Bleacher Report - BJ Penn

A Recipe for War: Mix Penn, Sanchez, and the LW Title Belt at UFC 107

Todd Jackson — Sun, 06 Dec 2009 15:54:57 -0500

Not all fight cards are created equal.

While the sport is now widely available in most cases, it does not always deliver at its peak potential. With previous footage of great fights available, the need to over-impress at the PPV level is not as pressing.

Now MMA is abundant in more ways than monthly fight cards and the sport has become a neverending replay of greatness. Fans can turn on the T.V. and more often than not find some rerun of Ultimate Knockouts or WEC Wreckage, amongst many other options.

No longer does the fight fan have to wait in between events; they can go to Youtube to their hearts content studying fights and tributes based on their favorite fighters.

What the fan cannot do is command the future...the fights of tomorrow. They can pull up every historical fight they want online, but it is the fight that has yet to happen that still truly grips them.

The history that has yet to be made, if you will.

Even with the fights yet to come, not all are what fans may thirst for. Not every fight, or even every fight card, can be of UFC 100 caliber.

Sometimes the sport must be allowed to take its own course, to breathe and grow, not unlike a living thing. For the truly great fights to take place at the pinnacle, the wars must be waged in the trenches.

They can't all be Chuck Lidell vs. Wanderlei Silva.

When the sport does follow its own course, eventually a gem is fashioned under the pressure to deliver. Eventually, two fighters gain an unstoppable momentum towards each other that cannot be diverted.

While the fan loyally tunes in month after month, paying for less than compelling main events, they forgo the desire to see titles contested with any regularity and tune in regardless.

They continue to support this sport even when the tangible rewards are few. Whether it be watching some fighter cutting weight fighting in the Rich Franklin weight class or just being tricked into thinking Kimbo Slice might have returned on the Ultimate Fighter 10, they tune in.

It does not happen every month, it may not even happen three times in one year. But eventually, the fan is rewarded. After months of paying for what may not be the best MMA has to offer, they realize it all pales in comparison to this match-up, this card.

UFC 107 is that card for many fight fans.

This week will find many fight fans with that sense of excitement that may have seemed lost as of late. The idea of what may be in store this Saturday night is quite a compelling feeling.

When the UFC adds B.J. "The Prodigy" Penn into any fight-card whatsoever, the fan knows the bar has been raised; love him or hate him. The caliber of the event changes in many ways with his very presence.

Penn has a way of altering everything he touches. He is an unstoppable force throughout the sport and his fingerprint on MMA will last forever.

When the UFC decides to offer a fight to Diego "The Nightmare" Sanchez, the fight fan knows there will be at least one exciting fight on the card. Diego is the type of fighter who has developed a strong reputation as a game and entertaining fighter, with a fire in his belly that is rare in this world.

He is the type of fighter who never shows fear, is skilled above the curve, and has a desire to make his style of fight a feared asset throughout the division.

Throw in a lightweight title belt and you might as well be adding nitrous to an already dangerous inferno. You have the ingredients for a war that could span 25 minutes or just 25 seconds; time will tell.

Both men are warriors to the bone, not just fighters. The potential of seeing Baby J's pound for pound worthy talent tested against the skills and rage of The Nightmare is enough to make a fight fan call in sick to work.

When the fight fan hears the name Clay "The Carpenter" Guida it almost always brings a smile to their face. Guida may have the single most impressive resume and body of fights in the game today without having fought for a title. There is not doubt that his place on a card means nothing less than pure war for fans to enjoy.

Kenny "Ken-Flo" Florian is one of the best LW fighters to enter the Octagon when B.J. Penn is not standing across from him. His style and demeanor represent the true class and worthiness of this sport. His skill level is impeccable, he appreciates the martial arts aspect of MMA and he is a perennial top tier fighter. His consistency and growth are phenomenal.

The winner here will surely take one step closer to proving their worth against a champion. Not bad motivation for two guys who need little in the first place. Both fighters are elite in their own respects, the type of quality fighters that will bring the absolute best out of each other.

The thought of seeing Guida bring his tireless whirlwind of terror to match against Florian's relentless and lethal precision is enough to make a fight fan lie to their mamma and skip a dinner date with their parents.

Add to these compelling matches the presence of elite welterweight Jon Fitch, a fight between Cheick Kongo and former two time Heavyweight Champ Frank Mir, and the fight fan begins to salivate.

This is a fight card amongst fight cards. MMA has had its moments lately but there has not been a card with this much potential in quite some time. If a fan were to introduce a friend to MMA, this would be the card to show them.

UFC 107 cannot fail and cannot disappoint. The odds of that happening are smaller than the odds of it actually blowing the MMA community out of the water. The fighters are just too good, the match ups are too perfect, and the stakes are that high.

It has been long overdue but is finally here. Enjoy it, fights fans, because after it is over you will have to go back to convincing yourself that 50 bucks really isn't that much to spend on another halfway decent card.

This is the stuff history will remember for years to come. This is the stuff they will Youtube tomorrow.

Read more BJ Penn news on BleacherReport.com

MMA Movies Getting Credit at Hollywood Award Shows?

Jon Grilz — Sat, 05 Dec 2009 09:51:31 -0500

Mixed martial arts is the fastest growing sport in America. It is about time the Academy got off their f***ing asses and started to recognize.

In the last few years the market for mixed martial arts movies has grown while their budget has shrank. Redbelt and Never Back Down started MMA on its way into Hollywood's septic system.

However, their somewhat lackluster success or sheer ridiculousness in terms of plot have lead many major studios to pass on such movies.

However, this writer thinks that the next Rocky is just on the horizon, and so does the Academy.

As the award season is just on the horizon, rumors of several mixed martial arts-themed awards at The Golden Globes and Academy Awards swirl.

The following are some the categories to expect and their predicted winners:

Best Director/Writer that Also Attempted to Act in a Leading Role in an MMA Movie :

Hector Echavarria as "Reneiro" in Never Surrender

Best Fighter that Doesn't Speak in a Supporting Role:

Anderson Silva as "Fighter" in Never Surrender

Best Use of Capoeira by a Heavyweight Fighter:

Heath Herring as "Stone" in Never Surrender

Best Use of a Snap Kick as a Legitimate Offensive Weapon in an MMA Movie:

Hector Echavarria as "Reneiro" in Never Surrender

Best Exploitation of Prostitutes that the Main Character Will Later Grow Fond of:

Every woman in Never Surrender

Best Pretend Friends in an MMA Movie:

BJ Penn and Quinton Jackson as BJ Penn and Quinton Jackson in Never Surrender

Best MMA Fighter in an Acting Role:

Georges St. Pierre in Death Warrior (no, seriously, he wasn't that bad)

Best Entrance by a Man Who Has Five Seconds to Show Up Before His Sister is Decapitated Even Though He Has No Way of Knowing He Has Five Seconds To Show Up Before She is Decapitated

Keith Jardine as "Andre" in Death Warrior

Best Boom Operator in an MMA Movie:

Alex van der Meulen in Death Warrior

Best Use of a DVD Box Cover to Make You Think That MMA Fighters Are The Stars:

Tie: Never Surrender and Death Warrior

Most Depressed Writer Whose Life is So Empty That He Watched Both Never Surrender and Death Warrior (only one nominee dumb enough):

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Juiceboxing 101: Memphis Will Be Laid to Waste

Justin Orel — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 20:45:51 -0500

Welcome to another installment of Juiceboxing 101. This time, I'll be previewing UFC 107, and little else.

Let's get juicy.

UFC 107: Penn vs. Sanchez comes to you LIVE from the FedEx Forum in Memphis, Tenn.

This PPV, like every other UFC event this year, has undergone some serious reconstruction due to injuries, illnesses, and acting ambitions.

UFC Lightweight Champion BJ Penn vs Diego Sanchez

The main event pitting UFC Lightweight Champion BJ Penn and Diego "Nightmare" Sanchez has got to be a disappointment to many fans, considering this show was supposed to host the much-anticipated grudge match between Ultimate Fighter 10 coaches Rampage Jackson and Rashad Evans.

Perhaps nobody was more disappointed than Dana White himself, who went out of his way to book that fight in Jackson's hometown of Memphis.

Alas, Jackson bailed to portray B.A. Baracus in the upcoming A-Team movie, and the title fight between Penn and Sanchez was given in the main event slot of UFC 107.

As much of a bummer as it was to some people, I wasn't exactly getting a chubby over that fight, and the Penn-Sanchez fight is much more appealing to me.

The reason why is because this fight can take all sorts of directions. With Rampage and Rashad, we can all basically imagine what a fight between those two would look like.

A lot of big right hands, some juking and jiving from Rashad, some birdcage defense from Rampage.

Of course it would've been an entertaining fight to see, but predicting what will happen between Penn and Sanchez, who don't mind standing or fighting on the ground, is a little more exciting...and difficult.

Exciting because we get to see the two best lightweights in the UFC going five rounds for a title. Difficult because as much as I want to predict a title change, I can't do it.

If you were one of the 257+ wonderful people who read my prior article, Know Your Juice, you know I listed Diego Sanchez as one of my favorite fighters.

He's insanely positive and positively insane.

He's a character and a great fighter, and one of my favorites in the lightweight division. The problem is, he's not BJ Penn. He's not on his level, and maybe never will be.

Diego has a tendency to win fights that go the distance, which will favor him against BJ, whose cardio has been scrutinized for years. He's got to realize that grinding out a decision probably isn't an option.

He's going to have to finish the champion somehow. As good as he is standing, BJ's boxing is better. As good as his wrestling is, BJ's BJJ is better.

I'll be rooting for Diego, no doubt, but I'm not going to be surprised to see Joe Rogan asking an exhausted Penn who his next challenger's going to be following the fight.

Frank Mir vs Cheick Kongo

We all know the story here. If it stays standing, Kongo will kill Mir. If it hits the mat, he's tapping like a bitch. I'm going to keep things interesting, if only for myself, and go a different route. Mir by vicious head kick in round 1.

Kenny Florian vs Clay Guida

I love watching Clay Guida fight. Besides his penchant for lay and pray, and a stupid nickname, Guida's won me over.

Florian's definitely a more well-rounded fighter, but if Guida's on his A-game, he could probably pull off a decision win.

I just hope he doesn't try and bang with Kenny and end up getting kneed like crazy.

Jon Fitch vs Mike Pierce

Okay, this was supposed to be Thiago Alves vs. Paulo Thiago . Jon Fitch was to fight Ricardo Almeida at UFC 106, but Almeida got hurt. Fitch was given Thiago Alves as an opponent, even though Alves was scheduled to fight Paulo.

Then Alves got hurt. Then they gave Mike Pierce a fight with Fitch at 107, while Paulo fought Jacob Volkmann at 106...I'm pretty sure.

Assuming everyone is alive and well by the time the show starts, Fitch gets a decision while I take a bathroom break and eat some wings.

Paul Buentello vs Stefan Struve

18 of Struve's 21 wins come by submission. Buentello has 16 wins by T(KO), and 17 by submission, but a lot of those submissions were from strikes and junk, so don't let the numbers fool you.

He's a striker, and a pretty damn good one. Also, he doesn't get submitted anymore. At 35, he's a wildcard in the heavyweight division.

He could either pummel the massive 21-year-old Struve, or he could give up a choke and head back to Strikeforce.

I say Buentello by TKO in round two. I hope I'm underestimating Struve; that kid's going to be excellent one day.

The prelims are stacked, with names like Alan Belcher, Wilson Gouveia, Matt Wiman, Johny Hendricks, Rousimar Palhares, and Ultimate Fighter runner-up DeMarcus Johnson all making appearances.

The Blecher-Gouveia and Wiman-Shane Nelson fights will most likely be showcased for free on Spike TV, and probably again on the PPV.

I'm pumped for this one, and all of you should be, too.

Drink your juice, kids.

Read more BJ Penn news on BleacherReport.com

Five Reasons BJ Penn Will Be Leaving Memphis with His Title

Robert Gardner — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 14:31:11 -0500

UFC 107 is less than two weeks away, and it seems as if there is very little hype surrounding the lightweight title showdown between BJ Penn and Diego Sanchez.

Perhaps it is because MMA fans are beginning to realize what many of us already knew: Sanchez has little to no shot of defeating the Prodigy.

The simple fact of the matter is Sanchez does not offer any unique challenges to the champion. That is not to take anything away from the tough and tenacious fighter from Albuquerque; he just is not on the same level as Penn. Here’s why.

5. Takedown Defense

There is no arguing that Diego Sanchez is a solid wrestler. Sanchez sets an incredible pace in his fights and uses that relentless attack to wear down his opponents and secure his takedowns. It just takes a lot more than tenacity to take down BJ Penn.

Penn is renowned for his ability to stuff takedowns. By using his incredible flexibility and amazing balance, Penn is able to thwart the takedown attempts of even elite-caliber wrestlers.

4. Explosiveness

While Sanchez is high energy, he lacks explosiveness. He doesn’t have the true knockout power or dynamic attack that is needed to take out an elite level fighter. Penn, on the other hand, is deceptively explosive and dynamic.

Penn does not look like a prototypical athlete; he has a slight build, chubby face, and a seemingly soft body. But the Prodigy can explode at the point of impact. Penn has power in both hands, and once he smells blood in the water, he does not hesitate to open up his arsenal of strikes, including his effective and devastating flying knee.

Add Penn’s natural explosiveness to his newfound dedication to a strength and conditioning regimen, and Sanchez will be in store for a nightmare.

3. Striking

Not only does Sanchez lack real power, but he also lacks technique. Sanchez has displayed poor footwork and wild striking in the past and his lack of technical striking could spell doom for his title hopes. His striking has been effective enough to lead him this far in his career, but it needs to improve if he ever intends to reach the pinnacle of MMA.

Being dynamic and powerful is only part of what makes Penn a dangerous striker. His biggest asset is his technical striking. Penn is one of the best boxers in all of MMA and is also one of the few fighters who actually utilizes an effective jab.

Penn uses his jab to perfection. He uses it offensively to keep his opponent off balance and to set up the rest of his attack, as well as a defensive tool to create space. With the jab alone Penn has the ability to dominate a fight, and if you have any feelings otherwise, just ask former UFC lightweight champion Sean Sherk.

2. Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu

Sanchez may come from a strong wrestling and grappling background, but his skill set is minuscule compared to the grappling pedigree that Penn comes from.

Not only did Penn earn his black belt in just three short years, he won a gold medal at the Mundial World Championships as well, becoming the first non-Brazilian to do so. Penn personifies the very definition of world-class grappling.

Top or bottom, it doesn’t matter; Penn is dangerous from any position on the ground and can end the fight in the blink of an eye.

What makes Penn so dangerous in a grappling situation is his dexterity and flexibility. Penn can basically move and use his legs like another set of arms.

1. Calmness

The other day I was reading an article that Bleacher Report’s very own Stoker had written about this fight, and in the comment thread Stoker mentioned the calmness that great fighters maintain during their fights. That comment got me to thinking, and it helped me realize that this is Penn’s biggest advantage going into this fight.

Sanchez is known for his toughness and tenacity, but also the anger that he seemingly fights with. Anger can be a helpful motivational tool during training, but inside the cage it causes a fighter to lose their cool and get sloppy. For a fighter who has a tendency to be sloppy anyway, it could be disastrous.

Penn, much like the other current giants of the sport, fights cool, calm, and calculating. His expression inside the cage does not change whether he is on his back or going in for the kill.

By maintaining an even keel, Penn keeps himself from making the stupid mistakes a frustrated fighter would make.

Come Dec. 12, BJ Penn will not only defend his UFC lightweight title; he will not let Diego Sanchez even see the championship rounds.

Read more BJ Penn news on BleacherReport.com

Is a Nightmare About To Hit the UFC Lightweight Division?

Jessy Morris — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 11:45:06 -0500

Since Jan. 19, 2008, "The Prodigy" B.J. Penn has been unstoppable as the UFC lightweight champion.

His destruction of Joe Stevenson, Sean Sherk, and Kenny Florian have cemented his place as the greatest lightweight fighter in the world. He is also one of only two UFC fighters to hold championship gold in two different weight divisions.

At UFC 94, B.J. moved back up in weight to challenge UFC welterweight champion Georges St-Pierre to avenge a previous loss. B.J. Penn found out the hard way that night that he wasn't on the same level as GSP. Penn was dominated the whole fight and his corner ended up throwing in the towel between the fourth and fifth rounds.

Meanwhile, Kenny Florian was waiting for his shot at the lightweight champion, Penn. The fight was scheduled for UFC 101 in Philadelphia. Several people thought that the loss to St-Pierre was so devastating that B.J. would not mentally recover and that Kenny Florian would use that to his advantage and win the gold.

Unfortunately for Florian, the loss to GSP lit a fire under B.J. and he found a new motivation to train. Penn ended up showing why he is the most feared lightweight in the world when he dominated Kenny and eventually choked him out in the fourth round.

Ever since UFC 95, the lightweight division has been experiencing a nightmare and now that nightmare is the No. 1 contender for B.J.'s title. Former UFC welterweight and winner of season one of The Ultimate Fighter, Diego "Nightmare" Sanchez is now fighting at 155 pounds.

At UFC 95 he defeated Joe Stevenson by unanimous decision and then won a split-decision over Clay Guida at The Ultimate Fighter Nine finale.

At UFC 107, Diego will challenge the seemingly unstoppable B.J. Penn for the UFC lightweight title. Diego could prove to be the biggest challenge for B.J. since he won the title.

What's very interesting in this fight, is the fact that neither fighter has ever been submitted or knocked out. B.J. Penn has a granite chin and fighters like Matt Hughes, Georges St-Pierre and Lyoto Machida were never able to knock him out. B.J. is also a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt with one of the greatest ground games in MMA today. The big question is, how can Diego win this fight?

It is highly improbable that Diego will win by K.O. or submission. If there is any weakness in B.J. penn (and even that is questionable) it's his cardio.

Diego Sanchez has great cardio and he always pushes the pace. His best strategy is going to be aggressiveness and always being in B.J.'s face. The only way Sanchez can win this fight is by decision. But can he survive that long?

B.J. has never lost to a lightweight fighter since UFC 35 against Jens Pulver. Other than that, Lyoto Machida, Matt Hughes and GSP are the only men to beat B.J. Penn. If there is any weakness in Diego's game, B.J. will be the man to capitalize on it.

UFC 107's main event between B.J. and Diego should be very interesting. It will be very interesting to see if Sanchez can do any damage on Penn, I personally doubt it. Diego should prove to be a worthy challenger, but I truly believe it's a bad time to fight "The Prodigy" B.J. Penn.

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