Why Is BJ Penn Always The First Person In Line?

Jay Dee Penn, known around the mma world as "BJ", a nickname given to him by his family meaning baby jay, is exactly what this nickname entails. A baby. Let me explain here. If you were to go to any 6 flags in the world or any amusement park for that matter, you will see small children complaining and whining to their parents. Acting like babies. The reason being because the lines are to long and they want to skip ahead to the front instead of waiting there turn. Sound familiar?

I am not knocking BJ's ability and amazing talents, but he is not first in line in my mind for a crack at the welterweight championship. Hell, i don't think the guy is in the top ten really. He is overall in his career as a welterweight 2-2. In the UFC 1-2. Do you really think that a guy that has a 1-2 record in a division really deserves a shot at that divisions title. Yet for whatever reason, Dana White and the UFC will give him what he wants, like always.

Lets go back to UFC 35. Jens Pulver, the current king of the UFC lightweight division, is set to take on the up-and-coming prodigy BJ Penn. The fight goes all 25 minutes and is left in the hands of the judges. The first time in BJ's career the judges get to decide the outcome. And it doesn't go his way. He drops to 3-1 in the UFC lightweight divsion. But that doesn't get the energetic prodigy down. He wins 2 more fights and gets to fight for the title again only to have the fight end as a draw.

Penn leaves the UFC shortly to defeat Takanori Gomi at 155. This puts BJ at 6-1-1 in as a lightweight. Lets just say he has earned the right to be called a prodigy. He returns only to find that the lightweight championship is gone. Now its either go to a promotion that he can fight at 155 or prove himself as a welterweight and earn a title shot in the UFC. Right? Wrong. BJ is given a shot at the title immediately. And in his first fight at 170 pounds, BJ submits Matt Hughes and wins the championship.

Time to defend that title right BJ? Of course not. BJ slaps the UFC in the face and leaves resulting in no welterweight champion.

Fast forward to UFC 58. Its been a little bit over 2 years since BJ left and vacated the welterweight championship. But don't worry BJ, no line for you. The UFC wipes Penns spit off of their face and gives BJ a number one contenders spot for the same title he left body less 2 years ago. His opponent is Georges "Rush" St. Pierre, who is coming in with a 3 fight win streak in the UFC with wins over Twinkle Toes and the Muscle Shark. BJ is 1-1 in his last 2 fights, neither of which in the welterweight division.

GSP wins the fight in a very close split decision. Rush is now the number one contender and first in line. But lets not forget BJ doesn't like lines. GSP unfortunately goes down with a groin injury and cannot fight Matt Hughes. Time to set up another number one contenders match right? Wrong once again. BJ pushes himself to the front of the line and gets to fight the last guy he beat in the UFC.

Unfortunately for BJ, this fight has a much different outcome and Matt Hughes reigns supreme atop the welterweight throne. Hey, maybe BJ will try to earn himself another shot at the welterweight title. Sorry ladies and gentleman, that's not going to happen.

Fast forward to 9 months and one Ultimate fighter season later. Its Ultimate Fight Night 5 and BJ is going to take on rival coach Jens Pulver, who in his last fight, oddly enough the same night as BJ's dismantling at the hands of Matt Hughes, was TKO'd by the then unknown Joe Lauzon. In just 48 seconds no less. So these guys are both fresh off of losses, a combined 0-3 in there last 3 fights, yet they get to be coaches on TUF, and fight each other for the number one contenders spot at 155. BJ hasn't fought in this class in nearly 4 years ladies and gentlemen. Plus Jens Pulver is nowhere near the talent level he once was at this weight class (pretty damn good at featherweight though apparently).

Of course BJ wins this fight easily (like anyone expected different) and gets to fight Sean Sherk for the lightweight championship right. Miraculously, UFC actually makes BJ earn this title shot by having more than 1 fight in a row at the division. BJ has to fight Joe Stevenson for the number one contender spot. And just when I thought BJ had lost his front of the line pass, the UFC renews it. The fight turns out to be for the title that was stripped from Sherk, who had been suspended due a positive steroids test. It turns out however Sean appeals the suspension and has it lifted making him eligible to compete by January instead of June. But the UFC still takes the title away.

BJ wins the fight handily and looked very impressive in defending it against Sherk as well. For the first time ever, BJ Penn is a fighting champion. He has defended a title for the first time in his carreer. Hooray for Baby Jay. This is where things start to get interesting. Who will climb to the front of the line on the ride that is the UFC lightweight division. And just as the next kid steps up to the main attraction, the ride is shut down.

Lets go to last Saturday. UFC Seek and Destroy ( definitely the coolest of the PPV names so far). On this night A man form BJ's past will prove why he is the best welterweight in the world (and in my opinion the best p4p fighter in the world). And the next man in BJ's future will be determined. Will it be "El Matador", the first UFC fighter to grace the cover of Sports Illustrated, or will it be "KenFlo" the man that gives fans what they want every time and finishes fights. It turns out the it will be neither one. Although the match was proclaimed to be for the number one contenders spot for the 155 title against BJ Penn, there was a catch, the winner will now have to wait because the champion wants to fight someone else first.

So now the winner of that match, Kenny Florian, will have to wait until probably around May 2009 with BJ's schedule, to get the shot he earned. "But why Dana, I thought I was next to fight BJ" cried the little boy from Boston. "Well Kenny" exclaimed the king of the Ultimate Fighting world, "BJ would like to fight somebody else." Unfortunately for Kenny, that is how his fairytale story sits right now. Because BJ "too good to defend his own title" Penn, wants to get revenge (again) on a man that has already beaten him.

Does anyone see how wrong this is? Its like telling a little boy that you're going to take him to Disney Land tomorrow, only to tell him he has to wait while Mickey Mouse has the Magic Castle painted and re-furnished. I honestly can no longer stand BJ Penn. I used to be a fan of his until I realized how much of a spoiled brat he is. The guy gets whatever he wants. Not to mention he is more than a little bit disrespectful.

Does this guy not know that he represents the UFC? Instead of being a gracious loser, he demands rematches. Instead of being respectful in winning, he licks the blood of his opponents off his gloves. Hell, in the fight against sherk, he actually walked over after the fight to a groggy and upset muscle shark, and wiped the blood off his face. Thats very disrespectful. And his most recent antic, he cuts off GSP's post fight with Joe Rogan and almost demands that GSP put his title on the line. Sorry BJ, but not all fighters tell there fans to go to there website to see what there thinking after a fight. And by the time BJ shut up, GSP couldn't thank his family or sponsors.

As I finish up here I want to mention one more thing. Who is the most recent champion to switch weight classes to fight? Anderson Silva. The best p4p fighter in the world (not my opinion though I think hes great). Did he demand a shot at the Light Heavyweight title? No. Do you know why? Because he respects the fact that he is not a proven 205 pound fighter. He wants to earn the title shot. I'm sure he wouldn't have taken the opportunity to fight for the title, but he didn't demand it. And now he is already set to defend his title for a 4th time, 5th if you count Travis Lutter. By the time that fight is done he will have fought 4 times in the last year, 3 of which title defenses. BJ has lost his last 2 welterweight encounters and hasnt fought in the divison in almost 2 years. Keep that in mind while you ask yourself, Is BJ Penn worthy of another welterweight title shot, and if so, do you really want BJ to represent two of the five UFC divsions?