Quote of the Day: B.J. Penn Likes UFC 101 Challenger Kenny Florian's Style, Still Thinking About Georges St Pierre
by Kid Nate on Jul 21, 2009 10:59 AM EDT
in MMA News
Email
Print
"No matter what I think about Kenny personally, I really do I like his style, I think he judges distance very well, he’s got nice kicks, good jiu-jitsu, if he wants to take someone down he can. I think he’s a student of the game and he’s a true mixed martial artist. He thinks he’s going to run circles around me and that’s just not the case, you know. I’m not really the kind of guy that goes out there and make a game plan, I just go out and fight but I have a lot of confidence in what I’m going to do on August 8th.
"The UFC Lightweight division is not thin in any way and I got to prove that these old guys, these 30 year old guys can compete.
"He said he wants to kill the master, huh? He came here with friends, I mean, he came to hang out with me in Hilo, you know, I didn’t know he wanted to kill me but you know maybe I should have poisoned his food, I don’t know.
"I’m going to stand tall and we’ll see how the future goes, you know, I’m not looking past Kenny Florian in any way but my game plan is to beat Kenny Florian, beat the next guy, and you know if GSP is still around you know, let’s see, what goes around comes around."
B.J. Penn as quoted by Zach Arnold.
45 comments
|
0 recs |
Do you like this story?
Comments
forrest keeps warm with his chest hair.
by Anton Tabuena on Jul 21, 2009 11:07 AM EDT up reply actions
BJ's belt keeps him warm
A wise man told me don't argue with fools
Cause people from a distance can't tell who is who
by thetakeover on Jul 21, 2009 12:00 PM EDT up reply actions
which is why
“I WANT BJ’S BELT!!!!!”
A wise man told me don't argue with fools
Cause people from a distance can't tell who is who
by thetakeover on Jul 21, 2009 12:01 PM EDT up reply actions
Forrest's forest
Some people might say that winning a fight makes you a better fighter but I don’t agree with that.- BlueberryMuffin
I really don't understand
why the subject of GSP keeps coming up. Focus on Ken-Flo. Then maybe worry about Sanchez (which, if that fight goes down in Aloha Stadium, would be banana sandwiches). By the time those two are done, GSP may be fighting at 185. Who knows, then maybe BJ could go for the WW belt vs. Alves.
I don't see
BJ beating GSP again, and even if he went up a weight class, he’s still the WW champ, besides, I don’t see BJ beating Alves either, I think Alves would do pretty much the same thing that GSP did, only this time around he’d make him quite in the last round, if he doesn’t knock him out first.
In my alternate future scenario
GSP would have won the MW belt, and being unable to defend the both belts the WW title would simply be left vacant.
Even as a fan of Penn, I agree Alves would be favored over BJ not because of the striking power, but due to his strength advantage. BJ has fought larger fighters before (like Renzo and Lyoto) but Alves is just a monster. On the ground, Bj might struggle to keep Alves in his guard. Still, the optimist in me says triangle.
do you really think GSP could hang at MW I mean don’t get me wrong the guy has some serious talent but I think the trend is kinda showing that to be at the top of your division your gonna need to be bigger and stronger then everyone else.
I believe the odds are against success
but GSP is talented enough to make it a possibility. Others have discussed that potential in far more detail in other posts, with some plausible outcomes leaving GSP with the title.
But the Middleweight division
is so weak, Without Franklin, and Hendo-he is 39yrs old. There isn’t any dominating guys there, Maia is great on the ground, Could he trade with GSP? I think we’ll agree -NO, Without naming them all, I think Pierre can handle most of the MW’s, Now Silva in the LHW division is totally different, that’s gonna be a much bigger challenge, just saying if these two scenarios played out.
Doesn't anybody think before they speak/post anymore?
by Big Boob Lover on Jul 21, 2009 12:45 PM EDT up reply actions
GSP could hang with most of the middleweight division without a problem
In fact, he has just the style that would be needed to beat Anderson Silva. I just don’t know if he could do it as the smaller man.
I don’t agree with that. BJ isn’t bigger and stronger than the other LW’s, Anderson Silva is big but definitely not the biggest MW, and Machida isn’t especially big or strong compared to other LHW’s.
Some people might say that winning a fight makes you a better fighter but I don’t agree with that.- BlueberryMuffin
I wasn't really comparing size, just talent
and I think Pierre is as talented as almost all Middleweights, Everything aside-If he decides to move up he will be in the weakest division in the UFC.
Doesn't anybody think before they speak/post anymore?
by Big Boob Lover on Jul 21, 2009 12:59 PM EDT up reply actions
People pick and choose their trends.
Jake Shields went to 185 and beat the guy ranked #2 or #3 in all rankings at that weight.
Nick Diaz has done better at 185 than he’s done at 170.
Randy Couture came off two losses at 205 and beat two men much bigger than him by using his speed advantage and his wrestling.
Anyone trying to take some general lesson about going up in weight is very disconnected from the reality of fighting. Each situation presents its own challenges. Aoki made a ludicrous mistake and got kneed to hell by Sakurai for it, people attributing that to the weight issue…well, I’m not buying it. Rashad Evans is basically the same size as Thiago Alves, but fights at 205 because he feels the speed advantage he gets by weighing 201-203 and not cutting significant weight helps him win. Dan Henderson does well at 205 too despite being small.
The real question is how your skills translate. Personally, I think Anderson may lose to Forrest, but the outcome doesn’t really say a whole lot about moving up in weight as compared to what it says about what happens when Anderson Silva fights Forrest Griffin.
by Michael Rome on Jul 21, 2009 2:26 PM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
Good points
I think that Forrest has the ability to beat Anderson, but I don’t thik guys like Brandon Vera or Keith Jardine could. It’s all about styles.
Which is the main reason that I think GSP would fare pretty well against most middleweights. He is so good at transitioning and sticking to a gameplan that he would force whoever he fought to adapt to him.
Can I safely assume that you think I’m an idiot for picking Forrest?
When a true genius appears in the world, you may know him by this sign, that the dunces are in a confederacy against him. - Jonathan Swift
by Derek Suboticki on Jul 21, 2009 4:47 PM EDT up reply actions
I’m 50/50 right now, leaning toward Anderson Strikers tend to have more trouble when they pack on weight to move up, I think Forrest might frustrate him and win. I think it’s a close fight. I just don’t think Forrest can finish, and Anderson can, so I’m leaning toward him.
by Michael Rome on Jul 21, 2009 5:49 PM EDT up reply actions
Remember, it’s only three rounds and Forrest only has to win two and not get KO’ed.
When a true genius appears in the world, you may know him by this sign, that the dunces are in a confederacy against him. - Jonathan Swift
by Derek Suboticki on Jul 21, 2009 10:30 PM EDT up reply actions
Exactly
3 rounds changes this fight alot for mine.
Still think Anderson wins, but would not be remotely suprised if Forrest did.
by Well Read Idiot on Jul 22, 2009 8:26 AM EDT up reply actions
I absolutely agree that style and skill have everything to do with a move up in weight and don’t get me wrong GSP is about as talented a fighter as your gonna find but I absolutely agree that how your skill translates has everything to do with it to me and this is my opinion GSP’s top game dominance has a lot to do with how strong he is compared to everyone else. At 185 I don’t see GSP being able to hold someone down the way he does at 170 and I don’t think his ground and pound from the guard is going to be quite as effective against bigger men. But you never know I look at a guy like Overeem and you gotta believe if done right jumps in weight can work. But I do think Anthony Johnson is going to be the guy who really tests GSP he’s huge at 170 good wrestling and always improving striking give him a while to work into contention and he’s going to be a beast.
I think Thiago getting up was a technical mistake from St. Pierre he is focused on fixing, I think people are overfocused on that.
But listen, certainly he will be less dominant on top at 185. I don’t see that as a reason not to do it; he is fucking murdering people at 170. Isn’t the whole point of watching fights to see fights where the outcome is in doubt? Is Kampmann-GSP as intriguing as Maia-GSP?
Alves is the same size as Dan Henderson and Rashad Evans. The only difference is he isn’t as good and cuts more weight. St. Pierre made him look like a joke, I want to see him fight better competition.
by Michael Rome on Jul 21, 2009 5:44 PM EDT up reply actions
What do you mean by "BJ beating GSP again"?
Oh and agreed, BJ couldn’t handle Alves either. Unfortunately he’s past his prime. The very reason why he will lose his title is because he has no gameplans when he fights these dudes. I’m sorry but you gotta have a gameplan anymore.
I think what
proflex meant was “Even with a third fight, again, I don’t see BJ beating GSP.”
In defense for the lack of gameplanning, in a way Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu is the gameplan. It would be nice if studying tape could reveal fighter tendencies (such as how Kenny reacts to the guard, or his method for escaping various submission holds), but a lot of fighters believe their ability to quickly identify positioning and select the correct counters, while gameplanning only narrows their ability to pick the right option at the opportune moment.
He's thinking GSP
Cuz KenFlo is a cakewalk.
And he’s training hard right now to prove Kenny will be a cakewalk.
by MickDawg on Jul 21, 2009 4:22 PM EDT via mobile up reply actions
Don’t worry though MickDawg, he’s making sure he doesn’t overtrain!
Good gas tank + ability to survive first two rounds = BJ Penn’s nemesis
by Well Read Idiot on Jul 22, 2009 8:30 AM EDT up reply actions
A question about BJ
I was just wondering, but what good strikers has BJ fought lately? I get into debates with others with me saying that Florian’s muay thai MAY be equal to BJ’s boxing (pretty much, they have equally good standup). Of course, many shoot me down.
I honestly would be surprised if Florian vs Penn was NOT a competitive matchup and was just a one-sided fight. As Sherk has shown, Florian stylistically could have problems with wrestlers even today, but BJ doesn’t go for many takedowns, so I see this fight being dictated in the standup.
its not lately, but I just watched Penn’s fight with Machida the other day (yay youtube)… that was probably the last real striker he fought. His boxing seems to have come a long way, he was winging overhand bombs that would make Chuck proud. His head movement and kick checking were really impressive though.
Lately?
Maybe none lately, but in BJ’s entire career when has someone else’s striking ever been a problem? Especially at LW.
This is the funny thing about the way people talk about Kenny and BJ. We look back a couple years to KenFlo’s fight against Sherk, where he was NOT exactly dominating standing, and the response is “oh, that’s an entirely different KenFlo from the one we know now.”
Possibly true. But rewind to BJ Penn’s FIRST MMA FIGHTS and watch him beat the brakes off of every other LW yeaaars before Kenny started fighting. Knocking out a younger, stronger Din Thomas faster and more decisively than KenFlo did on his recent “warrior path of finished fights.” Unless we’re specifically arguing that BJ, the single easiest-on-himself fighter in the entire game (historically if not now), has somehow worn his body out at the ripe age of like 30, there’s just a talent gap at work here that HAS to be respected. This IS and HAS been the BJ Penn we know, and it’s like he was born knowing how to box like a crazy bastard. No comparison.
“I’m not looking past Florian, but I’m totally looking past Florian … and Sachez, too … because I just can’t accept that GSP totally owned me.” — BJ Penn
by Kierkegaard on Jul 21, 2009 11:42 AM EDT reply actions 2 recs
I used to have a BJJ instructor that said "Stinky Gi is a weapon".
Perhaps Kenflo is going to use underarm stink as a secret weapon.
can we just all agree
that while BJ Penn is a talented fighter, the only reason he’s NOT a blooming idiot is because he’s not in season?
Yeah this may be a turning point in BJ’s career as a lightweight.
I have a hard time understanding what BJ sees in their last fight that makes him want a rematch?
When Rich was obliterated by Silva the second time Franklin just completely conceded. I can see how someone like Mir would like a rematch because on the feet he definitely looked the better fighter, but BJ’s fight with GSP showed that there was no light in that particular tunnel. Even if he was able to put on quality weight, there was nothing that showed even the vaguest hint of daylight in which he could organize a gameplan.
I’m giving Kenny slim to zero chances of winning this fight. He’s made a ton of improvements since his TUF days, but BJ has him outclassed in practically every area, except for kicks. Kenny got lucky that he was able to avoid all of the power house wrestlers to reach the top, because I have reservations on whether he’d be able to beat Maynard, Sanchez, or Sherk (if he stuck to the wrestling).
Sanchez schooled him when they fought
It was a long time ago, but still… a W is a W
Sherk schooled him as well when they fought, a little more recently.
I would say sir, that your reservations are well founded.
by Well Read Idiot on Jul 22, 2009 8:37 AM EDT up reply actions
Comments For This Post Are Closed
Secondary Sidebar
User Tools
FanPosts
Community blog posts and discussion.
Recommended FanPosts
Recent FanPosts
MMA Rankings
Certain photos copyright © 2012 by Associated Press or Getty Images. Any commercial use or distribution without the express written consent of Associated Press and Getty Images is strictly prohibited.
