UFC 137 Preview - B.J. Penn

Plain and simple B.J. Penn will go down as one of the best fighters to ever step inside the UFC Octagon, but the question that remains is how he will go out. Perhaps the more pressing question is when he will retire.
Penn broke on to the scene in 2001 with a TKO victory over Joey Gilbert. Penn is one of very few modern-day fighters to have started his career in the UFC. Most fighters start their careers in smaller, regional promotions, and wrack up a few wins before the UFC comes calling. The former dual-weight titleholder, Penn received his call after his success on the world Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu circuit. The ink was all but signed on Penn’s UFC contract after he became the first non-Brazilian to win the black belt division of the World Jiu-Jitsu Championships.
Penn has had a storied career, both at welterweight and lightweight. Starting at lightweight, he went on a three-fight win streak that saw him beat talented striker Caol Uno. He was then given the chance to fight for the UFC Lightweight Title at just 3-0, against Jens Pulver. Penn lost the decision, and went on to challenge for the title again when Pulver vacated the title due to contractual disputes. A tournament was organized to crown a champion, and in the final bout, Penn fought Uno to a draw and no champion was crowned. The UFC subsequently suspended its lightweight division, so Penn moved back to his home state of Hawaii to fight for the Rumble on the Rock promotion.
Penn defeated Takanori Gomi by submission with a rear-naked choke in the third round to claim the Rumble on the Rock Lightweight Championship. Soon after, Penn decided to return to the UFC, but with the lightweight division still on the shelf, he opted to return as a welterweight. At welterweight, he defeated future UFC Hall-of-Famer, and former UFC Welterweight Champion Matt Hughes to unrest the title from one of the longest reigning champions. Hughes had defended the belt five times prior.
Penn had a successful career at welterweight, until the rise of current champion, and pound-for-pound top dog, Georges St-Pierre. Penn lost a welterweight number one contender bout against St-Pierre in 2006, but shortly after bounced down to lightweight and won the UFC Lightweight Title. Amid defending his strap at 155, Penn was also climbing the welterweight ranks, and eventually was booked for another match with St-Pierre, this time for St-Pierre’s welterweight title. Penn lost the bout by a TKO in the fourth round in one of the more brutal beat downs of his career.
After UFC 94, Penn decided to remain on the UFC’s roster as a lightweight only. He defended his title twice more, against Kenny Florian, and Diego Sanchez, before losing it to current champ, Frank Edgar. The fight with Edgar was not the first time fans had seen Penn simply outclassed. UFC President Dana White mentioned at a UFC 107 press conference, that he though Penn had little work ethic and had skated through the UFC ranks on talent alone.
The factor that proved to be vital was speed. Edgar had incredible head movement, and shot around the cage, while Penn slowly moved forward into an onslaught of strikes. Fans were shocked to see a fighter who they thought would retire with the lightweight title, and was considered among the best pound-for-pound for years, get beat by a fighter who walks at 160 pounds.
Penn was granted an immediate rematch, but the second bout with Edgar was pretty much the same as the first, Penn just could not compete with the faster Edgar. After losing back-to-back title shots at lightweight, Penn decided to give it another go at welterweight. His first fight back in the ranks at 170 was a rubber match with former nemesis Matt Hughes. Penn solidified his return to welterweight with a stunning knockout in just 21 seconds. Penn then moved on to challenge Jon Fitch, and the two of them fought to a majority draw.
Penn, after an eight-month layoff, was slated to fight Carlos Condit, in a high stakes, contender bout. After a lot of shuffling, due to Nick Diaz’s refusal to attend mandatory press conferences, and Georges St-Pierre having to pull out of his title fight, Diaz and Penn find themselves in the main even of UFC 137. Diaz had a run with the UFC from 2003 until 2006 when the promotion released him after his third consecutive loss.
The matchup could be rather one-sided, depending on how much Diaz has learned since his last UFC stint. He was oftentimes found on his back being manhandled by wrestlers, and unable to use his very impressive jiu-jitsu game. Penn isn’t the best wrestler on the UFC roster, and his top game isn’t stellar, but it shouldn’t be underestimated. Both Penn and Diaz have some of the best jiu-jitsu the UFC has ever seen, so the ground game may be an area to avoid for the both of them. At first glance, this doesn’t seem like a slugfest, but it very well could end up that way. Penn has shown that his striking game is vastly improved since he lost his title, and Diaz has always been a very accomplished striker.
If this fight stays standing, Penn will need to be very careful and pick his shots, because Diaz’s wild striking style could play into his hand very well. Diaz’s last title fight, in Strikeforce against Paul Daley, saw him almost get knocked down several times with almost no respect for defense. The X-factor in this fight is whether Penn took his camp seriously. As White said, he has relied on talent for a while, and as he gets older, he has to rely more on work ethic. If Penn has aptly prepared for this fight, he can easily take a decision over Diaz. He has better jiu-jitsu, and more experience, so if he is careful and waits for his openings, he can whittle away at the impulsive Diaz brother. Penn takes this one by unanimous decision, possibly vaulting him into the conversation to fight for the UFC Welterweight Title.