and put him in the top 3 of the division. I just don't see it happening. To me the fight really is a case of "anything you can do I can do better". BJ Penn by Bloodier Elbows than what KJ was talking about.  Staff Picking Penn: Tim, Leland, KJ, RothStaff Picking Diaz: Anton, FraserCheick Kongo vs Matt MitrioneLeland Roling - Where exactly is the intersection between Mitrione's rise and Kongo's fall? That's the question to answer. One would surmise Kongo still has the skills to beat a guy as green as Mitrione, but it's difficult to say that considering his last two performances and Mitrione's development under Duke Roufus. In my mind, it's a toss-up, and when in doubt -- always bet on Roufus. Matt Mitrione via TKO.Anton Tabuena - Mitrione can use his size to muscle Kongo to the fence and wear him out a bit, to get a better shot at winning... But if this becomes purely a stand up battle, which I think it will, then Kongo takes it. Mitrione has shown huge improvement in his game, but I'm not sure if it will be enough to win a stand up war against a guy like Kongo. Cheick Kongo by DecisionTim Burke - I'm really not sure what to think of this fight. Kongo has very good striking but he's somewhat predictable. Mitrione has looked good so far in his career but there's something about his striking that bugs me and I can't put my finger on it. I'm going to go with Kongo just because he's willing to change up his game if he's losing at one particular aspect. Cheick Kongo by decisionFraser Coffeen - Kongo's predictability has made me overlook the fact that he is slipping a bit. He didn't do well against Browne, and I can't forget him getting tagged by both Pat Barry and Frank Mir. A few years ago, he could have outstruck Mitrione or taken him down. But I think time has caught up to him, and he's not the same gatekeeper anymore. This is a really close one though. Matt Mitrione by KOKJ Gould - Never in the deepest, darkest recesses of my mind did I ever think I'd enjoy watching Meathead fight in the UFC, nor expect him to be as successful as he has been since The Ulitmate Fighter. Kongo's chin is questionable but it's offset by fast recovery, and I still think it'd be a bad idea of Mitrione to headhunt as Kongo can land with precision while under fire. Mitrione training with Randy Couture and Neil Melanson intrigues me to see what part of the clinch and ground game they're able to impart on him and Kongo's biggest challenges have often been on the ground if you can get him there. Mitrione is deffinitely athletic enough to power Kongo to the mat even if he resorts to a good ol' fashined Football tackle. I just think as dangerous as Kongo can be, Mitrione has more upside and continues to evolve. Matt Mitrione by TKO (Ground'n'Pound)Matt Roth - It was almost two years ago following the season 10 Ultimate Finale that I proclaimed that Matt Mitrione was a future top 10 heavyweight. Most of you laughed at me. Some of you even thought I was crazy. Well here we are, Mitrione is about to break into the top 15 with a win over Kongo with his next bout lining him up for the top 10. How you like me now? I like Mitrione and I've made no secret that he's one of my favorite fighters in the heavyweigh division. He wins tomorrow night with punching power and athleticism. Matt Mitrione by TKO.Staff Picking Kongo: Tim, AntonStaff Picking Mitrione: Fraser, Leland, KJ, RothMirko Filipovic vs Roy NelsonLeland Roling - I can't believe my eyes. Fans don't believe Mirko is back? Shame on you. In all seriousness, Nelson should win. Pick Nelson if you want a safe bet. When it comes to Pride legends on their last leg, screw it. Let's have some fun. Mirko ‘Cro Cop' via decision.Anton Tabuena - As with all Cro Cop fights, (and a bit of Wand's lately), I keep hoping he will win, but my mind says otherwise. Mirko will probably have his moments, as he did during the bouts against Schaub and Mir, but it's just a matter of time. His opponent will eventually find his aging chin that will end the night, leaving the few remaining PRIDE fans sad. Roy Nelson by KO.Tim Burke - We've been hearing about the rebirth of Mirko's intensity for like seven fights now. I don't think Roy Nelson is the guy to wake him up. Nelson is the kind of guy that Cro Cop would pick apart back in the day - a slow, plodding striker who usually looks for a home run shot. But this isn't the same Mirko, and Roy should be able to knock him out late in the fight. I'm still hoping for a Cro Cop renaissance though. Throw those kicks, dammit!  Roy Nelson by TKO.Fraser Coffeen - Cro Cop is prone to being hit by an overhand punch. Cro Cop is easy to KO. Nelson has a powerful overhand punch with KO power. What more need be said? Roy Nelson by KOKJ Gould - I think Nelson wants to be taken seriously more than Filopovic wants to fight. This new introspective Mirko doesn't fill me with confidence his head is in the right place when it comes to in-fight mentality. Nelson has power, he also has grappling and Cro Cop isn't as much of a physical roadblock was Frank Mir or Junior  Dos Santos. I just can't see how Nelson loses this unless he decides he wants to hug mid-fight and join Mirko in a duet while on a road trip somewhere down the line. Nelson by KOMatt Roth - Roy looks like an english lit teacher. He also looks to be in the best shape of his career. Cro Cop has talked about how this is likely the final fight of his career. I think that means either Cro Cop has mentally checked out or he wants to go out in a blaze of glory. I'm hoping it means going out swinging but I doubt it. Nelson by KO. Staff Picking Filipovic: LelandStaff Picking Nelson: Tim, Anton, Fraser, KJ, RothScott Jorgensen vs Jeff CurranLeland Roling - Jorgensen's wrestling is good enough to keep this standing where Curran always has problems. Unless Jeff brings this to the ground and smothers Jorgensen in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, he's in for a long night. Scott Jorgensen via decision.Anton Tabuena - I'm still pissed they were thinking of putting whatshisname on the main card over a Jorgensen fight. Scott Jorgensen by TKO.Tim Burke - I respect the hell out of Jeff Curran, and every guy that fights below 155 should too. But the reality is that Curran can't hang with the best guys at 145, and Scotty is one of the best. I'm extremely happy this made it onto PPV, even if it took like seven tries. But this will be Jeff Curran's swan song in MMA, I believe. He will retire when Jorgensen gets his hand raised. Scott Jorgensen by decision.Fraser Coffeen - Hometown pride and a love for the sport's veterans will have me rooting for Curran, but this is an insane welcome back fight for him. At this stage in his career, he's just not up to the challenge of a top 5 fighter like Jorgensen. Sorry Big Frog. Scott Jorgensen by DecisionKJ Gould - Jorgensen is younger, stronger and a wrestler. I just can't see Curran being able to overcome this since Jorgensen isn't a rookie, either. Jorgensen dictates where the fight goes and I can see it stay standing until he floors Curran and finishes. Jorgensen by TKO.Matt Roth - Scott Jorgensen is just better at this point. Curran was good but that was age ago and the Big Frog just ain't that guy any more. Scotty by his signature guillotine. Staff Picking Jorgensen: Tim, Anton, Fraser, Leland, Roth, KJStaff Picking Curran: Hatsu Hioki vs George RoopLeland Roling - For the love of God, Hioki.. don't try to convince everyone you can strike. That's all I ask. If you do that, you're dead to me. Dead. Hatsu Hioki via submission.Anton Tabuena - Hioki is not the Korean Zombie. Hatsu Hioki by Submission.Tim Burke - I always believed that the only thing holding Hioki back from being a superstar is his mental game. He doesn't always show up 100% mentally for fights, and it costs him dearly. He should have no problem focusing on this fight though, and Roop is a good style matchup for him. There is going to be a ton of pressure on him and I don't think he'll live up to people's lofty expectations in his first bout, but he'll get the W. Hatsu Hioki by decisionKJ Gould - I never thought much of Roop from The Ultimate Fighter, and while I think a bit better of him as a Bantamweight since rebuilding in the WEC Hioki does have a level of submission grappling we haven't generally seen at Featherweight in the UFC thus far. He also has a good chin, taking some hard shots from the likes of Marlon Sandro and still going on to win the fight. Hopefully Hioki shows he's still in his prime and injury free and doesn't fallen victim to the UFC Japanese Curse that has struck down many of his comrades. Hioki by Submission.Matt Roth - I love me some Hioki. I really do. I just don't think this is a good fight for him. Yes, he has cage experience. Yes, he's run through absolutely everyone in the past couple of years. But, I just think Roop is a tough fight for him. He's made a ton of improvements and I think has the tools to beat Hioki. George Roop by TKO. Staff Picking Hioki: Tim, Anton, Fraser, Leland, KJStaff Picking Roop: Roth SBN coverage of UFC 137 Results: Penn vs. Diaz Dennis Siver vs Donald CerroneLeland Roling - I'm torn. I like how Cerrone has matured, and I'd love to see him win this match-up. I have this odd feeling that Siver's chaotic flurries of power punches and kicks will light up Cerrone at some point. Cerrone isn't exactly terrible at using his range, but he isn't great either. I'll take Cerrone, but Siver is a 2-to-1 underdog. I think you know what that means. Donald Cerrone via decision.Anton Tabuena - This will be a very interesting bout and another toss up. Cerrone has a better ground game, but I doubt that would come into play here. Both guys are pretty talented standing up, with Siver probably being a bit better. I want Cerrone to win, and he can definitely do so if he uses his length and his kicks properly, but I think Siver takes this. Dennis Siver via DecisionTim Burke - I'm a big fan of Cowboy, but I think this is where he gets derailed in the UFC. I don't think he can win a kickboxing battle with Siver and I'm pretty sure he won't be able to take him down. That spells trouble. Dennis Siver by decisionFraser Coffeen - Another super close and hard to call fight here. On the one hand, I think Cerrone can push the pace and land a higher volume of strikes, so that if they go the distance, his output will tip the cards in his favor. On the other hand, I don't think he can really hurt Siver, whereas Siver has the power to drop Cerrone and take the rounds based on damage. In the end, I think those big shots will add up, but I wouldn't be shocked for Cerrone to get the decision win, whether he deserves it or not. Dennis Siver by decisionKJ Gould - We're long overdue another Spinning Siver Sidekick Stoppage, but I'm not sure if this is the fight we'll see it re-emerge in. Cerrone has looked solid against Paul Kelly and Charles Oliveira and this fight with Siver is the right step up in competition in the UFC Lightweight division he needs to establish himself as a possible title threat. I expect the winner of Ben Henderson and Clay Guida to be next in line for a shot at Frankie Edgar and with a win for Cerrone I can't see him being too far behind in line. Cerrone's experience and all around game should be enough to beat the German based striker who apparently has some Judo in his background though we've rarely seen it. Cerrone by decision.Matt Roth - This should be an obvious pick for me. Cerrone has skills and has been killing dudes lately. I just don't like that he's so open about how often he drinks. That's not something an athlete should be doing. He also has been talking about matches beyond Siver. I'm picking him but man I don't like that pick. Cerrone by Submission.Staff Picking Siver: Tim, FraserStaff Picking Cerrone: Leland, KJ, Roth Tyson Griffin vs Bart PalaszewskiAnton Tabuena - I just hope he can make it exciting. Tyson Griffin by Decision.Tim Burke - I think Bart's going to have trouble with the cut to 145, and it's going to sap his cardio. Griffin can outwrestle him and outwork him, and Bart will fold late. Griffin by dominant decisionKJ Gould - I still can't get over how far Griffin has fallen. When he was making waves at Lightweight, even in a hard fought loss to a debuting Frankie Edgar, everything about him said ‘future lightweight champion'. Featherweight is a weaker but developing division and while Griffin got a decision over Manny Gamburyan I think he really needs to impress against Palaszewski for people to take notice of him again. Palaszewski hasn't fought in nearly a year and while I don't think Griffin's wrestling is as good as Kamal Shalorus' it should be enough to stifle the Polish-American in a similar fashion. Tyson Griffin by decision.Staff Picking Griffin: Tim, Anton, Fraser, Leland, KJ, RothStaff Picking Palaszewski: Brandon Vera vs Elliot MarshallLeland Roling - Vera makes me want to hate him when he speaks. I can't help it. If he actually believes PED's are what made him get absolutely owned on the ground against Thiago Silva, he's delusional. Silva still out maneuvered him in that fight, and that's a technique issue. Anyways, I'll buy into Vera's return being a bit more exciting. Brandon Vera via TKO.Anton Tabuena - Getting embarrassed on the ground against Thiago Silva made people forget that for the first time in several fights, Vera actually came out aggressive standing up, and he actually won all the striking exchanges on that bout. If this gets decided by a stand up battle, which Vera should be able to do being the superior wrestler, he's going to run through Marshall. Brandon Vera by TKO.Tim Burke - This could be the most boring fight ever. Marshall's not likely to give Vera the room to strike, and it's probably going to turn into an ugly clinch battle. I'll take Vera via superior wrestling, but I hope it's a lot better than I think it's gonna be. Brandon Vera by decisionKJ Gould - I think the UFC must really like Vera. I'm wondering how much of this is out of sympathy considering he had his face caved in by Jon Jones, and his nose imploded by a drugged up Thiago Silva. Silva was so high he started playing Vera like a bongo when they fought. Stylistically everything about this match up suggests ‘Bounce-Back Fight' for Vera. He just should not lose to Elliot Marshall who I could have swore retired not that long ago. He may well do again after Vera's finished with him. Brandon Vera by TKO.Staff Picking Vera: Tim, Fraser, Anton, Leland, KJ, RothStaff Picking Mashall: Ramsey Nijem vs Danny DownesAnton Tabuena - Here are Downes' advantages in the fight: He's definitely one of the scariest and most intimidating dude in the sport. He also has better striking, and a lot of heart. So while he can be smothered by Nijem's wrestling, I think Downes will find a way to win this. Danny Downes by Decision.Tim Burke - Despite the loss to Jeremy Stephens, I think Downes has a bright future just because of his heart, but there are a lot of holes in his game. He won't have the height advantage he usually has against Nijem, and Nijem's wrestling will likely be the difference. I like Downes and I want him to win, but logic says Ramsey Nijem by decision.KJ Gould - Nijem has solid wrestling and a good submission game, and while Downes has shown he can submit off of his back it was against a relative unknown at a regional show. While I've underestimated WEC guys going over to the UFC at Lightweight and below Downes only fought twice for WEC going 1-1. He won't be able to out-muscle Nijem like Tony Ferguson did and doesn't have the grappling to give him any problems either. Nijem lives to fight another day and should get a comfortable decision if not a submission. Nijem by decisionStaff Picking Nijem: Tim, Fraser, Leland, KJStaff Picking Downes: Anton, RothChris Camozzi vs Francis CarmontLeland Roling - I'm not a huge fan of Chris Camozzi, but he can use his reach effectively. Unfortunately, Carmont can match his size, and this drop to 185 lbs. for the French-fighter who trains at Tristar was a genius move. I think both men stack up well, so it's a toss-up in my mind. Francis Carmont via TKO.Tim Burke - Most people don't know who Carmont is, and that's with good reason. I'm honestly shocked he got a UFC contract, because I've never thought he was all that good. I guess being GSP's friend worked out well for him. Camozzi's no superstar either, but I think he has enough skill to keep Carmont at bay. A finish is unlikely. Chris Camozzi by decision.Staff Picking Camozzi: Tim, Anton, Fraser, KJStaff Picking Carmont: Leland, RothDustin Jacoby vs Clifford StarksLeland Roling - I'm a huge fan of hating on guys from my own area, mainly because Illinois MMA is lacking any real competition for legitimate talent coming out of the region. Case in point is Carson Beebe. But Jacoby trains at H.I.T. Squad, and he's 6'3". Big obstacles for Starks to face on short notice. Dustin Jacoby via TKO.Tim Burke - My guess is that Leland is the only one who of us who has even seen these two guys fight. I honestly haven't done enough research to adequately break this down, so I'll go with the guy who didn't fight two weeks ago. Dustin Jacoby by TKO.KJ Gould - Peer pressure. I can't handle it. I'll trust our resident prospects expert fully on this as I have no idea who either guy is.Staff Picking Jacoby: Tim, Anton, Fraser, Leland, KJ, RothStaff Picking Starks:

Posted in: fight, diaz, mitrione, penn, he

Read the full article at Bloody Elbow

Two of the most talented welterweights in the world will make battle tomorrow night (October 29, 2011) as former multi-divisional champion B.J. Penn takes on former Strikeforce welterweight champion Nick Diaz in the main event of UFC 137. B.J. Penn is stuck between a rock and a hard place at the moment. He's currently 0-2 against both the UFC lightweight champion (Frankie Edgar) and welterweight champion (Georges St. Pierre). As he waits for one of those champs to drop the title, he just needs to keep racking up wins against everyone else and that includes Nick Diaz. Nick Diaz was supposed to be main eventing this pay-per-view already, although it was originally against Georges St. Pierre with the title on the line. A couple missed press conferences and flights and he was demoted to the co-main event against Penn. Fortunately for him, and unfortunately for GSP, the champ went down with an injury and now Diaz is again in the main event. He's looking for a career-defining victory against Penn tomorrow night. Will "The Prodigy" put away the Stockton bad boy? Can Diaz score a significant victory against a top level UFC opponent? What does each top shelf welterweight need to do to secure a victory tomorrow night in the UFC 137 main event? Let's find out: B.J. Penn Record: 16-7-2 overall, 13-6-2 in the UFC Key Wins: Matt Hughes 2x (UFC 123, UFC 46), Diego Sanchez (UFC 107), Kenny Florian (UFC 101) Key Losses: Frankie Edgar 2x (UFC 118, UFC 113), Georges St. Pierre 2x (UFC 94, UFC 58) How he got here: B.J. Penn was a legend before he ever even entered the UFC, having been the first American Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt to win the gold medal in the World Jiu-Jitsu championships in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Penn shocked the world when he blasted them top ranked lightweight Caol Uno in 11 seconds at UFC 34 but would come up short against champion Jens Pulver just two months later.  When Pulver relinquished the title to compete overseas, Penn fought Uno in a rematch to a draw that was so lukewarm that the UFC eliminated the entire lightweight division. One year later, upon his return to the UFC, he was awarded a welterweight title shot against then considered unbeatable champion Matt Hughes but "The Prodigy" took Hughes' back and choked him out in the first round to win the UFC title.  Instead of defending his belt, the Hawaiian left the UFC and his weight ballooned, even fighting future UFC champion Lyoto Machida at heavyweight. When he returned, he lost a hotly contested decision to Georges St. Pierre in a number one contender match but was granted the title shot when GSP couldn't make the date due to an injury. This time around, Penn would get worn down by Hughes and an exhausted "Prodigy" would fade under Hughes' attack late in the third round. The Hawaiian took a year off, filmed season five of The Ultimate Fighter as a coach against Jens Pulver and then avenged his loss to "Little Evil" on the finale.  The newly motivated B.J. Penn would win the vacant UFC lightweight championship against Joe Stevenson and would defend it three times to soar up the pound-for-pound rankings. He would lose a welterweight title shot to Georges St. Pierre in the process and then would also lose consecutive decisions to current champion Frankie Edgar to surrender his lightweight title last year. Since then, Penn has moved to welterweight where he destroyed Hughes in a trilogy match and drew with consensus number two welterweight Jon Fitch earlier this year.  Penn is in limbo at the moment and a big showing against Nick Diaz could help him find his place. How he gets it done: B.J. Penn is an incredible Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt and his boxing is very crisp. That's not his path to victory, however. The biggest thing that separates Penn and Diaz is Penn's offensive wrestling. "The Prodigy" displayed terrific takedown skills against Jon Fitch earlier this year. Fitch is one of the best MMA wrestlers on the planet and Penn manhandled him in the first 1 1/2 rounds. If he could do that to Fitch, he can definitely do it to Nick Diaz. Penn also has likely been working those muscles for longer periods of time so he won't get as exhausted this time around either.  When he's not working for takedowns and trying to advance position on the the ground or dish out ground and pound, Penn should be patient in his stand-up. Nick Diaz wants to lure him into a brawl, but instead, Penn should sit back and wait for openings. Nick Diaz does not have great defensive boxing and he gets caught or dropped in nearly all of his recent fights. At some point, Diaz will likely leave himself open and Penn could hurt him badly if he can take advantage. Nick Diaz   Record: 25-7 (1 No Contest) overall, 6-4 in the UFC Key Wins: Paul Daley (Strikeforce: Diaz vs. Daley), Frank Shamrock (Strikeforce: Shamrock vs. Diaz), Robbie Lawler (UFC 47) Key Losses: Sean Sherk (UFC 59), Diego Sanchez (Ultimate Fighter 2 Finale), Karo Parisyan (UFC 49) How he got here: Nick Diaz has been fighting tough challengers since he was 17 years old. He battled Chris Lytle to a unanimous decision victory in just his second professional bout. Diaz was the inaugural WEC welterweight champion and burst onto the scene in the UFC when he knocked out Robbie Lawler, a fighter the promotion had been grooming to be a potential future champion. Diaz had a 6-4 run in the UFC, but could never quite get over the hump. He left the promotion in early 2007 and defeated Takanori Gomi via gogoplata in one of the most exciting bouts in MMA history although the result was overturned with a positive test for marijauna. Diaz would lose a match to K.J. Noons for the EliteXC lightweight title before heading to Strikeforce and winning the inaugural welterweight championship there.  Diaz is in the midst of a 10 fight winning streak that includes victories against the likes of Paul Daley, Evangelista Santos, Hatato Sakurai as well as avenging his loss to Noons. He's looking for validation with a victory against B.J. Penn on Saturday night. How he gets it done: Nick Diaz is longer than B.J. Penn and that could be the key to victory for him. He's got a crazy offensive attack in his striking that consists of pure volume strikes, mixing in so many blows that the opponent gets confused and doesn't see the heavy shots coming.  Diaz also likes to talk trash, leave his arms up, get his opponent flustered. If he can get Penn angry, perhaps draw him into a brawl, that's the type of fight he loves and that's the type of fight he can win. If Penn loses his composure in the fight, he could make a mistake that the Stockton native could capitalize on. Lastly, if Diaz can push a crazy pace, he could tire Penn out. The key will be to get in Penn's face and get him to be really active. Penn gassed out late against Jon Fitch in his last fight and conditioning is never a problem for Diaz so perhaps that could be his path to victory as well.   Fight "X-Factor:" The X-Factor for this fight is, with how much respect Nick Diaz has for B.J. Penn, will he be willing to fight his normal style, which is, taunting, trash talking, motioning his opponent and forcing them to scrap with him instead of sticking with their gameplan.  If Diaz has too much respect for Penn to do that, he could wind up fighting Penn's fight, which could be really bad for him. Penn will likely either want to take Diaz to the ground or be patient standing and counter Diaz's volume strikes when he sees an opening so if Diaz doesn't get in his head, he could be in for a world of hurt. Bottom Line: This is a battle of two very evenly-matched opponents. If B.J. Penn doesn't utilize his wrestling advantage, it could literally be either man's fight. Nick Diaz has more to prove and more to lose with this bout than Penn does as he was originally slated to fight for the UFC welterweight title and would likely be right in contention again if he were to win. Both of these fighters bring it every time and put on a "Fight of the Night" worthy performance or a knockout or submission of the night. Expect fireworks. Who will come out on top at UFC 137? Tell us your predictions in the comments below! Poll Who will win the main event of UFC 137 tomorrow night? B.J. Penn Nick Diaz   2 votes | Results

Posted in: ufc, fight, diaz, nick, penn

Read the full article at MMA Mania

Nick Diaz stepped on the scale for his first UFC weigh-in since 2006 at exactly 4:20 pm. Before today, BJ Penn made some 'not-so-nice' statements towards Cesar Gracie and even challenged him to a fight in an interview this week. Of course, Diaz being the 209er that he is, heard this statement and immediately internalized it as a personal insult towards himself. That's why at today's UFC 137 weigh-ins that just went down minutes ago, Diaz got directly into BJ's face and even threw a punch at Penn if you look at the footage closely. Props to ZombieProphet for ripping this video from UFC. Go to the 8:10 mark for the physical staredown between the two fighters.

Posted in: ufc, diaz, nick diaz, penn, bj

Read the full article at Middle Easy

The UFC 137 weigh-ins took place earlier this evening at the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas, Nevada. It was definitely an interesting weigh-in. First, Tyson Griffin, who was making his first cut to featherweight, missed weight by three pounds. He was given an hour to drop the weight, but didn’t look too excited about it. That far off, I wouldn’t be surprised if he doesn’t even try. Then Roy Nelson comes out… in a fat suit! No sneak peak at Nelson’s physique today, but the numbers don’t lie. Nelson came in eight pounds lighter than he did at UFC 130 in May. And last but not least, BJ Penn and Nick Diaz damn near went at it right on stage. Diaz, like he does with every opponent, got up in Penn’s face and the next thing you know they’re butting heads and Dana White is jumping in to break them up. Not sure if something happened behind the scenes beforehand, but given the mutual respect they seemed to have for each other leading up to the fight, no one was expecting a hostile stare down. The weigh-in results: BJ Penn (169) vs. Nick Diaz (170) Cheick Kongo (234) vs. Matt Mitrione (255) Mirko “Cro Cop” Filipovic (235) vs. Roy Nelson (252) George Roop (145) vs. Hatsu Hioki (145) Jeff Curran (134) vs. Scott Jorgensen (135) Donald Cerrone (156) vs. Dennis Siver (155) Tyson Griffin (149) vs. Bart Palaszewski (146) Eliot Marshall (204) vs. Brandon Vera (205) Danny Downes (155) vs. Ramsey Nijem (155) Chris Camozzi (185) vs. Francis Carmont (185) Dustin Jacoby (185) vs. Clifford Starks (186) Fighters in non-title fights are allowed to weigh in one pound over the weight class limit. UFC 137 “Penn vs. Diaz” will take place tomorrow, Oct. 29, at the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas, Nevada and will air live on pay-per-view at 9pm ET/6pm PT. More UFC 137 weigh-in pics at CombatLifestyle.com.

Posted in: ufc, diaz, vs, penn, weighin

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First, it was supposed to be all about Georges St. Pierre defending his crown against perhaps one of the best Strikeforce champions to ever flee that fading organization.  But then challenger Nick Diaz bailed on a press conference, so it was going to be about St. Pierre taking on Carlos Condit, while BJ Penn faced Diaz.  An injury to the UFC welterweight champ waylaid those plans, which put Condit on ice and turned the spotlight back on Diaz, who will now headline with the legendary Hawaiian.  Afraid that this incarnation of UFC 137 is going to fall apart, or – Heaven forbid – suck?  Don’t be scared, homie.  Given St. Pierre’s penchant for not finishing anymore, and Diaz and Penn’s capacity for delivering excitement, this permutation is the best possible outcome in terms of match-ups.  After all, what would you rather watch: the Canadian lying on top of Diaz or Condit for five rounds, or Diaz and Penn hurting each other with such ferocity their corner men die?  I’ll take some of the latter, thank you very much (sorry Nate Diaz and Reagan Penn).  So let’s break down Saturday night’s UFC installment, and discuss how the main event, as well as the rest of the somewhat interesting bouts on the card, will go. -Nick Diaz vs. BJ Penn – Whatever qualities epitomizes the best spokesperson for the sport, Diaz doesn’t possess them.  Sure, he can fight at an elite level – his boxing (both offensive and defensive) is way beyond anything his peers can muster, his jiu-jitsu is of the black belt variety, and his cardio is endless.  But if you need someone to work a press junket or give decent interviews, forget about it.  Diaz is not your man in that regard.  Conversely, Penn is very capable and willing when it comes to dealing with reporters and having cameras stuck in his face, and we all know his boxing is stellar, his jiu-jitsu is aces, and at times the former UFC lightweight- and welterweight champ can be explosive as hell.  Okay, that’s their stats laid out in Dungeons & Dragons character sheet form; now for the harsh truth of reality.  Penn is going to get killed.  Just as we’ve seen with pretty much everyone he’s faced in the last three years, Diaz is going to taunt him, step in close, and hit Penn with no less than a thousand punches of varying wattage.  And the accumulation is going to make the Hawaiian keel over.  It’s as simple as that. -Matt Mitrione vs. Cheick Kongo – How’s your physics?  Good?  Okay, then write this down: The trajectory of a TUF veteran on his way up, sporting striking skills that improve dramatically every time we see him, divided by the trajectory of a heavyweight who’s won only two of his last fights in the Octagon (and the last one, just barely).  Now calculate how fast Mitrione is going to knock Kongo out.  The correct answer is “Geez, I just got up to get a beer.  Why is that man dead?”  You know, once upon a time Kongo was a monster when it came to kickboxing.  But somewhere along the way he focused too much on wrestling (which was for sure a weak spot), and his dangerousness left him.  Mitrione has been given fights against incrementally tougher competition and he’s dispatched just about all of them.  Kongo is doomed. -Mirko “CroCop” Filipovic vs. Roy Nelson – It’s no fun watching CroCop fight anymore.  You want him to show at least just a little bit of that superstar that ruled the roost in PRIDE, and when he gets clobbered, it’s just all sadness and disappointment and more talk from him about retirement.  TUF 10 winner Nelson doesn’t evoke those same kinds of emotions when he loses, but maybe that’s because we don’t expect as much from him.  Yes, he’s got good hands and a black belt in jiu-jitsu.  However, he’s got a gut that makes it appear as if he spent his training camp on the couch, and how can anyone be anything other than pleasantly surprised when he smokes the likes of Brendan Schaub and Stefan Struve?  Anyway, Nelson is coming off convincing losses to Frank Mir and Junior dos Santos, while CroCop fell to Schaub and Mir.  Expect Nelson to bonk the Croatian fighter on the head hard enough to make him sleep, and then there will be sadness mixed with “Oh, hey, look what that chubby guy did.” -Scott Jorgensen vs. Jeff Curran – Jorgensen is one of the best bantamweights in the world.  Too bad champ Dominic Cruz exists in that world, too, as that means Jorgensen – who lost to Cruz in incontrovertible fashion back at WEC 53 – will never get the belt.  But he can still hit hard and wrestle even harder, which will make for a rough night for opponent Curran.  Curran is a complete old schooler who saw action at UFC 46, and his jiu-jitsu is solid.  It won’t save him.  Jorgensen is going to get him down, get on top, and pound away. -George Roop vs. Hatsu Hioki – There was a time when being a champ in Japan meant you’d be a killer when you came to the States.  Now, not so much.  Which isn’t to say that Shooto and Sengoku champ Hioki is going to be a pushover for opponent Roop.  With his skillful grappling and competent stand-up, he could very well trounce the TUF castoff.  But given how bad his Japanese brethren have performed in the Octagon, you just never know how Hioki will do.  Can he dance in and out of Roop’s excessive reach to pick him apart, and tie the American in knots on the ground?  Yes, he can.  He can also totally bomb.  For Japanese MMA’s sake, let’s hope he doesn’t.

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In less than 36 hours, future potential UFC Hall of Fame fighter BJ Penn is scheduled to square off against former training partner Nick Diaz. However, even with two titles in two different weight classes “the prodigy” thinks his best is yet to come. The popular Hawaiian recently spoke about his past success and how far he feels he can still go, making it appear as though he plans to keep on competing and improving over the coming years. “I’ve never really reached my peak and I’ve never really reached my potential, I’m going to fight until I get to that point,” Penn said in an interview on the UFC’s website. If the 32-year old does come closer to reaching that level, it won’t be a walk in the park with just a few buddies. “(Diaz) does a lot of things very well…we just gotta do everything he can do, but we do it faster, and stronger, and harder, and first”, Penn continued. As for the crowd, Penn vs Diaz is now the main event after a string of incidents taking him from an undercard fight against Carlos Condit to the spotlight with Diaz. Penn Excited About Welcoming Diaz Back to the UFC But Baby Jay is no stranger to the center stage, he has fought for twelve UFC titles against some of the biggest names in the business like Georges St. Pierre, Frankie Edgar and Matt Hughes. After a long and storied 25-fight MMA career, Penn has the confidence and experience to be the victor. “I want to just put on the performance of my life, I want to come out there with my hand raised…on October 29th I will defeat Nick Diaz.” Tweet

Posted in: ufc, diaz, ufc hall, penn, diaz penn

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BJ Penn and Nick Diaz is an even fight in the minds of many MMA fans. What side do you fall on?

Posted in: diaz, nick diaz, nick, penn, mma fans

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The UFC 137 weigh-ins go down on Friday with main event fighters B.J. Penn and Nick Diaz hitting the scales starting at 7pm ET.

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B.J. Penn and Nick Diaz‘s mutual respect and admiration may have rendered them unusually subdued coming into their upcoming bout, but the moment these two step inside the Octagon at UFC 137, there will be guaranteed violence. The Zuffa brass may not exactly feel “fortunate” following all the main event turmoil leading up to this Saturday, but surely they will admit that having such a strong co-main event ultimately saved this card from sinking completely. And while Georges St. Pierre‘s injury will leave a sour taste in people’s mouths, the fact remains, a fight pitting Penn against Diaz would have been considered a mouth-watering main event under normal circumstances. Welterweight Fight: B.J. Penn vs. Nick Diaz What Nick Diaz will attempt to do is far from a mystery. He will move forward, throw his “peppering punches”, throw plenty of combinations, and go to the body repeatedly. This is the way Diaz has always fought, but he has made some tremendous improvements in actually improving upon it in recent times. While his approach and strategy remain the same, his technique has gotten significantly better. That is not to say that Diaz will ever be mistaken for a technical striker, but there can’t be any doubts as to his efficiency. Many of Diaz’s opponents have fallen victim to the sheer volume with which he throws, and Diaz will look to overwhelm Penn the same way he did to his previous adversaries. He will look to take advantage of his reach by establishing his jab, continuously look for his lead right hook, and follow it up with the left; most likely to the body. Perhaps the most glaring aspect of the improvement in Diaz’s boxing has been his increased power. While the Stockton native isn’t a heavy hitter by any means, he has learned to sit on his punches in order to put more weight behind them. And while volume remains his main asset, he has proven that he can hurt his foes when he connects cleanly. Diaz’s single most dangerous punch is his left hook to the liver, and if he is to have any chance of stopping the otherwise iron-chinned Penn, then the left hook to the body is the punch he will have to bank on. However, for all of Diaz’s offensive improvements, his defense has remained typically shaky. His flat-footed stance continues to make him a still target, which, coupled with his lack of head movement, makes him extremely susceptible to getting lit up by a talented counter-puncher. Additionally, while Diaz does a good job at utilizing his reach effectively, he is all too content to stand inside the pocket. This almost cost him dearly against Paul Daley, and had it not been for Diaz’s otherworldly chin and recovery, he likely would have been separated from consciousness in that bout. This plays right into BJ Penn’s hands, as the Hawaiian is a superior technical boxer with great counter-punching ability. On paper, Penn could have a hard time getting past Diaz’s reach and get his jab going, but his superior footwork and hand speed will likely compensate. In addition to his laser-like jab and his lead left hook, Penn’s single most lethal strike is by far his counter right hook. And this is where things get tricky for Diaz, as unlike many of his previous opponents, he will not simply be able to cut off the cage, pressure Penn into backpedaling, and start unloading with combinations. Instead, “The Prodigy” will step inside and stop Diaz in his tracks with accurate counter-striking. Penn would be smart to look to counter with a straight right as well, as Diaz’s southpaw stance makes him particularly vulnerable to that shot. For Penn, efficient and clean counter-punching will be key to his success. He can’t afford to allow Diaz to settle into a rhythm and get his usual offense going, as this will almost assuredly tire the former multi-divisional champion out. Instead, his superior speed and especially, fire power, should be able to stop Diaz from throwing with the same volume and with his usual comfort level. Crucially, it is Penn who possesses a second path to victory. If Diaz gets the better of the stand-up exchanges, Penn should be smart enough to take the fight to the ground. Penn’s wrestling ability, particularly his double leg takedown, has long been severely underrated. Given Diaz’s historically iffy takedown defense, Penn — who out-wrestled Jon Fitch earlier this year — shouldn’t have too much trouble planting his opponent on his back. Diaz is guilty of being too comfortable off of his back, as he rarely attempts to scramble back to his feet and instead relies on throwing submissions from the bottom. Against a grappler of Penn’s caliber, this will prove to be a lost cause. In fact, going for triangles from the bottom will provide Penn with some guard passing opportunities. Penn’s fantastic guard passing is made easier by some vicious ground and pound. In particular, Penn’s elbows are something Diaz need to be wary off, especially given his history of marking up and cutting too easily. Diaz might be one of only a handful of fighters who can survive with BJ Penn on their back, but it is nevertheless a position the Cesar Gracie product should desperately avoid. Diaz will hold a strong edge in cardio, as Penn has a history of fading when things don’t go his way, and Diaz’s frantic pace is too much for most fighters to handle. However, Penn’s conditioning has never reared its ugly head in fights where he has been in control. It is only when he gets beaten up that he starts to slow down. As long as he is dictating the action, Penn should be fine. If Diaz is to win, he needs to use his reach to frustrate Penn, pile up the pressure, tag him continuously while avoiding the incoming counters, and wear him out. In reality however, the match-up is just too difficult for Diaz to overcome. Penn’s head movement and chin — which might be even better than Diaz’s — mean that Nick will have a hard time landing at will or hurting him. Furthermore, Penn’s counter-punching will prove problematic for the defensively deficient Diaz. On the ground, Penn possesses one of the best top games in MMA and happens to be one of the few fighters in the division with overall better grappling than Diaz. Nick’s toughness makes him incredibly hard to finish (though it isn’t completely off the cards), but Penn should walk away with a comfortable decision. Official Prediction: BJ Penn to defeat Nick Diaz by Decision

Posted in: diaz, nick, penn, hook, bj

Read the full article at Five Ounces of Pain

Filed under: UFC, NewsLAS VEGAS -- There may be no championship fight, but that hardly dimmed the spirits of a huge crowd that turned out to watch the UFC 137 weigh-ins at the Mandalay Bay Events Center. It appeared that every available seat was filled to watch top welterweights BJ Penn and Nick Diaz step on the scale and make their main event bout official. The two didn't disappoint, with UFC officials having to separate them after things nearly got physical during their staredown. Diaz weighed in first, coming in at 170 pounds, and Penn followed at 169. That's when the show began. Penn walked up to Diaz, the crown of his head just under Diaz's nose. Diaz then appeared to burrow his head forward, making contact with Penn. The two then shoved each other before being quickly separated. It was the first and only sign of animosity between the two during fight week in what has been mostly been a quiet, respectful back and forth. After the push-apart, Diaz immediately walked off the stage and to the back. "He's a good opponent," Penn said. "It's time to fight." Diaz is making his return to the UFC after vacating the Strikeforce championship. He's riding a 10-fight win streak, and he has cited Penn as one of his early influences. The two have also worked together in the past, but Friday's actions showed the two won't have a problem putting the past behind them and getting down to fight. In the co-main event, Matt Mitrione will take a 21-pound advantage into his heavyweight bout with Cheick Kongo. For Mitrione, it is his biggest jump in opponent level after taking out Christian Morecraft in his last bout. Mitrione weighed 255 to Kongo's 234. In what may be his last bout as a fighter, Mirko Cro Cop weighed in at a trim 235 pounds for his bout with Roy Nelson. In the leadup to the fight, there has been talk about Nelson's new conditioning program and the effects it may have on his body, but he didn't tip his hand at weigh-ins, wearing a fat suit on the scale while registering 252 pounds. By comparison, in his last fight at UFC 130, Nelson weighed 260 pounds. The only fighter to miss weight was Tyson Griffin, who was well off the mark, checking in at 146, three pounds over the featherweight limit. He has one hour to attempt to lose the three pounds. Main Card Nick Diaz (170) vs. B.J. Penn (169) Cheick Kongo (234) vs. Matt Mitrione (255) Mirko Cro Cop (235) vs. Roy Nelson (252) Hatsu Hioki (145) vs. George Roop (145) Scott Jorgensen (135) vs. Jeff Curran (134) Preliminary Card Donald Cerrone (156) vs. Dennis Siver (155) Tyson Griffin (149) vs. Bart Palaszewski (146) Eliot Marshall (204) vs. Brandon Vera (205) Danny Downes (155) vs. Ramsey Nijem (155) Chris Camozzi (185) vs. Francis Carmont (185) Dustin Jacoby (185) vs. Clifford Starks (186) Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

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The UFC 137 “Penn vs. Diaz” weigh-ins will stream live in the video player above at 7pm ET/4pm PT. Weigh-in results will follow on a separate post.

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If you are in prison and getting prepared to give a speech before the parole board defending your request for an early release, it is probably not a good idea to walk in and tell them you are 'as violent than ever'. Obvious advice is obvious, but it never hurts to remind any of our incarcerated readers how to work the system. We care about all of our readers here at MiddleEasy.com, even those of you reading the site in your 8x8 cell via a smuggled in contraband cellphone. Thankfully BJ Penn is not incarcerated, so he doesn't have to worry about admitting that his propensity for violent behavior has risen exponentially. In this footage captured by Fight Hub TV during open media workouts, BJ let's everyone know he is  'older but as violent as ever'. Now I can't stop inserting that quote into Notorious BIG's song 'One More Chance' and picturing BJ Penn going off BIGGIE style in a giant oversized Coogi sweater rapping, "Heart throb never, old and violent as ever, I stay Coogi down to the socks..." Well then, now we all need to erase ithe images in our heads of BJ Penn wearing really ugly sweaters and rapping. So check out the video of the chat media had with BJ during open media workouts yesterday and instead focus on the new image in your brain of you reaching out and squeezing BJ's extra puffy cauliflower ear. [source]

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MMAFrenzy’s coverage of UFC 137 continues as we continue our preview of Saturday’s main card with our main event of the evening, former Strikeforce welterweight champion Nick Diaz versus former UFC welterweight and lightweight champion BJ Penn. Be sure to stay tuned to MMAFrenzy for complete coverage of UFC 137, including results, previews, and the MMAFrenzy podcast. BJ Penn vs. Nick Diaz Keys for Penn (CL) - In many ways, these two fighters are just altered versions of each other. Both have a boxing and BJJ base and both have had a plethora of issues dealing with authority. Penn trained with Cesar Gracie years ago and still rolls in some times before fights. With that said, do not expect these two to not get after it Saturday. A lot has been made about Diaz’s boxing and how it sets him apart from most fighters. The truth is that, in many ways, Diaz’s technical boxing has regressed as his aggression has increased. Diaz routinely does not protect his chin in an effort to overwhelm his opponents with volume rather than power and that can get you in trouble if you are not careful. I look back at the Paul Daley fight and it truly is shocking to me how poorly Daley utilized this. Rather than using crisp counters to Diaz, Daley loaded up and telegraphed his shots. Which played right into Diaz’s style with his quick hands. While Daley got his shots in and dropped Diaz a few times, his fear of being submitted kept him from following up too much. If I were Penn, I would have replayed that 5 minutes so many times that I would have it memorized. Penn has strong boxing of his own and that will be a huge factor here. While Diaz is volume and reckless aggression, Penn utilizes a more surgical and powerful boxing attack that takes advantages of his opponents mistakes. A key for Penn is to protect yourself when Diaz swarms and then counter accordingly. The one thing Penn cannot do is just cover up, try to load up a power shot, and swing for the fences. That’s the mistake Daley made and Penn would be wise not repeat it. Too often people believe that you have to throw power shots to stifle an onslaught but the reality is that when a fighter is attacking you by swarming they are usually not protecting their chin. So a quick jab can disrupt their rhythm, which that is time you can fire that power shot. If Penn does this, his chances of winning increase exponentially. On the ground, Penn is the more decorated BJJ fighter but with Diaz’s BJJ proficiency, that often leads to stalemates and fewer finishes (See Demian Maia vs. Jorge Santiago). That’s not to say that the ground game will not be a factor though. Penn’s former nemesis Frankie Edgar demonstrated in his fight with Gray Maynard that taking shots after a combination can be enough to get your opponent looking the wrong direction before you eventually feint the shot and attack with strikes instead. I think Penn could utilize this here against Diaz. Penn has shocked Jon Fitch when Penn went after takedowns on the former Boilermaker. While I do not think Penn will turn into GSP out there, a good double or single could be the difference in a fight this close on paper. Finally, the last thing to address is that Penn has been fighting a much higher level of competition than Diaz for years now. Which can be a double-edged sword if Penn relies on that as an advantage. Diaz is always dangerous but everyone will learn how much of his recent success has been favorable matchmaking as opposed to increased skill. Keys for Diaz (Bryan Robison) - All the strange and awkward pre-fight activities are over. The fight is finally here. After weeks of confusion, whether it be Georges St. Pierre fighting Nick Diaz or Carlos Condit, whether Diaz would be on this card or not, or whether Diaz and Penn would end up being five rounds, it is finally over. Now we can focus on what we always want to focus on, the fight. However, that is seemingly as confusing as the pre-fight activity. This fight is a very tough puzzle to figure out. Penn trained with Cesar Gracie years ago, and Diaz has always admired him for that and for his style. Now the two must clash in the octagon, even though it is obvious these two never had plans on meeting inside the cage. With Diaz, you have a premier boxer. While Penn’s boxing is certainly not a weakness, few can match up with Diaz in that department. He’s also a well established Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu practitioner. But hey, Penn is great at that as well. Well, then we get to wrestling, something Diaz has never looked highly upon. He’s criticized St. Pierre for years for his style, and it is obvious he will never want to get into that kind of fight but Penn certainly does not mind if that happens. In his last fight, Penn surprised Fitch with multiple takedown attempts, and it worked. He can do the same with Diaz here. With that strategy, Diaz is going to have to be on the lookout for Penn’s grappling. Diaz has a reach advantage, and he always uses that well. As stated, Diaz’ boxing is now his forte, and that should be put to good use with Penn. Keeping him on the outside, and using his stunning combinations will be the key for Diaz. While it may not seem that Diaz has the quickest hands, he throws his punches in threes and fours, as opposed to ones and twos. If it does go to the ground, both of them have excellent submission defense, but neither has utilized it in their last few fights. That pattern may continue on Saturday. UFC 137 Previews: Matt Mitrione vs. Cheick Kongo Roy Nelson vs. Mirko “Cro Cop” Filipovic Scott Jorgensen vs. Jeff Curran Hatsu Hioki vs. George Roop Donald Cerrone vs. Dennis Siver    

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B.J. Penn says he’s happy and content heading into UFC 137. Or is the former champ just playing mind games?

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Chael Sonnen previews UFC 137 BJ Penn vs. Nick Diaz with Tom Atencio UFC 137 Main Event Breakdown: BJ Penn vs. Nick Diaz | MMA Fighting What was once Nick Diaz’s can be his again. The chance to fight for the UFC welterweight championship is likely just one win away, and standing between him and that goal is BJ Penn. Oh, it’s only a legend and Diaz’s first MMA hero. Even if you’re not a fan of subtext, the significance of that one final obstacle hard to miss. UFC 137: Predictions and Betting Odds for Saturday’s Fights | Bleacher Report Both like to box and rarely strike with anything other than their hands. This is where most of this fight is going to play out, and it’s going to come down to whose skin holds up better to the punches. Both have the chins to withstand each other’s power, but Diaz’s skin cuts easy, and Penn should be able to bust him up even if the exchanges are relatively equal. UFC 137 Breakdown: The Undercard | Five Ounces of Pain If Matt Mitrione is ever going to become a contender in the heavyweight division, he needs to emerge victorious in this one. For all the grief he received following his stint on season 10 of The Ultimate Fighter, Mitrione has turned into quite a serviceable — and even likeable — heavyweight. His professional Football background is a testament to his athleticism, which is a rarity in the division. However, whether his cardio has improved or not remains to be seen. BJ Penn and Nick Diaz Head to Head: Who will win at UFC 137 | LowKick BJ Penn and Nick Diaz will meet this weekend at the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas, Nevada. The two will face off in the main event of UFC 137. The winner in this fight could very well find themselves on the short list for consideration for a potential title fight in the not too distant future. Penn is mighty, but what’s the point? | NBC Sports No matter what BJ Penn does in his UFC 137 main event match with Nick Diaz, it’s not likely to help him get another title shot. Verafied: UFC 137′s Brandon Vera doesn’t want to be a cautionary tale | MMA Mania “If I saw [Thiago Silva] right now I would kick him in the nuts for sure.” Dana White: Carlos Condit Guaranteed Next Shot at Georges St-Pierre | 5thRound “No, Condit’s in,” White emphatically stated. “Condit’s sitting and waiting. [Georges St-Pierre] should be [out] six to eight weeks. He’s just gotta have some rehab on his knee. Hopefully it doesn’t lead to surgery.” Video Timeline: MMA’s Greatest Techniques of the Year, 1993-2011 | Cage Potato Over the last two decades, MMA has evolved so consistently that fighters are still finding new and unexpected ways to destroy their opponents — while causing fans to spit their beers in shock. We decided to take a lil’ spin through MMA history and identify the single most awe-inspiring technique from each year since the sport’s modern inception. Dave Meltzer: Piracy is a major factor in why UFC PPV buy rates are declining | Fight Opinion With the estimated PPV buy rate numbers for UFC 136 (Houston) coming in at around 250,000 PPV buys, there is concern about the short-term and long-term future of UFC’s PPV business model. It’s only going to get tougher with increased sports & entertainment events happening on Saturday nights. Injuries & too many shows are the main reasons why UFC PPV buys are down this year. Those underlying causes are the reason for a reported spike in piracy of UFC PPV events being streamed online. Dave elaborated on this conundrum for the UFC during his interview with Jack. If you think you can out swim Nick Diaz, you’re clearly delusional | MiddleEasy Our videographer, LayzieTheSavage, was under the belief that he ‘almost’ beat Nick Diaz in a pool race the night he arrived in Las Vegas for UFC 137. Granted everyone’s definition of ‘almost’ varies, but fortunately we have documentation of this swimming contest. If almost means he didn’t even finish the second lap, then sure, LayzieTheSavage ‘almost’ beat Nick Diaz. By that logic, Kristin Kreuk almost knows that I exist and we almost started dating nearly three years ago. Check out this video to clearly see Layzie’s definition of what ‘almost’ really is. Din Thomas updates us on his health after car accident 
| TheFightNerd “I might be the first person in history to get into a car accident on his way to the fight. It’s still kind of hard for me to talk about since this was something I really looked forward to… The thing for me was that i was at the weigh-ins, so I was debating on whether I wanted to stay in Ft. Lauderdale or go home… so we decided to just come back… I ended up going back home and I was feeling good… The car in front of me was a white truck… I was going about 50, not excessively fast… it started to lose control and hydro-planing… so I pulled off to the side and ended up hitting a light pole.” – Din Thomas Payout Blue Book Update | MMA Payout The MMAPayout.com Pay-Per-View, Television, and Live Gate & Attendance sections of the  Blue Book have been updated to include all events in 2011.

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UFC 137: "Penn vs. Diaz" is all set to go down tomorrow night (Oct. 29, 2011) live from the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas, Nevada. Remember: MMAmania.com will provide LIVE updates with blow-by-blow, round-by-round commentary of the main card action on fight night, which is slated to air at 9 p.m. ET on pay-per-view (with Facebook and Spike TV "Prelim" fights beginning at 6:30 and 8:00 p.m. ET, respectively). In the headlining bout, B.J. Penn welcomes Nick Diaz back to the Octagon in what is widely considered a title contender's elimination bout. Which one of these two gladiators will earn the right to face the winner of Georges St. Pierre vs. Carlos Condit in 2012? Our co-main event pits Matt Mitrione, in what is clearly his stiffest test to date, against the technical striking of French kickboxer Cheick Kongo. Does a win for "Meathead" put him into the 265-pound title hunt? There will certainly be a lot to talk about on Sunday morning. I've also included the current betting lines for each fight so you can get a feel for what the money has to say about the chances of each combatant. Now, enough with the formalities ... let's get cracking: 170 lbs.: B.J. "The Prodigy" Penn (16-7-2) vs. Nick Diaz (25-7) Nostradumbass predicts: I have no problem calling B.J. Penn the second best fighter in his entire weight class. Unfortunately that weight class is 155-pounds. Why does this man compete as a welterweight? Because it's both convenient and comfortable, even if it robs the fans of seeing what a truly special fighter he is at 155. I'll be the first guy to tell you the Hawaiian is good enough to compete in any division he wants, but can you show me a welterweight fight since his UFC return in 2006 where he doesn't run out of gas? Okay, great, he mummified Matt Hughes at the 21 second mark of their rubber match. That doesn't really do anything except prove that Hughes is aging like he drank from the false grail. Over his last ten fights, Diaz is 10-0 with nine finishes. He could fight 15 rounds if you asked him to. Unfortunately the only time Penn has cardio is when he fights as a lightweight, simply because he has to get in shape to hit the 155-pound limit. In tomorrow's headliner he'll be trying to win on skill alone, which means from a conditioning standpoint, he's got one round to finish it -- against a fighter who survived a direct hit from Paul Daley. Overall, both Penn and Diaz are pretty evenly matched. Good strikers, great grapplers, chins of steel. But we already know how the fight unfolds: Penn comes out and dominates the first round. He answers the bell for the second stanza, can't catch his breath and gives away rounds two and three to what has to be the busiest puncher in all of mixed martial arts. Betting lines (as of Oct. 29): Penn (-130) vs. Diaz (+100) Prediction: Diaz via unanimous decision 265 lbs.: Matt "Meathead" Mitrione (5-0) vs. Cheick Kongo (16-6-2) Nostradumbass predicts: This fight reminds me of the Cheick Kongo vs. Heath Herring fight way back at UFC 82. The same outcome wouldn't surprise me, either. That's because Kongo is the same fighter he's always been and I don't envision that changing much in the foreseeable future. The easiest opponent to prepare for is the one who wears his gameplan on his sleeve. You know what to expect and can spend your entire training camp working on the solution to overcoming it. That's one of the things that makes Jon Jones so difficult to prepare for: The unknown. It's also why I give Mitrione a slight edge here as well. My biggest gripe is that yes, he's looked good and yes, he's steadily improved, but he really hasn't beaten anybody. I don't mean that as a sign of disrespect to guys like Joey Beltran, but Brendan Schaub, another big, athletic heavyweight with good hands, found out the grass is always redder on the other side. Cheick Kongo is the 265-pound equator. There's equal talent on either side, as in equally good or equally bad. We'll find out tomorrow night what side of the line "Meathead" lands on. I'm picking former, as I expect him to be busier, faster and more athletic than the Parisian, who will land a few stunners but fail to do enough to convince the judges he was the better man. Betting lines (as of Oct. 29): Mitrione (-150) vs. Kongo (+120) Prediction: Mitrione via unanimous decision 265 lbs.: Roy "Big Country" Nelson (15-6) vs. Mirko "Cro Cop" Filipovic (27-9-2) Nostradumbass predicts: Every time I watch a pre-fight interview and see Cro Cop talking the talk, I think "Yeah! He's back!" Then he gets laced in his fight and I feel like a fool for letting him dupe me, yet again. Not this time, Mirky. My love affair with his body of work in PRIDE has led me afoul one too many times and even now as I write this, I think "Man, the way Nelson lumbers in, he's prime meat for that left leg." Then I get off the bus to Fantasy Island and realize that this is not the Croatian Cop who was electric in Japan. This is a broken down athlete who gets paid big dollars to show up in checkered shorts. I know Nelson's stock plummeted after his last fight against Mir, where he huffed and puffed his way to a unanimous decision loss, but "Big Country" had the flu or was sick or his cat died, I dunno, somethin' was bugging him. I also don't care if he was pinata'd by Junior dos Santos because let's be honest, who wasn't? At this point in their respective careers, Nelson has a chin and Croppy doesn't. Filipovic has never looked comfortable inside the cage and Nelson's a master at using his grappling to stymie long-range offenses and work for the sub. He won't need it in this fight, as the Croat will try to show us why he was so great in 2006 -- only to get KTFO in the process. Betting lines (as of Oct. 29): Nelson (-240) vs. Filipovic (+190) Prediction: Nelson via technical knockout 145 lbs.: Hatsu Hioki (24-4-2) vs. George Roop (12-7-1) Nostradumbass predicts: One guy is great at submissions and one guy has some long-ass limbs. I think you know where I'm going with this. Hioki via submission? Duh. At featherweight, Roop can be a dangerous fighter. If you thought his head shot on the "Korean Zombie" was just a "Fluke," he proved otherwise by crumpling Josh Grispi. But his fight against Mark Hominick proved that he still plays to his opponent's strengths, which is why he loses to Hioki. Historically it's been hard to get excited about Japanese imports because they fall flat inside the Las Vegas cage; however, Hioki hasn't been crushing tuna cans over the past ten years, he's been beating up world class talent and has wins over Marlon Sandro, Mark Hominick and Jeff Curran. In 28 fights he's never been knocked out or submitted and three of his four decision losses have been splits. Roop is a tough guy with a ton of heart, but he's simply outclassed here. Hioki is going to do enough on the feet to get himself in good position so that he can get this thing to the ground. From there, it's academic. Betting lines (as of Oct. 29): Hioki (-400) vs. Roop (+300) Prediction: Hioki via submission 135 lbs.: Scott "Young Guns" Jorgensen (12-4) vs. Jeff "The Big Frog" Curran (33-13-1) Nostradumbass predicts: When did Scott Jorgensen become Anderson Silva? I understand he's probably at a better place in his career than Jeff Curran is at this particular point in time but -450? Whateva... In fact, that irritates me so much I'm picking "The Big Frog." Jorgy has serviceable hands but his real strength lies in his wrestling. I expect Curran to spend a lot of time on his back, but he's not going to be Ken Stone'd or beaten bloody, he's got too much experience and is too crafty a veteran for that. He also hasn't been knocked out in ten years and while his WEC exit was a tough pill to swallow, he was faced with the top of the food chain in both divisions including Urijah Faber, Mike Brown and Dominick Cruz. That's a pretty tall order for any fighter. And heart? Curran broke his arm against David Love last December and still hung on to win the fight. Jorgensen is going to have his way with Frogger for most of the first two rounds, which may lead to him getting a little too comfortable in guard as the clock ticks away in the final frame. That's when he gets triangled and tapped before he even realizes he's in trouble. Betting lines (as of Oct. 29): Jorgensen (-450) vs. Curran (+325) Prediction: Curran via submission That's a wrap, folks. Remember to come check us out after the show for all the latest results, recaps and coverage of UFC 137: "Penn vs. Diaz." What do you think? Now it's your turn ... let us have it in the comments section and share your thoughts and picks for tomorrow night's event.

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Tom Grant supplies us with an excellent Judo Chop on B.J. Penn's ground game - in particular, showing how his back takes and control of his opponents are a fearsome component of a fearsome ground game. At this point, most MMA fans know B.J. Penn's story: starting his training under Ralph Gracie and then moving to Nova Uniao before earning his black belt in just three years of grappling. There was some outcry at the speed and his promotion and B.J. silenced all the doubters by being the first American to win a black belt World Championship in Brazilian jiu-jitsu. Because of this rapid ascent to the top, B.J. is often hailed as a Brazilian jiu-jitsu wizard and many are quick to point out his amazing flexibly as the genesis of his grappling acumen. To attribute his prowess simply to his inhuman flexibility and focus on his guard game is to discredit Penn's game. While his flexibility is impressive, Penn's technical diversity and firm grasp on foundational skills is what makes him so formidable.  Penn's guard is often praised - and for good reason. Penn has an active guard that is extremely difficult to pass. That said, in his fights with Jon Fitch and rematch with Georges St. Pierre they have great success damaging Penn from inside his guard. Penn's guard game has never really heavily featured submission attacks, instead focusing much more on sweeping or taking the back. Below the jump is an examination of the several times we've seen B.J. take the back and how that led to great positions or victory. In the second match of one of the best trilogies in MMA, B.J. managed to magic his way to Matt Hughes's back in the second round. Kid Nate wrote an excellent Judo Chop on how exactly Penn took Hughes' back. It was a wonderful move, but a Pyrrhic victory for Penn. Where Penn's jiu jitsu game truly shines is in his top control and his attack once he is on his opponent's back.  Here is Penn in the third round of his 2003 fight with Takanori Gomi. He is on Gomi's back and beginning to strike. Gomi is defending and attempts to elevate hips and drop his shoulders to shake Penn off his back. The normal response to that tactic is for the fighter on the back to grab over-under grips, going over one shoulder and under the opposite armpit to prevent from sliding off. Penn has the awareness to not just grip under Gomi's armpit, but trap his leg and prevent Gomi from being able to posture up to shake Penn off.  Gripping the leg also breaks Gomi down and allows Penn to make his hips heavy to flatten Gomi out, which sets up the rear naked choke that would finish the fight.  Here in the opening minutes of Penn's fight against Jon Fitch, the Hawaiian fighter shows off his diverse and creative grappling game. First Penn shows some defensive striking awareness, slipping a punch, escaping from off the cage and getting to an excellent angle for counter striking. Penn throws a quick combination causing Fitch to raise his hands in defense and Penn uses that as an opening to shoot a double leg in an excellent display of mixed martial arts instincts.   Once he takes Fitch down, not an easy task, he is able to establish strong over-under grips, slip off to Fitch's left,  roll him over and take his back in a very basic no-gi jiu jitsu attack. The over-under hooks give Penn control of Fitch's upper body and when he slides up the side, Penn's knee blocks Fitch from basing with his arm and forces him to roll. As they roll over, Penn looks to sink his hooks and gets the top hook easily, but Fitch uses his arm to fight off the bottom side hook. Here Penn's flexibility comes into play as he is able to swing his leg over Fitch's arm and temporarily trapping the arm. Once on Fitch's back, B.J. hooks his feet around Fitch's left leg, which prevents him from rolling over into top position in Penn's guard. Fitch establishes strong wrist control to prevent a choke, reaches down and pushes Penn's foot out, but Penn transitions to the body triangle. Fitch attempts to roll and Penn follows him, hooking Fitch's leg to control him.  While Fitch is able to fend off the choke and secure a draw by coming back in the later portion of the fight, Penn's nifty back control won him the first round on every judge's score card.  Going into UFC 137, the betting lines are close and the questions are looming large. Will we see this fight play out on the ground, where both have highly polished skills honed with years of sweat, blood and tears? Does one of these two fighters have the grappling chops submit the other? Or will we see this battle be decided on the feet? What do you readers think?

Posted in: gomi, penn, game, bj, fitch

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There's a new event to play at MMA Salary Cap Challenge, with some new advice on the blog:Nick Diaz $16 - Diaz is going to take the fight to Penn tomorrow night, and, win or lose, he should rack up a ton of striking points just through the sheer volume he is known to throw. In his last three fights, his lowest striking point total came against K.J. Noons (10.4) in a fight that went the full 25-minute championship distance.Check out the whole column for more tips and strategy at UFC 137.

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Weigh-ins for tomorrow’s “UFC 137: Penn vs. Diaz” event take place today at 7pm ET in Las Vegas as headliners BJ Penn and Nick Diaz, co-headliners Matt Mitrione and Cheick Kongo, and the rest of the card weigh in to make their fights official. Stay tuned to MMAFrenzy.com for live UFC 137 weigh-in results and video starting at 7pm ET. MAIN CARD (PPV) BJ Penn vs. Nick Diaz Matt Mitrione vs. Cheick Kongo Mirko Cro Cop vs. Roy Nelson Hatsu Hioki vs. George Roop Jeff Curran vs. Scott Jorgensen PRELIMINARY CARD (Spike TV) Dennis Siver vs. Donald Cerrone Bart Palaszewski vs. Tyson Griffin PRELIMINARY CARD (Facebook) Brandon Vera vs. Eliot Marshall Ramsey Nijem vs. Danny Downes Francis Carmont vs. Chris Camozzi Dustin Jacoby vs. Clifford Starks

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The official weigh in event for UFC 137: "Penn vs. Diaz" is set to take place today (Oct. 28, 2011) LIVE from the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas, Nevada. The first fighter is expected to tip the scale at 7 p.m. ET. As usual, MMAmania.com will provide up-to-the-second coverage of the UFC 137 weigh-ins, as well as provide a detailed recap of the festivities as soon as they conclude. UFC 137 will feature former welterweight champion B.J. Penn taking on ex-Strikeforce 170-pound titleholder Nick Diaz. In the co-main event, fast-rising heavyweight prospect Matt Mitrione challenges the hard-hitting Cheick Kongo. Complete UFC 137 weigh in results after the jump: Main event: 170 lbs.: B.J. Penn ( ) vs. Nick Diaz ( ) Main card (Pay-per-view): 265 lbs.: Cheick Kongo ( ) vs. Matt Mitrione ( )265 lbs.: Roy Nelson ( ) vs. Mirko Filipovic ( )145 lbs.: Hatsu Hioki ( ) vs. George Roop ( )135 lbs.: Jeff Curran ( ) vs. Scott Jorgensen ( ) Spike TV "Prelims:" 155 lbs.: Donald Cerrone ( ) vs. Dennis Siver ( )145 lbs.: Tyson Griffin ( ) vs. Bart Palaszewski ( ) Preliminary card (Facebook stream): 205 lbs.: Brandon Vera ( ) vs. Eliot Marshall ( )170 lbs.: Danny Downes ( ) vs Ramsey Nijem ( )185 lbs.: Chris Camozzi ( ) vs Francis Carmont ( ) For those fortunate enough to be in "Sin City" this weekend, remember the weigh-in is FREE to attend and open to the public. Doors to the weigh-in will open at 1 p.m. PT. In addition, UFC Fight Club members will be able to attend a special Q&A session with former heavyweight champion Frank Mir at 2 p.m. local time. Remember that MMAmania.com will provide LIVE round-by-round, blow-by-blow coverage of the main card action on fight night (Sat., Oct. 29), which is slated to air at 9 p.m. ET on pay-per-view. The latest quick updates of the live action will begin to flow earlier than that around 6 p.m. ET with the preliminary bouts. It's going to be a fun night of fights so don't miss it. And remember to check us out for all the pre, during and post-fight UFC 137 coverage you can handle.

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Filed under: UFCLAS VEGAS -- What was once Nick Diaz's can be his again. The chance to fight for the UFC welterweight championship is likely just one win away, and standing between him and that goal is BJ Penn. Oh, it's only a legend and Diaz's first MMA hero. Even if you're not a fan of subtext, the significance of that one final obstacle hard to miss. At 32 years old and over a decade into the game, Penn is still no easy out. Earlier this year, he faced Jon Fitch, who is considered by many to be the No. 2 welterweight in the world, and fought him to a draw. So a win by Diaz over Penn may serve to increase his name value among those who didn't follow him in his Elite XC and Strikeforce days. It would nearly certainly increase interest in a potential Diaz vs. Georges St-Pierre welterweight title fight. When you look at Penn and Diaz, the first thing you notice is the size differential. This isn't unusual for Penn when he competes as a welterweight, but it's nonetheless important. Diaz is naturally heavier, taller and has greater reach. That's a lot to overcome in a fight that is likely to be heavy on standup. Historically, Penn (16-7-2) makes it up with his fearlessness and accuracy. Penn has been lauded as possibly the best boxer in MMA, and his history of success is strong evidence that statement has some substance behind it. According to FightMetric.com, Penn's landed 52 percent of his thrown strikes, while being hit by just 40 percent of his opponents'. Diaz, though, poses some unique problems that none of Penn's recent opponents have. He's a southpaw. He has a four-inch reach advantage. He is one of the highest-volume punchers in MMA history. He has unending stamina. And he's not scared, homie. Add that all together and you have one unique set of skills and confidence. Diaz (25-7, 1 no contest) works his entire offense off his jab. It is usually a pawing punch that he flicks out repeatedly, and often with no sting behind it. Because of that, Diaz is often mischaracterized as having a "pitter-patter" style. But the jab is actually multi-functional in its use. First, it allows Diaz to control the range. That tends to make him the aggressor and makes him offensive and his opponent reactionary. Second, it forces his opponent off his game. When you're constantly reacting instead of acting, you're not the one creating angles, and success is harder to come by. Third, it sets up what is to come. Diaz doesn't get credit for his power, but he's consistently hurt bigtime strikers who finally tire of working over his jab and wade in too close, too quickly. What has made Diaz murderous for most of the rest of the world's welterweights is that although he's quite skilled on his feet, the alternative is hardly a better option. If you decide to put Diaz on his back, it's quite possible you'll end up tied in a knot, forced to tap out to the Gracie jiu-jitsu black belt. Given Penn's background and pedigree, that would be an unlikely and even shocking finish. Penn has never been forced to tap in his lengthy MMA career, and given his proficiency in jiu-jitsu, he probably never will. There is only one area of this fight where one man has a sizable edge on the other, and that's wrestling. Penn has historically done well in the department, successfully landing 59 percent of his takedown tries while defending on 77 percent of tries against him. Meanwhile, Diaz is successful on only 33 percent of takedown tries, and defends 63 percent of tries against him. Given that disparity, it will be interesting to see if Penn decides to employ wrestling in his game plan. In the past, it's been a bit hit-or-miss for him in that part of the game. Against Fitch, for example, he hit on two of three takedowns. But go back just a few fights into his recent history, for example his first fight with Frankie Edgar, and he didn't try a single takedown in a 25-minute fight. It's an edge worth exploiting, but Penn wouldn't tip his hand on whether it's one he planned to use. If Penn decides to mix it up with his wrestling, it could even benefit him in the standup department, because it will give Diaz something else to look for. But if he decides to stand in the cage and strike with Diaz, it allows Diaz the chance to set the pace that favors him. Especially in a fight where a finish seems unlikely, you have to think about who's more likely to win rounds. Penn might have superior hand speed, but Diaz's volume scores consistent points. I think Penn might sprinkle in a takedown or two, but he's not likely to do it enough to disrupt Diaz's offensive volume. The other thing is Penn will have to keep with Diaz for 15 minutes. Penn might very well win the first round, but Diaz pushes fighters like no one else. He stays fresher longer than anyone else. So for Penn, it will be harder to win the second, and even harder to win the third. I think Penn takes round one but Diaz rallies back and takes the final two on points. Nick Diaz wants his shot at the belt. A win over Penn will set him up for a big money match against the champ. Diaz by decision. Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

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It's been 10 years, 25 fights, and two UFC championships in two weight classes, but BJ Penn has a confession to make. At 32, things don’t get easier for him in the moments before the opening bell.“I think the butterflies are getting worse with the years,” he chuckles. “I’m surprised on that. I thought it would get easier and easier. I guess it was getting easier for a little while, but now I’m up in my thirties, and I don’t know if it’s because I’ve got kids or what, but it seems like the butterflies get worse. I don’t know why. I’m comfortable, I’ve got a lot of experience, but it just seems that way.”So when Saturday rolls around once again for “The Prodigy,” he will expect those nerves to kick in, the adrenalin to start flowing, and for the 11th time, he will make the walk to the Octagon as a main event fighter. And that part of it never gets old.“I remember back when I main evented my first UFC fight against Jens Pulver ten years ago,” said Penn of his UFC 35 title fight with “Lil’ Evil.” “That meant the world to me then. I guess everybody in life, they want to feel self-worth in whatever they decide to do, and it’s the recognition and the excitement. I remember the first time I got that main event, (UFC vet and former Penn coach) Renato Verissimo said ‘whoa BJ, you’re the main event?’ ‘Yeah, can you believe that?’ What a ride. And when I got the news that I’d be main eventing this fight, I thought ‘man, what a great career, what a great life and opportunity I’ve had over the years.’”It’s almost as if Penn’s getting sentimental about his career and what he’s accomplished in the sport over the last decade. But don’t mistake that trip down memory lane for an exit strategy. Penn, who is coming off a February draw with Jon Fitch, isn’t ready to head to the beach in Hilo just yet.“I’m 32 and if I could keep winning fights and all that stuff, I think I’m addicted to being in the UFC and I want to try and make this last as long as I can,” he said. “As long as I’m happy. I know it’s easy to get burned out and I’ve talked about retirement and burning out all the time, but I’m trying to enjoy the ride.”And when you’ve been to the proverbial mountaintop like Penn has, the key to keeping things fresh is to constantly receive the type of matchups that not only make you want to sacrifice and train, but that force you to. Penn’s original foe for this Saturday’s card was former WEC champion Carlos Condit, a fighter on a hot streak who certainly fit the mold of dangerous opponent. But after a crazy series of events that saw Condit elevated to the main event against Georges St-Pierre after Nick Diaz no-showed two press conferences, Penn was without an opponent for the show’s original co-main event.“At first when it all happened, I thought that Nick was gone from the UFC,” said Penn, “so I was talking to them about maybe putting me and Jon Fitch back together. (UFC President) Dana White told me that Jon Fitch was hurt and out until December, and he said if you want to fight, give me a call. If not, just let me know.” Then things got even more interesting.“Then Dana calls back and we end up putting the Nick Diaz fight together,” said Penn, who was now going to face the former Strikeforce welterweight champ who was quickly brought back into the UFC fold. “I know Nick, he’s been a training partner of mine and I get along great with him and his brother. But everybody’s trying to put fights together, and at the end of the day they were looking at their options and we were looking at our options, and the best thing for each guy’s career was to fight each other. This is a job – nothing more, nothing less – and that’s what ended up happening.”But UFC 137’s musical chairs weren’t finished yet, as St-Pierre got injured, forcing his bout with Condit to get scrapped. What happened next? Penn vs. Diaz was the new main event.“I always felt that me and Nick Diaz was the main event fight,” said Penn. “Me and Nick is a great fight, and I knew we were gonna draw some followers.”Oh, they’ve drawn some followers, as the buzz for the main event is getting louder and louder as the countdown to the opening bell continues. Yet oddly enough, it’s not Penn - the usual lightning rod for some prefight drama – who is getting the lion’s share of the attention. It’s Diaz who is the talk of the town, with every utterance from his mouth drawing tweets, message board posts, and fevered analysis. For his part, Penn seems comfortable in this unique role, and as he explains, the fans and media aren’t the only ones with a microscope on the Stockton, California native.“I’ve kept a very close eye on Nick Diaz’ career,” said Penn. “He’s one of my favorite fighters that I love to watch out there and I think right now, he’s probably the best boxer in mixed martial arts today. He certainly has some fights to prove it. He spars with Andre Ward, he was signed to fight Jeff Lacy, he was considered to fight Roy Jones Jr., and with accolades like that and with the performances that he puts on in the ring, with a high volume of punches and all those things, I definitely think that he’s probably the best boxer in the sport today.”But when you’re able to deliver praise like that to a future opponent, it usually means one thing – you’re pretty confident in your own ability to defuse your foe’s attack and score the victory. So where does Penn’s confidence come from? Maybe it’s because he’s looking in the mirror.“We’re similar in a lot of the same ways,” said Penn. “With the boxing, with the jiu-jitsu and with the way are careers have gone. Once in a while we end up clashing with the powers that be, and it just ends up going that way for some reason. There are a lot of similarities between me and that guy.”

Posted in: ufc, fight, ’t, event, penn

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Dana White discusses Nick Diaz's recent comments about going into boxing, B.J. Penn, Matt Mitrione's improvement and more in our exclusive interview.

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 Chael Sonnen, former number one middleweight contender and self-proclaimed "Peoples Champion," breaks down the UFC 137 main event between B.J. Penn vs. Nick Diaz, which will take place this Saturday night (Oct. 29, 2011) at the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas, Nevada. Sonnen likes the 170-pound showdown a lot, even though he thinks it won't be "overly exciting." In the end, he predicts Penn to earn the victory, saying that his ground game, combined with Diaz's lack of recent top-level competition, will be the key difference makers. Affliction's Tom Atencio, meanwhile, sides with Diaz. Whose side are you on?

Posted in: diaz, penn, sonnen, middleweight contender, ground game

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B.J. Penn is an mature adult now and doesn't want to talk smack. That's fine, and I applaud that decision. Penn is usually a pretty honest guy though, and in an interview with Ariel Helwani of MMA Fighting, he aims his honesty in the direction of a guy that he thinks might have 'hoodwinked' him - Cesar Gracie, manager of Nick Diaz and a guy B.J. has trained with in the past. He even offers to go five rounds with him. Here's the telling quote: "Dana called us...it's a funny story actually. Dana called us and said 'Cesar just called me and said they would love that they would love to fight Nick Diaz. I mean, that him and Nick Diaz would love to fight you, and that's the fight they want. So I texted Cesar. I said 'Dana just said you would love to fight us, and this and that's the fight you want'. And I guess, I don't know, maybe Cesar didn't wanna say that he said that. He texted me back and said 'Laugh out loud, Dana just told us the same thing'. So I ended up thinking Dana's trying to set me up and make it into a personal thing, but it was really Cesar. Cesar was...Cesar hoodwinked me, I guess." He goes onto explain that he talked it out with Dana and White made it clear that it was Cesar's idea. This stuff with Cesar and Dana actually led to the drama surrounding Penn's comments about White during the whole Countdown fiasco last month. But as B.J puts it, "it was Cesar all along". He also responded to Gracie's talk about wanting a five round fight between Penn and Diaz: "If Cesar wants the five rounds so bad, me and Cesar can do a five round fight. Any time, anywhere, whenever he feels like it." Penn goes on to discuss why he likes watching Nick Diaz, the possibility of going back to 155, and even admits he's a huge Hulk Hogan fan and sings some of his theme song. You can check the video after the jump. More SBN coverage of UFC 137

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Why was B.J. Penn so quick to accept a fight against Nick Diaz at UFC 137, despite spending most of his training camp preparing for Carlos Condit? Because UFC President Dana White made him an offer he couldn't refuse. That's according to a "compensated" Penn, who tells 5th Round that his pot is now sweet. "Dana sweetened the pot for me and he made it worth my while, for sure, to take this fight. He compensated me." Having a barrel of cash delivered to your door in Hilo can take some of the sting out of being "hoodwinked," which is how "The Prodigy" explained the genesis of the re-worked main event for Oct. 29 in Las Vegas. Penn elaborates to MMA Fighting: "Dana called us and said that Cesar just called us and said they would love to fight B.J. Penn and that's the fight they want so I texted Cesar and said, 'Dana just texted us and told us that's the fight you want.' I don't know, maybe Cesar didn't want to say that he said that, he texted back LOL, Dana just told us the same thing, so I ended up thinking Dana was trying to set me up and get me into a personal thing but it was really Cesar, Cesar hoodwinked me I guess." Diaz was demoted from his fight against Georges St. Pierre in the UFC 137 main event after failing to uphold his media responsibilities, which led to Condit being moved up to take his place. When St. Pierre was injured, Diaz was elevated back to main event status to fill the void after "The Natural Born Killer" opted to wait on the sidelines for "Rush" to get better. All part of Cesar Gracie's master plan? Or just dumb luck? Would anyone out there have handled this thing any differently?

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In addition to being one of the sport’s great fighters, BJ Penn has also been one of it’s great hype men. He understands the art of promoting a fight, and when he wants to he’s one of the best at it. Penn hasn’t been as vocal leading in to his most recent fights as he has in the past though. That’s especially true of his fight against Nick Diaz this weekend at UFC 137. In fact, it almost feels like he’s gone out of his way to make sure he doesn’t say anything that could be taken out of context and used to upset Diaz. As Penn explained in a blog post he penned for Yahoo! Sports, the shift in pre-fight attitude really comes down to the respect he has for Diaz and his own maturation as an adult. [Nick Diaz's] a great fighter who I respect and I like… That’s one of the reasons I’ve stayed away from the hype for this fight, but not the only reason. I’ve not even read part 1 of this Yahoo! blog, I sent it over via email and I haven’t seen it published on the site and I won’t read this one either once I am done doing it. I was told today that Yahoo! called the blog “The Penn is Mightier,” which is pretty funny and a good title. But I won’t read anything, no interviews or previews. I won’t watch the Countdown TV preview show, nothing, because I want to stay away from the hype for the rest of my career. There’s nothing wrong with talking smack and backing it up. Muhammad Ali did it and I did it in my career, but honestly I feel like I am too old now for that. As you get older, have a family of your own, talking about opponents stops being something you want to do or be part of. I am still very passionate about MMA and my career. I love fighting but I want to save that passion for the fights and the training. Penn adds that he still wants to win big fights and hopefully another title. Just don’t expect him to put the same kind of energy into hyping those fights like he has in the past. Image via Esther Lin for MMA Fighting

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B.J. Penn is preparing to fight Nick Diaz at UFC 137 in a fight that was originally not scheduled as Penn was set to face Carlos Condit and Diaz was to fight Georges St. Pierre for the welterweight championship. A series of twists and turns bring the fans Penn vs. Diaz now in the main event and Penn talked to Heavy MMA about the changes. The video: On the change of opponent and if he was comfortable fighting someone he likes: ...my brother and Cesar Gracie were talking back and forth and Cesar said basically, that they didn't like the options that they were given of who they were gonna fight. Cesar told my brother "what if we have to fight you guys?" And uh...at the end of the day I talked to my brother, who is my manager, and he said it's the only fight that makes sense. And on if he thinks a title shot is in his future: Honestly, as of now, I'm not really thinking about (getting a title shot) too much but I think Dana White gives me title shots easier than everyone else, so I'll probably get it. I don't know, Dana likes me.

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Cheater or not, Sean Sherk sort of had a point. No one had actually beaten "The Muscle Shark" inside the Octagon for the UFC lightweight title but here was B.J. Penn, claiming to be the division's champion. Sherk was, of course, stripped of the title after testing positive for steroids following his UFC 73 bout with Hermes Franca. He appealed and while the suspension was reduced from 12 months, he was still forced to sit on the sidelines for half a year while the recently resurrected 155-pound division played itself out. A month prior to that controversial bout in Sacramento, Penn had officially returned to the weight class he once called home. "The Prodigy" was more "prodigal," having spent the previous three and a half years of his career outside the UFC and in any weight but lightweight. What began in June 2007 was a run that rivals that of any in the sport and at the heart of it was a bout with "The Muscle Shark." Before Penn takes part in his 11th main event at UFC 137 against Nick Diaz, we'll take a closer look at his "unification" bout against Sherk at UFC 84: "Ill Will." It was the beginning of what will be remembered as Penn's legacy. Sherk made a name for himself dominating the midwest MMA regional scene. By the time he scored a welterweight title shot against Matt Hughes at UFC 42, he had 20 bouts under his belts and not a single loss. Unfortunately for him, the Hall of Famer was too much for him and Hughes scored a five-round unanimous decision. Despite taking the long-time champion to the limit, Sherk wasn't invited back to the Octagon. There are rumors that management shenanigans had a part in that but regardless, "The Muscle Shark" didn't return to the UFC for two and a half years.  His comeback was anything but glorious as he was on the business end of a Georges St. Pierre technical knockout (TKO). His next bout fared better for him and he beat UFC 137 headliner Nick Diaz by decision. He then announced his intention to drop down to 155-pounds to vie for the recently reactivated lightweight title. He dominated both Kenny Florian to win the title and Hermes Franca in his first and only defense. Then came the steroid allegations. When his suspension was upheld -- albeit reduced -- the UFC stripped him of his title. After failing to win the 155-pound strap on two occasions, "The Prodigy" moved up to welterweight and shocked the mixed martial arts (MMA) world by trouncing Hughes. But after his title win, he bolted from the UFC and fought bouts in just about any weight class that tickled his fancy. Welterweight, middleweight, and even beefing up to 191-pounds to take on light heavyweight Lyoto Machida. He seemed more eager in testing himself as a martial artist -- and getting paid handsomely for it -- than sticking around in the UFC. This was pre-Ultimate Fighter (TUF) days, before Dana White and company had become a mainstay in sports and pop culture. When he finally returned, he did so as a welterweight. He dropped consecutive bouts to "GSP" and Hughes before another lightweight runaway -- who Penn had some history with -- came back to the UFC. It was Jens Pulver and a rematch fans had been waiting for for five years was signed. The two coached opposite each other during the fifth season of TUF and in the season finale, Penn finally got his revenge over the man who handed him his first loss. Penn was back at 155-pounds and with a thrashing of Pulver, had put every other lightweight on notice. With the title vacant, the UFC booked "The Prodigy" and season two TUF winner Joe Stevenson in the UFC 80 main event to determine a new champion. Much like he had Pulver, Penn steamrolled "Daddy" to finally earn what everyone felt should have been his years ago. But there was a dissenting voice on commentary during the bout. It was that of Sherk, the former champion who lost his title in a California State Athletic Commission boardroom, not the Octagon. And he was hellbent on getting back what he thought was rightfully his. UFC 84 was set as the date. In an evening of great fights, the lightweights once again stole the show.  Let's dive right in. Sherk immediately shoots in, grabbing one of the champ's legs. Penn opens up with some punches as he hops around on one foot, preventing the takedown before Sherk lets go. They circle around the cage, exchanging punches which Penn seems to be getting the better off. His longer reach allows him to employ his infamous jab against the stouter Sherk. It isn't until 90 seconds in that the challenger is able to get inside. He clinches with "The Prodigy," the two exchanging blows but is quickly shoved off. "The Prodigy" continues to stick his jab out, slipping out of almost every punch that the wrestler throws. "The Muscle Shark," with less than two minutes left in the round, is already bleeding under his right eye. The story of the opening round is that of Penn's jab. Seemingly unable to figure out a way past it, Sherk is forced to suffer its wrath. The next stanza opens with Sherk throwing a leg kick, a strike he connected with a couple times in the first but for some reason abandoned. Penn responds in kind with a brutal body shot that is followed up with an uppercut. They pounce each other like wild animals before they strike, clinching up with Sherk getting the advantage this time out. "The Muscle Shark," despite having his head shoved down in a Thai clinch, unleashes a flurry of short hooks that forces the champion to retreat. Halfway through the round, it appears as if the challenger is doing better than he did during the first five minutes but each jab that Penn lands tears apart at Sherk's face. His eye, once showing just a little color, is now a bloody mess. Aside from the opening fight single-leg and a half-hearted attempt late in the second, there hasn't been a sniff of wrestling in the bout.  As the round closes, "The Muscle Shark" is now bleeding underneath both eyes. If Sherk can't figure out how to slip Penn's jab and get inside, his night will be over sooner rather than later. The third and what would be the final round is rather uneventful for the majority of the time. A couple of minutes in, Penn teases with a takedown. While he doesn't get Sherk on his back, he does press him against the cage and lands a couple of punches. The two circle around for most of the round -- Penn satisfied in his performance and not at all worried about Sherk's offense and Sherk unable to figure out the riddle of "The Prodigy's" striking -- until the closing seconds. What commenced was one of the most thrilling finishes to a fight in MMA history: Penn pressures Sherk back, throwing a left, uppercut, left and connecting with the last two. Sherk backpedals into the cage, bouncing off the chain-link. As he comes forward, he's met by a flying Hawaiian and a knee crashes into his chin. "The Muscle Shark" collapses to the mat and Penn swarms with a barrage of punches as the horn sounds. Penn begins to celebrate -- prematurely it would seem -- until it's officially announced that the fight was over and "The Prodigy" had retained his title. Penn would go on to defend his title twice more before dropping it to current champion Frankie Edgar at UFC 112. A subsequent attempt to get the title back failed and the Hawaiian moved back up to welterweight where he has found mixed success. The shine of a knockout win over Hughes was darkened by a draw against Jon Fitch, a fight many felt easily could have gone Fitch's way. Will Penn return to his winning ways on Saturday (Oct. 29) or will the bad boy from Stockton prove his doubters wrong? We're around 60 hours away, Maniacs. Who do you got?

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Many people, myself included, thought that UFC 136 suffered because the most outspoken "promoter" of his own fights on the card, Chael Sonnen, was relegated to a middle of the card position which the UFC did not hype. It didn't help that Chael was extremely complimentary about opponent Brian Stann and the juice simply wasn't there. Now we're headed into UFC 137 and a main event between B.J. Penn and Nick Diaz, two of the most outspoken fighters in MMA, and we're simply getting no hype for the fight. Penn has talked about respecting Diaz, Diaz has called Penn his favorite fighter. If you'd have told me a year ago that I'd see this fight and get no trash talking, I'd have called you crazy. Yet, here we are. The biggest storylines for this fight have been Nick talking about the fight he didn't get because of his own actions (vs. Georges St. Pierre), wishing he'd stuck to boxing and Penn causing a stir early on by saying the UFC attempted to "force" him into talking trash about Diaz. Make no mistake, in a down year for UFC pay-per-view buys and a card that lost Georges St. Pierre, this is a nightmare for the UFC. UFC 137 was immediately less appealing once St. Pierre suffered an injury, the card needed to save some of the lost buys and it wasn't unreasonable to think that Diaz and Penn would give them an endless string of soundbites with which to promote. In his second blog for Yahoo! Sports, Penn discusses why he isn't interested in promoting the fight: He's a great fighter who I respect and I like. Nick and his brother Nate actually came out to help me train for my UFC 101 match against Kenny Florian. We're not close friends, but both of the Diaz brothers have really helped me out in the past and we have hung out. This isn't a fight either of us would have asked for, but we are both at the top of the division and there's no one else for us to fight. Nick's very dangerous with his punches; we'd have a great boxing match, and he's got some of the purest jiu-jitsu in MMA. ... I was told today that Yahoo! called the blog "The Penn is Mightier," which is pretty funny and a good title. But I won't read anything, no interviews or previews. I won't watch the Countdown TV preview show, nothing, because I want to stay away from the hype for the rest of my career. You can't force guys to promote fights, and this isn't pro wrestling. But the lack of hype has me lowering my expectations for PPV buys for this show from 400k to thinking it'll clock in around 300k.

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Former UFC Lightweight and Welterweight Champion BJ "The Prodigy" Penn discussed his upcoming bout with Nick Diaz, and the question whether Diaz improved as a fighter since his first run in the Ultimate Fighting Championship. According to Penn, today's Nick Diaz is a much better Mixed Martial Artist and a all-new version of a fighter who lost to Joe Riggs, Diego Sanchez and Sean Sherk back in the day. Penn also stated that "it would be cool to be the Strikeforce Welterweight Champion", however,

Posted in: diaz, nick diaz, penn, day penn, allnew version

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Luke Thomas interviews B.J. Penn. Penn talks about Nick Diaz, Manny Pacquiao, Jose Aldo and the possibility of GSP moving to lightweight. Read it at MMA Nation.

Posted in: nick, luke, jose, pacquiao, penn

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Filed under: UFC, NewsLAS VEGAS -- The many elements of the sport are what make it so unpredictable. When a fighter can chain together combinations like a punch into a takedown into side control, that's what separates the elite from the masses. But it's hard to digest a fight that way. Like looking at the stars in the sky, it's too infinite. Too many possibilities. Instead, we tend to focus on a few key elements. And in Saturday's UFC 137 main event, all the fight talk seems to center around the participants' boxing. For years, BJ Penn has been considered to have some of the best hands in MMA. And his opponent Nick Diaz recently made waves after nearly turning his back on the sport to try his hands in the squared circle. Given their pedigrees, contrasting styles and differing body types, the standup figures to produce compelling, unpredictable action. Even to the learned eye of Penn's boxing coach Jason Parillo, who was undefeated in an eight-fight pro boxing career, it's a hard one to analyze. As Parillo noted in an interview with MMA Fighting, the many options a fighter has at his disposal make it hard to determine how a fight will develop. "You've got a guy who loves to box and wants to fight Roy Jones, Jr, and you've got another guy who's been recognized as one of the best boxers in the MMA game," he said. "You've got two high-voltage submission guys. Realistically, I think Nick's going to try to keep BJ in a boxing match. I believe he feels he's got something to prove with his boxing ability. He loves boxing and I think he wants to prove something using BJ to show he's the best boxer in the MMA game. This fight can go anywhere. It really can. It's tough to predict MMA fights in general, but this one can go in so many ways." On their feet, their styles are very different. Penn relies on speed, accuracy and power with crisp combinations. But the rangy Diaz uses his length and non-stop volume to keep opponents at distance and to set up his occasional power strikes. Given the way their styles and bodies match up (Diaz has a four-inch reach advantage), Penn said getting inside might prove to be the biggest challenge for him. "That's huge, that's huge," he told MMA Fighting. "You've got to get in on Nick Diaz. He's got that reach, and not only does he have that reach, he knows how to put you in the perfect spot. He's not really a big footwork guy but if you come forward he'll take one step back and just keep you on the end the whole time. We're going to have to -- without giving anything away -- use a lot of smarts and technique to get in there, get after him and attack him." Penn made some headlines recently when he called Diaz the best boxer in MMA. Diaz was flattered to hear the comments but believes he might have put in more time training with high-level boxers than anyone in the UFC. And regardless of the compliment, Diaz isn't letting it go to his head. "This is MMA too, so regardless of how you win a fight, whether standup, winning on punches, I don't think it has anything to do with boxing," he said. "Just throwing more martial arts in than boxing, when it's MMA, everything changes. Stance is different, you have to defend the takedown, you have to defend the leg kick. You can't really say or judge." That's true, of course. If a fighter gets too reliant on his hands and having success with it, his opponent can always change levels and go for the takedown. Penn has that in his arsenal, though it's a weapon he only occasionally decides to use. In his last five fights, he has four takedowns in just six tries. But for Diaz, it's not his strongest weapon. In his last five fights, he has completed just two takedowns in 10 tries. Given their usual reluctance to use wrestling, it's not a stretch to think that collectively, the two might shun it altogether and decide things on their feet. So will Diaz's constant activity and volume overwhelm Penn, or will the former two-division champion find a way to get inside of his opponent? "Nick's got a lot of confidence to use that style," Parillo said. "He's not the most devastating, heavy puncher, but he knows how to set up the big shot, for sure. And he understands boxing. BJ's got speed, and he's cleaner and sharper. I feel the fire more from him than I have in the last couple fights. He wants to show he can beat guys at the top tier. If he makes a decision to be there and has the hunger to win, he's going to do it." Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

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Filed under: UFCUFC 137 is one of those events where you really wish oddsmakers would offer some fun prop bets. For example, odds that B.J. Penn will lick someone's blood off his gloves? (+375). Odds Roy Nelson will smack his somewhat diminished belly on camera? (+125). Odds Nick Diaz will insist on wearing jeans and work boots to the weigh-ins, and make us all wait as he puts them back on before the staredown? (-700). Alas, we'll just have to make do with the odds on the fights themselves. Fortunately, there's plenty of material here to sort through. B.J. Penn (-125) vs. Nick Diaz (-105) It was a borderline brilliant move by Cesar Gracie to try and get this changed to a five-round fight. As we've seen in the past, Penn is not always the same person at the end of round three that he is in the beginning of round one, and an extra two frames to take advantage of that would have helped the tireless Diaz immensely. But Penn's no dummy. He played that attempt off with all the veteran savvy you'd expect, and his chances of winning went up in the process. That is, if the right B.J. Penn shows up, and if Diaz consents to let him have the kind of fight he wants. Therein lies the problem for both those guys. Penn is inconsistent, while Diaz is almost comically hard-headed. Penn might, at any given point, look up at the clock and sigh like a teenager waiting out the last few minutes of Geometry class. Diaz might be able to take advantage of that if he were Jon Fitch of Georges St-Pierre, but he's not. He just wants to scrap, and he'll do so wherever Penn decides to take the fight. If Penn wants to box, they'll box. If he wants to grapple, that's fine too. It's hard to wear a guy out when you let him decide where and how to fight. And if you can't tire Penn out, you're giving up the most reliable way of beating him. That could still work...if you're the better all-around fighter. And if three rounds is enough time for you to prove it. My pick: Diaz. The odds here don't give us much of a push in either direction. With Penn, you wonder how hard he's trained and how much he wants it. With Diaz, you never do. In a fight this close, that's enough for me. Cheick Kongo (+120) vs. Matt Mitrione (-150) If this were a Rick Rude-style posedown, Mitrione would be in big trouble. Kongo looks the part of a terrifying heavyweight, and if you didn't know better you might be forgiven for assuming that he was the superior athlete in this match-up. Big mistake. Don't get me wrong, Kongo can do a few things well. He just can't do enough things and he can't do them well enough. Mitrione, on the other hand, is an agile, athletic big man who improves so much between each fight that it's almost not worth watching film of his last few bouts to prepare for his next one. On paper, this should be Mitrione's fight all the way. Instead of betting on who will win, a more interesting wager might be how many times Kongo will manage to knee him in the groin. I'll set the over/under at two, and let you go from there. My pick: Mitrione. At these odds I'll toss it straight into the parlay bin and leave it there, but at least it's one I can feel reasonably confident in. Mirko "Cro Cop" Filipovic (+190) vs. Roy Nelson (-240) Here's where, before doing anything, you need to check your emotions at the door. Don't let sentimentality make you a poor man just because you wanted to believe that Cro Cop had one more headkick KO left in him. Would that be an awesome finish to his UFC career? Sure it would. Is it likely to happen? Nope. Not only can Nelson take it, he can dish it out. There was a time when we could say the same about Cro Cop, but the years and the physical damage have piled up on him now, and he goes down easier and easier. Nelson is a slugger on the feet who could probably also beat Cro Cop on the ground if he wanted to. Cro Cop is still a legend of the sport, but he's also a shadow of his former self. Don't let it get you down, but don't bet on a miraculous resurrection either. Those days are gone, my friend. At least the two of you will always have Tokyo. My pick: Nelson. It's another one for the parlay, and another meager gain that breaks my heart just a little more than it's worth. Scott Jorgensen (-450) vs. Jeff Curran (+325) While Curran is a likable guy and a real student of the game, if we're being honest we also have to admit that he's the MMA equivalent of an old car that's held together by bailing wire and hope. He's been beat up and broken down over the years, and has hung together reasonably well, all things considered. Still, when you look at his career record you see a man who's been beaten by nearly every high-level opponent he's faced. Jorgensen might be inexperienced by comparison, but not so much that he's likely to get caught in a dumb submission or try to get too far away from his strengths. He'll show up looking to ground-and-pound Curran into a bloody mess, and he'll probably succeed. My pick: Jorgensen. The odds are a bit more lopsided than I expected, but they favor the right man. Hatsu Hioki (-350) vs. George Roop (+250) Regular readers of this column will know that I simply must find at least one crazy underdog on every fight card, and when no obvious choice presents itself I am not above talking myself into one. So here goes: on paper, Hioki is the better fighter with the more established resume. He's also spent almost his entire career fighting in Japan, and the UFC's Octagon has not proved to be a very welcoming environment for many of his countrymen. Roop is a bigger fighter who is at home in the cage, and who, here and there, has shown flashes of real ability. He's not championship material and probably never will be, but does he have what it takes to shock Hioki in his UFC debut in front of the friendly Las Vegas crowd? I think just maybe he does. My pick: Roop. It's a tasty line that I just can't resist under these circumstances. Some oddsmakers even have him as high as +325, so look around for a bargain if you feel like taking the leap with me. Quick picks: - Dennis Siver (+215) over Donald Cerrone (-275). Cerrone is tough, but Siver is a different class of opponent than what he's been up against lately. In a pick-em I'd take "Cowboy," but at these odds Siver is worth a small risk. - Danny Downes (+155) over Ramsey Nijem (-185). You won't get rich off it, but Downes is the smart play against a guy who's probably not quite at this level just yet. The 'For Entertainment Purposes Only' Parlay: Matt Mitrione + Roy Nelson + Scott Jorgensen + Brandon Vera Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

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Ultimate Fighting Championship will hold a public press conference today (Oct. 27, 2011) to promote this weekend's  UFC 137: Penn vs. Diaz event, which is scheduled for Oct. 29, 2011. The conference will begin at 4 p.m. ET live from The Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas, Nevada, the home city of the event. Scheduled to attend will be UFC president Dana White, as well as the headlining fighters of the evening, B.J. Penn and Nick Diaz. B.J Penn is one of only two multi-divisional champions in UFC history, having captured both the welterweight and lightweight titles in his time with the promotion. He's currently embarking on a career renaissance at welterweight, having won his trilogy with Matt Hughes and drew with number two ranked Jon Fitch earlier this year. On the opposite side of the podium will be Nick Diaz, the former Strikeforce welterweight champion who vacated his belt to sign with the UFC and challenge Georges St. Pierre. The GSP fight was scrapped but Diaz is currently riding a 10-fight win streak, which includes three successful title defenses in Strikeforce. He wants to impress the UFC brass and earn a shot at UFC gold.. New co-main eventers Cheick Kongo and Matt Mitrione will also be in attendance . Kongo is coming off one of the craziest comebacks of 2011 against Pat Barry at UFC on Versus 4 earlier this summer while Mitrione has continued his undefeated streak, moving to 5-0 in the UFC with a recent second round knockout of Christian Morecraft at the same event. We'll have complete updates of the UFC 137 press conference after the jump: Brian Hemminger here. The conference is scheduled to begin at 4 p.m. eastern time. The big question is, will Nick Diaz show up this time?

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At least that's what "The Prodigy" thinks (wink, wink): "Honestly, as of now, I'm not really thinking about (getting a title shot) too much but I think Dana White gives me title shots easier than everyone else, so I'll probably get it. I don't know, Dana likes me." B.J. Penn will take on Nick Diaz in the main event of UFC 137 this Sat., Oct. 29 in Las Vegas, Nevada, and while the winner hasn't exactly been promised a title shot, whoever is the victor will have a better case for one than anyone else. If it's Penn, though, it might be a rocky road considering his two losses to division champion Georges St. Pierre. Time will tell, Maniacs, but would you be down for a third act in the St. Pierre vs. Penn feud? Or is it Diaz or bust?

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BJ Penn and Nick Diaz will meet this weekend at the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas, Nevada. The two will face off in the main event of UFC 137. The winner in this fight could very well find themselves on the short list for consideration for a potential title fight in the not too distant future. Here’s a preview for one of the more anticipated Welterweight fights in some time: BJ Penn Age: 32 Record: 16-7-2 Finishes: 13 Streak: D-W-L-L-W Nick Diaz Age: 28 Record: 25-7-0-1 Finishes: 21 Streak:

Posted in: fight, bj penn, title fight, penn, welterweight fights

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Two top-level welterweights will collide at full speed when former Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) lightweight and welterweight champion B.J. Penn takes on former Strikeforce welterweight champion Nick Diaz at UFC 137 in Las Vegas, Nevada, on Oct. 29, 2011. Originally, the main event was set to feature a championship bout between UFC Welterweight Champion Georges St. Pierre vs. Nick Diaz before the fiery fighter from Stockton, Calif., pulled a now infamous disappearing act, no showing two very important press conferences. But then after St. Pierre sustained a knee injury in training less than two weeks ago, along with weeks of additional UFC 137 fight card musical chairs, Diaz has made his way into the main event once again. Now he will be forced to trade blows with a man who he admits is among his few his heroes in this sport.  MMAmania.com, along with support from the fantastic number-crunching fellows at CompuStrike, will take you behind the numbers that make up this complex match up of mixed martial arts (MMA) masters in the extended entry below. Ready to geek out? Let's do this: We're going to look at the different aspects of each fighters respective game. We'll see who holds the advantages and where. The following information is based on a 13-fight average. First off, let's examine the striking game. Overall, Penn holds a slight advantage in accuracy, but it should be noted that Diaz throws a much larger volume of strikes in his fights. Here's the big picture: Total Strikes: Penn - 70 of 130Diaz - 119 of 231 Percentage: Penn - 54%Diaz - 52% Total Power Strikes Landed: Penn - 45Diaz - 91 Total Non-Power Strikes Landed:Penn - 25 Diaz - 28 As you can see, Penn appears to be more crisp with his stand up skills, but the numbers seem to say that Diaz does more damage. It's also worth noting that Diaz has almost double the amount of knockouts in his career than does Penn. (Diaz has 13 [technical] knockouts to Penn's seven).  With that out of the way, we know that this is mixed martial arts, not boxing. Let's breakdown the disparity between punches and kicks.  Total Arm Strikes Landed:Penn - 42 of 94 Diaz -  89 of 185Percentage of Arm Strikes Landed:Penn - 45% Diaz - 48%Power Strikes Landed:Penn - 27 Diaz - 69Non-Power Strikes LandedPenn - 15Diaz - 20 So far, you'd have to give a decided stand up advantage to the slugger from Stockton, particularly when hands are being thrown. For "kicks," let's check out who has a leg up on the competition when the lower extremities start to get involved: Total Leg Strikes Landed:Penn - 7 of 8 Diaz -  16 of 23Percentage of Leg Strikes Landed:Penn - 88% Diaz - 70%Power Leg Strikes Landed:Penn - 4 Diaz - 13Non-Power Leg Strikes Landed:Penn - 3 Diaz - 3 Again, Penn looks to be more accurate, but Diaz is doing more damage. Finally, let's talk ground game. Both fighters are seasoned veterans of the canvas and very, very high-level Brazilian jiu-jitsu practitioners. In Penn's career, he has finished opponents by submission six times. Meanwhile, Diaz has done the same on eight occasions. Here are the detailed statistics relating to what happens when these guys hit the mat: Ground Strikes Landed:Penn - 21 of 28 Diaz - 14 of 23Percentage:Penn - 75% Diaz - 61%Power Ground Strikes Landed:Penn - 14Diaz - 9Non-Power Ground Strikes Landed:Penn - 7 Diaz - 5Takedowns:Penn - 9 of 13 for 69% Diaz -  9 of 32 for 28%Submission Attempts:Penn - 8Diaz - 10Dominant Positions: Penn - 18Diaz - 17 It's also important to point out that Penn has stuffed 43 of his opponents' 58 takedown attempts (74 percent).  So that's the whole picture. It would certainly appear that if things stay standing, Diaz should be favored. If the action goes to the floor, Penn holds the statistical advantage. Overall, Saturday's match up at the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas, Nevada, looks like it should be a close and very exciting bout. At least on paper. How's our "MMA math?" Were you surprised by any of the results? Do these figures make any of you Maniacs want to change your minds about any sig bets?

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MMA Fighting’s Ariel Helwani caught up with BJ Penn, Cheick Kongo, Matt Matrione, Roy Nelson, Donald Cerrone and Francis Carmont to talk about their upcoming fights this weekend at UFC 137. Also, MMA Weekly tracked down the generally media elusive Mirko Cro Cop.

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Super talented photographer James Law of Heavy.com was on the scene today (Oct. 26, 2011) at the UFC 137: "Penn vs. Diaz" open media workout from the The Ultimate Fighter Gym in Wind River Industrial Complex in Las Vegas, Nevada. Nick Diaz was in attendance, strutting his stuff and talking to reporters about his three-round main event fight against B.J. Penn at the Mandalay Bay Events Center this Saturday (Oct. 29, 2011) night. Check out a few more shots from all the major players -- such as Penn, Cheick Kongo, Mirko Filipovic, Roy Nelson and Donald Cerrone -- after the jump: B.J. Penn Cheick Kongo Mirko Cro Cop Roy Nelson Donald Cerrone To check out the complete UFC 137 photos gallery from James Law be sure to head over to Heavy.com.

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Georges St. Pierre predicts victory for BJ Penn against Nick Diaz this weekend.He made the call during a fan meet at the California headquarters of his...

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Filed under: MMA Videos, UFC, MMA Fighting Exclusive, VideosLAS VEGAS - MMA Fighting caught up with B.J. Penn before his showdown with Nick Diaz at the UFC 137 open workouts. Penn talks about the drama leading up to the fight, how he was "hoodwinked" by Cesar Gracie, why he's challenging Diaz's trainer to a five-round fight, his love of Hulkamania and much more.  Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Posted in: bj penn, nick diaz, mma, penn, cesar gracie

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On October 29, 2011, the UFC will be flying its banner once again inside the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas, Nevada, as the injury and drama struck UFC 137 will leave the MMA world abuzz for the highly anticipated showdown between top contenders Nick Diaz and B.J. Penn. In the months leading up to the event we saw the main event match-up featuring UFC Welterweight Champion Georges St. Pierre and Strikeforce Welterweight Champion Diaz scrapped after the latter was a no show for the promotions pre-event press conference. The lack of professionalism and loss in trust forced the powers that be to call an audible and insert perennial contender Carlos Condit into the evening’s main event. Condit, originally slated to be the co-main event, was scheduled to square off with Penn. "The Prodigy," now left without an opponent, was paired with the now former number one contender, Diaz. St. Pierre would go down with an injury weeks prior to the event and the Penn vs. Diaz match-up would be bumped to the headlining slot. What a complete mess. UFC 137 will now offer two former friends and teammates meeting up in what many believe to be a number one contender fight for the 170-pound title. What's still a mystery is whether Condit will get the next shot or if the winner of this fight leapfrogs into that position. Either way, Saturday night we have quite a match-up for our viewing pleasure. Let's take a look at how the two stack up on the ground after the jump. Both Diaz and Penn are Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belts with elite level skills on the ground. Coming from Gracie jiu-jitsu backgrounds, they are two of the more talented and heralded grapplers in the entire sport. Diaz, a black belt under Cesar Gracie, has competed in Gi and No-Gi competitions and has shown his grappling translates to mixed martial arts as evidenced by the fact that he hasn't been submitted in over 30 professional fights. Penn, initially studying under Ralph Gracie, would receive his black belt from fifth-degree black belt André Pederneiras. Recognized as being the first non-Brazilian to win the World Championships, Penn’s ji-jitsu has always been held in high regard as being among the greatest in the world. He's never been submitted in his career.  So who has the advantage? The Guard: Both fighters have very good guards but for different reasons. While Penn uses his flexibility to help him get back to the feet where he often holds an advantage in the striking, Diaz uses his closed guard to attack with submissions. Let’s take a look at some gifs. Penn isn’t a strictly traditional guard type of grappler. We often here criticism of Penn by fans asking when the last time is that Penn has submitted anyone from his back. Well, the truth is his bottom game focuses much more around escapes and scrambles and less on submissions. Recognized as one of the more flexible fighters in the world, Penn often uses his dexterity to improve position or escape. In this clip, you can see Penn with one of the more grinding wrestlers in the game on top of him. Jon Fitch has taken Penn down and is ready to unleash the smothering and frustrating style of fighting that so many have succumbed to prior. Instead, Penn uses his left leg to plant in the hip crevice on the left side of Fitch to keep him from being completely on top. While that leg keeps the space and weight off, Penn sneaks his right leg up and pushes into the opposite hip of Fitch causing Fitch to fall backwards and Penn to escape to his feet. Aside from the rubber guard, Penn’s biggest strength from his back is his ability to use his legs in ways most grapplers simply can not. He is so flexible and quick with his lower half that it is almost as if he has two extra arms. Penn will want to use his escapes and sweeps such as his signature jailbreak and octopus sweep to gain top or standing position. For More on Penn's jiu-jitsu skill, read my fanposts on his career grappling highlights here, here and here. Sitting inside the closed guard, Diaz has "Cyborg" Santos broken down and keeping him from sitting up to drop bombs. Santos has his hands very high. Diaz shifts his hips and goes to a very high guard. Diaz smartly reaches beneath the left leg/knee of Santos and hooks it. This keeps Santos from passing or rolling out of the arm bar attempt that is about to come. Nick throws the leg high while isolating the arm completes the attempt by putting the leg over the face and now he starts to fight with the wrist. He uses his hips and lower strength to throw Santos over capitalizing on the lack of base and balance finally prying the arm free and getting the submission. The hips and lower body strength of Diaz are greatly undervalued. The argument that he has yet to defeat a wrestler is valid; however, there is no takeaway in how good Diaz's guard is. He's also very flexible which was seen when he Gogoplata’d Takanori Gomi very quickly. The advantage here sways to Diaz. He has shown his ability to escape and submit from his back and his long legs present opportunities for arm bars, triangle chokes, omoplatas and gogoplatas alike and having more tools in the tool kit will often mean there are more ways to succeed. The Top Game:  Diaz has never been much of a top game grappler and I was unable to really locate a time when Diaz used superb top game grappling in his mixed martial arts career. If anyone has any further insight as to when he has or show us some examples, that would be great. Penn, on the other hand, is one of the best guard passing grapplers in the entire sport, period. Every fighter he has taken down he has passed their guard and in most cases, earned the most dominant position in grappling by taking their back. Simply stated, Penn has one of the most vicious and slick top games out there. Passing the guard of Renzo Gracie was just one of many highlight reel passes and displays of top game Penn has to his name.   From my fanpost on passing the guard: Speaking of passing the guard, B.J. Penn shows one of the most impressive guard passes I personally have ever seen when he passes Brazilian Jiu Jitsu legend Renzo Gracie’s guard in their middleweight bout. With seconds left in a bout that was favoring Penn, sitting in side control after a trip takedown, the smaller Penn decided it was not enough to ride out position. With little time left meant little risk to be swept and reversed. Penn would underhook the right leg of the planted Gracie. Controlling that leg meant Gracie would have less to defend with if Penn were to pass, then Penn would snake his right leg through the slot made by his arm and Gracie’s leg. Flexibility played a huge part in the pass as well as the vast arsenal of grappling technique that Penn enjoys. As he passes, Renzo bucks but with that leg controlled it makes it easier for Penn to sit down and get his weight planted to control Renzo. He completes the pass into mount and the round ends soon after. Penn took the fight to Jon Fitch. Being the only person to really find success grappling against Fitch besides division king Georges St. Pierre, Penn took Fitch down and passed his guard all the way into back mount. In the clip above you see Penn slip a punch and dive down for a double leg. Penn has always had great explosion both in his grappling and striking. He sinks down for the double leg and when he gets Fitch down he immediately sucks up Fitch’s legs between his own to trap them and limit mobility. From there he waits and makes a swift movement to take Fitch’s back. He almost succeeds in using his flexible legs to trap the left arm which would have all but secured the rear naked choke victory. Penn traps Fitch with a body triangle and follows him as he attempts to roll out of the position. Fitch would later escape, but the skill and execution shown exhibits just how great Penn can be in the top game department. He has better takedowns then Diaz and he is a deadly guard passer. Mix that in with his heavy hands, not to mention his ground and pound, and you have an absolute beast to deal with. Look for Diaz to avoid being on the bottom too often and look for Penn to feel comfortable taking down the Gracie black belt to claim Diaz as another victim in Penn’s amazing list of guards he has passed. What do you think, Maniacs? Do you agree that Penn has the better top game while Diaz has the more efficient guard? And who do you think wins if this fight hits the mats?  

Posted in: diaz, leg, guard, penn, fitch

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Brent Brookhouse: When I look at the odds for UFC 137, I keep getting hung up on the fact that Nick Diaz is only a slight underdog to B.J. Penn. Since the fight was announced it seemed to me that this was a very, very good fight for Penn. While it should be exciting, I just don't like Diaz's chances to win. Without dipping into the always annoying "but anything can happen in MMA" cliche, what am I missing? Where are Diaz's chances to win so great that he should only be a slight dog in this fight? Tim Burke: Well, I think B.J. wins rather handily, so it'd be a devil's advocate approach, but here goes - Penn has had trouble getting inside on boxers with a long reach before. Nick doesn't throw many kicks, but he could keep BJ at bay with his boxing. He could outwrestle hi...wait, no. There's always the threat of a submiss...wait, that's out too. Okay, I give up. Diaz is getting trucked. KJ Gould: Bodyshots. I remember in GSP's post fight appearance for ESPN's MMA Live after beating BJ Penn that it was believed because of Penn's great flexibility in his torso, that sometimes means you can have a weak thoracic cavity. The strategy was to wear him out and beat on this area to further diminish his cardio-vascular system and tire him out quicker. Penn's not been in there with a guy that works the body with punches that Diaz does plus Penn seems to be a head hunter even if he does use his jab really well to set up his boxing. Diaz is tough and recovers well, he was still in the fight against Daley after being dropped and it's hard to convince me Penn can hit as hard as Daley. Of course is Penn drops Diaz he'll be on his back looking for a choke pronto. I think Diaz has a chance to work over Penn's body, take his lungs and take out his will to win the fight. Fraser Coffeen: OK, how's this - Penn's status at Welterweight is almost entirely based on a single win from 8 years ago. In the UFC, he has never defeated anyone at WW aside from Matt Hughes. He's not nearly as explosive at the weight, and when taken down, he has a tougher time escaping. Now, Diaz is not much of a top wrestler, so that last point may not matter much, but the first definitely does. Aside from a fast KO of Hughes, Penn has looked slowed down in every fight since the Sanchez win at 107 - and that includes a pair of fights at Lightweight. If he is slow against Diaz, those patented Diaz punches will accumulate. And finally - Penn has been very quiet about this fight. He talked about considering retirement if he lost against Fitch. He's talked about how he's getting older. He's not really in the title hunt. He's fighting a friend. There is a danger that he is not super trained and focused for this one. And an unmotivated B.J. Penn is not the same fighter you are thinking of when you run through his highlight reel in your head. Follow after the jump for more discussion of the UFC 137 main event clash between Nick Diaz and B.J. Penn. Leland Roling: I think KJ's point about rib roasting Penn is a solid argument to how Diaz can attain what he ultimately needs to do in this fight. He needs to press Penn hard from the start and tire him out. Everyone talks about how there aren't any weaknesses for Penn against Diaz in a three-round fight, but when was the last time Penn had to deal with a pace that Diaz can push relentlessly and endlessly? I suppose a case can be made for GSP. Diaz's output could spell disaster for Penn, and those thinking Penn will somehow KO Diaz because he stands dead still in the pocket -- I can relate to the concern. At least I did until Paul Daley lamped Diaz, Diaz fell to his face, then quickly got back to his feet as if nothing happened. Diaz has a decent shot, but Penn's accuracy and quickness could spell disaster. Oh yeah, and Penn might actually take down Diaz and Fitch him. Tim Burke:  Well, Fitch pushes the same pace as Diaz, just in a different manner. And Penn neutralized it for the first half of the fight against a much better grappler. Like Leland said, I'm not sure what's stopping Penn from just planting Diaz on his back and riding it out, other than his pride. Which means it probably won't happen. Fraser Coffeen:  But Diaz is far superior off his back in comparison to Fitch. He's not going to sub Penn, but can he create a scramble and escape? I think so, especially as the fight progresses. KJ Gould:  Fitch is a more well rounded grappler than Diaz, but Diaz does excel of his back and with guard work. I'm not sure how he'd do with BJ Penn who has a great top game. It'd certainly be intriguing in that area. But then who does Penn train with Jiu Jitsu wise? At least Diaz has Nate, Jake Shields and Melendez to keep him sharp. Chris Barton: It's been covered but that really is the only way Nick can win. Relentless pace with body work. Nick won't get tired and with his volume of punches he can really take the wind and fight out of BJ in under one round. Add to that, if BJ is not in top form as Fraser said Diaz will make it a very long night for Penn. I think Fraser makes a very good point that many people forgot, BJ was talking about quitting not very long ago. His heart hasn't seemed to be into fighting much anymore. Saying all that, BJ is a much better fighter and I don't have any faith that Diaz wins this fight. I honestly think Penn will finish him. Dallas Winston: When comparing skills, Diaz's known weakness is the one trait Penn doesn't specifically excel in, which is wrestling. That isn't meant to imply that B.J. is a poor wrestler either, but obviously his takedown skills aren't on the same level as his BJJ and striking. Conversely, Penn's best weapon, which is his pure punching power, is something that Diaz has consistently proven the ability to withstand. I also feel that too many consider their ground games equal because of Penn's exemplary accomplishments in the gi, where Diaz has been significantly more effective off his back and in creating opportunities to scramble through sweeps and submission attempts. All but one of Penn's legit career submissions are rear-naked chokes that came from the top after he softened his opponent up with sharp ground-and-pound and sick guard passing. Counter to his traditional BJJ accumen, Penn almost grapples more like a catch wrestler with power-transitions, tremendous striking and subs from the top, where Diaz embodies the smoother, gentler approach of methodically blending sub attempts and slithering to a better position with a wider range of technique and only sparse striking. Just as Penn's basic boxing style and hard, straight punches is ideal to penetrate Diaz's wide and fairly flat-footed style, the cryptic tempo and abstract trajectories of Diaz's unorthodox stand up could easily wreak the same havoc on Penn that Edgar did from a rhythm and volume standpoint. Chris Barton:  I'm not sure I am with you on Nicks ability to withstand punching power in a way that benefits him against BJ. While Nick can take shots and recover, typically people that floor him allow him that time since they are so afraid to go to the ground with him, which isn't something Penn will do. If BJ knocks Nick down he will pounce and finish.

Posted in: fight, diaz, nick, penn, bj

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Here’s the Countdown to UFC 137 “Penn vs. Diaz” if you missed it on TV.

Posted in: ufc, diaz, vs, penn, countdown

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When B.J. Penn painted the canvas crimson with Joe Stevenson’s blood at UFC 80 en route to becoming lightweight champion few could have imagined he’d be headlining an event three years later against a welterweight who hasn’t lost since the title-winning performance (or at least one not named Georges St. Pierre). However, Penn will find himself in that very situation this weekend when he stands across the Octagon from Nick Diaz – successful in ten straight – as the main event of UFC 137. Earlier this week the UFC aired the organization’s standard Countdown program for UFC 137 where the journey to Saturday night’s scrap was chronicled including a number of interesting tidbits such as Diaz’s admiration of the popular Hawaiian, the son of Stockton talking about struggles as a youth, and a tentative Penn shooting guns with training partners Matt Hughes and Jeremy Horn. You can watch the entire segment dedicated to UFC 137’s headlining tilt below: PHOTO CREDIT – UFC

Posted in: ufc, bj penn, penn, titlewinning performance, hasn ’t

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Former Strikeforce Welterweight Champion Nick Diaz, who will go head to head with B.J. Penn in the UFC 137 headlining bout, discusses his opponent and expresses disappointment in losing his title shot against Georges St. Pierre. Diaz feels that fighting GSP would have been an easier task and explains that his own respect for Penn will likely be his biggest obstacle to overcome on Saturday night. Photo: MMAWeekly.com

Posted in: title shot, diaz, bj penn, nick diaz, penn

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"My biggest obstacle is overcoming my own personal faith in B.J. Penn. I don't look up to a lot of guys, but I looked up to B.J. Penn for a long time. He came from my school, he came from my academy, whether he says he does or doesn't. I actually had his first mixed martial arts fight on video -- I don't even know if he's ever seen it. I had it on a cassette tape and I used to watch it before anyone ever saw him fight in the UFC. We've trained together, too. So that's the difficult part about this fight. It's probably going to be a lot harder for me to fight this guy because, a guy like Georges St. Pierre is going to go out their and hold him, stall to win rounds, but I go out there and fight. I wouldn't have picked this fight if I had my choice, that's for sure." At UFC 137 on Oct. 29 in Las Vegas, Nevada, former Strikeforce Welterweight Champion Nick Diaz will be asked to defeat former division titleholder B.J. Penn, a fighter he's looked up to since becoming a mixed martial artist. Can Diaz put his own personal faith aside and execute an effective gameplan on fight night? Or will his respect for "The Prodigy" rob him of his killer instinct and cost him the match?

Posted in: fight, bj penn, penn, bj, ufc weve

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Nick Diaz is set to face BJ Penn in the main event of UFC 137 this Saturday.  The promotion held open workouts on Wednesday after which the fighters were made available for interviews. Diaz took 20 minutes out of his day to answer questions from the press. The interesting video covers a lot of ground, including MMA as a job, BJ Penn, his team, his brother, his reluctance to face a fighter he knows and perhaps most tellingly, he ends the interview saying, “This isn’t like a normal fight for

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Inside MMA managed to get an interview with the always-fascinating Nick Diaz and they were nice enough to share it with us here at Bloody Elbow. This interview is particularly compelling because Nick opens up about his admiration for the guy he's meeting in the main event at UFC 137, B.J. Penn. He also talks about how Penn is tougher to gameplan for than Georges St. Pierre would be, and what he thinks Penn's gameplan is going to be against him. He even opens up about the missed press conferences. It's one of the better Diaz interviews I've ever seen so you should definitely check it out. Here's HDNet's description of it and for those that can't watch it for whatever reason, there are some choice quotes from the interview after the jump. "Just days before his return to the UFC, Nick Diaz sits down with Inside MMA to discuss his upcoming fight and long relationship with BJ Penn. Plus Diaz tells us why Penn is more of a threat than GSP, what really happened that day at the press conference, and why his heart may not totally be in this fight. A must see interview from start to finish!" "My biggest obstacle for this fight is overcoming my personal faith in B.J. Penn because, you know, pretty much...I don't look up to a lot of guys but I've looked up to B.J. Penn for a long time. You know he came from my school, you gotta understand he came from my academy. You know, whether he says he does or he doesn't, that's where he came from and where he started learning jiu-jitsu. I actually had his first mixed martial arts fight on video, I'm not even sure if he's seen it." "He knows me, I know him. You know, I wouldn't have picked this fight by choice, that's for sure." "I think he'll probably try to slip the jab, throw the overhand right, you know. Make a bodylock or single leg takedown. Maybe push me against the fence." "It's like everyone who fights in the the UFC, they're like, on the same team or something. And they fight each other. I don't agree with that. I don't think that' s good for fighting." "I was supposed to be fighting for the title. It wasn't me that went back on that, it wasn't me, you know? They went back on that. People want to blame me for spoiling that deal but they spoiled that deal for the the fans, it wasn't that I spoiled that deal. You know, you tell me what to do and I'll do it. Nobody's saying 'show up for the press conference or you're not fighting'. Yeah right, like I'm not gonna show up and people are gonna know I don't wanna fight. I do wanna fight."

Posted in: fight, diaz, interview, penn, bj

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Is B.J. Penn vs. Nick Diaz more likely to feature a finish or scorecards? Did Kenny Florian make the right decision? Should Bellator champion Ben Askren be considered a “Top 10″ fighter assuming he beats Jay Hieron this weekend? Do you think Bobby Lashley will defeat Tim Hague or vice versa? Keyboard warrrrriors….come out to plaaaay-yay! Welcome to Grappling with Issues, our site’s regular weekly feature highlighting insight and opinion from myself and resident workhorse Jeremy Lambert whose general contributions and “Scorecard” event-breakdowns can be regularly found on Five Ounces. As always, just because we staffers get the fancy set-up, please don’t hesitate to offer your own take on the topics in the “Comments” section below. True or False – Bobby Lashley will lose to Tim Hague. Lambert: FALSE. Even though Lashley isn’t all that great and still doesn’t seem 100% committed to MMA, he’s still a power wrestler and Hague doesn’t have great takedown defense. Plus I’m still very sour on Hague after his most recent UFC performance against Matt Mitrione, where he looked like he would have rather been anywhere else in the world than inside the cage. Hague has some solid submissions, mainly chokes and Lashley doesn’t have much of a neck, and some power in his hands but it’s going to be tough knocking out a guy when you’re on your back. Conlan: TRUE, and I’m almost willing to go one step further and say it will force Lashley into retirement. He’s fought a single time since losing to Chad Griggs in August 2010, a bout he almost lost to an undersized opponent with no hype, and hasn’t shown any significant improvement since turning to MMA after a fairly successful run in professional wrestling. At the end of the day Lashley is still a slow-moving, power-based wrestler with five minutes of cardio at best. He’s coming off a layoff where he pulled out of a fight for personal reasons and fighting a UFC veteran who has beaten a few well-known fighters like Travis Wiuff and Pat Barry. With eleven finishes in thirteen total victories, Hague can pull the trigger on a finish at any time, something Lashley hasn’t truly shown an ability to do, and he has also gone the distance against some apt adversaries showing he is at least conditioned enough to be competitive for three full rounds. Nothing in that scenario gives me reason to believe Lashley will win, and to be quite honest I’m a little shocked Jeremy feels confident in his ability to pull out a victory based on wrestling. That ship has sailed, my friend. Did Kenny Florian make the right decision in terms of returning to compete at 155 pounds? Lambert: Absolutely. I thought it was kind of stupid for him to drop to 145 in the first place considering that he was having solid success at 155, losing only to Penn and Gray Maynard in recent years. I think it’s safe to say that Florian isn’t going to be a champion in his career, but at least at lightweight there are headlining fights for him. No offense to the competition at 145, but because it’s a relatively new division, at least in the UFC, guys don’t have that “name value” and there’s less money to be made. Conlan: I completely agree, though I had no problem with testing himself at featherweight since he was able to safely hit the necessary mark (just not comfortably, hence his return to 155). Florian is an intelligent guy who understood his window of opportunity was closing and took a gamble in hopes of calling himself a UFC champion. No shame in that as far as I’m concerned. Closer to a title-shot with a win at UFC 137 – Tyson Griffin or Hatsu Hioki? Lambert: Hioki. I know you have to take into account what Griffin did at 155, but even with that, Hioki is still the more accomplished fighter since he’s actually been winning his most recent fights. I also think UFC sees Hioki’s opponent, George Roop, and being higher on the food chain than Griffin’s opponent, Bart Paleszewski, which goes a long way in deciding the next contender. Honestly though, with Chad Mendes all but guaranteed a title shot in early 2012, it wouldn’t shock me if Hioki and Griffin, pending they both win, fight each other for the right to challenge for the title. Conlan: Also Hioki. Though Griffin is far better known to UFC fans than his Japanese counterpart in this topic, he’ll only be 2-0 at featherweight and had a trio of consecutive losses before dropping down to the division. Three of Hioki’s four losses were Split Decisions while the other was of the Unanimous variety and came eight years ago. Also, +1 to Lambert for reading my mind as far as Hioki vs. Griffin with the winner taking on either Mendes or Aldo depending on how their bout plays out. Which UFC 137 bout will earn Fight of the Night honors? Conlan: The headliner between Penn/Diaz. The UFC has started leaning more towards awarding main card competitors with bonuses rather than preliminary fighters and even if that weren’t the case the welterweights’ war should be fantastic as is. Both men come to scrap every single time they step foot in a ring, not just as professional Mixed Martial Artists but guys who wouldn’t be afraid to throw down on the street without the fame or fortune. Lambert: There are plenty of candidates who could take home Fight of the Night honors but I’m going with Donald Cerrone vs. Dennis Siver. Both guys always bring it, especially Cerrone, who is never in a boring fight. As long as Siver shows up and this fight makes it out of the first round, I can’t see it not being an exciting fight. Both guys are aggressive and should have a great striking battle on the feet and should it hit the ground, we know that Cerrone will keep busy there as well. How long will B.J. Penn vs. Nick Diaz last? Conlan: The distance. Both are historically difficult to finish and, with their skill sets cancelling out to an extent, I see a highly-entertaining, three-round throwdown taking place with both putting the other in bad positions on the ground and getting marked up while standing. If one was a dominant wrestler or had even a clay jaw I might feel different, but I see them as being similar in a lot of ways with one of those characteristics being the ability to take punishment and keep on trucking. Lambert: I actually think Penn will finish Diaz in the first round. Yes Diaz is tough to finish, but he’s also a pretty flawed fighter and hasn’t fought a guy with the killer instinct of Penn. Because he throws so many punches, stands rather flat, and doesn’t move his head, Diaz is always open for counter punches and Penn is one of the best counter punches in the sport. Penn has very heavy hands and even though Diaz has a great chin/ability to recover, Penn won’t let him off the hook if he drops him like previous opponents. Plus, if he wants to, Penn can put Diaz on his back and work his second to none top game. Where would you rank Ben Askren in the welterweight division should he defeat Jay Hieron? Conlan: Somewhere in the 8-10 range. Hieron is no slouch, a veteran with great boxing and solid wrestling, but to be real he shouldn’t even be in the final after being wrongfully gifted a Split Decision win over Rick Hawn in last season’s tournament. Askren has beaten a number of apt adversaries, as would also be the case if he defeats Hieron, but he hasn’t faced any “Top 10” foes yet so it’s hard to know exactly know where he stacks up with the UFC’s hierarchy of 170 pounders. Lambert: His lack of competition level hurts him but if he’s able to dominate Hieron like he’s dominated pretty much every opponent thus far with his wrestling, I’d definitely put him in the top 10. I hate rankings, which makes me wonder why I asked this question, but I think he matches up well against any welterweight in the world, including GSP. Unfortunately we won’t know how good he truly is until he faces UFC competition, which hopefully happens sometime next year. PHOTO CREDIT – UFC

Posted in: ufc, fight, lashley, penn, hioki

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Nick Diaz and BJ Penn, the fighters that will face off on Saturday, October 29 in the main event at UFC 137 have been fairly quiet during the lead up to the fight. That quiet is most likely due to the mutual respect that is shared between the two.  Both fighters have acknowledged that they are on friendly terms and have gone so far as to say that they are not happy to have to meet each other in the Octagon. However, both fighters know what their job is; so don’t expect any punches to be pulled

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Filed under: UFCCan Nick Diaz make a triumphant return to the UFC and beat B.J. Penn? Can Matt Mitrione stay undefeated and beat Cheick Kongo? Will Mirko Cro Cop show he still has something left against Roy Nelson? Is there any reason to buy this pay-per-view now that Georges St. Pierre is off the card? We'll answer those questions and more as we predict the winners of Saturday night's UFC 137. What: UFC 137: Penn vs. Diaz Where: Mandalay Bay Events Center, Las Vegas When: Saturday, the preliminary fights on Facebook begin at 6 PM ET, the Spike fights begin at 8 and the pay-per-view begins at 9. Predictions on the five pay-per-view fights below. BJ Penn vs. Nick Diaz Diaz is on a 10-fight winning streak, but some critics contend that he's built up his record against weak opponents and wouldn't be able to handle the best of the best in the UFC. The fight with Penn should tell us a lot about Diaz: Can he use his high-volume but sometimes sloppy punching against a good boxer? Can he get the better of an excellent jiu jitsu player on the ground? I've always enjoyed watching Diaz and was hoping to see him fight St. Pierre for the welterweight title, but my money is on Diaz falling short against Penn. I think Penn can jab Diaz effectively all night if the fight stays standing, and I think Penn is too sophisticated a grappler for Diaz to get him in trouble on the ground. This is not a good stylistic matchup for Diaz, and I see Penn winning by unanimous decision. Pick: Penn More Coverage: Watch UFC 137 Live Online | UFC 137 Fight Card | UFC 137 Results Cheick Kongo vs. Matt Mitrione Mitrione was a former NFL defensive lineman who had little MMA experience when he was invited to join the cast of The Ultimate Fighter, but he has developed into a credible heavyweight. Kongo is a great striker and a lot of fun to watch, but he struggles against bigger, stronger opponents who can take him down, and I think that's exactly what Mitrione is going to do. I like Mitrione to win a decision and improve to 6-0. Pick: Mitrione Mirko Cro Cop vs. Roy Nelson Both of these guys are on two-fight losing streaks and have looked very unimpressive lately, but the difference is that in Nelson's two losses he was simply beaten by better opponents. In Cro Cop's two losses he was not only beaten but looked like he didn't even particularly want to fight. It's sad to say but I just don't think Cro Cop has anything left at all. Look for Nelson to win, and for UFC President Dana White to face questions about whether Cro Cop is done in the UFC. Pick: Nelson Scott Jorgensen vs. Jeff Curran The one good thing you can say about all the injuries that affected UFC 137 is that they created space for Jorgensen vs. Curran on the main card. This fight should be a lot of fun, featuring one of the best bantamweights in the world in Jorgensen, against one of the pioneers of the lower weight classes in Curran. I'd love to see Curran go on a run in the UFC, but he's 34 years old and has been fighting for 13 years and I think he's slowed down considerably. I think Jorgensen wins this one handily. Pick: Jorgensen Hatsu Hioki vs. George Roop Hioki has been the best featherweight in Japan the last few years and is an exciting addition to the UFC's featherweight division. He has great reach and knows how to take advantage of it on his feet, and he's very aggressive off his back on the ground. And yet ... after seeing so many fighters have success in Japan only to struggle when they move to the Octagon, I'm having a hard time seeing Hioki beating a solid UFC veteran like Roop. I think this fight goes the distance and Roop takes the decision. Pick: Roop Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

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Oh how quickly things can change. In early September the UFC was gearing up for what promised to be a battle for the ages. The good guy champion, Georges St. Pierre, against the bad guy challenger, Nick Diaz, over the Halloween weekend. "Rush" was respectful throughout the build to the match-up, always considerate of his opponent. The Stockton slugger, though, held no such compunction. He had respect for his foe's skill-set, sure, he just despised the way he utilized his talents. Lay-n-pray, anyone? Whether or not that's true is irrelevant. That's the angle Diaz took then and it's the angle he maintains to this very day, despite the fact that he's now squaring off against B.J. Penn at UFC 137 on Oct. 29 in Las Vegas and St. Pierre is no longer on the card, out until early next year with a knee injury. It's certainly not Diaz's job to put over "The Prodigy," but his obvious admiration for the Hawaiian's abilities coupled with his dislike for the French Canadian's style of fighting, has led him to dish out quite the complement: "B.J. Penn is a much more dangerous fighter than Georges St. Pierre. If I lose a fight to Georges, it's him holding me and not fighting the whole time. If I lose to B.J. Penn, he's probably going to take me out with a right hand or he's going to get on top someway and end up in position, probably get mount, take the back, put on a choke and finish the fight, you know? Georges is just going to look to do enough to win the fight. Every fight that he does. I doubt that would have worked out with me the same way that it does with a lot of the other fighters. I think I have the tools to do what it takes to make something happen in those five rounds." That chip Diaz carries around has clearly remain nestled right there on his shoulder, again, despite the fact that he's no longer fighting an enemy. Now he's fighting a friend. That's likely why he's heaping such praise on Penn. When the two step inside the Octagon with each other there will be a mutual understanding that whoever walks out the victor will have earned it the hard way.  No lay-n-pray here, folks. That's good news for fans and even better news for business. But let's be real, Maniacs. Is B.J. Penn a more dangerous fighter to Nick Diaz than Georges St. Pierre would have been? Opinions, please.

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Check out Countdown to UFC 137: Penn vs. Diaz featuring BJ Penn vs. Nick Diaz. Full video.

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Change of opponents? Check. Last-second bump up to the main event? Check. Ten-month layoff entering said bout? Check. An opponent with a history of talking trash and shirking media obligations? Again, check. While there might be a million things B.J. Penn could be concerned with going into this weekend’s headlining fight against Nick Diaz at UFC 137 there is only one thing on his mind – winning. Penn recently elaborated on his new mindset when it comes to competition in his blog for Yahoo Sports where he said all he truly cares about is coming away with his hand raised; not puffing his chest out to prove he’s the baddest kid on the block, not winning a third UFC championship. Regarding a conference call from last week Diaz showed up forty minutes late for, rather than blow his top or feel insulted, Penn wrote, “I didn’t find it disrespectful; I think it is Nick being Nick, and he’s not gonna change. He’s going to do what he’s going to do, and not do what he’s not going to do. That is cool. I know he will show up for the fight and it will be a great fight in the new UFC 137 main event…That’s all that really matters – who wins this fight and who loses.” “At this stage in my life, I feel I am too old to talk smack,” the 32-year old Hawaiian continued, also adding he had no problem with Georges St. Pierre withdrawing because at the end of the day the result of his fight with Carlos Condit is all people will remember. “As I get older, what I realize is that all anyone remembers is who wins fights. I find the smack talking funny when fighters do it, but no one remembers anything except who wins the fights.” “As far as having to hate everyone I fight, or proving I can outbox a boxer, or tap out the best BJJ guy, I don’t need to prove that anymore,” Penn explained. “What I want to do is fight hard, win some big fights and see what happens. I’d like to win the title, but I don’t think about that…The funny thing is that title shots – and who gets title shots – are all about timing. If I had beaten Jon Fitch in Sydney in February and not had a Draw, I would have gotten a title shot. But now, even if I beat Diaz, I may not get a title shot.” Rather than focus on things outside of his control, Penn will instead concentrate on the mountain he has to climb this Saturday night. “Beating Diaz, title fight or no title fight, is a big deal. He’s a great fighter and dangerous anywhere. I won’t disrespect him, the fans or myself by not concentrating 100 percent on this fight at UFC 137.” PHOTO CREDIT – UFC

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 Cesar Gracie, head trainer of the enigmatic Nick Diaz, was a recent guest on HDNet's "Inside MMA," breaking down his fighter's upcoming clash with B.J. Penn in the UFC 137 main event. Gracie goes into deep detail about Diaz's respect for the "Prodigy," even mentioning that he hopes it doesn't have an impact on the outcome of the 170-pound bout because the Stockton, Calif.,-bred brawler typically performs best against enemies (See Frank Shamrock). The video ends with Gracie saying that Diaz and Penn will likely put all their happy history behind them for 15 minutes and go after each other on the ground, as well as on their feet, as if they were sworn enemies. Anyone else concerned? Or, will their similar styles and "fighter mentalities" translate into an action-packed, instant classic?

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Former lightweight and welterweight champion B.J. Penn is too old for this you-know-what. He's still a proud man and a fighter. But he's a father of two now, and has children to keep in check the flare-ups of emotion that would have landed him in hot water three years ago. He can't go flying off at the handle at any slight. He is measured because he is responsible. In short, he's an adult. At 32, he ought to be.

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UFC 136 may have had the hype as being a great card top to bottom, but Saturday night we'll see the UFC put on a show that has plenty of potential for great action as well. Some of the solid match-ups on the card have been overlooked as talk of UFC 137 has been so centrally focused on Georges St. Pierre's injury and Nick Diaz's media obligations. Let's take a quick look at the three fights I think have the best chance of being the best fight of the night: Dennis Siver vs. Donald Cerrone - Siver has picked up four UFC award bonuses and his style presents just the right kind of vulnerabilities that present opportunities for his opponents, often resulting in compelling and exciting stand-up battles. In Cerrone he faces a man who picked up five "Fight of the Night" bonuses during his time in the WEC, picked up a FotN in his first UFC bout against Paul Kelly and scored a Knockout of the Night against Charles Oliveira. Siver and Cerrone are simply a great mix for an action fight. Cheick Kongo vs. Matt Mitrione - Kongo hasn't always been involved in thrilling fights, but certain kinds of fighters tend to bring out the best in him. His last fight, a 2:39 knockout win over Pat Barry, was a classic. In Mitrione, Cheick faces a heavyweight who will not hesitate to bring the fight to him. There's a fair chance that the fight breaks down into Kongo trying to hold Mitrione against the cage but there's also a good chance that Mitrione's pressure forces Kongo to really let his strikes go and we get a fun heavyweight scrap. B.J. Penn vs. Nick Diaz - It's always great when a major card has a main event that has a great shot at being the best fight of the night. Both fighters in the bout are dynamic, well-rounded and can finish the fight on the feet or the floor. While Penn vs. Carlos Condit was an appealing fight on the initial card, the shuffle to make Penn vs. Diaz after Nick's press conference no-shows lost him his title shot gave us what could be an even better fight and has the potential to be one of the best fights of 2011. SBN coverage of UFC 137: Penn vs. Diaz

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UFC 137: Penn vs. Diaz live results and play-by-play on Saturday, Oct. 29, in Las Vegas. The main event features BJ Penn vs. Nick Diaz.

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UFC 137: Penn vs. Diaz quick results on Saturday, Oct. 29, in Las Vegas. The main event features BJ Penn vs. Nick Diaz.

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B.J. Penn is happy. Heading into the 26th professional mixed martial arts (MMA) fight of his Hall of Fame-worthy career, the soon-to-be 33-year-old "Prodigy" shares his new outlook in a blog for Yahoo!Sports.com. Penn is set to battle Nick Diaz -- a friend and frequent training partner -- in the UFC 137 main event this Saturday night (Oct. 29, 2011) from the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas, Nevada. Perhaps its their history together, or it really is indeed his experience (or a combination of the two), but the traditionally fiery Hawaiian has been exceptionally quiet. Penn's sharp tongue has been a key factor behind his appeal all these years, whether he was out to teach a lucky Jens Pulver a lesson, exact revenge against a heartless Georges St. Pierre or riding Matt Hughes about his boring fighting style seemingly forever. The two-time, two-division champion tries to explain his current, newfound perspective: "Right now, I feel I got a clean slate with anyone in the sport. I am happy with my career, winning two titles and beating some great fighters, but I also feel I have more to do. I have to get better and I have to show I am as good as people have said I am. I’m getting older. This is a career to me, but fighting is what I live for. As far as having to hate everyone I fight, or proving I can outbox a boxer, or tap out the best BJJ guy, I don’t need to prove that anymore. What I want to do is fight hard, win some big fights and see what happens. I’d like to win the title, but I don’t think about that." The key here is Penn never really had any true hate. Not if his post-fight actions and/or words are indicators at least. He hugged it out with "Lil Evil," buried the hatchet with "Rush" and trained/shot firearms with Hughes. Penn's epic trash talk was usually contrived animosity or conflict, emotional nuggets on which he could hang his cap and ultimately use as motivation to get up for fights, as well as help sell them for the benefit of UFC's bottom line. It was brilliant. He was a pioneer, a care-free master of pre-fight hype. Emphasis on was ... for now, anyway.

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While all the attention if on former UFC champion B.J. Penn this week as he prepares to headline UFC 137 on Saturday night, B.J.’s younger brother Reagan Penn is ready to step back into the cage himself. MMA organization ProElite announced today that Reagan will compete in his second professional bout against Evan Cutts as part of Pro Elite’s second event on November 5. Reagan made his MMA debut this past August at Pro Elite’s inaugural event in his hometown of Hilo, Hawaii where he made short work of Paul Gardiner, submitting him in just over a minute with a rear naked choke in the first round. Cutts is a 20-year-old up and comer out of Texas looking to cash in on the last name “Penn” with the biggest victory of his career. In his two professional bouts he finished both of his opponents with a submission in the first round. “ProElite: Big Guns” is scheduled for November 5 at IWireless Center in Moline, Illinois. The card is headlined by Tim Sylvia taking on Andreas Kraniotakes and also features Andrei Arlovski against Travis Fulton. PHOTO CREDIT – PROELITE

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Cesar Gracie might get more mic time than any manager in MMA, and he was at it again today as a guest on The MMA Hour with Ariel Helwani. Back when Georges St. Pierre was forced off the card with a knee injury, Dana White stated that Carlos Condit would definitely get the next shot and not lose his place in line. Well, Gracie thinks a great performance from Nick Diaz at UFC 137 against B.J. Penn might change that: "This is the UFC so there's always that chance," Gracie said on Monday's edition of The MMA Hour. "There's no question about it that I will ask for that if Nick has a tremendous performance and he can finish BJ, I would ask for that. But the biggest thing is if the fans want it. If the fans all ask for that, Dana [White] is a smart guy. He knows the sport is about the fans. So who knows?" Gracie also confirmed there was some reluctance from both guys about facing each other due to their friendship, but a talk between Gracie and JD Penn got things moving: "We said, 'Hey, you know what? These guys are going to have to fight in the future, at some point in their lives. So let's just get it over with,'" Gracie said. If Diaz did finish Penn, Gracie would have a point. I believe that there would be a much stronger market for the GSP/Diaz fight than GSP/Condit if that did happen. But that's a big if. There's an angry Hawaiian guy standing between Cesar Gracie and his hopes and dreams, and we'll find out this Saturday whether any of this becomes important or not. More SBN coverage of UFC 137

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In his blog for Yahoo! Sports, BJ Penn says he's glad to be fighting in the UFC 137 main event after GSP pulled out.

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Reagan Penn's burgeoning MMA career rolls on at ProElite 2. Penn, the younger brother of former UFC champ B.J. Penn, is set to meet the undefeated Evan Cutts at the event, which takes place Nov. 5 at iWireless Center in Moline, Ill. The bout airs live as part of the event's HDNet-televised main card. Broadcast plans for the preliminary card have yet to be announced.

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Is Nick Diaz good enough to beat B.J. Penn? MMA Nation's Jonathan Snowden looks at five key areas where these two welterweight warriors match-up. Who gets the advantage heading into UFC 137 on Oct. 29? Find out here.

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Check out the final trailer for "UFC 137: Penn vs. Diaz" and then get ready for all of the action coming your way during fight week!

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Filed under: UFC, MMA Fighting ExclusiveNick Diaz and Georges St-Pierre can't seem to get everything lined up to face each other. The two were going to fight later this month at UFC 137 until Diaz missed two press conferences in two days and was removed from the fight. As it turns out, the bout wouldn't have happened anyway after St-Pierre injured his knee and withdrew from the event altogether. On Saturday, Diaz has a chance to make his case as the true No. 1 welterweight contender when he faces BJ Penn. And according to his trainer and manager Cesar Gracie, if Diaz decisively wins the bout that night, they'll ask to bypass Carlos Condit and get bumped back into his original position as GSP's next challenger. "This is the UFC so there's always that chance," Gracie said on Monday's edition of The MMA Hour. "There's no question about it that I will ask for that if Nick has a tremendous performance and he can finish BJ, I would ask for that. But the biggest thing is if the fans want it. If the fans all ask for that, Dana [White] is a smart guy. He knows the sport is about the fans. So who knows?" Of course, much is dependent on Diaz winning. It was a fight that neither side wanted, stemming from Penn's longstanding relationship with the camp. In fact, years ago, he fought for the first time ever while under the Team Cesar Gracie banner. Because of that, it took some convincing to pull the two particulars together as both were initially resistant to the bout. Gracie eventually spoke to BJ Penn's brother JD and the two sides came to the realization that the fight was inevitable. "We said, 'Hey, you know what? These guys are going to have to fight in the future, at some point in their lives. So let's just get it over with,'" Gracie said. Gracie described the entire UFC 137 ordeal as an "emotional rollercoaster" and added that he's confident that there will be no problems during fight week. As he noted, Gracie been involved in several main events while in Strikeforce, and was also in the main card of a CBS-televised EliteXC show, so he does have experience going through periods of heavy media attention. Gracie, who has been in Diaz's corner since the beginning of his fight career, said there was never any point where things got too strained between them, saying that like any family-type relationship, they might get mad at each other but their deep ties will always pull them back together. "Nick doesn't have to fight at all, in my eyes, ever again, and it's not going to put our relationship to an end, because he's one of the black belts of this school," he said. "He's helped us out tremendously. He's put a lot attention on our academy. He's fought the good fight, and he's done everything I could imagine a guy can do. I don't have any expectations of what he owes me or owes my school or anything like that. If he quit fighting tomorrow, his accomplishments are still impressive. He's got nothing to prove to me. I was obviously disappointed and pissed off about certain things as I'm sure he gets disappointed and pissed off at me and other people at my school, but you just get over that. It's part of that family thing." The silver lining to the issue that cost Diaz his title shot was increased attention, and now Diaz may have more eyeballs on him, so if he wins convincingly, there may be an uproar to face St-Pierre sooner rather than later. Gracie said he believes the key to beating Penn is to win exchanges on the feet and scrambles on the ground. He acknowledged that Penn has the advantage in wrestling, but thinks that Diaz's skill set has some wrinkles that could give Penn problems. One advantage is likely conditioning, and Gracie noted that is why he asked for a five-round fight, a request that was turned down. Either way, at least he'll be fighting on Saturday, which wouldn't have happened if his original match had never been switched. Now he gets the chance to increase his credibility in the eyes of some skeptics, make a statement, and maybe even demand the match that was originally his to begin with. "In some strange way, it worked out," Gracie said. Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

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Well, we know who Georges St. Pierre is picking in the main event of UFC 137. Former division champion B.J. Penn will welcome former Strikeforce 170-pound kingpin Nick Diaz back to the Octagon this Saturday night (Oct. 29) at the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas, Nevada. Chael Sonnen's conspiracy theory notwithstanding, it's widely believed the winner of this weekend's headliner will be next in line for a shot at the winner of St. Pierre vs. Carlos Condit, who throw down for the UFC welterweight title in early 2012. But let's not put the cart before the horse. We still have a fantastic match up in "Sin City" first, between two foes who are very closely matched in most of their offensive and defensive skill sets. So who do the bookies like at the end of the night? Let's take a look. Our capital comrades over at Odds Shark have pegged "The Prodigy" as a slight favorite over Diaz at -130, leaving the Stockton slugger as the +100 underdog. Surprised? Diaz is on a ten-fight winning streak with nine finishes. Penn is 6-3-1 (across his last ten) and his only win over the last two years was a 21-second stiffening of fading legend Matt Hughes. Fans of the Hawaiian will argue he's faced better competition. Detractors will call his body of work as a 170-pounder underwhelming, at best. Who makes a better case for UFC 137? And more importantly, do these odds and betting lines compel you to plunk down some coin? See more of the "Penn vs. Diaz" odds here.

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Few fighters display their heritage as proudly as BJ Penn, a Mixed Martial Artist whose name has become as synonymous with his home of Hawaii as pineapples and hula dancing. From his trademark entrance song to his weigh-in pose to his overall warrior spirit, Hilo is rarely far from his heart, one of the many reasons Penn has now returned to his familiar stomping grounds for the last leg of training before facing Nick Diaz this Saturday night at UFC 137. Penn recently spoke about what Hawaii means to him, as well as his respect for Diaz as an opponent based some personal experiences with the former Strikeforce champion, in both instances showing he is in a good place with only a week to go before one of the biggest fights of his career. “I came back to Hawaii for three weeks ground myself over here, mentally and emotionally. This is where I’m from. This is where my strength is. This is where my manna is. It’s been great for me,” Penn explained in his latest video blog from sponsor RVCA, later visiting some of the island’s scenic landmarks with friends and family. Penn’s “Road to UFC 137″ Part I The serenity of his surroundings appears to have carried over into his life, a point the surefire Hall of Fame welterweight drove home saying he was “too old to talk sh*t.” Of course, even the Penn from a few years ago would have likely bitten his tongue in terms of his current match-up. “Nick Diaz, I’m not gonna lie – I’ve known him for a long time, I’ve seen him around…he actually came out and helped me train for the Kenny Florian fight,” Penn explained. “Him and his brother Nate (Diaz) are real good guys. They came and helped me at a time when I really needed help…and I’ve got a lot of respect for those guys.” The 32-year old no doubt respects Diaz’s skills as well given the Stockton native’s success as of late, and, with Penn in a particularly good place both literally and figuratively, he’ll be looking to bring a victory back to Hawaii as beautiful as the sunsets so often associated with the island paradise. You can watch the entire Penn video below: PHOTO CREDIT – UFC Tweet

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After all the changes to the main event, B.J. Penn and Nick Diaz will now be headlining UFC 137 this weekend. While the odds have it almost dead even (Penn -110, Diaz Ev), a bunch of professionals seem to have favored Penn to win. Here's a video from MMAInterviews.tv where they have guys like Stephan Bonnar, Wanderlei Silva, Phil Baroni, Manny Gamburyan and others giving their picks. If you can't watch the video, or if you're just too lazy to do so, you can still check after the jump for a quick summary of their picks. SBN coverage of UFC 137: BJ Penn vs. Nick Diaz Pros who picked Nick Diaz: 1 - Stephan Bonnar Pros who picked BJ Penn: 4 - Manny Gamburyan, Duane Ludwig, Rafael Cordeiro, Anthony Njokuani Pros who were undecided: 3 - Wanderlei Silva, Tyson Griffin, Phil Baroni HT: BE Reader R.T. -- Odds via Best Fight Odds

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UFC President Dana White doesn’t play. Not when it comes to promoting UFC events. Certainly not when it comes to making sure fans receive tremendous value for their pay-per-view dollar.Nick Diaz failed to show up to back-to-back press conferences to hype up his then-scheduled title challenge against welterweight kingpin Georges St-Pierre. Not sure whether the enigmatic fighter would actually show up for the bout, the boss pulled Diaz from the main event. Believe me. White could have done worse, like terminate Diaz’s fight contract. He didn’t. The question remained, though, when would the Strikeforce champion make his first return to the Octagon since 2006. The solution was brilliant. Diaz would indeed be granted his UFC return at UFC 137. Not against GSP. He would instead face BJ Penn, one of only two men to win championships in two different UFC weight classes and a fighter who will go down in the annals of history as one of the best ever, pound for pound.Yet in a strange twist of events, GSP ended up injuring his knee during training, forcing him out of his title defense against Carlos Condit. This elevated Penn-Diaz to the main event, the spot originally pegged for the maligned Stockton native. And for my money, Penn-Diaz is a more intriguing, more fan friendly matchup than Diaz-GSP.  Probably sounds a bit like blasphemy to some. I don’t care. I’m a firm believer in that statement. Think about it for a moment. Have you ever witnessed Diaz or Penn in a boring fight when it didn’t involve an elite wrestler holding them on the ground for the length of the bout? Enough said.Neither Diaz nor Penn is a dominant wrestler, so a lay-and-pray strategy isn’t in the cards for either man. Instead, we will see two of the best fighters in the world, pound for pound, go head-to-head in what will likely unfold as a back-and-forth barnburner for as long as it lasts. That makes for must-see TV.So, what will happen once the action gets under way?Let’s dismiss with the obvious first. This fight will not be decided on the ground.Diaz and Penn are the two best submission artists in the division, bar none. Penn is the more decorated of the two, holding the amazing distinction of being the first non-Brazilian to win the black belt division of the World Jiu-Jitsu Championships. He did that after only three years of BJJ training.Diaz is not a decorated submission grappler, like his opponent. But he doesn’t take a back seat to anyone, including Penn. That is especially true when it comes to his offensive guard. The Cesar Gracie black belt might even hold the edge over Penn, in terms of the lethal nature of his guard.None of that will be overly relevant on October 29. This fight won’t be decided by either man’s BJJ skills. Neither Diaz nor Penn are particularly effective at taking the fight to the ground, and neither of these guys wants to pull guard against the other. It may end in a submission. That is a very real possibility, though a knockdown, not a takedown or someone pulling guard, is the likely prelude to a submission.This bout will be decided in pugilistic fashion. These guys are coming to throw hands, first and foremost. And they will keep throwing hands, mixed with the occasional kick, knee and elbow, until someone falls down or the final bell sounds. That is crux of each of their game plans. Trust me on that one.Diaz will come out looking to slap box. He will paw with his right hand, while he looks for openings for quick right hooks and sharp straight rights down the middle. His mouth will be running the entire time, taunting Penn with venomous comments about any and everything.Back to the slap boxing part. Diaz will be doing anything but slapping his foe. He will appear to be throwing pitter-patter punches. Yet, he throws with such great technique and overwhelming volume that the accumulation of damage from his blows is very real. And it compounds quickly.Diaz will look to overwhelm his foe with activity, just like he did Frank Shamrock, Paul Daley and the eight other opponents he has faced since the calendar flipped to 2008. They say speed kills. Well, so does overwhelming activity and pressure, and that is what Diaz does better than anyone else.Penn does not want a fire fight. The conventional wisdom is that the best way to beat the Hawaiian superstar, other than a lay-and-pray strategy, is to smother him with pressure. That is a risky proposition, though, because the former lightweight and welterweight champion is probably the best pure boxer in the division, and he loves to counter.“The Prodigy” has the second best jab in the division, and that is the key to his standup offense. Much like a traditional boxer, Penn stands with his weight cheating toward the front and heavy hips. That allows him to throw with maximum force at any moment. Diaz has below average takedowns, so Penn won’t alter his normal stance, other than possibly sitting down just a bit more to generate even more power.Penn can counter with the best of them. But he doesn’t stick and move on his counters. He plants and bombs. What that means is Diaz will have ample opportunity to return fire, assuming a Penn counter doesn’t turn the lights out. With Diaz’s sturdy chin, that is a safe bet. Once on the inside, the fight should be all Diaz. Penn needs space to do real damage on the inside, particularly against a taller opponent. Diaz does not. He might be the sport’s single-most prolific puncher in a phone booth.That is what Diaz wants. He wants this to be a fight in the phone booth. He wants to be trapped in the trenches with Penn.  He wants to overwhelm Penn with activity, forcing the former two-division champion to defend, rather than attack.By contrast, Penn wants space to maneuver. He wants time to set up his shots. And he wants the ability to land one or two fight-altering shots.On paper, Penn is the more skilled fighter. He is also the more accomplished champion. But this fight has Nick Diaz written all over it. Diaz is the second hottest welterweight over the last couple of years, second only to GSP. Penn has largely been an average welterweight in the UFC. His record stands at an average 2-3-1. Both wins were against Matt Hughes.Something tells me that win number three won’t be against Diaz. QUICK FACTSBJ Penn•    32 years old•    5’9, 165 lbs•    70-inch reach•    16-7-2 overall (12-6-2 UFC)•    13 of 20 UFC fights have ended inside the distance (11-2 in those fights)•    Two losses to Edgar were his first losses by unanimous decision in his UFC career•    2-3-1 in UFC welterweight division•    2-2-1 in his last 5•    6-3-1 in his last 10•    6-7 overall against current or former UFC/PRIDE champions•    Penn has never been submitted•    Second fighter in history to win championships in two UFC weight classes (lightweight and welterweight)•    Has competed in 4 weight classes (155 lbs, 170 lbs, 185 lbs and HW)•    First non-Brazilian to win gold in the black belt division of the Mundial World Championship (BJJ)•    Three UFC post-fight awards: Submission of the Night (2), Knockout of the Night•    Current layoff is 244 days •    Longest layoff of UFC career is 273 days (excluding the 3-year period when Penn was absent from the UFC and competing actively elsewhere)Nick Diaz•    28 years old•    6’1, 170 lbs•    74-inch reach•    26-7, 1 NC•    Finished 9 out last 10 opponents•    5-0 in last 5•    10-0 in last 10•    Former Strikeforce Welterweight Champion (never lost the title; vacated it to return to the UFC for the first time since November 18, 2006)•    Current layoff is 203 days•    Longest layoff of career is 315 days

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UFC 137 main eventer B.J. Penn and his camp recently put out two slickly-produced video blogs aptly titled "B.J. Penn's Road to UFC 137".  The blogs also cover his brother Reagan's ProElite win in his MMA debut and some of the work he's been doing to train for his second fight which takes place. After an initial spurt about Reagan though, the first video mostly concentrates on Penn. He discusses how he found out about his bout with Carlos Condit being pulled so Condit could move up and fight Georges St. Pierre (a bout that was later canceled) and he mentions that he was looking at other opponents since him and Nick Diaz are friends and have trained together before. The rest of the first video just shows Penn doing a lot of boxing and jiu-jitsu training in between interviews with a bunch of  guys from his camp. Here's part one: In the second video (that you can catch after the jump), the founder of RCVA talks about how Penn was scheduled to train at their headquarters in Cali for nine weeks, but he decided to go back to Hawaii for a while. It basically follows the same format as the first entry, but there's more interview time with Penn and a better look at his personal life. It shows him on outings with his daughter, and there are more interviews with the guys from his camp. They're a tad long and the training scenes are a bit dull, but there is a lot of good content in both blogs and they're definitely worth checking out. More SBN coverage of UFC 137

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You know what they say: if at first you don't succeed, gain 15 pounds. Okay, maybe they don't say that but it's exactly what B.J. Penn did at UFC 46 when he challenged Matt Hughes for the Hall of Famer's welterweight title. "The Prodigy" exploded onto the mixed martial arts (MMA) scene, earning three wins in less time than it takes to cook a pizza. Even more impressive, Penn was shucking his grappling chops -- which were insanely impressive -- and opting to destroy his opponents in the stand up. When he was booked opposite Jens Pulver, it seemed like a foregone conclusion that the Hawaiian would walk away with the lightweight strap. But in one of the gutsiest performances ever, Pulver weathered the early storm and dominated the latter three rounds to defeat Penn by decision. What unfolded in the next two years was unlikelihood after improbability after long shot and led to Penn taking on Hughes for a title in a weight class he had never competed in. This Saturday (Oct. 29) Penn steps inside the Octagon against Nick Diaz in the new main event of UFC 137. In Diaz he faces a fighter much like himself. The former Strikeforce champion combines high level grappling with devastating boxing, a combination that has him undefeated in his last 10 fights. But first, we'll take a look at Penn's shocking victory over Hughes. It was the fight which finally saw "The Prodigy" start to realize some of the potential everyone knew he always had. Let's go! After Pulver fended off Penn at UFC 35, the Miletich Fighting Systems product left the promotion and vacated the lightweight title. In response, a four-man tournament was set up to crown a new champion. At UFC 39, Penn dispatched of Matt Serra and Caol Uno defeated Din Thomas. "The Prodigy" and Uno had faced one another before. In Penn's third fight, he demolished the Japanese legend in only 11 seconds. The second time around, Uno was able to avoid the same fate and battled Penn for the full 25 minutes. In a situation that the Hawaiian would become duly familiar with in his career, he would end up not winning the fight despite appearing like he had just woken up from a nap while his opponent looked like he had been beaten nearly to death. The fight ended in a draw and pretty much killed the 155-pound division for a couple of years. Penn, who had squandered his second title shot, traveled back home to Hawaii and easily dismantled former Shooto champion Takanori Gomi. It took some of the sting out of his failure to beat Uno for a second time but it was no replacement for 12 pounds of gold. That's when the UFC offered "The Prodigy" a unique opportunity. Matt Hughes had five straight welterweight title defenses on his résumé and had basically run out of challengers. Having found success in asking Randy Couture to switch weight classes, the promotion seemed willing to take a similar chance on Penn. The contracts were signed and the fight was set for UFC 46. Let's take a look. The two exchange jabs before clinching up. The champ tries to land some knees in the plum but Penn is able to break free and the two reset. Hughes seems content to stand with his opponent until a right counter hook cracks him on the jaw and drops him to a knee. The champion's wrestling instincts take over and he dives in for a single-leg takedown but is flipped onto his back -- rather easily it seems like -- by Penn. They scramble on the mat and "The Prodigy" winds up in his opponent's guard. From there, the strategies for each fighter seem clear: Penn is looking to pass while Hughes wants to completely neutralize any offense the Hawaiian throws at him. As the challenger tries to step into side mount, the wrestler takes the opportunity to threaten with a kimura. Having forgotten more about Brazilian jiu-jitsu (BJJ) than most people will ever know, Penn easily avoids the submission and momentarily takes the champ's back. 90 seconds into the fight, "The Prodigy" once again ends up in Hughes' guard and begins dropping elbows. If you had asked anyone prior to the bout who they would have expected landing ground and pound from the top, their answer would have varied wildly from what actually ended up happening. Hughes, for his part, is landing his own shots from the bottom while trying to shove the challenger off of him. The two battle to what amounts to a stalemate for the next two minutes but with a little over 60 seconds remaining in the round, Penn is able to advance into half-guard. Hughes forces him back to guard and then to his feet. Penn -- holding his opponent's legs -- lands a left and then a huge right as he dives back on top of the champion. Perhaps dazed from the punch, Hughes seemingly allows Penn to take control at this point. Penn slides across his opponent's body and takes his back. He begins raining down punches -- looping lefts and rights -- forcing the champion to cover up to protect himself. The same action that prevents a possible knockout also leads to a rear naked choke which forces Hughes to tap. Ever a showman, Penn gives the now former champion a little sugar before being hoisted on the shoulders of a corner man and slapping himself over and over. "The Prodigy" finally owned UFC gold. But perhaps feeling that the 170-pound division was the odd man out -- every other weight class except welterweight had its title vacated at least once at that time -- Penn signed with a Japanese fight promotion which forced the UFC to strip the Hawaiian of his recently won belt. He eventually returned to the Octagon and has taken on Hughes twice more since that fateful night. The wrestler took the rematch, pounding "The Prodigy" out in the third round. The rubber match was all Penn as he scorched his longtime rival in less than half a minute. His welterweight record stands at 3-3-1 with his most recent bout -- against Jon Fitch -- ending in a draw. Should Penn win on Saturday and Fitch win his bout at UFC 141, the two could meet once again to settle what was left unresolved in Australia. With wins over Diaz and Fitch, would Penn earn a third bout with Georges St. Pierre? Or is that simply a fight you Maniacs don't care to see?

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Up until seven days ago, UFC President Dana White slept soundly thinking that his problems relating to UFC 137 were over. Oh how wrong he was.. Last week welterweight champ Georges St. Pierre was forced to pull out of a headlining title-fight with Carlos Condit because of a knee injury he sustained during a sparring session. GSP had originally been slated to fight former Strikeforce welterweight king Nick Diaz, but Diaz was pulled from the bout after missing several press conferences to pump up the event, Diaz was then place in a fight with former double-divisional champion BJ Penn. Having already fought and beaten Penn twice, and having spent the last few months training for Diaz, GSP weighed in on their bout his comments on the clash, making his pick with a stipulation regarding Penn’s preparation. “I think BJ Penn will win the fight because I believe he has more skills. If he uses all his set of skills, then BJ Penn will win,” the popular French-Canadian explained to SportsNet. Penn Gives Look Behind the Scenes at UFC 137 Camp GSP also delved further into the fight to assess the Hawaiian’s state of mind coming into the fight. “The thing with Penn is sometimes you don’t know what Penn will show up to the fight. If he’s well prepared or injured – I don’t know. Sometimes, I saw him perform very well at the best of his ability (and that’s when) he’s the best guy. But when he doesn’t perform at the best of his ability he can be beat. Diaz is very consistent, he has a similar style of fighting all the time. But, I believe if the right Penn shows up, he’ll win the fight.” Penn and Diaz will collide next Saturday night in Las Vegas. Condit has vowed to wait for GSP to return to health and remain #1 contender. No date has been set for St. Pierre’s return. PHOTO CREDIT – UFC Tweet

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We're now less than one week away from UFC 137: "Penn vs. Diaz" in which former welterweight champion B.J. Penn will do battle against Strikeforce welterweight champion Nick Diaz. It's an interesting clash of styles. Both men are highly competent boxers with equally dangerous jiu-jitsu skills. They're grapplers without being wrestlers, often eschewing that particular martial art in favor of more exciting fighting styles. But who's better all around? Some would say it's Penn, who famed boxing trainer Freddie Roach once called the very best boxer in all of MMA. Others would say Diaz, the foul-mouthed bad boy from Stockton who speaks softly and carries a big stick. The person of the most interest, perhaps, believes that all things being equal, "The Prodigy" will get the job done -- as long as he comes at his best. Here's more from current welterweight champion Georges St. Pierre (via Sportsnet.ca): "I think BJ Penn will win the fight because I believe he has more skills. If he uses all his set of skills, then BJ Penn will win. But, the thing with BJ Penn is sometimes you don't know what BJ Penn will show up to the fight. If he's well prepared or injured - I don't know. Sometimes, I saw him perform very well at the best of his ability he's the best guy. But when he doesn't perform at the best of his ability he can be beat. Nick Diaz is very consistent, he has a similar style of fighting all the time. But, I believe if the right BJ Penn shows up, he'll win the fight." Penn is coming off a majority draw with Jon Fitch back at UFC 127 in February. Despite the many pundits predicting his victory, he's just 1-2-1 in his last four fights. Hardly impressive. Diaz, meanwhile, hasn't lost since 2007 and is currently riding a 10-fight win streak. That's about as impressive as it gets, even if the competition hasn't exactly been top of the line. The winner of this match-up could potentially slide into Carlos Condit's slot as number one contender, at least if we're to believe Chael Sonnen. So who takes it, Maniacs? Penn or Diaz?

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Here’s the part two of BJ Penn’s Road to UFC 137 where Penn returned to Hawaii to finish his training for Nick Diaz. You can check out part one here if you missed it.

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Check out the new UFC 137: Penn vs. Diaz video trailer... Don't be scared to watch, homie!

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[div class="notice" class2="icon"]The following is from an article on FighterXFashion.com, part of the MiddleEasy Network.[/div] BJ Penn’s signature series by RVCA returns for his UFC 137 headliner with three new BJ Penn T-shirts including “The Place”, “Skelepenn”, and his official UFC 137 cornerman tee. The three new Penn styles combine two traditional Hawaii inspired T-shirts in the beach based design and his corner crew’s “Team Aloha” shirt, along with a spookier looking style in his “Skelepenn” UFC 137 walkout tee. All three shirts come packed with RVCA and BJPenn.com logo hits, united by the Hawaiian islands appearing on the chest. Pulling for Penn to take home the win at UFC 137? Check out all three signature shirts below. See the Shirts...

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As B.J. Penn continues on his road to UFC 137, "The Prodigy" heads back to Hilo, Hawaii for the final weeks of his preparation. Now promoted to the main event as a result of Georges St. Pierre's withdraw, Penn will go head to head with former Strikeforce Champion Nick Diaz in hopes of cementing his place as the division's top contender. UFC 137 takes place next Saturday, October 29th, from the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas, Nevada.

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Former Strikeforce Welterweight Champion Nick Diaz, who will go head to head with B.J. Penn in the UFC 137 headlining bout, discusses his opponent, as well as his expectations for the bout. Diaz says Penn is his favorite fighter and believes that the "Prodigy" is where he's at because they come from the same school.

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Former UFC lightweight champ B.J. Penn‘s welterweight quest has been one filled with plenty of highs, but, Penn wants to avenge a sore subject in the form of a February Draw with Jon Fitch. After finding out his original UFC 137 opponent, Carlos Condit, had been called up to fight UFC welterweight title-holder Georges St. Pierre, Penn was hoping he would get his rematch with Fitch. Instead, Penn found out his new opponent was former Strikeforce welterweight king Nick Diaz. “I was sitting down eating sushi and Matt Hughes shoots me a text,” said Penn in a conference call with media relating to next weekend’s event. “He’s like, ‘Hey, who are you fighting?’ I thought maybe Carlos got hurt and then I heard about the whole thing that happened with Diaz and not showing up for the press conferences and all that stuff.” “Fitch keeps on saying all this stuff that he can beat me easy and all these things, so first think I do is I call up Dana White,” the popular Hawaiian continued. “I say, ‘You know what? Perfect, let’s fight Fitch. He said he’s ready to go and said he’s love to fight me.’” Penn further elaborated, stating he tried to push White into making the match but the UFC President kept on telling him Fitch was injured and wouldn’t be ready to go in October. With that being the case, Penn accepted the Diaz fight and now the two will be in the main event on October 29 from Las Vegas due to GSP having to pull out of the Condit bout with a knee injury. As for Fitch, Penn said, “I’ll fight Fitch anytime. I’d love to fight him again.” PHOTO CREDIT – UFC

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(Pic) New UFC 137 poster for "Penn vs. Diaz" on Oct. 29 in Las Vegas, Nevada. The Halloween weekend event has been cursed from the get-go, starting as "St. Pierre vs. Diaz" before moving to "St. Pierre vs. Condit" and eventually settling on "Penn vs. Diaz." With any luck, the promotion will make it to next Saturday night without a hitch. For the complete updated UFC 137 fight card and line-up click here.

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With welterweight contenders BJ Penn and Nick Diaz now headlining next Saturday’s UFC 137 event following an injury to welterweight champ Georges St-Pierre and a middleweight scrap between Brad Tavares and Dustin Jacoby jumping to the pay-per-view card, here’s what the UFC 137 fight card now looks like: MAIN CARD (PPV) BJ Penn vs. Nick Diaz Matt Mitrione vs. Cheick Kongo Mirko Cro Cop vs. Roy Nelson Hatsu Hioki vs. George Roop Brad Tavares vs. Dustin Jacoby PRELIMINARY CARD (Spike TV) Dennis Siver vs. Donald Cerrone Bart Palaszewski vs. Tyson Griffin PRELIMINARY CARD (Facebook) Jeff Curran vs. Scott Jorgensen Brandon Vera vs. Eliot Marshall Ramsey Nijem vs. Danny Downes Francis Carmont vs. Chris Camozzi For UFC 137 results and complete UFC 137 coverage stay tuned to MMAFrenzy.com. Pictured: BJ Penn

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Nick Diaz returns to the UFC to take on BJ Penn on Saturday, Oct. 29, at UFC 137.

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For UFC 137 results and complete UFC 137 coverage stay tuned to MMAFrenzy.com.

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Former Strikeforce welterweight champ Nick Diaz better get used to all these press conferences, conference calls, and other media appearances if he is going to be a successful fighter in the UFC. After having a title shot with Georges St-Pierre taken away from him for missing several of those media events, Diaz showed up late to Wednesday’s conference call for UFC 137, an event he is now headlining alongside opponent B.J. Penn. “Hey, how’s it going,” Diaz casually asked nearly 45 minutes after the call had started. The Californian plead he case, stating he didn’t know that he was still needed for the promotional obligation due to St-Pierre being forced out of his fight with Carlos Condit just a day earlier due to a knee injury, mentioning he hadn’t been given any information from the UFC to suggest otherwise. “”All I know is that somebody’s getting paid over a hundred grand just to tell me what I’m supposed to do and what I’m not supposed to do. And I’m like, for that much money, I think I could have had somebody standing around telling me, ‘Hey, you can’t miss this press conference. That kind of voids the whole contract, and then you’re out, and you get (screwed)…You make no money. So you have to be at this thing.’,” Diaz explained. “I’m just gonna do what I always do and train, and when it’s time to fight, I go fight,” he continued. “And it’s really about me, it’s not about whatever’s going on in the world or who I’m fighting or who I’m not fighting. I’m not gonna really have a choice on that. My job is to fight, so I have to fight when I’m told to fight, and that’s what I do well.” In Penn, Diaz will be facing a former training partner and someone he really didn’t want to meet inside the Octagon. “The Prodigy,” who has dealt with the wrath of UFC President Dana White himself, said he embraces the good and bad of Diaz. “Nick is Nick, he’s gonna do what he does,” Penn said. “I enjoy watching the stuff that Diaz does. He doesn’t change, he’s always himself and that has nothing to do with me.” Whether or not Penn will enjoy what he sees from Diaz on October 29 will be a completely different story and one appearance the outspoken Graciefighter will absolutely be showing up for. PHOTO CREDIT – STRIKEFORCE

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With the injury to Georges St. Pierre forcing B.J. Penn and Nick Diaz into the main event slot at UFC 137, there was some curiosity from fans wondering if Penn vs. Diaz would now be a five round fight. UFC president Dana White was quick to say that the fight would remain a three rounder. For me, that was a shame. In my mind one of the UFC's most accomplished champions and the current Strikeforce champion should not be fighting a three round fight. Diaz's manager, Cesar Gracie, was quick to start goading Penn into turning it into a five rounder. This was a smart move on his part as the one place where Diaz has the edge is in his endurance. Penn has now responded, and he's open to the late notice change. But he wants to get paid for it (via MMA Weekly): "I want to be compensated accordingly and that's it. I'm more than willing to do a five-round fight," Penn told MMAWeekly.com on Wednesday. "If Dana wants a five-round fight, just give me a call and we can put it together right now. "Or if Cesar wants to make it a five-round fight and he wants to compensate me personally, he can put his money where his mouth is, it's that easy. I've been training to fight. I'm ready to fight." I can't blame B.J. for wanting to get paid to take such a big change on short notice. It's just a shame that this wasn't five rounds to begin with.

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Listen to the full audio from the UFC 137: Penn vs. Diaz media conference call, which included BJ Penn, Matt Mitrione, Cheick Kongo, and yes, even Nick Diaz.

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“Hey, how’s it going?”With that greeting, welterweight contender Nick Diaz arrived for the UFC 137 media teleconference Wednesday afternoon. Keeping in line with his reputation, he was 45 minutes late to the call, which also saw his October 29th opponent, BJ Penn, and co-main event combatants Matt Mitrione and Cheick Kongo speaking with the media, but in a twist, he actually showed up, which wasn’t the case when he no-showed two press conferences to promote a main event bout between himself and UFC welterweight champion Georges St-Pierre.Those misses cost him a shot at the belt in his first UFC bout since 2006, elevating Carlos Condit – who was scheduled to fight Penn – to the championship fight. Diaz landed on his feet and into the Penn fight, but when St-Pierre injured his knee and withdrew from the Condit fight earlier this week, it was Diaz vs. Penn moving into the headline slot.Confusing? Crazy? Welcome to the world of Nick Diaz, whose every move has been watched since it was announced earlier this year that he was vacating his Strikeforce welterweight title and returning to the Octagon. And if most fighters get their share of media ink by actually talking to the media, the strategy of “Nick being Nick” has made the Stockton, California native the talk of the MMA world without him uttering a word.But he was talking on Wednesday, seemingly calm in the eye of the storm swirling around him over the last couple months.“I just try my best to not focus on what’s going on and try to live every day like it’s really not a big deal,” said Diaz. “I don’t know what’s gonna happen with me, but it’s not gonna make a difference whether I whine or cry about it or panic to get things done. I’m just gonna do what I always do and train, and when it’s time to fight, I go fight. And it’s really about me, it’s not about whatever’s going on in the world or who I’m fighting or who I’m not fighting. I’m not gonna really have a choice on that. My job is to fight, so I have to fight when I’m told to fight, and that’s what I do well. Everything else is just gonna be a whole other task.”How he deals with “everything else” leading up to the bout a week from Saturday will be telling, yet strangely enough, it was Penn – who has dealt with his own share of media controversy over the years – sitting in the pole position as the seasoned vet, the man who has been there and done that, kind of just overlooking the whole situation with bemusement.“Nick is Nick, he’s gonna do what he does,” said Penn. “I enjoy watching the stuff that Nick Diaz does. He doesn’t change, he’s always himself and that has nothing to do with me. He always shows up to the fight and fights, so I don’t think we need to worry about that stuff.”So is it much ado about nothing, or is Diaz’ apparent lack of comfort with the media and what he has called the "beauty pageant" of promoting his own fight going to stress him out to the point where he doesn’t perform up to his world-class level on October 29th? If you’ve watched him over the years, you know the answer to that question. Diaz is going to show up in Las Vegas, make that walk to the Octagon, and he’s going to fight Penn in one of the most intriguing bouts of the year.So whether good or bad, like Penn said, “Nick is Nick.” And after seeing his name trending on Twitter Wednesday and hearing the growing buzz about the fight, walking to the beat of his own drummer seems to fit him just fine.“People want to see good fights and good fighters, and that’s what I’m trying to bring to the table,” said Diaz.

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B.J. Penn isn't scared, homie. The former champion today responded to the 25-minute gauntlet that Cesar Gracie, the trainer responsible for Nick Diaz, laid down yesterday when news broke that Georges St. Pierre injured his knee and was forced out of his UFC 137 main event fight against Carlos Condit. Penn vs. Diaz, which was scheduled to serve as the co main event, was suddenly thrust into the spotlight. And to make the situation more interesting, Gracie immediately upped the ante, urging "The Prodigy" to agree to a five-round, non-title fight. Diaz was on board. So, too, was White, according to Gracie. All Penn had to do was follow suit and they would "make it happen." Check out Penn's response to the challenge after the jump: B.J. Penn isn't scared, homie. The former champion today responded to the 25-minute gauntlet that Cesar Gracie, the trainer responsible for Nick Diaz, laid down yesterday when news broke that Georges St. Pierre injured his knee and was forced out of his UFC 137 main event fight against Carlos Condit. Penn vs. Diaz, which was scheduled to serve as the co main event, was suddenly thrust into the spotlight. And to make the situation more interesting, Gracie immediately upped the ante, urging "The Prodigy" to agree to a five-round, non-title fight. Diaz was on board. So, too, was White, according to Gracie. All Penn had to do was follow suit and they would "make it happen." Check out Penn's response to the challenge after the jump: "I want to be compensated accordingly. That's it. I'm more than willing to do a five-round fight. If Dana wants a five-round fight, just give me a call and we can put it together right now. Or if Cesar wants to make it a five-round fight and he wants to compensate me personally, he can put his money where his mouth is, it's that easy. I've been training to fight. I'm ready to fight." White, who was not on the UFC 137 conference call today immediately take up Penn on his offer, previously indicated that he wasn't going to force the issue because both fighters trained to fight for three rounds. And with the pay-per-view (PPV) event, which will take place at the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas, Nevada, less than two weeks away, it wasn't reasonable to ask them to fight any longer than the 15 minutes to which they both agreed six weeks ago. Makes perfect sense. However, considering the extenuating circumstances, as well as Diaz and Penn willing to raise the stakes for a little extra scratch, White might want to consider making the Hawaiian another offer he can't refuse. It worked the first time. Chances are it will work again ... if the price is right.

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The title picture is a fickle beast, and B.J. Penn isn't about to get wrapped up in it. The former lightweight and welterweight champion said that after his near-miss with a second chance at 170-pound champ Georges St-Pierre's belt, he's taking a wait-and-see attitude about his career. "I'm trying to fight my best, and like all fighters say, the fight's against yourself," Penn said today. "So I'm just going to try to push myself to my personal best."

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One day after moving back into the UFC 137 main event against BJ Penn following an injury to welterweight champion Georges St-Pierre, Nick Diaz nearly no showed another media event on Wednesday, the same reason he was pulled from the headliner against St-Pierre in September. This time, however, it may have been the UFC’s fault that Diaz joined the press conference call nearly 45 minutes late. “I’m hearing UFC dropped the ball on the Nick Diaz no show today!! SUCKS,” UFC President Dana White wrote on Twitter. “Nobody called me in the last week, or couple of days or anything, and said there was a call,” Diaz explained. After training last night, Diaz went to sleep then “woke up, my phone was dead, and then my brother’s telling me I’m supposed to be on a call. I didn’t know anything about it.” While the UFC may not appreciate Diaz missing his media obligations, they don’t worry Penn because the former Strikeforce champion always shows up to fight. “Nick is Nick,” Penn said. “That’s just what he does. I enjoy watching the stuff Nick Diaz does. He doesn’t change; He’s always himself. He always shows up to the fight so I don’t think we have to worry about that.” Despite some regrets over being pulled from his fight with St-Pierre, Diaz said he remains focused on training to fight who he considers a better technical opponent in Penn. “I’m not sitting here waiting for a call,” Diaz said. “I’m waiting for training. I’m training hard. I train harder than there guys and fight harder than there guys and that’s why. That’s what takes up all my time, training to become the best in the world.” For UFC 137 results and complete UFC 137 coverage stay tuned to MMAFrenzy.com.

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With Nick Diaz back in the UFC 137 main event, everyone on today’s UFC 137 conference call was holding their breath, anxiously waiting to see if Diaz would blow off his media obligations once again. And he nearly did. For the first 45 minutes of the call, Diaz was nowhere to be found while BJ Penn, Matt Mitrione and Cheick Kongo all took turn answering reporters’ questions. But unlike last time when Dana White booted him out of his title fight with Georges St. Pierre, Dana blamed the UFC for the no-show. I’m hearing UFC dropped the ball on the Nick Diaz no show today!! SUCKS In a surprising turn of events though, Diaz did eventually find his way onto the call. When asked why he was late, Diaz claimed he knew nothing about it before going into a rant about how someone is getting paid $100,000 to tell him what to do, but he never hears about “sh*t until way late.” When he actually got to the topic of fighting BJ Penn, Diaz said wasn’t happy about it and would prefer to fight Georges St. Pierre. Unlike his manager Cesar Gracie who was pretty enthusiastic about turning Penn-Diaz into a five-rounder, Diaz said he doesn’t really care either way, he just wants to fight and get paid. Penn on the other hand wants more money if he has to go two extra rounds. “I want to be compensated accordingly and that’s it. I’m more than willing to do a five-round fight,” Penn told MMAWeekly.com on Wednesday. “If Dana wants a five-round fight, just give me a call and we can put it together right now. “Or if Cesar wants to make it a five-round fight and he wants to compensate me personally, he can put his money where his mouth is, it’s that easy. I’ve been training to fight. I’m ready to fight.” When asked about his Strikeforce belt and if it should be on the line next Saturday, Diaz said he really doesn’t care about the SF belt and BJ Penn can have it. For Nick Diaz, it’s as simple as training, fighting and getting paid. He really doesn’t care about anything else, especially not press conferences. Image via Esther Lin for Strikeforce/Showtime

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Filed under: UFCThe new UFC 137 event poster features the tagline "Expect the Unexpected." It is fitting given that there have been multiple main event switches leading up to the October 29 date, but it could just as easily be referring solely to one of the men gracing the artwork. For years, Nick Diaz has been an enigma to many on the outside looking in. His friends and teammates say he is fiercely loyal, hard-working and yes, even kind-hearted. But we rarely see that side of him. The public face of Diaz is usually scowling, irritable and contemptuous. That duality may well be an accurate portrayal of Diaz in his private and public settings, and it may not be a bad thing. Because Diaz's personality perfectly fits into a sport like MMA. To his fans, he's an ass-kicking, counterculture anti-hero. To his detractors, he's an irascible ingrate. Whatever it is, he's a one-man phenomenon. On Wednesday, Diaz was scheduled to be one of four participants in a media teleconference, along with his opponent BJ Penn as well as heavyweights Matt Mitrione and Cheick Kongo. But when the call began, Diaz was nowhere to be found. The UFC had been in constant communication with Diaz's manager Cesar Gracie, a company spokesperson said, and they were still searching for him as the call began. Through Twitter, UFC president Dana White put the blame on his staff, saying they "dropped the ball on the Nick Diaz no-show." But Diaz did show up, just not on time, dialing in 40 minutes late and saying that no one had told him it was going on until that moment. Whether you believe that or not is of course, up to you. But it must be noted that Mitrione and Kongo were invited to the call on Tuesday, and they were around at the appointed time. In the grand scheme of things, it wouldn't be a big deal, but based on Diaz missing two previous press conferences that cost him a title fight, it became a story. But that quickly changed. When he arrived late, it became only part of the story. And when he started talking, it became moot. Better late than never, after all. He said that he regretted the actions (or inactions) that led to his removal from the St-Pierre fight. That he wasn't happy about fighting Penn. That he believes Penn to be a better all-around fighter than GSP. That someone in his camp was getting paid way too much and not doing their job of handling his schedule. That the Strikeforce belt never meant much to him. In 15 minutes, Diaz did more to shift the narrative of UFC 137 storylines than Penn, Mitrione and Kongo did in the preceding 40. That's just the way it is when he speaks. And isn't that the point of conference calls and press conferences? When it comes to those, Diaz says more with less than anyone in MMA. If he was as verbose and microphone friendly as say, Chael Sonnen, it wouldn't quite be the same. Diaz shows up when he wants, wedges open a window into his mind, and lets you in look in just long enough to find yourself fascinated and wanting more. That's true for the fans, it's true for the media, it's even true for the fighters. Just ask Penn, who called Diaz "a great character of the sport." "I think there's nothing wrong with the media focusing on that stuff," he said. "It's something to talk about. It's a story. I don't want to say it's good for the sport, the guy not showing up for the press conference, but it is another character in the sport, you know?" That Penn ended his answer with a question seemed perfectly fitting, too. Sometimes Diaz leaves you with an uneasy feeling, like you're not sure if you're in the midst of watching someone unravel, or you're just watching someone who's conflicted. Hopefully it's the latter, because Diaz's talents deserve a worthy showcase of invested fans. And in some ways, this whole bizarre UFC 137 scenario may end up benefitting all the parties involved. Diaz was very well known by MMA fans prior to this, but an untold number of others are getting a taste of his brilliance or madness before a possible showdown with St-Pierre. If Diaz can walk away with a win over Penn, and St-Pierre eventually beats Carlos Condit, the Diaz-GSP fight becomes exponentially bigger than it would have been. In the end though, no one summarized Diaz better than he did himself. He seems to be able to compartmentalize his life into its various parts. The fighter is different from the person. The problems are put away into their own corner to be ignored. Each moment belongs in its own box. "I don't know what's going to happen with me, but it's not going to make a difference whether or not I whine or cry about it or panic," he said. "I'm just going to do what I always do: train. And when it's time to fight, I go fight." Outside of the cage, we never quite know what to expect of Diaz. He is wildly unpredictable and generally ducks attention, but he when speaks, he says exactly what's on his mind, consequences be damned. And inside the cage, we know exactly what to expect. Win or lose, he will force his opponent into a pitched battle. He will attempt to break your will, consequences be damned. You may like him or you may not, but it's hard to deny that in a sport full of singular personalities, he's one of the most intriguing ones MMA has ever seen. Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

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Filed under: UFCLet the record reflect that, when it comes to Cesar Gracie's request for a five-round fight between Nick Diaz and B.J. Penn at UFC 137, Penn isn't scared, homie. On Wednesday's pre-fight media call Penn responded to questions about Gracie's comments to MMA Fighting by saying he was "happy to do a five-round fight" with Diaz on October 29, as long as his paycheck increases along with the bout duration. As for who might be responsible for coming up with the extra cash, Penn's open to suggestions there. Initially, Penn said that while he'd gladly up the bout from three rounds to five to reflect its main event status, "this is a job and I want to be compensated accordingly." If UFC president Dana White wants to alter the bout agreement, Penn said, "he can give me a call and he can compensate me right now." On the other hand, since it was Gracie, Diaz's manager, who first asked for a five-rounder when talking with MMA Fighting's Ariel Helwani on Tuesday, Penn suggested that maybe he should be the one to come up with the extra cash to make it worth his while. "Cesar's a strange guy. I don't know why he did that in the first place," said Penn. "I think Cesar should have to be the guy to compensate me to take it, not Dana. But at the end of day, no, I don't mind. I'd love to do a five-round fight. If I'm compensated, this is a job...there's nothing wrong with a main event being five rounds." Though White has made no public remarks about the possibility of upping the bout to five rounds, Gracie insisted on Tuesday that the UFC boss was "good with it." As for Diaz, he seemed unconcerned about the bout length, regardless of what his own manager would like to see happen. "It's whatever, you know," Diaz said. "It's really not up to me. Either way I guess is fine. It's going to be okay for me." Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

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Filed under: UFCFor the first half-hour or so of Wednesday's UFC 137 pre-fight media call it was déjà vu all over again. He may have had a different opponent this time, but once again former Strikeforce welterweight champion Nick Diaz was no-showing a UFC media event, and one couldn't help but get the sense that this wouldn't end well for the enigmatic brawler. Not that Diaz's opponent, B.J. Penn, minded all that much. Penn seemed almost amused by Diaz's absence, telling reporters that he's always enjoyed "watching his antics," and has been a Diaz fan for years in spite of or maybe even somewhat because of them. "Nick is Nick," Penn said. "He's going to do what he does. For me, it's just that's what he does. ...I enjoy watching the stuff that Nick Diaz does. He doesn't change. He's just always himself." And then, roughly 40 minutes into the call, Diaz showed up on the line. That's when things got really interesting. To hear Diaz tell it, he had no idea that there was a conference call scheduled for Wednesday. No one at the UFC had bothered to tell him, he insisted. "Nobody called me in the last week or couple days or anything and said there was a call," he said, adding that he'd had a hard night of training, gone to sleep, then "woke up, my phone was dead, and my brother's telling me I'm supposed to be on a call. I don't know anything about it. It's as simple as that." If this sounds familiar, it's because Diaz offered a similar explanation for why he didn't show up to the initial UFC 137 press conferences back when he was supposed to face Georges St-Pierre for the welterweight title. That mistake resulted in UFC president Dana White pulling him from the main event altogether, but this time White seems a bit more inclined to give Diaz the benefit of the doubt, judging by his reaction to Diaz's tardiness via Twitter. "I'm hearing UFC dropped the ball on the Nick Diaz no show today!! SUCKS" White tweeted shortly after news of Diaz's initial no-show spread. Penn also indicated he'd suffered from a lack of communication with UFC officials lately, saying he heard only through his own website that his bout with Diaz had been elevated to the main event at UFC 137. "Actually, I have not gotten a call from the UFC or Dana or anyone since...I heard all this news," Penn said. "I found out from BJPenn.com just like everyone else did, that I'm the main event. I haven't talked to anyone. I'm just sitting here and I know the same amount of information that you know." Of all the people on the call, Penn seemed the least bothered by any of the day's events. Diaz's difficulties attending to his PR responsibilities might give the media "something to talk about," he said, but they didn't annoy him in the least, even when he's left alone to answer all the questions. "It's no problem, none of this," Penn said. "The only thing that's going to be bothering me is when Nick Diaz is probably punching me in the middle of the Octagon. That's the only time he's going to be bothering me." Diaz, on the other hand, sounded wholly disinterested one minute and then passionately engaged another. For instance, after initially "plead[ing] the fifth" to a question about whether he had any regrets about his earlier actions, just a few minutes later he offered a different answer to an almost identical question. "Well yeah, of course I have regret," he said, explaining that he had a lawyer who he believed was making in excess of $100,000 who was somehow to blame for him missing the initial press conferences. "I've got all these people, business people and big money people around me trying to make deals," Diaz said. "I don't know anything about that. All I know is somebody's getting paid like over a hundred grand just to tell me what I'm supposed to do and what I'm not supposed to do. I'm like, for that much money I think I could have had somebody standing around and telling me, 'Hey, you can't miss this press conference. That voids the whole contract and then you're out. You're not making [expletive]. You're not fighting [expletive]. You ain't making no money. So you have to be at this thing.' It's simple. Diaz seemed to suggest that the lack of a support system had cost him that time, saying "If I didn't feel like I had that, I would have probably read that [expletive] myself and dealt with things myself and been a little more cautious and then I probably would have showed up at that press conference." As for this conference call, well, at least he made it eventually. While Penn said it wasn't a significant chunk out of his day since "I was just going to take a 30-minute jog today anyway," Diaz obviously had a different take. "You've got to know I'm not sitting here with my phone, waiting for a call," he said. "I'm waiting for some training. I'm trying to get some relax time before I have to go back for another four hours of training. I'm training hard. I train harder than these guys, I fight harder than these guys, I look better than these guys, and that's why. I don't get no help and I don't worry about no help. That's what takes up all my time, training and trying to become the best in the world here. And that's the best in the world! That's what you're dealing with here. This is a whole world out there and ain't nobody can beat me? That's pretty bad." Maybe it just goes to show that whether Diaz shows up to talk to the media or avoids it altogether, there's a story in it either way. Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

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The UFC has a scheduled conference call at 2 p.m. ET today to promote UFC 137: Penn vs. Diaz. Headliners B.J. Penn and Nick Diaz are listed as particpiants in the UFC's press release, and new co-main eventers Cheick Kongo and Matt Mitrione have been confirmed for the call too. UFC welterweight champion Georges St. Pierre and challenger Carlos Condit were supposed to participate as well, but an injury to St. Pierre's knee has forced him out of the bout and, probably, out of the conference call. The news may force UFC President Dana White, who tweeted that he was in New York City yesterday, to call in as well. Follow Mike Fagan on Twitter for live updates. Check back to this post at 3 p.m. ET for a full recap of the proceedings. UFC 137 has already gone through its share of turbulence. Diaz was St. Pierre's originally scheduled opponent, only to find himself removed from the main event after no-showing back-to-back press conferences in Toronto and Las Vegas. Condit was pulled from his co-featured bout with Penn to step into the main event. That left Penn without an opponent. The UFC decided not to release Diaz for his transgressions, and instead slotted him in against Penn in an attempt to ease him into the UFC's PR machine.  

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“Don’t be scared, homie.” While former Strikeforce welterweight champ Nick Diaz may have originated the above phrase and Jason Miller may have popularized it, Cesar Gracie has seemingly perfected it as evident in a recent conversation on the topic of Diaz’s upcoming fight with BJ Penn. With their bout at UFC 137 now serving as main event due to yesterday’s unfortunate news surrounding Georges St. Pierre’s health, Diaz’s camp in California has publicly expressed an interest in making the headliner a five-round affair. However, Penn’s team has shied away from the notion, saying he needed to gauge his fighter’s fitness first before committing to potentially going twenty-five minutes on October 29. Gracie, Diaz’s head trainer and manager, has since upped the stakes a notch by calling into question Penn’s “warrior” mentality. “Dana is good with it. We’ve agreed to it. If BJ agrees to it, we’ll make it happen,” Gracie explained in an exchange with MMAFighting. “BJ has always said he’s a warrior. … The old school days of MMA, back when it was (No Holds Barred), they fought forever.” Penn Gives Look Inside his Camp for UFC 137 “Don’t be scared, homie. Let’s make it five rounds,” Gracie playfully suggested referring to the line made famous by his enigmatic pupil. While the loss of St. Pierre’s title-fight against Carlos Condit was certainly a blow to UFC 137, in addition to Penn vs. Diaz the lineup also features Mirko Filipovic vs. Roy Nelson, Donald Cerrone vs. Dennis Siver, Bart Palaszewski vs. Tyson Griffin, and Matt Mitrione vs. Cheick Kongo. PHOTO CREDIT – STRIKEFORCE Tweet

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It looks like Nick Diaz wants to go five rounds with B.J. Penn in the new main event of UFC 137, despite Dana White stating it would only be a three-rounder on twitter earlier today. Of course, they are now in the marquee spot because Georges St. Pierre was forced out of his headlining bout with Carlos Condit due to a knee injury. As usual, Nick's manager Cesar Gracie is leading the campaign for a five-rounder, speaking to MMA Fighting about the idea: "If they can't fight five rounds against each other, how are they going to fight five rounds against GSP?," Gracie said to MMAFighting.com on Tuesday. He also claims to have the big man's approval: "Dana is good with it," he said. "We've agreed to it. If BJ agrees to it, we'll make it happen." And of course in typical Gracie fashion, he had to end things with a baiting statement: "These guys have to prove they are ready. These guys are fighters. BJ has always said he's a warrior. ... The old school days of MMA, back when it was NHB, they fought forever. "Don't be scared, homie. Let's make it five rounds." While a five-rounder completely changes the dynamic of the fight, it is true that Penn has been training for a three-rounder all along and it's extremely unlikely he'd be baited into taking a five-rounder even if Dana agreed (which I'm suspicious of to begin win). Basically, I believe this just an angle from Cesar that serves two purposes. If Penn takes the bait, Diaz walks into the fight with a definite advantage. If he doesn't and BJ wins by decision, Gracie now has an out by saying "well if it went two more, Nick could have won." It's brilliant and lame at the same time. SBN coverage of UFC 137: St. Pierre vs. Condit

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The most disappointed MMA executive in the business, UFC president Dana White, said UFC 137's new main event, Nick Diaz vs. B.J. Penn, will be a three-round fight. But not so fast, said Diaz manager Cesar Gracie, who today told MMAjunkie.com that the fight can be a five-rounder - if one B.J. Penn accepts. "We kind of want to make it a five-rounder," Gracie said.

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A knee injury has forced UFC welterweight champion Georges St-Pierre out of next Saturday’s UFC 137 main event against Carlos Condit, UFC President Dana White announced today. A welterweight matchup between BJ Penn and Nick Diaz, previously scheduled for the co-main event, will now headline the Oct. 29 card in Las Vegas, but will remain a three-round fight. Condit will wait to challenge St-Pierre, who is expected to be ready to fight in a “couple months”. The moves put Diaz back into the UFC 137 main event just over a month after the UFC swapped him and Condit when he failed to appear for a pair of press conferences. White initially suggested that Diaz could be cut, but quickly booked him to fight Penn instead and recently said he could still earn a shot at the title with a win. Diaz (25-7) scored a first-round TKO of UFC veteran Paul Daley in April to defend his Strikeforce title and earn another shot in the UFC with his 10th-straight win, while Penn (16-7-2) returned to 170-pounds following a pair of losses to Frankie Edgar with a 21-second KO of Matt Hughes in November before fighting Jon Fitch to a draw in February. For UFC 137 results and complete UFC 137 coverage stay tuned to MMAFrenzy.com. Pictured: Georges St-Pierre

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A knee injury has forced UFC welterweight champion Georges St-Pierre out of next Saturday’s UFC 137 main event against Carlos Condit, UFC President Dana White announced today on Twitter. A welterweight matchup between BJ Penn and Nick Diaz, previously scheduled for the co-main event, will now headline the Oct. 29 card in Las Vegas, but will remain a three-round fight. According to White, St-Pierre is currently expected to be out only a “couple of months” and Condit will wait for his title shot, but GSP will apparently see a doctor soon that should confirm the timeline for his return barring any setbacks. The moves put Diaz back into the UFC 137 main event just over a month after the UFC swapped him and Condit when he failed to appear for a pair of press conferences. White initially suggested that Diaz could be cut, but quickly booked him to fight Penn instead and recently said he could still earn a shot at the title with a win. Diaz (25-7) scored a first-round TKO of UFC veteran Paul Daley in April to defend his Strikeforce title and earn another shot in the UFC with his 10th-straight win, while Penn (16-7-2) returned to 170-pounds following a pair of losses to Frankie Edgar with a 21-second KO of Matt Hughes in November before fighting Jon Fitch to a draw in February. For UFC 137 results and complete UFC 137 coverage stay tuned to MMAFrenzy.com. Pictured: Georges St-Pierre

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It's been a long, strange trip through BJ Penn's MMA career, but maybe none of it was much stranger than the way he found himself matched up with Nick Diaz at UFC 137.

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Former UFC Champion B.J. Penn, who will welcome Strikeforce champ Nick Diaz back to the octagon at UFC 137, discusses his opponent, as well as his strategy for the bout. Penn acknowledges the versatility Diaz presents, but says he plans to do everything faster, stronger, and harder than "The Stockton Bad Boy."

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UFC GYM® announces it will begin selling memberships to its newest, and first, location in Honolulu, Hawaii with an enrollment center set to open on Tuesday, October 18. Partnering with Hawaii native and two-division UFC champion BJ Penn, this is the first signature gym for the brand. The location, which will open for workouts in early 2012, looks to bring the unique “Train Different” approach of the UFC GYM brand to the Island, offering residents the opportunity to train like Penn and world-class UFC fighters.“It is such an honor to bring UFC GYM to my homeland of Hawaii and show our community how to not only train like an elite UFC athlete, but introduce them to an entirely new way to approach fitness,” said Penn, a native of Hilo. “This gym truly is for everyone; athletes, dads, moms, and kids will all be able to train and learn in a different way, a way that gets results!”“BJ Penn has been a UFC champion at 155 and 170, a future Hall of Famer, and an icon in his home state of Hawaii,” UFC President Dana White said. “We’re excited to open the UFC GYM enrollment center in Honolulu tomorrow. We know UFC GYM BJ PENN will become the ultimate fitness destination in Honolulu.”The massive 37,000 square foot facility will be located in the Kaka’ako community in the space formerly occupied by Pipeline Café. The club will provide members with an array of amenities to “Train Different– Sweat Different” in the bag room, grappling room, or on state-of-the-art cardio equipment and weight machines. Members can also “Move Different” in the expansive group fitness studio featuring traditional classes with an edge, as well as signature ultimate programming. “Burn Different” with UFC GYM’s expert trainers for the ultimate workout or mixed martial arts specialists in disciplines such as Muay Thai or Brazilian Jiu Jitsu.UFC GYM and Penn also look to bring the Kaka’ako community together by creating a space for the whole family. The new facility will house UFC Gym Kids, a private kids training area, offering Youth Fitness Classes, Active Fitness Gaming, Youth Mixed Martial Arts Training and Ultimate Birthday Parties. Members can also “Recover Different” in the Arm Bar Café™, offering protein shakes and healthy snacks, selected by Penn himself.“BJ Penn is an icon in his home state and we’re thrilled to open a signature UFC GYM with his name on it,” UFC GYM co-founder Mark Mastrov said. “”From the young adult to the working professional, and everyone in between, UFC GYM provides unique training regimens for all ages and fitness levels, creating the ultimate fitness destination in Honolulu.”Potential members will have an opportunity to join at a reduced rate prior to the facility opening at the UFC GYM® BJ Penn Hawaii enrollment center located at 660 Ala Moana Blvd. in Honolulu. For more information visit www.ufcgymhawaii.com, or call 808-672-2655. UFC GYM currently has three locations in operation in California Concord, CA, Rosemead, CA, Corona, CA, with a fourth opening soon in Torrance, CA, and plans to continue its rapid expansion. Go to www.ufcgym.com to learn more.

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"There can be only one." Former champion BJ Penn says the fans are in for a treat when he faces fellow scrapper Nick Diaz at UFC 137.

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When the UFC yanked Nick Diaz from the main event from UFC 137, replaced him with Carlos Condit, and then inserted the former Strikeforce welterweight champ into Condit’s place against B.J. Penn, the news caught a number of people off-guard including Penn himself. The popular Hawaiian recently opened up about the situation in a video series through sponsor RVCA where he explained he was far from the first to know he was being slotted against Diaz. “I’m in the middle of training camp,” Penn recalled thinking. “I’m up here in California training for the last 45 days, preparing for the fight, and they pulled a switch on me without even letting me know.” After checking his bout agreement to make sure it was even legal to do, Penn said he spoke to Dana White and hammered out the specifics. However, that didn’t prevent the UFC icon from speaking with Diaz’s camp to see if there were any alternatives. “We tried to get different fights, because I’ve trained with Nick Diaz – I’ve used him as a training partner before – and he’s a good buddy. We actually talk on the phone and hang out when we see each other,” Penn explained. With Condit and Georges St. Pierre already locked up, and Jon Fitch’s health still uncertain, the two colorful competitors agreed it made sense for them to face off based on the divisional importance. “We talked about it and we tried to find different opponents (but) at the end of the day there (aren’t) too many guys out there.” PHOTO CREDIT – UFC

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If you didn't know about BJ Penn's long standing history with the Gracie's and the 209 you should pick up BJ's book; Why I Fight. In case the best seller isn't in your immediate library, let me give you a quick piece of back ground info. After training with Ralph Gracie in the late 90's BJ developed into The Prodigy we all know and love today, but his book paints a picture of reluctance to join in on this MMA stuff. See, BJ was dominating in the Jiu Jitsu world and was somewhat wary of the burgeoning sport of MMA. After much pleading, Ralph finally convinced BJ to take a fight. So they packed up and headed to the 209. Yep, BJ won his debut fight, although unrecorded, in Stockton California. Now we come full circle and BJPenn.com has made an incredible film documenting all of the nuttiness of the last few weeks, including Reagan Penn's debut win at Pro Elite and all of the drama of the UFC 137 opponent switcharoo. Want to hear BJ's unfiltered thoughts on the 209? Watch this fascinating documentary below. [source]

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While the man he’ll be facing in a few weeks is only likely to show up on video while driving an SUV, former double-divisional champion BJ Penn has pulled back the curtain surrounding his life to give fans a glimpse of what he’s been up to while getting ready for his meeting Nick Diaz on October 29 in a co-headlining clash at UFC 137. Penn and sponsor RVCA recently put together a video titled The Road to UFC 137 featuring Penn’s preparation for the fight including comments involving Diaz serving as a replacement for the Hawaiian’s original opponent at the event, Carlos Condit. “I never want to pick a fight with the UFC but I’m really wondering what the hell is going on,” the 16-7-2 Penn explains when asked about his initial reaction to the news. “I’m in the middle of training camp. I’m up here in California training for the last 45 days, preparing for the fight, and they pulled a switch on me without even letting me know.” However, Penn continued on to say he spoke to Dana White later that evening and they smoothed everything out. You can watch the video in its entirety below: PHOTO CREDIT – UFC Tweet

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B.J. Penn: "I've never really reached my peak and I've never really reached my potential."

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 The controversial video clip of B.J. Penn reluctantly predicting the outcome of his welterweight fight against Nick Diaz at UFC 137 surfaces with highlights. Penn, who was originally slated to collide with Carlos Condit in the co main event of the evening at the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas, Nevada, on Oct. 29, 2011, has "a lot of respect" for the Stockton slugger. In fact, if he had his druthers, he probably would never step inside the cage with Diaz, who he has invited to training camps in the past to help him prepare for other opponents. Accordingly, when the camera crew showed up to film the UFV 137 promotional video, Penn revealed that he was forced to say that he would "beat Nick Diaz."  That revelation irked UFC President Dana White, who released a video of his own, explaining his side of the story to demonstrate that Penn wasn't being completely genuine.  Will Penn and Diaz put aside their mutual respect on Halloween weekend for 15 minutes and put on an exciting show or with the pair fail to live up to expectations?

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BJ Penn takes on (former) Strikeforce welterweight champion Nick Diaz on Saturday, Oct. 29, at UFC 137.

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Maybe we'll get to see Nick Diaz vs. Georges St. Pierre after all. Dana White confirmed to MMA Weekly that, should Diaz defeat B.J. Penn at UFC 137, he will indeed get a shot at the Welterweight title against the winner of Georges St. Pierre vs. Carlos Condit. Diaz was of course originally set to face St. Pierre in the main event of UFC 137, but after repeatedly no showing press conferences, White pulled him from the match, giving the title shot to Condit instead. Days later, Diaz was back in for the show, but this time facing B.J. Penn in the semi-main event. For Diaz, this is a huge break, but still a tough challenge. Penn is a former Welterweight champion who is currently ranked #7 in the division in the USA Today / SB Nation Consensus Rankings. He's 1-0-1 at 170 since his return to the division, and is always a threat to anyone in the division. Diaz is currently ranked at #4, and is undefeated since 2007. But Penn represents a real step up from the competition former Strikeforce champion Diaz has faced as of late. Fans were excited about St. Pierre vs. Diaz when it was first announced. If both men win later this month and find themselves on a collision course once again, that excitement will only increase after recent events. In the end, we may not only get the match we want, but with even more fuel behind it. Or B.J. Penn could spoil it all (or, to be fair, Carlos Condit). We'll see at UFC 137. Video of Dana White discussing Diaz's shot after the jump.

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Vasyli LLC, a leading global supplier of footwear and orthotics, has collaborated with two-time UFC champion B.J. Penn and launched the new pro model biomechanical flipflop. VAS Brand and the technology help provide natural, affordable relief from common heel, leg and knee pain. Reviewed and recommended by Penn, the VAS prefabricated orthotics and line of VAS sandals reflect Penn's philosophy of optimum health from head to toe while keeping a stylish look to the product.

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Multi-time UFC Champion BJ "The Prodigy" Penn takes us behind the scenes of his preparations for UFC 137 bout with the Strikeforce Welterweight Champion Nick Diaz. Penn will look to cement his status as #1 contender for the UFC Welterweight title, which will be defended at UFC 137 by George St. Pierre against Prodigy's original opponent - Carlos Condit. In his last bout, BJ Penn knocked out the Hall of Famer Matt Hughes in just 21 seconds, successfully recovering from two back-to-back losses to the

Posted in: ufc, bj penn, penn, carlos condit, prodigy

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That seems to be the story according to Dana White in his recent interview with MMA Weekly. Which makes sense in a way. A win over B.J. Penn is as good a win at WW as you can have before challenging for the belt. But will it be Georges. St. Pierre or Carlos Condit?  Nick's actions caused quite a twist in the card. First we thought we had Penn vs. Condit (awesome promo inside), and GSP vs. Diaz. That everything has been switched because Nick deftly escaped the back door of his coach's house is fine by me. Nick simply never deserved the title shot out the gate. Sure his fights were exciting, but his competition was lacking. And a fight with Penn promises to be highly compelling. Plus Nick can now prove he deserves a shot. But what guarantees Nick doesn't show up for another press conference? Pretty much nothing. But Dana White is confidant it won't happen again, and points out that both are on good terms.  What are the chances Diaz wins though? Nick has faced a lot of opponents who were all too willing to trade with him inside. Nick excels in a firefight, but for all of his vaunted boxing skills (which I don't question), how will he handle a measured counter puncher like Penn? It's a fascinating matchup, even if it goes to the ground. If Nick Diaz Wins at UFC 137, Dana White Prepared to Give Him a Title Shot (via MMAWeeklyVideos) Poll Does Nick get a title shot? Yes. Because he beats Penn with better boxing. No. Because Penn wins. In fact, Penn wins 9 times out of 10. Plus he's always liable to test positive for weed and have his win overturned.   0 votes | Results

Posted in: title shot, diaz, nick, penn, shot

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That's according to UFC President Dana White, who told MMA Weekly that he's prepared to go all Timmy T on this kid and give him "one more try." All he has to do is defeat former division champion B.J. Penn at UFC 137 on Oct. 29 in Las Vegas. But what about his history of no-showing press conferences and other media obligations? "I don't see that happening again. He knows, we've talked. Seriously, I would be shocked if he didn't show up at another press conference and if he does, I don't even know what to say. I guess that would be the end of it. He doesn't have to answer one question if he doesn't want to. I just want him to sit there and then get up and do the [face off]. I don’t want him to not be Nick Diaz. I just need him to show up to stuff like that." Diaz was originally booked to fight Georges St. Pierre for the 170-pound title, but after blowing off consecutive media junkets, White yanked him from the "Sin City" main event in favor of Carlos Condit, who was originally set to challenge "The Prodigy." Hear more from White on the future of Diaz, after the jump. Anyone think history will repeat itself? Or will Penn defeat the former Strikeforce champion and save him from the rigors of his media duties?

Posted in: ufc, diaz, nick diaz, media, penn

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Now that the UFC made all non title main event 5 rounders, I also feel that they should make big match ups like Penn/Diaz 5 rounders also. submitted by xKrazExMNUx [link] [7 comments]

Posted in: vs, xkrazexmnux, penn, penn vs, rounder

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[div class="notice" class2="icon"]The following is from an article on MMA-Japan, part of the MiddleEasy Network.[/div] A small percentage of those that read this article will likely have googled the topic climate change and will be searching for the hard proof that it is indeed a real phenomena. The other group, the group that we target day in and day out, will better understand this type of climate change. Gilbert Melendez began his career under the WEC banner which says a lot in itself. Taking his first five fights in decisive form, all by form of TKO, Melendez has never taken the easy path. In the midst of his WEC adventure, Melendez fought for the Rumble on the Rock promotion, the same night that BJ Penn and Takanori Gomi met. At the time, Gomi and Penn were the two most highly touted lightweights in the world and frankly no one was really close to them. Little did we know what the future would hold - yet, do we ever? Melendez would go on to win that evening, defeating Stephen Palling by TKO with a tick of the clock left in the second round. BJ Penn would also go on to win that evening, cementing himself as the most dominant lightweight fighter of the modern era. Fast forward nearly 8 years to the day: Takanori Gomi just suffered a tough loss to a very polished Nathan Diaz, BJ Penn is about to face Nick Diaz, and Gilbert Melendez is, in this writers opinion, the most dominant lightweight fighter in the world. Read More...

Posted in: bj penn, penn, gilbert melendez, melendez, climate change

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[div class="notice" class2="icon"]The following is from an article on FighterXFashion.com, part of the MiddleEasy Network.[/div] If you’ve ever wished you could walk in BJ Penn’s shoes, your chance has finally arrived. VAS, a leading global supplier of footwear and orthotics, has teamed up with “The Prodigy” on this new signature Pro Model Biomechanical Sandal that’s designed to provide natural relief from common heel, leg, knee and back pain. Whether worn inside the gym, on the beach, or for everyday casual wear, these signature slides have been clinically proven to help reduce pronation and relieve pain while walking by providing biomechanical support and stability. Ideal for after-sport therapy and everyday wear, the VAS Flip Flop Sandal is available in Penn’s signature edition design, as well as a non-signature style. For the full scoop on the VAS Biomechanical Sandal, with a product demonstration and words from Penn on his new signature slides, check out the videos below. Click here to see videos of BJ Penn's biomechanical sandal...

Posted in: penn, biomechanical, sandal, signature, signature slides

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submitted by BlueWg [link] [comment]

Posted in: bj penn, penn, bj, sound, reagan doesn

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Dana White says that the uncooperative nature of BJ Penn to play the media game is why he's not as big of a star as he could have been in MMA.

Posted in: bj penn, star, penn, media game, bj

Read the full article at Fight Opinion

In just a few short days, the mixed martial arts community will be treated to a light heavyweight showdown between Jon "Bones" Jones and Quinton "Rampage" Jackson. But before the UFC 135 main event, we will be bear witness to a grudge match in the welterweight division. Matt Hughes and Josh Koscheck will meet in the middle of the Octagon in a fight that many have been waiting for since the first time Koscheck called Hughes out. These two fighters have somewhat of a history coming from a claim that Hughes had been avoiding fights with the guys from American Kickboxing Academy (AKA). Josh Koscheck, of course, the lead mouth for the trio of welterweights at AKA, pushed the issue the hardest and will now be able to square off with the legendary hall-of-fame fighter. Hughes, despite being on the tail end of his career, is still no slouch. It wasn’t too long ago that Hughes choked Brazilian Jiu Jitsu (BJJ) Black Belt Ricardo Almeida unconscious. While many will remember Hughes for having powerful wrestling and ground-and-pound, many overlook the fact that Hughes was an Abu Dhabi Combat Club (ADCC) participant and many agree that he would be a black belt in Jiu Jitsu had he ever studied under someone who runs a belting system. With 45 wins in his career, Hughes can boast 20 of those by way of submission. Those taps varied between rear-naked chokes, arm bars, arm-triangles, key locks and his infamous front choke on Almeida. For some grappling highlights of Hughes, follow me after the jump.   After losing his title to B.J. Penn, Hughes would rack up three very quality wins. He would defeat Renato Verrissimo, arm-bar Georges St. Pierre and choke out Frank Trigg. That would set up a title fight with the 23-5 Joe Riggs who was looking to make a splash in the division. However, Riggs would not make weight and the bout would turn into a non-title three round fight.   Before we start, let me first give a thank you to Zombie Prophet for the .gifs. Check out his site (Ironforgesiron.com) -- he has .gifs and videos of fights up faster than anyone else on the 'net.     Matt Hughes, being the explosive wrestler that he is, shoots in more than a minute in with a very powerful single leg. He wraps around the low thigh/high knee of Riggs and pulls back and up. From there he explodes downwards and puts Riggs down on the mat. Immediately, Riggs falls into the butterfly guard position and you can see how agile and swift Hughes is as he looks to improve his position. As Hughes tries to locate an opening he able to separate from the legs under hooked in his thighs and is able to pass into the half guard position. As we have always mentioned, it is important to establish space to accomplish pretty much anything in grappling. Hughes, a top notch wrestler shows that with the addition of a dangerous grappling acumen that it is very hard to stop him from imposing his will. Not only can he get you down but he also will pass your guard.   While in half guard, it is easy to contort your posture in order to attack an arm for a kimura or americana (for that breakdown, click here). Hughes has always been noted for having tremendous strength and starts attacking the kimura with his figure four grip, his left hand clutching the wrist while the right hand slips under grabbing his own wrist and he torques the entire arm behind Riggs as he is defenseless on his back. You can see the ensuing struggle between the legs of the two fighters. Hughes wants to slip out into side control to be able to apply more pressure and Riggs knowing this would like to prolong the submission in hopes he will escape. Hughes continues to apply pressure and the more he has the arm behind the back of Riggs the more pressure and pain is induced. Riggs allows Hughes to slip out of half guard and no surprise submits mere seconds later. Hughes showed his dangerous top submission game, the same that earned himself an arm-bar victory over St. Pierre the year before. After the bout, Hughes would defeat and outclass legendary Royce Gracie before he would get to rematch "The Prodigy" at UFC 63. And Hughes would earn his revenge late in the third round of their title fight and Hughes tenth UFC title fight.   After a flurry and ensuing takedown on Penn, Hughes has positioned himself into a side control position. Not many have been able to take Penn down let alone pass his guard. Hughes out of any fighter that Penn has fought has placed him in the most dominant position. While in side control, Hughes utilizes his superior conditioning to swarm and overwhelm Penn. He sits very high in side control putting a lot of pressure on the chest and he uses his left arm to under hook underneath the arm-pit of Penn to disable any usage of that side. He then uses that advantage to start his onslaught of ground and pound. While the ground and pound went on Hughes was able to trap the free arm of Penn and move into a mounted crucifix which is one of the hardest to escape and most dominant to use. With one arm trapped by Hughes using the under hook and the other trapped by the legs of Hughes it was only a matter of time … and punches until the referee would stop it. Hughes showed his exceptional grappling by running through a highly accoladed B.J. Penn. Not only one of the best to ever fight and a UFC champion, Hughes is also a world class grappler. And meeting up with Dave Camarillo-trained Josh Koscheck just may end up being a grappling showdown between the two gifted wrestlers. Who's your pick in this battle of old school vs. new?

Posted in: fight, hughe, rigg, penn, arm

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