UFC 123 Head-To-Toe Breakdown: BJ Penn vs. Matt Hughes

When you look at the BJ Penn - Matt Hughes matchup, your first thought could be "didn't we see this episode already?"

Well think again, because Saturday night you will witness two former champions. Two men at a crossroads in their careers. Two men who have a history facing off against each other in the pre and post TUF era. But more importantly, two men that don't particularly like each other, and that my friends makes for a great fight. 

If you need more convincing, let B/R breakdown the possibilities for a winner in this classic matchup. 

Striking

When the man that trains boxing's current king--Manny Pacquiao--says that you are "by far the best striker in MMA", odds are whoever is facing off against you needs to keep their hands up and their chin down. 

Frankly, Matt Hughes' skill set is just not in the striking arena, and with that deficiency he leaves himself vulnerable to getting tagged quite a bit in this rubber match. 

ADVANTAGE: Penn

Ground Game

If you're new to Mixed Martial Arts, lets break down the main areas:

- Submissions / Grappling

- Striking

- Wrestling

When it comes to the Submissions and Grappling portion, BJ Penn is in the major leagues while everyone else is struggling to get out of the minors.

In their first meeting, Penn was able to secure a victory over Hughes via rear naked choke--see picture--which makes the challenge for Hughes tougher.

ADVANTAGE: Penn

Power

Who could forget this incredible image from UFC 52 when Matt Hughes hoisted Frank Trigg over his shoulder like a baby and slammed him down with relative ease?

This is the kind of "farm boy" strength that Hughes possesses, and when you combine that with his wresting prowess it can be dangerous for any fighter. 

Don't think so? Well just ask Ricardo Almeida.

ADVANTAGE: Hughes

Speed

Due to his superb stand up, when BJ Penn is on his game few can get over his speed when he comes at you. It's like being caught between a rock and a hard place, because if you stand with him he can light you up which would then cause you to shoot in for a take down. 

Big mistake, because you'll probably receive one of the following:

- Sprawl which stuffs the take down attempt

- Knee to the face a la Sean Sherk at UFC 84

- Get submitted once you get to the ground. 

ADVANTAGE: Penn

Chin

Both men can take a shot to the dome and won't get knocked out easily, so this is pretty much a split.  

ADVANTAGE: Even

Heart

We're going to have to lean towards Hughes here. The problem with BJ Penn is that if he's fighting from behind in a fight, he can't win. 

Penn is more of an emotional fighter than anything else, and needs to hate you in order to beat you. 

Hughes on the other hand has a ton of heart, and won't stop going until you take him out. 

ADVANTAGE: Hughes

Overall Winner: BJ Penn

If BJ Penn comes to the cage with the same fire he had when he fought Diego Sanchez, or if he just starts getting off early on Hughes then I can't see why Penn doesn't bag the win. 

Bonus: Best BJ Penn Hate Rant Ever

Favorite of all time

I just had to add this piece of vintage BJ. It is in one word.... priceless.

Thanks for reading!