On a night (or afternoon) where many fans complained of a lack of “exciting” match ups for UFC 80, we were graced with several exciting finishes.
In fact, out of the nine fights on the card only two ended in decision. There were SIX knockouts/technical knockout and one thrilling, blood-soaked submission.
Former welterweight champion BJ Penn solidified his place in history with a dominant win over Joe Stevenson in the main event to earn the vacant lightweight title, becoming just the second person ever to hold a belt in two different divisions (Randy Couture is the other).
It’s an achievement he has been chasing since a loss to then 155-pound champion, Jens Pulver, in 2002 and a disappointing draw with Caol Uno in 2003.
Last night it’s safe to say Penn looked better than he has ever looked in his career. Clearly, he needs to be mentioned with George St. Pierre, Anderson Silva and Rampage Jackson as the best pound-for-pound fighters in the world.
There is a lot in store for Penn in the future. First and foremost, however, we now know that he will defend his belt against former champion Sean Sherk most likely in May.
That match up should be exciting and filled with animosity, especially if the scene inside the Octagon immediately following the championship fight is any indication.
Fireworks.
Looking even farther ahead if Penn beats Sherk then he might be on a b-line for a rematch with St. Pierre. He wants that fight bad. With a win he’d also be the first man to hold two belts in two separate UFC weight classes at the same time.
Clearly, the 170-pound division is stacked. But UFC president Dana White is a shrewd businessman and he knows a big score when he sees one.
Of course, if Penn defeats Sherk he can then fight Kenny Florian (if he can beat Joe Lauzon on April 19). However, if Lauzon wins it’s doubtful that Penn would take on his young student.
St. Pierre vs. Penn II would be one for the ages and I am one of the fans who believe Penn deserved the decision victory in their first encounter.
I for one think this fight NEEDS to happen if all the cards can fall into place.
For now we’ll just all enjoy the ride. “The Prodigy” is at the top of his game and he has declared that Sherk is a “dead man.”
That’s a showdown that can’t come soon enough.
The rest of UFC 80 was extremely interesting and exciting.
In the co feature of the evening Fabricio Werdum weathered the early storm of vicious leg kicks by Gabriel Gonzaga to knockout “Napao” in round two. Gonzaga looked great in the first round, but once again his conditioning was his downfall as he came out in the second stanza looking sloppy and gassed.
Werdum capitalized and put on a much more exciting fight than his previous scrap with Andrei Arlovski to earn some respect in the heavyweight division. Werdum now needs to be considered a top five heavyweight.
Gonzaga needs to re-evaluate his career so that we don’t begin to think he is the man who got lucky with a head kick against Mirko Cro Cop and thats it. I wouldnt mind seeing Gonzaga and Cro Cop tangle again. It’s a rematch that could sell tickets and be extremely interesting.
The rest of the main card action was quick and fast.
Jorge Rivera took his career off life support with a devastating knockout of up-and-comer Kendall Grove. It’s good to see a guy like Rivera get a victory to save his career. How can you not respect a man who is fighting to support his family and not to become a millionaire?
Grove, on the other hand, seems to have let his head become way too big. This latest result is back-to-back devastating losses for Grove. And you have to wonder if he’s training hard enough or if he’s trying to live the superstar life before he’s a superstar.
Usually I wouldnt question a fighters desire, but seeing Grove’s undeniable talent in his three straight victories over Ed Herman, Chris Price and Alan Belcher makes you wonder where his hunger and drive went. The talent is still there, yet hes been knocked out in two straight versus fighters with less talent but more heart.
Hopefully, this will be a wake up call for Grove and his career because he has the talent to be a top caliber fighter in his division.
Wilson Gouveia threw a left hook out of nowhere for a stunning victory over Jason Lambert.
Before the blow Lambert dominated the entire fight from start to finish and had Gouveia on his heels. But he got sloppy and took one on the chin.
This is real tough tough loss for Lambert and an escape for Gouveia. I wouldn’t mind seeing these two fight again.
Marcus Davis showed he should be considered a top five 170-pound fighter. With his dominant knockout over Jess Liaudin, Davis now needs to be mentioned with the big boys after a string of impressive victories.
I for one wouldn’t mind seeing him tangle with Jon Fitch.
Alessio Sakara picked up a much-needed and solid victory over a well respected James Lee. Sakara was being dominated with the ground game; however, he found a way to unload a barrage of right hands and he took the win.
Sakara now should have his career back on track and some momentum heading into his middleweight debut in his next contest. With a few convincing victories there he could work his way towards the top the talent shallow division.
Paul Kelly and Paul Taylor put on a Liddell/Silva-type exchange to start off the fight and set the tone for what was a great fight.
Taylor was sharp on his feet and won the stand up exchanges, but Kelly was also game and never backed down. In the end Kelly’s dominance on the ground proved to be the difference.
Both these fighters should see some more days in the UFC and deservedly so they put on a great fight.
Antoni Hardonk made quick work of Colin Robinson with a vicious leg kick and cross that put Robinson to the ground.
Hardonk was finally able to show his stand up skills that made him a feared heavyweight. However, if he cant develop something that resembles a ground game he will end up being nothing more than a gatekeeper for the heavyweight division.
Sam Stout won a lackluster decision over Per Eklund. And although his standup still looked crisp as usual you have to wonder if Stout will also ever be more than a gatekeeper who’s capable on putting on a great standup show when the match up is right.
All in all it was a great night for MMA.
Tonight’s fights cleared up some of the muddy waters in the heavyweight and welterweight divisions with Werdum and Davis’ wins.
In addition, Penn cemented his legacy as one of the greatest fighters of all time, but I think this is just the beginning of the peak of his career great things are still to come.
Take note Sean Sherk. You’re a dead man!
For detailed UFC 80: “Rapid Fire” results hit up or blow-by-blow commentary post right here.
123 Comments »
I wouldnt be so quick to crown BJ as one of the best in the sport. Lets see him fight some more top names and win. Sherk, GSP, Hughes, and Anderson Silva are all viable options to prove his dominance.
Penn did look good but not as good as GSP looked against Matt Hughes.
Sure it needs to happen but the result will be the same. I would rather see GSP vs. Anderson Silva before a rematch with Penn.
Penn needs to get through Sherk which will be no easy task and honestly I think Sherk wins. Don’t get me wrong though I like Penn and thought he did look very, very good. I just think Sherk has a bigger chip on his shoulder to prove everyone wrong about him.
Good article!
Manics : What a fight card. From the first televised fight that set the tone for the night, the UFC delivered on their first PPV of 2008. BJ Penn looked like he would of beat up on Fedor Emelianenko. For all non believer`s take notice, we are priviledged to be in a era of MMA that have some of the best fighters in the world. With the next few PPV and UFN we will be treated with some elite MMA. Guys, 2008 will blow 2007 out the water. UFC 80 set the tone for this fiscal MMA year.
I don’t see how Davis should be even mentioned in the Top 10 he hasn’t fought anybody that holds a top ten ranking. He might have put together a string of decent victories but he hasn’t beaten anybody of a decent caliber. Davis is coming along great
and riding a lot of momentum, let him continue to inch his way up. I don’t want to see him get destroyed.
[quote comment=”274179″]I wouldnt be so quick to crown BJ as one of the best in the sport. Lets see him fight some more top names and win. Sherk, GSP, Hughes, and Anderson Silva are all viable options to prove his dominance.[/quote]
Nah, crown him now! Sherk isnt shit, Hughes has only won 45 seconds of the total 3and a half rounds he has faught against BJ ( and that was the old BJ, new BJ = NO CONTEST!!) When you get into GSP/Silva you’re talking some sense, GSP 2 and 3 will be epics with BJ coming out on top of both via bloody submission. Silva Would be the next level, and then redemption on Lyotto Machida, and then Fedor. And YES i said it haters, BJ WILL be the first and only fighter to get the W on Fedor! That win will cement BJ Penn in MMA history. Doubt all you want but you’ll see it in about 3 years live on PayPerView so whatever, just remember i said it and have been saying it for about a year now evr since Fedor was available to leave pride and fight elsewhere.
BJ looks to be in top form these days, and while a rematch with GSP would be one hell of a fight, let’s not forget the disparity between the skill levels of Stevenson and St. Pierre. GSP just made the greatest welterweight of all time look like an amateur and has shown the ability to beat every fighter (except for his breakdown against Serra, which he will soon avenge) at their own game, most impressively his drubbing of Koscheck in mainly a wrestling match. Penn does have Jiu-Jitsu that is heads and tails above to competition, however, GSP will not get caught in a submission while on top and Penn simply is not powerful enough to bully GSP like he did Stevenson. Also, GSP’s striking is as good or better than Penn’s, with more weapons in his arsenal, ie kicks. The mention of the first fight as an example of how Penn could win always seems to be a bad thing to refer to. Everyone refers to the damage Penn did to GSP, which was the result of an errant uppercut that caught the tip of his nose. When I hear people mention how a fighter was more damaged therefore he should lose I laugh. Should Liddell have been given the decision over Jardine because Jardine’s face looked like a catcher’s mitt after, or should Florian have been the winne against Sherk after being mauled for 25 minutes because he cut him? Penn outboxed GSP due to the damage to his nose, after which GSP controlled the ring, scored with takedowns and held Penn down and landed strikes, and landed more on their feet in the second and third. If he didnt take that damage no one would say he even came close to losing that fight, but unfortunately, even experienced MMA fans and analysts still make the mistake of seeing damage like that early and forgetting you dont get extra points for a cut or black eye. Nevertheless, the rematch would be a great fight, but I think it will be a case of two fighters at the top of their game, one of which is naturally bigger, stronger and more versatile. And I’m talking about the fighter who could never make 155, and will likely clean out welter and challenge for middle, lose or no. Penn will dominate lightweight for a long time if he stays focused, but he runs into a brick wall if he climbs up to welter again. I think he might figure that out when Sherk, who GSP mauled, manages to toss him around and bully him at various times in their may title bout.
All I have to say is I’m sick of people complaining about fight cards. So far, the cards with the smaller names have had better fights than the cards with big names. Look at the Jardine Lidell card. Everyone complained and that was a great night of fights. Smaller names fight hard because they are trying to make big names. You’re either a fight fan or a big name fan. Me, I’m a fight fan.
[quote comment=”274179″]I wouldnt be so quick to crown BJ as one of the best in the sport. Lets see him fight some more top names and win. Sherk, GSP, Hughes, and Anderson Silva are all viable options to prove his dominance.[/quote]
He beat Hughes, in many peoples eyes beat St.Peirre, need I go on?
Honestly I’m happy BJ one, but I thought Joe was going to be able to weather the storm and take the fight into the later rounds. We all know BJ is hungry for GSP, but I think that it would be in the UFC’s best interest to avoid a rematch for awhile yet. Let both of these fighters solidify their legacies in their respected weight classes and then answer the age old question. I think this fight were to happen when both of these fighters are considered without a doubt the best in their divisions then put a fight together. The build up for the fight would be insane.
Fedor vs Penn?
I like it…thinking big, my friend…[quote comment=”274190″][quote comment=”274179″]I wouldnt be so quick to crown BJ as one of the best in the sport. Lets see him fight some more top names and win. Sherk, GSP, Hughes, and Anderson Silva are all viable options to prove his dominance.[/quote]
Nah, crown him now! Sherk isnt shit, Hughes has only won 45 seconds of the total 3and a half rounds he has faught against BJ ( and that was the old BJ, new BJ = NO CONTEST!!) When you get into GSP/Silva you’re talking some sense, GSP 2 and 3 will be epics with BJ coming out on top of both via bloody submission. Silva Would be the next level, and then redemption on Lyotto Machida, and then Fedor. And YES i said it haters, BJ WILL be the first and only fighter to get the W on Fedor! That win will cement BJ Penn in MMA history. Doubt all you want but you’ll see it in about 3 years live on PayPerView so whatever, just remember i said it and have been saying it for about a year now evr since Fedor was available to leave pride and fight elsewhere.[/quote]
Wow Mania, I had no idea you were a Penn fan all along.
Well Well Well Penn Did it I for one didn’t know how hungry he would be did anyone get the feeling of HOLY SHIT when that elbow turned stevenson into a bloody mess.. Oh well Joe “Daddy Needs a Band Aid” stevenson had his shot and he’s a great fighter but out of his league with that fight I for one would like to see Joe and Spencer fisher tangle next. Penn will destroy sherk no debating at all on that one.
Can Kendal Grove be any more like his buddy Tito… Talk at that shit boy look what happend I wish herman could get another crack at that goof ball but at this point what does that do for hermans career?
I’m With Mania DAVIS VS. FITCH mr. silva PLEASE!!!
Its not Mania that wrote the article. It was DurbySunshine people.
DrubySunshine. My Bad.
I agree with mostly everything. I do think the TS needs to slack off BJ’s nuts a little. BJ just beat steveson.. arguably an easier fight than hughes.. Yet GSP looked even better vs hughes.
Sure we all want to see Penn vs GSP but Penn needs to win more than 1 fight against a TUFer.
Sherk, Florian and Edgar will be good tells as to were his game was.
I would not look past Sherk.. BJ looked gassed at the end of the fight, breathing hard leaning on everyone.
like holy crap did stevenson tema not even try to patch his cut??
Yeah. Lets See how Sean Jerk (sorry, I couldn’t help myself) fights without steroids. If BJ is as good he was last night, Sean Jerk is going to get hurt.
Bj is too good. Joe never had a chance.
Gaberiel needs to get better at his conditioning. He has good jui jitsu and good striking.
Fitch vs Davis would be a sick fight and i think if Davis can keep it standing he could beat Fitch.
Kendall Grove has no chin and Jorge is not goins anywhere in the weightclass.
So happy my boy Wilson won. He has such good jui jitsu and visious leg kicks. He murdered Carmerro with his kicks. He was outmuscled by Lambert but he weathered the storm and got the KO. Now he will finaly get some recognition.
It OWNED live.
[quote comment=”274190″][quote comment=”274179″]I wouldnt be so quick to crown BJ as one of the best in the sport. Lets see him fight some more top names and win. Sherk, GSP, Hughes, and Anderson Silva are all viable options to prove his dominance.[/quote]
Nah, crown him now! Sherk isnt shit, Hughes has only won 45 seconds of the total 3and a half rounds he has faught against BJ ( and that was the old BJ, new BJ = NO CONTEST!!) When you get into GSP/Silva you’re talking some sense, GSP 2 and 3 will be epics with BJ coming out on top of both via bloody submission. Silva Would be the next level, and then redemption on Lyotto Machida, and then Fedor. And YES i said it haters, BJ WILL be the first and only fighter to get the W on Fedor! That win will cement BJ Penn in MMA history. Doubt all you want but you’ll see it in about 3 years live on PayPerView so whatever, just remember i said it and have been saying it for about a year now evr since Fedor was available to leave pride and fight elsewhere.[/quote]
HAHAHA You’re such a tool!!! He won’t even get past GSP, let alone Anderson Silva. I’m not even mentioning what Dan Henderson would do to him. But Fedor? HAHAHAHAHHAHAHA You’re funny. Don’t get me wrong, I love BJ,and he IS one of the best pound for pound fighters out there right now, BEHIND Fedor, Silva & GSP. He could easily beat most WW out there for sure, but GSP? Fedor? Come on dude what are you smoking?
adamg
Jan 20th, 2008 at 1:56 pm Quote this comment
I wouldnt be so quick to crown BJ as one of the best in the sport. Lets see him fight some more top names and win. Sherk, GSP, Hughes, and Anderson Silva are all viable options to prove his dominance.
Nah, crown him now! Sherk isnt shit, Hughes has only won 45 seconds of the total 3and a half rounds he has faught against BJ ( and that was the old BJ, new BJ = NO CONTEST!!) When you get into GSP/Silva you’re talking some sense, GSP 2 and 3 will be epics with BJ coming out on top of both via bloody submission. Silva Would be the next level, and then redemption on Lyotto Machida, and then Fedor. And YES i said it haters, BJ WILL be the first and only fighter to get the W on Fedor! That win will cement BJ Penn in MMA history. Doubt all you want but you’ll see it in about 3 years live on PayPerView so whatever, just remember i said it and have been saying it for about a year now evr since Fedor was available to leave pride and fight elsewhere.
Adamg,
Wow i was actually gonna come on here and post a congrats to your boy Penn for the nice win, but then i saw that you havent laid off that REEFER. Great win for BJ, If he beats Sherk i will give him some respect.
[quote comment=”274201″]Fedor vs Penn?
I like it…thinking big, my friend…[quote comment=”274190″][quote comment=”274179″]I wouldnt be so quick to crown BJ as one of the best in the sport. Lets see him fight some more top names and win. Sherk, GSP, Hughes, and Anderson Silva are all viable options to prove his dominance.[/quote]
Nah, crown him now! Sherk isnt shit, Hughes has only won 45 seconds of the total 3and a half rounds he has faught against BJ ( and that was the old BJ, new BJ = NO CONTEST!!) When you get into GSP/Silva you’re talking some sense, GSP 2 and 3 will be epics with BJ coming out on top of both via bloody submission. Silva Would be the next level, and then redemption on Lyotto Machida, and then Fedor. And YES i said it haters, BJ WILL be the first and only fighter to get the W on Fedor! That win will cement BJ Penn in MMA history. Doubt all you want but you’ll see it in about 3 years live on PayPerView so whatever, just remember i said it and have been saying it for about a year now evr since Fedor was available to leave pride and fight elsewhere.[/quote][/quote]
Easy there. Yes, BJ has a dominant win here but let’s not get carried away here. I still think St. Pierre wins against BJ, and the Spider is just too much for Penn. As for Fedor and Machida, BJ does not stand a chance against them. Fedor would toss around BJ, as would a lot of heavyweights. Even Silvia, as much as I dislike him, would plow through BJ. Plus, I don’t think BJ would be quick to leave the UFC for some mythical match-up with Fedor. Come on now, why don’t we have them start fighting tigers too.
[quote comment=”274228″]DrubySunshine. My Bad.[/quote]
Well DrubySunshine is a smart guy.
I wasnt inpressed with BJ PENN performance. So now everyone is telling me that because bj beat joe stevenson hes some kind of legend. Thats a load of crap. When he loses to sherk i wannna see him move up to WW and fight GSP and finish off BJs career. SHERK and GSP are far better fighters than BJ will ever be. Hawian fighters suck period look at kendall groove. KO of the night there.
PENN proved he is one of the best in UFC! He’s beaten Hughes, he deserved the decision against GSP, he dominated Stevenson last night without a question.
Penn vs Sherk will be bananas. Penn looking to solidify his name as a “great one” and Sherk looking to prove himself after all the steroid controversy. There will be fireworks!
Bring on Penn vs GSP II!!!!!
[quote comment=”274239″]I wasnt inpressed with BJ PENN performance. So now everyone is telling me that because bj beat joe stevenson hes some kind of legend. Thats a load of crap. When he loses to sherk i wannna see him move up to WW and fight GSP and finish off BJs career. SHERK and GSP are far better fighters than BJ will ever be. Hawian fighters suck period look at kendall groove. KO of the night there.[/quote]
If you can’t watch last nights fight and see the dominance of that performance, you don’t know fighting. If you can watch the Pulver/Penn fight and not see BJ’s dominance, you don’t know fighting. This is a different Penn than 2 years ago.
And judging Hawaiian fighters off of Kendall f-cking Grove is ridiculous. We all know Grove is overrated. Grove is nowhere near BJ Penn.
Are you kidding me?
I wouldn’t be so quick to say Marcus Davis is top 5. He has a nice little streak going, but he hasn’t even fought a top 10 guy yet.
Couture Saga Continues And Dana’s A Gangster
By Adrian | January 20, 2008
Sounding more like a “Gangster” then the president of a large American cooperation. Dana white had this to say about the lawsuit Zuffa LLC filed against UFC heavyweight champion Randy Couture:
White said. “He’s got a half million of my money. He can fight. He can fight if he wants to. We’ll keep it (an interim title) forever. Believe me, we’ll hold on forever.”
Dana White, calling the Tim Sylvia vs. Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira fight for an “Interim” Heavyweight title.
The UFC is suing its heavyweight champion, Randy Couture, in a Nevada court, but White refuses to strip him of the belt. He is calling the match between Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira and Tim Sylvia on Feb. 2 in Las Vegas for the interim belt.
The UFC is recognizing Couture as its champion and not stripping him. White said he did not see removing the interim tag anytime soon.
frankthetank please tell me that last comment was a joke. i would respond but i think cool hand chad summed it up
[quote comment=”274185″]Manics : What a fight card. From the first televised fight that set the tone for the night, the UFC delivered on their first PPV of 2008. BJ Penn looked like he would of beat up on Fedor Emelianenko. For all non believer`s take notice, we are priviledged to be in a era of MMA that have some of the best fighters in the world. With the next few PPV and UFN we will be treated with some elite MMA. Guys, 2008 will blow 2007 out the water. UFC 80 set the tone for this fiscal MMA year.[/quote]
I agree what a great card. BJ is the bomb! However he was pretty out of breath at the end of the fight, which worries me becuase Sherk fights at a fast pace, and if BJ does not beat him early he might not be able to go a full 5 rounds with Sherk.
[quote comment=”274247″][quote comment=”274239″]I wasnt inpressed with BJ PENN performance. So now everyone is telling me that because bj beat joe stevenson hes some kind of legend. Thats a load of crap. When he loses to sherk i wannna see him move up to WW and fight GSP and finish off BJs career. SHERK and GSP are far better fighters than BJ will ever be. Hawian fighters suck period look at kendall groove. KO of the night there.[/quote]
If you can’t watch last nights fight and see the dominance of that performance, you don’t know fighting. If you can watch the Pulver/Penn fight and not see BJ’s dominance, you don’t know fighting. This is a different Penn than 2 years ago.
And judging Hawaiian fighters off of Kendall f-cking Grove is ridiculous. We all know Grove is overrated. Grove is nowhere near BJ Penn.
Are you kidding me?[/quote]
Well look at how small our state is. We don’t have near as much opportunity to find good instructors and fight camps that fighter from the continental US have. Falaniko Vitale is a successfull fighter from Hawaii. He beat Matt Linland, Yushin Okami, and Masanori Tsuda.
[quote comment=”274188″]I don’t see how Davis should be even mentioned in the Top 10 he hasn’t fought anybody that holds a top ten ranking. He might have put together a string of decent victories but he hasn’t beaten anybody of a decent caliber. Davis is coming along great
and riding a lot of momentum, let him continue to inch his way up. I don’t want to see him get destroyed.[/quote]
This comment says it all,(regarding Marcus Davis) except for not seeing him get destroyed, i cant wait to see Davis get destroyed , he needs to be put in his place, the guy is way to cocky!
[quote comment=”274190″][quote comment=”274179″]I wouldnt be so quick to crown BJ as one of the best in the sport. Lets see him fight some more top names and win. Sherk, GSP, Hughes, and Anderson Silva are all viable options to prove his dominance.[/quote]
Nah, crown him now! Sherk isnt shit, Hughes has only won 45 seconds of the total 3and a half rounds he has faught against BJ ( and that was the old BJ, new BJ = NO CONTEST!!) When you get into GSP/Silva you’re talking some sense, GSP 2 and 3 will be epics with BJ coming out on top of both via bloody submission. Silva Would be the next level, and then redemption on Lyotto Machida, and then Fedor. And YES i said it haters, BJ WILL be the first and only fighter to get the W on Fedor! That win will cement BJ Penn in MMA history. Doubt all you want but you’ll see it in about 3 years live on PayPerView so whatever, just remember i said it and have been saying it for about a year now evr since Fedor was available to leave pride and fight elsewhere.[/quote]
You must be an idiot
[quote comment=”274239″]I wasnt inpressed with BJ PENN performance. So now everyone is telling me that because bj beat joe stevenson hes some kind of legend. Thats a load of crap. When he loses to sherk i wannna see him move up to WW and fight GSP and finish off BJs career. SHERK and GSP are far better fighters than BJ will ever be. Hawian fighters suck period look at kendall groove. KO of the night there.[/quote]
hit the nail on the head
Everything I said about the BJ?Joe match up was true. I strongly stated that Bj would come into this fight in shape like we have never seen him before and he looked scary. I said that his ju jitsu was on a completely different level then Joe’s(who I am a big fan of). I talked about what an advantage BJ has that he can use his legs like armns, which he used to trap JOe’s arm as he did Jens to sink in the rear naked choke, that I predicted would end the fight on the second round.
Last week I also talked about how good BJ Penn is against fighters who skill set is:
Submission Wreslting
Ground n Pound
Conditioning
Strength
weak stand up
Just like BJ dominated Hughes, he dominated Stevenson, so why should anyone believe that sherk has a chance of beating BJ. Sherk, Stevenson, Hughes are basically the same fighter with the same exavct skill sets. BJ will come into his fight with Sherk, motivated and well conditioned and that fight will look the same as last nights fight did.
On to GSP. Personally I thought BJ won that fight. I am a huge GSP fan, but I felt that Penn should have been awarded the decison vs. GSP. BJ Penn and GSP both in there improved forms, still havent peaked in my oppinion, which is a scary thought. If they stay motivated which I believe they will, they will only improve and eventually become 2 of the greatest mixed martial artists ever seen! They will both be around for a while, so there is no reason to rush a rematch between the 2. Let them each clear out there divisions first and then they can fight in a Blockbuster Event!
[quote comment=”274254″][quote comment=”274185″]Manics : What a fight card. From the first televised fight that set the tone for the night, the UFC delivered on their first PPV of 2008. BJ Penn looked like he would of beat up on Fedor Emelianenko. For all non believer`s take notice, we are priviledged to be in a era of MMA that have some of the best fighters in the world. With the next few PPV and UFN we will be treated with some elite MMA. Guys, 2008 will blow 2007 out the water. UFC 80 set the tone for this fiscal MMA year.[/quote]
I agree what a great card. BJ is the bomb! However he was pretty out of breath at the end of the fight, which worries me becuase Sherk fights at a fast pace, and if BJ does not beat him early he might not be able to go a full 5 rounds with Sherk.[/quote]
BJ was the bomb? who says that “the bomb” anymore, dude your hurting
[quote comment=”274264″][quote comment=”274239″]I wasnt inpressed with BJ PENN performance. So now everyone is telling me that because bj beat joe stevenson hes some kind of legend. Thats a load of crap. When he loses to sherk i wannna see him move up to WW and fight GSP and finish off BJs career. SHERK and GSP are far better fighters than BJ will ever be. Hawian fighters suck period look at kendall groove. KO of the night there.[/quote]
hit the nail on the head[/quote]
Some peeps need to drink a few bottles of Haterade.
[quote comment=”274190″][quote comment=”274179″]I wouldnt be so quick to crown BJ as one of the best in the sport. Lets see him fight some more top names and win. Sherk, GSP, Hughes, and Anderson Silva are all viable options to prove his dominance.[/quote]
Nah, crown him now! Sherk isnt shit, Hughes has only won 45 seconds of the total 3and a half rounds he has faught against BJ ( and that was the old BJ, new BJ = NO CONTEST!!) When you get into GSP/Silva you’re talking some sense, GSP 2 and 3 will be epics with BJ coming out on top of both via bloody submission. Silva Would be the next level, and then redemption on Lyotto Machida, and then Fedor. And YES i said it haters, BJ WILL be the first and only fighter to get the W on Fedor! That win will cement BJ Penn in MMA history. Doubt all you want but you’ll see it in about 3 years live on PayPerView so whatever, just remember i said it and have been saying it for about a year now evr since Fedor was available to leave pride and fight elsewhere.[/quote]
wow bj beat a guy who shouldnt have been fighting fo the title i cant wait to see sean smack the shit out of bj it will b the greatest ever bj is a cocky punk bottom line
Hey Druby good job. I will more than likely will be working with you again for the UFC 82 event.
Off comments: Sam Stout vs. Rich Clementi UFC 84.
Werdum will fight the winner of Syliva/Minotaro.
I kid you not.
some of you guys are crazy.
[quote comment=”274286″]some of you guys are crazy.[/quote]
Indeed.
Rather laughable ‘fans’.
I would seriously wonder how good BJ’s cardio is and I guess we will see that when he faces of against the juice Sherk. I say this because how winded he was after the fight that was stopped in the 2nd round. He was so tired he was leaning and hanging off the referee. Can he go more than 2 rounds? Will he gas? I think these are legitimate concerns of any BJ fan and he may be in the best shape of his life but he should not look so gassed after 2 rounds to have to lean on the referee as his arm is being raised.
I still think GSP would beat him and I think he should defend his belt a few times before he thinks or speaks of going up any weight classes.
I think some have already drunk a few pints too many.
It will be a good fight, I totally see Penn winning easily though (Sherk). GSP though, I’m totally tuning in. GSP is so focused and crisp right now. Two fighters that are super well’rounded, know how to train, entertaining, not full of themselves, and freakish in different ways. You just know that BJ has the ability to beat almost anybody with his unique skill-set. Whether he actually does is anyone’s guess, but he’s always fought such highly skilled fighters and many that were much larger than he. He’s got tons of courage. I couldn’t believe how well he hung in there with Machida.
I can’t wait to see:
BJ vs GSP
GSP vs Silva
Silva vs Hendo
Fedor vs Couture
The Axe Murderer vs Whoever
Fitch vs GSP
Serra vs GSP
Etc etc. It’s gonna be a good year.
[quote post=”4604″]BJ vs GSP
GSP vs Silva
Silva vs Hendo
Fedor vs Couture
The Axe Murderer vs Whoever
Fitch vs GSP
Serra vs GSP[/quote]
Could I add winner of Karo-Alves vs GSP?
Karo has waited for a while!
In the words of Gorilla Monsoon, it would be a “miscarrage of justice” for Karo to make it so far and never getting a shot. Besides…. Chris Lytle already has the gatekeeper title.
DrubySunshine nice write, but first off St. Pierre won that fight, and everyone wants to talk about Penn being a differnt fighter, well look at Pierre now, he is way way better at every aspect of the game right now.
Marcus Davis is not top 5, how can you not beat somone in the top 10, and be considered top 5 ?
I don’t like Penn, but his performance yesterday was amazing.
The only thing was he looked EXAUSTED wen he was talking to Rogan after the fight. How long was that fight, not even 2 rounds ?
Talking about him beating Pierre, Silva, ect. is just ridicolous, take it one fight at a time. Sherk will be prepared for a 5 round war, let’s not get too ahead of ourself. As for Joe Daddy, it was rather sad because with the upcoming 155 pounders I dont see him ever fighting for the title again.
[quote post=”4604″]The only thing was he looked EXAUSTED wen he was talking to Rogan after the fight. How long was that fight, not even 2 rounds ?[/quote]
He was exhausted, but part of it is because of the adrenaline rush he got after winning. Adrenaline is not always good for fighting, because you crash afterwards. That’s why fighters are told not to fight with anger.
i thought this card be horriable but it wasnt that bad card
I dont doubt BJ is one of the more talented fighters, however, what could be gleened from last night? BJ hit Joe early, but Joe was typical in his manner of defense. That is, Joe did not look to be in trouble until the blood started to flow from a skin tearing, but rather minor elbow. I am disapointed because much can happen over 5 rounds and Joe had to take chances once he was cut. Who could defend themselves with that much blood in their eyes? BJ is good - but, in short, that fight did very little to tell me about who was the better fighter and, more specifically, that BJ is one of the best of all time.
What that fight did tell me is that BJ has an attitude that is pretty weak. This - “sherk your dead” and then come back in to shake his hand like he never insulted aherk in front of the fighting world. Call me ignorant, but BJ is a talent but lacks the class of a Silva or GSP. BJ - at the very least, give an after fight interview and stop plugging your website.
good point Pat
[quote comment=”274346″]DrubySunshine nice write, but first off St. Pierre won that fight, and everyone wants to talk about Penn being a differnt fighter, well look at Pierre now, he is way way better at every aspect of the game right now.
Marcus Davis is not top 5, how can you not beat somone in the top 10, and be considered top 5 ?
I don’t like Penn, but his performance yesterday was amazing.
The only thing was he looked EXAUSTED wen he was talking to Rogan after the fight. How long was that fight, not even 2 rounds ?
Talking about him beating Pierre, Silva, ect. is just ridicolous, take it one fight at a time. Sherk will be prepared for a 5 round war, let’s not get too ahead of ourself. As for Joe Daddy, it was rather sad because with the upcoming 155 pounders I dont see him ever fighting for the title again.[/quote]
Technically St. Pierre did win that fight. I also do not think Penn was robbed whatsoever. I just think Penn won the fight. He dominated the stand up game for 2 rounds then he gassed in the 3rd. The decision could have gone either way but I thought Penn won, but thats just one mans opinion. Marcus Davis may not have fought a top 10 fighter, but he has won 11 STRAIGHT fights. 9 of them hes finished and 8 of them only lasted 1 round. He may be fighting lesser competition, but hes doing what your suppose to against less talented guys hes dominating them. He deserves a chance against a big name to prove he belongs after 11 straight wins in the UFC youve earned it.
Penn VS Sherk article
http://www.mmaweekly.com/absolutenm/templates/dailynews.asp?articleid=5500&zoneid=13
Call me an idiot or whatever you want, glad i was able to get you guys talking. Ill post somemore crazy shit as the days go on, just be sure to congratulate me when my predictions come true, all of you. I feel ya Chris, BJ thanks you!
The Sakara and Hardonk fights were the biggest turds I’ve ever seen.
I was rooting for bj to win but I fealt so bad for joe daddy when he was hysterically crying afterword. hes too much of a sweatheart for this sport. I also thought that was hilarious when bj said sherk was dead and sherk came up and was getting booed and he was like I dont care you can boo me all you want. what a loser. I think he was wearing that same stupid shirt to gsp/serra
Couple things,
Penn has stated in an interview that if it ever came down to it, he would probably take a fight against Joe Lauzon in order to defend the title, reasons being this is a business and a career, Joe needs to try to attain his dreams and take his career as far as he can take it. That’s kind of a difference in mentality between a fighter and a martial artist. Martial artists don’t have to dislike another a person to compete against him. That said, Joe will not be ready to take on BJ anytime soon anyway.
2ndly, Marcus Davis is not top 5. The way to get ranked is to fight ranked fighters and Marcus Davis has not done that yet.
Damnit! Here I am watching every ufc for yhe last year and I slack off and miss what sounds like some awsome fights. Stupid gonzaga and grove cost me almost all my mmaplayground money on the seasons first event.
I can’t wait to see Penn vs Sherk. I don’t see how sherk wins that one. BJ’s standup is way to good for him to tangle with. I can see sherk eventually taking BJ down but then he’d probably get subbed.
A fired up Penn vs a fired up GSP would be an even better fight than the first. I still say gsp barely won the first fight.
[quote comment=”274400″]The Sakara and Hardonk fights were the biggest turds I’ve ever seen.[/quote]
Hey man, stuff happens…be glad that didn’t happen to anybody on the main fight card.
[quote comment=”274348″][quote post=”4604″]The only thing was he looked EXAUSTED wen he was talking to Rogan after the fight. How long was that fight, not even 2 rounds ?[/quote]
He was exhausted, but part of it is because of the adrenaline rush he got after winning. Adrenaline is not always good for fighting, because you crash afterwards. That’s why fighters are told not to fight with anger.[/quote]
I also got the impression that BJ was exaggerating the exhaustion, I think it was out of respect for Joe. BJ probably wanted to give the impression that it was a hard fight but the reality was it wasn’t for him.
Even if his cardio was not up to scratch, I still think he would have his breath back at least for the post fight interview which he didn’t.
anybody konw if there is a website i can see the fights again???
[quote post=”4604″]I also got the impression that BJ was exaggerating the exhaustion, I think it was out of respect for Joe. BJ probably wanted to give the impression that it was a hard fight but the reality was it wasn’t for him.[/quote]
good call, they are still friends after all. Kinda sux that Joe and Kendall both lost. Kendall b-ing Godfather to Joe’s kids. Kendall like BJ also from Hawaii. Just wierd. Ya know?
Not to mention both Joe and BJ looked up Hermes Franca to help train with. Franca went w/ BJ b/c BJ called him first.
gonzaga is sponsered by condom deport hahahahaahahahahha
My first UFC event and twas 50 times better than what I expected. Got to see great fights aka Kelly V Taylor & Davis V Liaudin
I’m officially hooked for life
Got to kinda speak to Dana White after and he said he loved the Irish and hopefully will host a shpw in Dublin in the future.
I thought twas a loada crap the way every dissed Sherk. Still my favourite fighter for his work ethic and respect. Hope he beats BJ
Can’t wait to go again to it
Worth flying from Cork to England. The fans were brilliant
I respect Sean’s work ethic. I respect BJ’s newfound work ethic more.
[quote comment=”274190″][quote comment=”274179″]I wouldnt be so quick to crown BJ as one of the best in the sport. Lets see him fight some more top names and win. Sherk, GSP, Hughes, and Anderson Silva are all viable options to prove his dominance.[/quote]
Nah, crown him now! Sherk isnt shit, Hughes has only won 45 seconds of the total 3and a half rounds he has faught against BJ ( and that was the old BJ, new BJ = NO CONTEST!!) When you get into GSP/Silva you’re talking some sense, GSP 2 and 3 will be epics with BJ coming out on top of both via bloody submission. Silva Would be the next level, and then redemption on Lyotto Machida, and then Fedor. And YES i said it haters, BJ WILL be the first and only fighter to get the W on Fedor! That win will cement BJ Penn in MMA history. Doubt all you want but you’ll see it in about 3 years live on PayPerView so whatever, just remember i said it and have been saying it for about a year now evr since Fedor was available to leave pride and fight elsewhere.[/quote]
Someone is getting a little carried away. Penn looked better than ever,but the fight was less than 2 rounds and BJ was so winded he could barely talk after the fight. GSP gassed Hughes in 1 1/2 rounds and Matt has one of the biggest gas tanks in the game. GSP fought full out for over 9 minutes and he looked to be as fresh as when he started. Looks like BJ isn’t the only one who increased his cardio. Has Bj increased his cardio a full 4 rounds, because he was gassed after the 1st at 58? No matter what your take was on the first fight, one thing for sure is, if that was a 5 round fight there would be no question who won. The rematch will be 5 rounds. Bj’s cardio will be better I’m sure, but so will GSP’s. Now as far as BJ beating Fedor, he’s good, but he AIN’T that good.
Well a couple of things IMO all around good card but can someone please tell me why FIGHTERS after they win(ALL FIGHTERS) don’t ever answer Joe rogans question he ask them?
Rogan: so can you tell me how you feel after that win?
any fighter: I would like to thank my training partners my family an everyone else.
Rogan: so after you had him hurt bad an you went in for the finish did you think the ref would stop the fight?
any fighter: I trained hard,like to give a shout out to all my fans.
Rogan: so whats next for you?
any fighter: after party at studio 54
An how in the same hell does Wierdum get a shot at the title before Eddie Sanchez he is coming off a tko victory.
The eddie sanchez line was a joke i don’t want no trouble with the higher bloggers who take everything to far. it’s just jokes lol lol
[quote comment=”274188″]I don’t see how Davis should be even mentioned in the Top 10 he hasn’t fought anybody that holds a top ten ranking. He might have put together a string of decent victories but he hasn’t beaten anybody of a decent caliber. Davis is coming along great
and riding a lot of momentum, let him continue to inch hi