B.J. Penn says fight with Nick Diaz is the real Main Event at UFC 137
Posted on October 17, 2011, 05:05 PM by Joey SantosusFormer UFC Champion B.J. Penn, who will welcome Strikeforce champ Nick Diaz back to the octagon at UFC 137, discusses his opponent, as well as his strategy for the bout. Penn acknowledges the versatility Diaz presents, but says he plans to do everything faster, stronger, and harder than "The Stockton Bad Boy."
B.J. Penn
"I'm excited for this fight, I'm excited to take another step and move forward in the right direction. Everyone's goal is to get to the top and to get to the top we're going to have to beat each other. There can only be one. I've never really reached my peak and I've never really reached my potential. I'm going to fight until I get to that point. (Nick Diaz) sets a fast pace, he throws a lot of punches, he hits hard, and he goes to the body well. His grappling is like a pure jiu-jitsu type style, he's a very good grappler. He does a lot of things very well. We've just got to do everything that he can do, but do it faster and stronger and harder. This is the main event, this is the big fight. This is it, B.J. Penn and Nick Diaz."
Further Reading: B.J. "The Prodigy" Penn - Road to UFC 137
Comments
Oh I have to agree. This is definitely the main event for me as well. I'm super excited about this one and can't wait to see who wins. I couldn't tell you who is going to win or by what. It could be a first round KO or a three round decision. You can't predict a thing about this matchup which is crazy!
in MMA i dont think you could predict a thing about it, cause its a very unpredictable sport
Japanegro23 -- I have to completely agree with you and BJP on this one. No to disrespect to Condit, but this is the real the main event IMHO. Georges Safe-Pierre has already ruined many "main events" for me, therefore I refuse to be bamboozled any longer. Fool me once, shame on you; fool me twice, shame on me.
I completly agree i hate to watch GSP fights there so boring he plays it too safe and takes the excitment from the sport....then throws out shit like "I'm sorry you guys, eh my eye is a hurt ah really really bad eh and i am a sorry i did not perform like i ah should have"
But you'll be tuning in to see him fight every time. All these fans who hate to watch GSP fight keep watching and complaining.
If you honestly feel that way then don't watch and STFU.
PS: Even if GSP does fight 'safe' how many fighters have the skill set to do so against world class opposition?
Very few is the answer. Maybe you cannot appreciate skill and many others don't have a clue about MMA either, but try and learn. Go and train and maybe compete even at an amateur level. see if you can fight 'safe' , if you can fight at all that is.
i hope he isnt scared I wouldnt think so and I hope it is just total respect
but he was already scared how nick would take what was said in a interview and Ive just never heard BJ talk and act like he is now man I hope he brings it cause it will be a great fight but as more than the GSP
and Condit close but naw....but will be great
BJ second round TKO. just a guess...I miss the crazy BJ Penn. Hopefully he can show some of that in this fight. Lick the blood off his gloves after its all done
would be better if this was also set for 5 rounds
Sure BJ, you and Diaz are the main event...in an alternate universe.
When a 32 year old fighter is talking reaching their potential, I figure they don't know what the word means.
I really like watching BJ fight but I wish he'd stop talking.
Wow. The BJ huggers are giving the Silva huggers a run for their money in this fight.
i feel like ive seen this interview 10 times already but i completely agree i consider this the main event we all know what will happen in the GSP fight
Right, GSP will win and continue his record as the dominant champion that he is.
As far as BJ goes, you can flip a coin and have a better chance of guessing which BJ will show up.
GSP beat BJ in 12 of the 13 rounds they fought. Main event in delusional fighter land only.
Penn and Diaz is the real main event because GSP will walk through Condit. He is, after all, the second best wrestler in the UFC
These guys are two of my favourite fighters of all time man and this is one of the hardest fights ever to try and call. I'm going to take a risk though and go with Diaz, purely on the amount of strikes the guy throws on the feet, i also think Diaz.s chin has been battle tested a bit more than Penns. Even though they are both legendary on the ground i think Diaz has a slightly more offensive game off his back but we should see some really slick jiu jitsu here from both guys. The other thing making me sway towards Diaz is that he has never been KO'd or stopped, Bj has been stopped but never KO'd. Nick can take some serious punishment man, that kid has a granite jaw but to be fair BJ can take some too though. I haven't anticipated a fight like this one in a while, this one's going down in the history books for sure!! I remember thinking about this fight a long time ago man, just after both Diaz and Penn had beaten Gomi, Penn in ROTR and Diaz in Pride, and now it's going to happen man.....AWESOME!!!!!!!
i feel exactly the same way except i think penns wrestling might make the difference but it could go either way. calling it now it will be a split decision
Ahhh main event or not both these fights are top 170's in the world...get job UFC
If i could only watch one fight i would 100% go for this one. Cant stand GSP anymore...he thinks this is the f***ing Olimpics and is figthing for points...lets do GSP vs Fitch for the most efficient sleeping pill championship of the world.
I love bj penn, ive always followed him as a fighter and loved him as a person. He's one of the best in the world and so is nick diaz, but I really believe in this fight bj penn will shine and will show us how truly talented he is, like the sanchez fight or kenny fight just using everything and being dominant. Diaz is phenominal though and wont back down which is why I think this fight is going to be a show, definitly the main event in my mind, I dont know if I can watch another gsp snorefest
War Penn hopefully hell be able to ko gsp afterward too.
No the real main event is Diaz vs. GSP but Nick's ghetto ass effed that all up because he was off his medication. I'm still pissed that fight isn't happening and so should everyone else. I like BJ but I think he will have a hard time with Nick's size and reach. I like diaz in this fight
The two fights could easily co-headline.
so I thought BJP was done with the UFC he was on the verge of retiring. Now he's going for the gold? I'm confussed after that draw in his last fight he just looked done like his love for the sport was gone.
Diaz is gonna be pissed off if he loses. He missed his chance at a title shot and if he loses against Penn it could be a long climb back for another, especially after his no show for the press conference.
I like BJ in this fight, I think his cardio will be good enough to get him through three rounds with Diaz. If it was a five round fight I would have to lean towards Diaz. Penn usually starts really strong in his fights and then fades later in the rounds. Diaz is a polar opposite where he usually starts slow then picks it up as the fight progresses. Diaz has great boxing, however he doesn't have the greatest hand speed and I think that will benefit Penn who also has great boxing.
I would call it two main events, because i'm excited to see gsp vs condit.
Gsp knows he has to finish and that can play into condit's arsenal, so i'm hoping, if gsp out wrestles condit for 25 min, gsp's glamour will fall big time and he knows it !!!
Not gonna happen cus bj penn can predict the future. Gsp is out of the fight and penn vs diaz actually is the new main event