UFC 137 has been tossed and turned this past week, but in the end it is exciting to see that the four main event fighters will still be there and they simply switched partners for the dance.
The shifting and switching made for some tense times for all, but especially B.J. Penn, the Hawaiian fighting legend who is looking to complete his mixed martial arts legacy.
Penn is now going to face the dangerous welterweight contender Nick “No Show” Diaz in what should still be a No. 1 contender match for the welterweight crown.
I find it refreshing that Penn accepted the switch to Diaz with no ifs, ands or buts, and it made me reflect on “The Prodigy” and the legacy he has built in his fighting career.
Upon further review, it is obvious to me that B.J. Penn is on a legacy path that is unique and can be called all his own.
It is one thing to fight your whole career and dominate your division—the likes of Matt Hughes, GSP and Anderson Silva have all done that. However, it is another thing altogether to willingly and frequently challenge that dominance, come out of your comfort zone and take the risk of fighting up in weight.
In this game, size does matter. Penn has put himself out there in risky situations throughout his career, with no worry of what a loss would do to his “legacy.”
Does the fact that he got stomped by GSP in four rounds tarnish the legacy of B.J. Penn? In my eyes, it only enhances it. Other fighters have not even dared to take that risk.
The only other fighter that consistently took that challenge and risk throughout his career was Randy Couture, and we all know the legacy that he left us.
Royce Gracie gets honorable mention as he competed in the days of the open tournament, which has no comfort zone at all.
Anderson Silva has gone up in weight with success, but he did not jump up and fight a contender or for the title as Penn has done. He has not acknowledged the challenge of Jon Jones and there is no Top-Five light heavyweight on his agenda.
George St-Pierre has been mentioned to go up in division and fight Anderson Silva. He has said he must really think about what changing weight classes would do to his legacy. In my opinion, the minute you start worrying and trying to specifically shape or maintain it, it lessens it.
Legacy seems to be the hot word with the likes of champions such as Silva and GSP these days. When all is said and done, these two champions will definitely leave a legacy of dominance in their respective weight divisions. They continue to dominate in their comfort zone.
Penn is now set to battle a bigger, more dangerous and somewhat unworthy opponent once again. It’s about time we started giving Penn credit for what he is truly doing in his career.
Dwight Wakabayashi is a Featured Columnist for Bleacher Report MMA (also a correspondent for MMACanada.net).
Catch him on Twitter @wakafightermma.
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