BJ Penn to Defend Title Against Kenny Florian at UFC 101
by Cannon Jacques on Mar 28, 2009 1:26 PM EDT
in News
79 comments
The anticipated showdown between UFC lightweight champion B.J. Penn and number one contender Kenny Florian will finally take place. A blog post on Penn's official website stated that Florian has already signed his bout agreement and "as for B.J., we received the bout agreement (Friday) afternoon and plan on making this fight happen."
The post states the bout will headline UFC 101 on Aug. 8 in Philadelphia.
The bout will be Penn's first defense of his lightweight title since defeating Sean Sherk at UFC 84 in May of last year. It will also mark his first action in the Octagon since a loss to UFC welterweight champion Georges St. Pierre at UFC 94 in January, which has been mired in controversy over accusations of improper usage of Vaseline by St. Pierre's camp.
It's good to see that the talent-rich UFC lightweight division won't be in a holding pattern any longer, and Penn will be back fighting at a more suitable weight for his frame. Certainly, Florian has improved immensely over the years; his is a great story, especially from the UFC perspective. This should be an easy fight to sell given its implications for the division and the skill with which these two combatants communicate their respective messages to fans.
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I’ll stop hating when BJ loses and we get to see the title defended more than once a year.
Keep firing Assholes!
by Ubernoober on Mar 28, 2009 2:06 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
BJ v. KENFLO
I enjoy both BJ and KENFLO, with BJ being my favorite fighter and KENFLO being the only Red Sox fan who I don’t think is an asshole.
So, this will be a great fight for me, as a fan.
I said at the time BJ lost to GSP that it was a beating that made me feel like I could not imagine BJ winning another match. It was said in the heat of the moment, and to a certain extent I’m inclined to back off of that, but KENFLO is doing so great these days that it’s tough for me to look at this fight in the same way I looked at BJ’s fights with both Stevenson and Sherk.
I feel like BJ should have more motivation that ever going into the fight with KENFLO, and if that’s the case, BJ will win. However, I feel like its possible that BJ may feel, on some level, that his best days are behind him. How could you not after taking a beating the way he did from GSP? If he is in that state of mind, or worse yet (and I feel this is extremely unlikely) if BJ overlooks KENFLO, then BJ will be in a lot of trouble.
Either way, the winner of the match, on that day, will be without question the greatest Lightweight fighter in the sport.
"BJ on the BE" - Kierkegaard
by Brett Jones on Mar 28, 2009 2:15 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs
Word.
Especially the bit about Red Sox fans. :-)
"I see him beating Anderson Silva. I see him picking him apart. Him at a 131 years old...(trails off)." - Tito on Belfort at Affliction:DOR
by Rundownloser on Mar 28, 2009 4:16 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
What I meant in my original comment
Is that Huerta has a healthy baby oil sheen after about 2 minutes of fighting and that he has been called out, (by Florian i’m sure amongst others) as a bottle of cocoa butter personified.
Gimme 1 round!
by ItBurnzWhenIP on Mar 28, 2009 8:17 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
And the implication to that
is he would have lost to Alberto Crane had he not been dipped in transmission fluid. So he’s not an impressive victory. Leaving BJ and Kenny’s combined great victories as Sherk… Uh… Sherk… So the winner of BJ and Florian is a lock for 10 top and should definitely earn a top 5 slot based upon their victories if we aren’t talking speculated talent and just pure rankings.
Gimme 1 round!
by ItBurnzWhenIP on Mar 28, 2009 8:21 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Fight Matrix’ rankings which are based only on results has Penn and Florian at 2 & 3 respectively.
Bolts from the Blue // "Game over." - Jamal Williams
Bloody Elbow // "Every normal man must be tempted at times to spit upon his hands, hoist the black flag, and begin slitting throats." - H.L. Mencken
by Richard Wade on Mar 28, 2009 8:29 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Behind Satoru Kitaoka.
"I see him beating Anderson Silva. I see him picking him apart. Him at a 131 years old...(trails off)." - Tito on Belfort at Affliction:DOR
by Rundownloser on Mar 28, 2009 8:34 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Just opinion
but I don’t see that at all. J Lau and Stevenson are decent wins… But Din Thomas and Mishima are both 145lbers.
BJ all his losses have been to great fighters… But he’s only really beaten one great fighter also. Even Gomi was before he hit his stride. He fought Gomi back when Gomi was a pure wrestler.
BJ is overrated and Kenny… While wrecking Stevenson was awesome its his only good win.
Gimme 1 round!
by ItBurnzWhenIP on Mar 28, 2009 8:49 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
That’s what I hoped you meant. Your original terminology was sort of dubious. I’m glad you rephrased. So, Huerta dips himself in “transmission fluid” of all things? That would make him damn slick.
by Cannon Jacques on Mar 28, 2009 8:29 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Huerta should get sponsered by Mobil 1
Its full synthetic and provides excellent viscosity and thermal breakdown protection
Gimme 1 round!
by ItBurnzWhenIP on Mar 28, 2009 8:53 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
As others have said, it’s about time. Nearly 15 months between LW title fights is far too long.
According to GSP and Florian, Kenny heads up to Montreal for a training stint this coming week. After that point, we should start getting some pretty decent hype going for this fight, even if it is a ways off still.
by Hardcharger on Mar 28, 2009 2:35 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs
Incoming BJ drama in 5, 4, 3, 2…
I’ll believe it when I see it.
by mythbuster on Mar 28, 2009 2:37 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs
I can’t wait for BJ to beatdown Kenny
by The Legend on Mar 28, 2009 2:38 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs
Doubt it! BJ will gas out after 3 rounds.
Calu
by Calu on Mar 28, 2009 7:45 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Aoki needs to fight BJ.
See what I did there?
by subo on Mar 28, 2009 5:32 PM EDT up reply actions 4 recs
rec’d for truth
Kuwabara Kuwabara
by J. B. Maddox on Mar 28, 2009 7:12 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Explains the gogoplatas…
A man should never waste an opportunity to keep his mouth shut.
by iiowyn on Mar 29, 2009 2:24 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
If the BJ that beat Joe Stevenson and Sean Sherk shows up that night then say night night Kenny. Ken does not have the physical attributes of GSP. Meaning he won’t be able to use a weight advantage (which was a big deciding factor of Penn/GSP fight, not grease) to his favor. What particular areas of MMA does Kenflo have that are superior to the Prodigee? Wrestling? No. Striking? No. JuJitsu? Hell no.
by Bandaka on Mar 28, 2009 3:44 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs
Let’s not pretend this won’t be a fight. Sherk lasted 3 full rounds against Penn in a fight where he stood in the pocket and boxed the entire time, with his tiny reach. Florian certainly won’t.
BJ better find some real training partners to prepare to defend body kicks and low kicks from an experienced MT guy who is also a southpaw.
by Hardcharger on Mar 28, 2009 4:09 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Did you miss Kenny's clinic on Stevenson?
Kenny has wrestling and striking that is quite comparable to that of Penn’s. I think Penn is a better pure boxer, but Kenny may be able to give him fits in the clinch. Also – while BJ may have better Jiu-Jitsu on the books, he’s absolutely not going go tap Kenny Florian(a VERY respectable black belt under Roberto Maia)
I really don’t see this as being a fight that will end in submission (unless it’s a RNC brought on by mount/strikes). I would say it will most likely end in a KO or a TKO via some ground and pound.
All that said, this really is a fight that could go either way – both these men are stellar. We’ll see what kind of BJ Penn will come out this August. I am absolutely aching for this fight to happen.
"Bulls die on the ground" - Karl Gotch
by TheMisanthrope on Mar 30, 2009 1:16 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
this will be interesting
I think the general consensus is that BJ is the more talented fighter.
But Florian will almost certainly come in with the better game plan, and we know by the trajectory of his improvement that he has superior training. The question, and perhaps the most interesting thing we will find out from this fight (regardless of the outcome), is just how much Florian can improve himself in between fights.
If Florian can beat BJ, or even give him significant trouble, I personally think we’ll be witnessing what has to be one of the most consistent and aggressive fighter improvements in the sport.
by ruckus on Mar 28, 2009 4:31 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs
I think Penn has the most natural talent in the game today, across the board. Of course, if you don’t use that talent to its fullest extent, you may as well not even have it. Florian has enough grit to make up for the difference of raw ability.
Ever tried. Ever failed. No matter. Try Again. Fail again. Fail better. -Samuel Beckett
by themachiavellian on Mar 28, 2009 4:37 PM EDT up reply actions 2 recs
That last line is still up for dispute, but the rest is dead on, so rec’d.
"I'm AJB and I endorse this nut-puncher."
by AJB on Mar 28, 2009 4:48 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Some people would call work ethic
an inherent natural talent
Gimme 1 round!
by ItBurnzWhenIP on Mar 28, 2009 6:57 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Guess
that means people who work hard and are physically gifted turn out to be the best in sports. Probably true looking at NFL/NBA players who make millions a year.
by majesticlamb on Mar 29, 2009 3:43 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
The majority of the time it is
some guys coast by on natural ability. They are good and beloved by their diehard fans and are the BJ of their sport.
Allen Iverson… Randy Moss… Ryan Leaf… (oh wait… short list) add more for me people
Gimme 1 round!
by ItBurnzWhenIP on Mar 29, 2009 11:28 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
sorry, but putting Leaf with Moss and AI, truly made me lol!
If you're not submitting, you're just rolling around with another guy.
by BJJDenver on Mar 29, 2009 11:34 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
I really kinda ran out of people that had no work ethic and succeeded
after BJ, AI, and Moss… I felt like giving a picture of what most supremely talented guys with no work ethic end up as.
(High School QB coach)
Gimme 1 round!
by ItBurnzWhenIP on Mar 29, 2009 5:46 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Leaf was damn good in college.
Bolts from the Blue // "Game over." - Jamal Williams
Bloody Elbow // "Every normal man must be tempted at times to spit upon his hands, hoist the black flag, and begin slitting throats." - H.L. Mencken
by Richard Wade on Mar 29, 2009 6:26 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
So were Rashaan Salaam, Danny Wuerffel, Chris Weinke and Eric Crouch.
by subo on Mar 29, 2009 7:57 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Weinke was like 50 when he graduated.
by Cannon Jacques on Mar 29, 2009 8:57 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
My point was just that he was able to coast along on talent for a significant amount of time. I’m from San Diego and we hate him here, but the bastard was successful in college.
Bolts from the Blue // "Game over." - Jamal Williams
Bloody Elbow // "Every normal man must be tempted at times to spit upon his hands, hoist the black flag, and begin slitting throats." - H.L. Mencken
by Richard Wade on Mar 29, 2009 9:32 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Yeah – too bad the Colts didn’t take him, eh?
by subo on Mar 30, 2009 1:43 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
If only…
Bolts from the Blue // "Game over." - Jamal Williams
Bloody Elbow // "Every normal man must be tempted at times to spit upon his hands, hoist the black flag, and begin slitting throats." - H.L. Mencken
by Richard Wade on Mar 30, 2009 7:23 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
If Florian trains for this one with Jackson and St.Pierre, Penn’ll have his hands full – especially if he can’t put the GSP fight behind him.
by lhasafi on Mar 28, 2009 4:36 PM EDT reply actions 1 recs
BJ SHOULD win but I don’t know. I guess it’s easy to forget how dominant BJ is at 155 when you saw him fight GSP and look so bad.
If he shows up like he did against Joe Daddy and Sherk, he should be able to finish Florian in the 2nd. But It’s hard to tell if he lost something after the fight with GSP. I think more than anything, he lost a bit of his aura after that GSP fight and that could be a big difference in the confidence level Kenny walks into the octagon with.
by Bigperm on Mar 28, 2009 4:40 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs
Penn couldn’t finish Sherk withing 3 rounds, so I don’t see how that would lead you to conclude that he could be Florian (a better and more diverse striker than Sherk, with greater reach) within 2 rounds. BJ won’t be able to jab at Florian for 3 rounds, waiting to land a big punch. BJ’s win over Sherk was impressive in several areas, but it’s not like he ran over Sherk and made short work of him.
by Hardcharger on Mar 28, 2009 4:53 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Aura?
He lost a bit of his aura? Is this New Age MMA?
"Bulls die on the ground" - Karl Gotch
by TheMisanthrope on Mar 30, 2009 1:20 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
A training tip for BJ - guarantee a win!
I got it…. maybe BJ should go and train with GSP too!
He could learn a valuable lesson (another one) about being properly prepared to fight , physically and mentally.
Talent – BJ
Heart, motivation, spirit goes to Kenny.
by sinister1 on Mar 28, 2009 5:31 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs
BJ is one of my favorite fighters in the sport
But I have a feeling we will see Florian FTW.
He has drive, motivation, hunger and momentum on his side.
by klown on Mar 28, 2009 6:09 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs
I pray to god the Kenny destroy’s BJ and then BJ just kinda goes away to never be heard from again. It’s so weird to think I used to wear a shirt with a huge picture of BJ on the front of it, and now it gets used as a rag.
by attgnp on Mar 28, 2009 6:53 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs
That sounds like the only thing it would be useful for at this point.
Calu
by Calu on Mar 28, 2009 7:46 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
This report is incorrect!
BJ is NOT fighting KenFlo at UFC 101, instead BJ’s mother will.
by ufc4 on Mar 28, 2009 8:14 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs
Really hope kenny wins just because I want to see this belt defended more than 5 times per decade.
by DirtyML on Mar 29, 2009 2:57 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs
Kenny is going to pick BJ apart and either cut him or choke him out after he gasses, BJ has not recovered from being destroyed and humbled by GSP while Kenny is on a huge roll there will be a new champion crowned at UFC 101.
by Raker on Mar 29, 2009 3:31 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs
You're predicting...
Kenny to out-do GSP’s prior two performances against BJ, and choke him out? lol. I don’t even know if you guys are trolling, or if you really all believe Kenny is THAT good…
I’m a Kenny fan…. I think his dedication, and improvement are great for the sport, and his career… but it seems like a stretch to predict that Kenny all of a sudden finishes BJ Penn when it took a broken Rib for Hughes to do it, and GSP two tries (and its still not as if Georges submitted BJ, or made him tap)…
I think Kenny’s best chance is a decision, or a flukey Florian elbow strike that causes a cut…
by Loot on Mar 29, 2009 7:31 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
BJ better bring his A game...
… because he’ll need it to win this fight. You know Kenflo will definitely bring his best, and I think he’s got too much heart/training/skill to be defeated by another half-assed effort by Penn. Relying on natural ability alone isn’t gonna get Penn by Kenny. He’d better train his ass off. This goes into the championship rounds, Kenny’s got it for sure.
by pud333 on Mar 29, 2009 3:38 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs
because Kenny has performed so well...
In the championship rounds? Come now son… BJ has atleast been involved in a few 5 round fights, and has tasted championship gold on 2 occasions. BJ “gassed” against GSP because GSP beat him up… not because he didn’t train for the later rounds…
by Loot on Mar 29, 2009 7:25 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Penn has never won a fight that has gone beyond 3 rounds.
Championship rounds are not his friend, as if that were any surprise.
by Hardcharger on Mar 29, 2009 11:05 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Penn will gas. The only questions is if it’s in round 2 or 3. I’ll give him the benefit of the doubt and say he can make it till the 3rd round before he gasses against Kenflo.
by pud333 on Mar 29, 2009 8:15 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
I Just Don't See...
How losing to the best physical specimen in mma, and top 3 p4p in the entire sport equates to Kenny Florian all of a sudden whippin Bj’s Ass. The same BJ that has fought a 220 Pound Lyoto Machida… Out-grappled Matt Hughes (and most of his opponents period) throughout the majority of both their matches… And 3 of his 5 career losses are to the two best WW’s in the games history…(with 2 wins as well)…
MMA fans are about as fair-weather as it gets it seems. I’m not sayin Kenny has No chance, but BJ is not Roger Huerta, Joe Stevenson, or Sam fuckin Stout…. These “Kenny’s gonna finish BJ in the 2nd round” type of predictions are pretty lofty… The last time Kenny face and ELITE LW, he got beat convincingly by the same Sherk that BJ disposed of in 3 rounds. If we are gonna dwell so heavilly on the performances of BJ outside his weight class, lets not forget the butt whoopin Diego gave Florian a few years back…
BJ doesn’t need the respect of fair-weather fans, or the support of cats who seem to know so much more than the MMA community (fighters, promoters, etc) that consider BJ one of the most talented fighters to EVER fight in MMA… The man-love GSP gets is so ridiculous, that I’m not surprised at the hate BJ is getting, but I also thought that there would atleast be more compelling arguments than “Well GSP beat BJ, and Kenny is training with GSP OMGOMG!!!!!”.
by Loot on Mar 29, 2009 7:23 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs
Edit...
BJ split his series with Hughes 1-1…. and lost both times to GSP… although the first fight was obviously a lot more competetive than the 2nd…
by Loot on Mar 29, 2009 8:26 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Of course
GSP wasn’t even close to elite when that first fight happened
Gimme 1 round!
by ItBurnzWhenIP on Mar 29, 2009 11:29 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Questions need answering
I think KenFlo has a hard fight ahead of him, but I think one thing could’ve made this fight look a lot more competitive: Kenny v. Sherk II.
by asa on Mar 29, 2009 11:30 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
If Sherk fought Kenny like he fought BJ
He would have gotten massacred by Kenny too. Sherk actually wrestled against Florian. Maybe Sherk couldn’t get the TD on BJ where as he could on Kenny… But BJ’s takedowns suck and he’ll get beat on his feet.
Gimme 1 round!
by ItBurnzWhenIP on Mar 29, 2009 5:49 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Sherk might fight BJ a little differently having seen GSP take him down at will.
by subo on Mar 29, 2009 7:57 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
BJ has bad takedowns?
Maybe against GSP, and other big guys, but he’ll take down Kenny… don’t fool yourself… BJ’s wrestling is actually above average, he just uses it more defensively.
by Loot on Mar 29, 2009 8:17 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Penn may have above average wrestling, but Kenny has excellent wrestling.
BJ can certainly take down Kenny – but it will be a long night for him if he doesn’t set up his takedowns well.
Also – I really see Kenny as being at a huge advantage in the clinch. BJ is tricky and has excellent balance, but Kenny has the knees/elbows.
This is going to be such a great fight!
"Bulls die on the ground" - Karl Gotch
by TheMisanthrope on Mar 30, 2009 1:25 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
MMA fans are about as fair-weather as it gets it seems
Baby Penn acts like an ass, and I have always disliked him.
A man should never waste an opportunity to keep his mouth shut.
by iiowyn on Mar 29, 2009 1:05 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
My man-love for GSP is 100% not ridiculous. :)
by pud333 on Mar 29, 2009 8:18 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
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