UFC 94 BJ PENN VS GSP ***Will Contain Spoilers***

hitman119

UFC 94 is almost here, can Gsp Bet BJ……

yomchi

Moved from SD/MA

:rolleyes:

If you're gonna start an event thread put some effort in by at least posting the card!


UFC 94: “St. Pierre vs. Penn 2″
Saturday, January 31, 2009, at 10 p.m. ET on pay-per-view (PPV)
MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada

Main card:

UFC Welterweight Champion Georges St. Pierre vs. UFC Lightweight Champion B.J. Penn in a 170-pound title bout
Lyoto Machida (13-0) vs. Thiago Silva (13-0)
Stephan Bonnar (11-4) vs. Jon Jones (6-0)
Nate Diaz (10-2) vs. Clay Guida (24-9)
Karo Parisyan (18-5) vs. Dong Hyun “Stun Gun” Kim (11-0-1)

Under card:

Jon Fitch (17-3) vs. Akihiro Gono (29-13-7)
Manny Gamburyan vs. Thiago Tavares
Chris Wilson (14-4) vs. John Howard (10-4)
Jake O’Brien vs. Christian Wellisch
Matt “No Regard” Arroyo (3-2) vs. Daniel Cramer (0-0)

GBX

Is this on TV lads? Setanta?

ginoginelli

Excellent card.

Guida and diaz is gonna be a war.

Pride Fighter

Penn by submission, Thiago Silva by KO;)

Derek Coleman

I think George Saint Pierre is going to "it im ard" and Bj Penn wont be able to "andle is rhythm". Come on GSP.

Normally I want to soke up the excellence of GSP but in this case I want a knock out in minute 1 of round 1. Please!!

ginoginelli

Derek Coleman wrote: »

I think George Saint Pierre is going to "it im ard" and Bj Penn wont be able to "andle is rhythm". Come on GSP.

Normally I want to soke up the excellence of GSP but in this case I want a knock out in minute 1 of round 1. Please!!

Not for me..After all this hype im hoping for it to at least to go a few rounds. Bj sure has been talking some crap tho...

Chris89

ginoginelli wrote: »

Not for me..After all this hype im hoping for it to at least to go a few rounds. Bj sure has been talking some crap tho...

Ill publicly eat a hat if GSP knocks out BJ.

War Penn

HOBO 83

Its a hard one to call, they both have the tools to pull it of on the night, hope we get to see a long hard battle.

lookin forward to the return of stephan bonner.

I'm rootin for BJ and think he'll win. It's weird cos I'm a MASSIVE fan of both guys but I'm 100% behind BJ for this one.

hitman119

Deleted User wrote: »

:rolleyes:

If you're gonna start an event thread put some effort in by at least posting the card!


UFC 94: “St. Pierre vs. Penn 2″
Saturday, January 31, 2009, at 10 p.m. ET on pay-per-view (PPV)
MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada

Main card:

UFC Welterweight Champion Georges St. Pierre vs. UFC Lightweight Champion B.J. Penn in a 170-pound title bout
Lyoto Machida (13-0) vs. Thiago Silva (13-0)
Stephan Bonnar (11-4) vs. Jon Jones (6-0)
Nate Diaz (10-2) vs. Clay Guida (24-9)
Karo Parisyan (18-5) vs. Dong Hyun “Stun Gun” Kim (11-0-1)

Under card:

Jon Fitch (17-3) vs. Akihiro Gono (29-13-7)
Manny Gamburyan vs. Thiago Tavares
Chris Wilson (14-4) vs. John Howard (10-4)
Jake O’Brien vs. Christian Wellisch
Matt “No Regard” Arroyo (3-2) vs. Daniel Cramer (0-0)

Why bother the only fight that matters is GSP VS BJ :P

Kettle316

Deleted User wrote: »

I'm rootin for BJ and think he'll win. It's weird cos I'm a MASSIVE fan of both guys but I'm 100% behind BJ for this one.

im the same way im a huge fan of both fighters but for some reason i want to see BJ absolutely smash through GSP and i honestly tink he will!!

Machida vs Silva should be a class scrap!! i reckon machida will take on points or by submission!!

Always good 2 see stephan bonnar fightin it'd be great 2 see him win!!

And Clay Guida vs Nate Diaz should be a war i reckon guida takes it though!!

Dis is a really good card!! should be a few good fights on there fo sho!!:D

Mossy Monk

GBX wrote: »

Is this on TV lads? Setanta?

All UFC events are shown live on Setanta Sports.

Leo?

The only thing that could put a spanner in the works is if Penn & St. Pierre's skills cancel each other out and it ends up a 5 round snoozfest Also Machida/Silva both have their unbeaten records on the line, so I'm expecting good things from that too.

ginoginelli

Leo? wrote: »

The only thing that could put a spanner in the works is if Penn & St. Pierre's skills cancel each other out and it ends up a 5 round snoozfest Also Machida/Silva both have their unbeaten records on the line, so I'm expecting good things from that too.

i doubt thats gonna happen though. They have both stated in interviews there gonna go for the finish..
also these guys are so brilliant technically, even if there is a stalemate, its still going to be fascinating..

cant decide who im gonna root for on this one...

Evil_Clown

I am rooting for GSP in this one, very close to call and I wouldn't be too upset if BJ won either as I'm also a big fan of his. But I will call GSP by decision with his wrestling proving decisive.
I wonder what weight BJ will enter the ring at ?

For the other fights I will go with:
Lyoto Machida
Karo Parisyan
Nate Diaz

Hail 2 Da Chimp

I think GSP has this one. I like both fighters but think GSP will pull it off on the day.
If the fight goes into the 3rd round BJ is in trouble. I think GSP's conditioning is going to be a huge factor and he's going to keep BJ under pressure until BJ gets tired.

Really looking forward to Diaz Vs Guida.

hitman119

2009 is not even two weeks old, and already anticipation
is building for the fight many are calling not only the fight of the year, but the fight of the decade, as UFC welterweight champion Georges St-Pierre meets UFC lightweight champion BJ Penn in a rematch at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas on January 31st.

It’s the type of fight that needs no introduction to true fight fans, but by the same token, it’s also the kind of showdown that can introduce new fans to the sport as its being waged at its highest level.

Enter UFC Primetime, which premieres on Spike TV on Wednesday, January 14th at 10pm. More than just a countdown show, the series will air in three parts on the three Wednesdays leading up to the fight and take fight fans behind the scenes and into the lives of St-Pierre and Penn like never before. For the UFC, there was no better time than now and no better fight than GSP-Penn to kick off the series.

“This is the biggest fight the UFC has ever promoted, and we knew that both the personalities and the story lines would make for a great show,” said Craig Borsari, the UFC’s Executive Vice President of Operations and Production. “In UFC Primetime, the viewer will see the fighters in situations we've never seen them in before. We typically spend three days with a fighter for a normal Countdown show. For this series we're spending 25 days with each fighter. That gives us the ability to get more spontaneous moments with the fighters. The storytelling will be different also. The viewer will get a much deeper understanding of who these fighters are and what makes them tick.”

Of course, with such an increased commitment to not only gathering the content over a longer period of time, but doing so in such diverse locales as Hawaii and Montreal, there is a lot more involved financially (the series is reportedly six times more expensive than the average Countdown show), and logistics become part of the juggling act.

“The extremely tight turn around is the biggest logistical issue,” said Borsari. “Having one production crew in Hilo, another in Montreal, and our post house in NYC makes it very challenging to get footage back to our producers in NYC in a timely manner and turn it around for air in a matter of days.”

Luckily for the production team, gaining complete access to St-Pierre and Penn has been no issue at all.

“Both fighters have been great in giving us all access to their camps,” said Borsari last week. “We've captured some great moments already and we aren’t even a quarter of the way done with shooting.”

For the viewers at home, the difference between UFC Primetime and the UFC’s usual Countdown shows is that the fighters are being filmed as close to the fight as possible. For example, when you watch the January 28th edition of the show, the content will have been filmed in the previous few days, as opposed to a couple months out. It’s as close as you can get to a weekly training camp update, coupled with interviews with camp and family members that give new insight into what St-Pierre and Penn are going through before the biggest fight of their careers. So don’t expect a re-hash of past material – this is all new and focused on January 31st.

“In this show we're not going to spend a lot of time explaining where these guys came from,” said Borsari. “This show is about being in the moment with each fighter. The viewer will understand who the fighter is by the end of the series and will hopefully develop a deeper interest in one or both of the fighters.”

And if viewers respond to the first three episodes of UFC Primetime, it may not be the last time we see it.

“We'll see how this one goes, but if it’s as successful as we anticipate, then it’s likely you will see a couple of these a year.”

Karmafaerie

Can't fuc*ing wait!!!:D

Leaving work at 5 on Wednesday.
Straight up to Dublin.
Flying out from Dublin to Vegas.
Spending Friday at the weigh ins.
Saturday in the pit, watching the fight of the decade.
And Sunday I have a day pass for Extreme Couture gym!
I'm gonna spend the day rolling in the cage!!!


What a way to spend a weekend!!!!!:cool:

Evil_Clown

Karmafaerie wrote: »

Can't fuc*ing wait!!!:D

Leaving work at 5 on Wednesday.
Straight up to Dublin.
Flying out from Dublin to Vegas.
Spending Friday at the weigh ins.
Saturday in the pit, watching the fight of the decade.
And Sunday I have a day pass for Extreme Couture gym!
I'm gonna spend the day rolling in the cage!!!


What a way to spend a weekend!!!!!:cool:

I will swap you some 'magic beans' for those tickets

Karmafaerie

Evil_Clown wrote: »

I will swap you some 'magic beans' for those tickets

Not for all the magic beans in magic bean land!!!:D

hitman119

Karmafaerie wrote: »

Can't fuc*ing wait!!!:D

Leaving work at 5 on Wednesday.
Straight up to Dublin.
Flying out from Dublin to Vegas.
Spending Friday at the weigh ins.
Saturday in the pit, watching the fight of the decade.
And Sunday I have a day pass for Extreme Couture gym!
I'm gonna spend the day rolling in the cage!!!


What a way to spend a weekend!!!!!:cool:

Excellent mate hope you have a good time, this is the MMA fight of the century. and to have tickets to see it Live.. nice:D

Dragan

It's a great potential fight, no doubt. Both has seriously stepped up their games since they last fought.

Personally, i think GSP is a whole different beast now, but i think Penn is far more mature than he was.

Honestly, i can't pick a winner but for some reason i just think Penn will take it. GSP has dismantled people with his recent level changing game....but i don't think that will work against Penn who will most likely be able to stuff his takedowns.

Fascinating figh.

ginoginelli

If penn wins, id like to see him move up and challenge silva..wat a fight that could be..

I dont buy into the "theres weight classes for a reason" argument that comes up, when smaller fighters, fighting larger ones, are discussed. If its a goodstyle match up the weight doesnt matter as much. For instance, put a fighter like antoni hardonk against gsp and ill pick gsp to come out with the win. The smaller fighters usually have a speed advantage too (not against silva tho!), look what manhoef did to hunt..

At the same time though, silvas a bad matchup for anybody and the weight argument holds credence in this case because of the styles, but I still see this fight being competitive..

thoughts??

Raze_them_all

ginoginelli wrote: »

If penn wins, id like to see him move up and challenge silva..wat a fight that could be..

I dont buy into the "theres weight classes for a reason" argument that comes up, when smaller fighters, fighting larger ones, are discussed. If its a goodstyle match up the weight doesnt matter as much. For instance, put a fighter like antoni hardonk against gsp and ill pick gsp to come out with the win. The smaller fighters usually have a speed advantage too (not against silva tho!), look what manhoef did to hunt..

At the same time though, silvas a bad matchup for anybody and the weight argument holds credence in this case because of the styles, but I still see this fight being competitive..

thoughts??

Lol you want penn to hold then 155lb belt, the 170lb belt and want him to challenge for the 185 lb belt??? never ever going to happen

ginoginelli

Raze_them_all wrote: »

Lol you want penn to hold then 155lb belt, the 170lb belt and want him to challenge for the 185 lb belt??? never ever going to happen

wishful thinking i know

but never say never..

Penn wants to do it for sure and if can get past gsp, i reckon he could talk dana into letting it happen..

Dragan

ginoginelli wrote: »

If penn wins, id like to see him move up and challenge silva..wat a fight that could be..

I dont buy into the "theres weight classes for a reason" argument that comes up, when smaller fighters, fighting larger ones, are discussed. If its a goodstyle match up the weight doesnt matter as much. For instance, put a fighter like antoni hardonk against gsp and ill pick gsp to come out with the win. The smaller fighters usually have a speed advantage too (not against silva tho!), look what manhoef did to hunt..

At the same time though, silvas a bad matchup for anybody and the weight argument holds credence in this case because of the styles, but I still see this fight being competitive..

thoughts??

Personally i define a champion by their defences. I would actually like to see Penn defend at some point the 155 belt. There are a lot of 155 fighters currently trying to get a shot against an effectively absent champion.

I would hate to see both the 155 and 170 divisions in the UFC stalled because of Dana White and Joe Silva trying to accomodate Penn's ego.

If he wants to clean out 155 and 170 then let him maintain the level of activness required to do so in both divisions. Allowing him to move into a 3rd would basically make a mockery of the efforts of the people who are after the belts he may hold.

ginoginelli

Dragan wrote: »

Personally i define a champion by their defences. I would actually like to see Penn defend at some point the 155 belt. There are a lot of 155 fighters currently trying to get a shot against an effectively absent champion.

I would hate to see both the 155 and 170 divisions in the UFC stalled because of Dana White and Joe Silva trying to accomodate Penn's ego.

If he wants to clean out 155 and 170 then let him maintain the level of activness required to do so in both divisions. Allowing him to move into a 3rd would basically make a mockery of the efforts of the people who are after the belts he may hold.

I agree with you, but he could always relinquish the titles and pave the way for this superfight..Penn wants the big fights and although theres some great match ups for him at 155 and 170,if he beats gsp i suspect he'll be more enthusastic about fighting silva..

MartyMcFly84

I watched a Q&A RE: GSP V Penn, and Dana white said that if GSP wins then yes there will be a superfight with Anderson Silva but not if Penn wins. Im kinda rooting for BJ, but would also really love to see a GSP/Silva fight later in the year:eek: it would be amazing!!

Karmafaerie

BJ should never move above 170.
Look at what happened when he foaght Machida at 205.
Penn he tried to bulk up, and came out at a fat 180-90 pds.

I seriously think that BJ will struggle (a tiny tiny bit) at 170, so him at 185 would just take his cardio down even more.

Nothingcompares

George St. Pierre and Bj Penn represent the two major extremes of modern mixed martial arts. Both are incredibly well rounded, well versed in all 3 disciplines including the parts in between but one can be defined as a martial artist and the other as an athlete.

If it wasn't a fight that was coming up but rather a triathlon or a weightlifting contest who would your money be on? GSP without doubt. But if you're in a bar on the wrong side of the tracks and chairs and bottles start flying, who would you want at your back? BJ of course.

It's no surprise both GSP and BJ are considered top of the pound-for-pound ladder. GSP has developed his wrestling so much it's considered the most potent in all of mixed martial arts. Better than former Olympians' even. BJ Penn on the other hand, is a brazilian jiujitsu world champion but his boxing, is amongst the best in the sport. So while they are well rounded, they still possess exceptional strengths in different areas.

The differences in these exceptional strengths may in fact be the deciding factors in separating the winner from the loser come January 31st. Will GSP be able to take the prodigy down and control him, grind out a decision or beat his way to a Ground'n'Pound finish? Or will Bj use his freakish flexibility and take down defense to keep it on the feet and use his superior foot work and speed to pepper GSP with punches on route to the decision or to a KO? Will we see GSP submit the mundial champion from the top or will BJ pull something off from on bottom? Who's to say Bj isn't the one on top?

But I don't think that's really where this fight will be decided. I don't think anyone who has watched these fighters closely over the last few years and seen them develop from rookie to champion in the case of St Pierre and from lazy to highly driven in the case of Penn will doubt either of their hearts. But I think their courage comes from totally different sources.

BJ Penn is a technician, a fighter and a martial artist. Bj's strengths aren't his cardiovascular endurance or his explosiveness but rather his willingness to drill the same technique hundreds, thousands of times to gain that technical mastery. Not only that but he goes into every fight, every tournament with one goal, to beat his opponent as quickly and as definitively as possible. Sometimes there is a grudge giving him that extra drive, Sherk's alleged steroid use, Pulver's smugness for beating him years before. Was there any surprise that BJ wanted to taste the blood of his beaten foe or hold that choke on a moment too long just to prove a point? When it comes to the octagon Bj Penn is ruthless. It's a war. If anyone personifies martial spirit in this sport it's BJ Penn.

George St Pierre is the ultimate combat athlete. His strength, his endurance, his explosiveness has no peer. Unlike many of the American contenders in the UFC Welterweight devision, Georges does not have a wrestling pedigree dating back to junior high school. Basically, GSP took up the sport as an adult and within a matter of years, developed it to such a high degree in the MMA context that he blows NCAA champions like Koschech out of the wrestling water. What BJ Penn did to Jiujitsu as a young adult is what GSP did to wrestling. But GSP did it in one of the most athletically demanding endeavors there is.

GSP never talks smack. He doesn't engage in non-professional rivalries, he's soft spoken in interviews and by all accounts the complete gentlemen in person. Never shown to party hard or get in trouble with the law, the French Canadian however, is relentless in the cage. He pushes a pace so fast no one can match his 'rhythm'. He starts from the first bell to the last with the goal of overwhelming his opponent not only with his skill but with his fitness. GSP never takes his foot off the gas, not because he hates you but because he's a top level athlete competing and that's how they operate. In the cage BJ Penn may be ruthless but GSP is relentless and if there is a fighter that personifies the combat athlete with the heart of supped up lion it's Georges 'Rush' St Pierre.

BJ Penn may be the technical genius in this fight, but GSP may have the tactical advantage. GSP will be happy to take a 4th or 5th round TKO or even a decision. BJ on the other hand, may want to get this fight over and done with before it gets past the third. BJ's intent to finish this fight as soon as possible may lead him right into the jaws of GSP.

I think the defending champion is the favourite, he has the size and strength advantage being naturally a bigger person than BJ. GSP may eventually have to make a move up to 185 due to his impressive physique. BJ on the other hand, looked perfect at 155. In summary,

GSP
Wrestling
Cardio
Strength
Size
Heart

BJ Penn
Boxing
Bjj
Heart

Conclusion: the most exciting sporting event of my life time. It won't be decided on the size of their respective hearts but on which is more potent in the octagon, the martial artist's or the athlete's.

Bj penn by TKO r3

Dragan

Fantastic post mate, that was a pleasure to read.

Karmafaerie

Karmafaerie wrote: »

BJ should never move above 170.
Look at what happened when he foaght Machida at 205.
Penn he tried to bulk up, and came out at a fat 180-90 pds.

Machida didnt school him at all. That was a close fight.

ginoginelli

Karmafaerie wrote: »

BJ should never move above 170.
Look at what happened when he foaght Machida at 205.
Penn he tried to bulk up, and came out at a fat 180-90 pds.

I seriously think that BJ will struggle (a tiny tiny bit) at 170, so him at 185 would just take his cardio down even more.

Did you watch the machida fight? Penn won the first round and stayed competitive throughout..Penn didnt take his bulking up very seriously either, which is evident from his physique..

Im sure his new S&C coach could get him up to 190 or so the right way..it worked for hollyfield, jones and hoost among others. His best weight is at 155, but theres no doubt he can compete at 185..

Whether he could win the belt is another matter, but if he beats gsp, and he still wants to do it, id say make this fight happen.

dunkamania

Amazing post Kev!

I would have thrown in the Jackson camp being behind GSP. We dont know what GSP's gameplan will be, but it will be good.

bjj-fan

its going to be a cracking fight

as for bj moving up weight,after seeing the him fight machida he could easily do 185lb, i wouldn't write bj off in any fight at any wieght

Nothingcompares

dunkamania wrote: »

Amazing post Kev!

I would have thrown in the Jackson camp being behind GSP. We dont know what GSP's gameplan will be, but it will be good.

i was supposed to throw that in at the end but forgot!

cowzerp

ginoginelli wrote: »

I dont buy into the "theres weight classes for a reason" argument that comes up, when smaller fighters, fighting larger ones, are discussed. If its a goodstyle match up the weight doesnt matter as much.

Im assuming your not a fighter, weight is a massive thing when all things else are equal..

ginoginelli

cowzerp wrote: »

Im assuming your not a fighter, weight is a massive thing when all things else are equal..

Im not disputing that..

It doesnt take a genius to know that when you get two fighters equal in all departments, but one is heavier, the heavier one will obviously have a big advantage.

My point is if its a good style match up, the weight wont necessarily play as big a part in the outcome.

mark.leonard

Nothingcompares wrote: »

GSP never talks smack. He doesn't engage in non-professional rivalries,

George St-Pierre wrote:

I'm not impressed, with your performance

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cl-beMYQ-K0

cowzerp

ginoginelli wrote: »

Im not disputing that..

It doesnt take a genius to know that when you get two fighters equal in all departments, but one is heavier, the heavier one will obviously have a big advantage.

My point is if its a good style match up, the weight wont necessarily play as big a part in the outcome.

There both top level and BJ would be mashed, not because he's worse but because physically he would be dominated.

Karmafaerie

Yes I have seen the Machida fight.

One where Penn tried lots, but did very little.

It was Machida's 6th MMA fight, And the notoriously defensive fighter, managed an easy victory over the smaller man.
Penn always wins the first round (although I wouldn't put money on that in a few weeks), but Machida was never once troubled, by one of the "pound for pound" fighters in the world.
Why?
Cause Penn, can't go up in weight that much.
The reason his new conditioning regime is working so well for him, is that he's at the right weight for him.
Penn isn't the same kind of athelite as Hollyfield or Hoost, and Jones is simply Jones.

If Penn goes up in weight, he'll be the same Penn we all know and were frustrated (for him) by.

Dragan

I agree to be honest. Everyone has a limit as to how much weight they should carry, and that weight makes a massive difference. I am at my lightest now that i have every been after a year out from training, yet my cardio is actually off the charts compared to where it was. All those pounds of muscle make a massive difference.

There is also the simple fact that structurally and genetically...Penn is not cut out to be a massive, heavy man. A incredibly skilled one yes, but not big in the real sense of the word.

I would say, that for all his physical gifts, BJ simply has a lower cardio threshold that a lot of the top MMA fighters. It's just one of those other variances that come into play...another kind of natural ability...how your body deals with oxygen deficency...and Penn's body is simply not world class in that respect.

He is best of at 155, his natural weight, or 170.

I would put money on a lean 185 Penn suffering exactly the same cardio issues as he did in the past, out of shape at the lower weights.

dunkamania

A little bit harsh Karma. I felt the Machida fight was closer than that, plus Penn is far superior fighter now too.

Key point is, moving from LW to WW is one thing, LW to LHW being a whole differnt ball game.

Karmafaerie

dunkamania wrote: »

A little bit harsh Karma. I felt the Machida fight was closer than that, plus Penn is far superior fighter now too.

Key point is, moving from LW to WW is one thing, LW to LHW being a whole differnt ball game.

I'm not saying it wasn't close, just that he never really troubled Machida.
Lyoto is an extremely defensive fighter.
You have to take the fight to him, and at the heavy weight, BJ just couldn't.
If Penn had did to Machida, what he did to Sherk, Lyoto wouldn't have his perfect record right now!
But Penn can't do at 205 what he can at 155.

and I'm not saying that Penn can't compete at 170, he's one of the worlds best at 170.
I said he shouldn't go higher.
The original point was one of Penn going to 185, which I think is a division too far for BJ.
Penn should, and IMO will stick to 170/155.

rovert

WOW

LeoGilly

WOW indeed! But whats with the english flags? There really pushing this card! Cant wait for this fight. Its gonna be a war!! Haven't a clue who will win. There both just incredible at what they do!

ginoginelli

Combat sports history is littered with great fighters punching and grappiling above their weight. Is silva a bridge too far for bj? quite possibly yes...Has he got a chance..most defintely YES.

rovert

LeoGilly wrote: »

WOW indeed! But whats with the english flags?

The English flag is the St. Geogres Cross.

LeoGilly

Sorry. Whats with British flags then?