Who Thinks BJ Penn's Cardio Is Better Than Clay Guida's?

Although, at times, I have tried to be fan of BJ Penn's, mostly because I favor his beautiful baby daughter (which does makes it hard not to like BJ), I am not succeeding.

When he started jumping out of a swimming pool to show off his new found level off fitness, I was not impressed. (OK fight fans, who do I sound like)?

As hard as I have tried, I cannot be a BJ Penn fan.

Now that his true fans are raving about BJ's improved cardio, I have thought up a real test that does not involve a swimming pool.

As a resident of Illinois, I am a proud fan of our native son, Clay Guida.

Hopefully the readers know well enough to keep their mouths shut about that other Illinois homeboy, Matt Hughes.

Clay Guida is someone I very much admire for a multitude of reasons, but for right now I will stick to his cardio which equals that of the Energizer Bunny.

How Clay does it, I do not know.

Even after his loss to BJ's next challenger for the Lightweight belt, Diego the "Nightmare" Sanchez, Clay couldn't stop bouncing as he was interviewed by Joe Rogan.

One of my grandchildren, who is always bragging that he is just like Georges St. Pierre, has that much energy, but few others that I know do.

It is not like I hang out with lazy people; Clay has an off the chart level of fitness that few people, BJ among them, can maintain.

This is one reason that I wish Clay "the Carpenter" Guida had gotten a crack at Penn next and not Diego.

Admittedly, only one of the many carpenters in our family is fast working. The others are usually busy figuring out ways to stop for another look at those tricky blueprints or another extended coffee break with some donuts to fuel their activity, (actually, any excuse will do).

My family does include some "Nightmare" fans, so it is likely that during UFC 106 our house will be filled with cheers of "go Diego, go!" which will be reminiscent of our Dora the Explorer days when my granddaughter Sierra was living with us.

Still, if I had my way, it would be the Carpenter throwing shots at BJ's follicular-challenged round head while doing an apt imitation of a fierce Tasmanian Devil, rather than the Nightmare giving him bad dreams.

I would bet on Clay against BJ any day.