B.J. Penn Focused on Winning Fights, Not Trash Talk

B.J. Penn has accomplished so much in his career. 

The 31-year-old will headline UFC 137 when he faces off against Nick Diaz, who is renowned for his trash talk and taunting toward his opponents. 

The Stockton native draws comparisons to the Hawaiian, but at this stage of his career, Penn doesn't see the value in belittling his opponents. 

"At this stage in my life, I feel I am too old to talk smack. As I get older, what I realize is that all anyone remembers is who wins fights," Penn wrote in his blog on Yahoo!Sports.com. 

In past bouts, Penn always had the mental edge on his opponents, as he tried to get inside their heads by taunting them and talking trash. Notorious for getting under his opponents' skin, Penn always relied on the psychological factor to help him mentally prepare in bouts against Georges St-Pierre, Sean Sherk and Kenny Florian. 

Although his trash talk did not always give him an edge in confidence, Penn has always had a longstanding issue with preparing properly for a bout, as he would tend to rely on his natural talents. 

However, Penn carries a much different perspective heading into his bout this weekend, realizing that the outcome of the bout has far more appeal than the pre-fight trash talk. 

"That’s all that really matters—who wins this fight and who loses," he wrote. 

And preparing to defeat a competitor like Diaz is even more appealing to Penn.

"But beating Nick Diaz, title fight or no title fight, is a big deal," he wrote. "I won’t disrespect him, the fans or myself by not concentrating 100 percent on this fight at UFC 137."