Author: By Thomas Gerbasi

LAS VEGAS, October 29 – Lightweight contender Donald “Cowboy” Cerrone continued to impress in UFC 137 preliminary action at the Mandalay Bay Events Center Saturday, as he tore into Dennis Siver early and often before submitting his opponent in the first round to win his sixth consecutive bout. See post-fight interview

Cerrone raced out of his corner at the bell and nailed Siver with a kick to the midsection, setting the tone of the bout immediately. Siver responded with his own strikes, but 45 seconds in, a left kick to the head staggered the Germany native. Cerrone ran in to finish, even cracking Siver with a hard left hook, but Siver was able to survive. It wasn’t for long though, as Cerrone again rocked his foe, and in a scramble to the mat, he took Siver’s back and sunk in a rear naked choke, forcing a tap out at 2:22 of the opening frame.

With the win, Cerrone improves to 17-3 with 1 NC, and picks up yet another bonus check – $75,000 for Submission of the Night. It’s the third bonus for Cerrone in his four UFC fights this year – he earned Fight of the Night in February at UFC 126 and Knockout of the Night at UFC on Versus 6 in August. Siver, who saw a four fight winning streak snapped, falls to 19-8.

PALASZEWSKI vs. GRIFFIN

Veteran Bart Palaszewski made a successful UFC and featherweight debut, impressively stopping Tyson Griffin in the first round of a bout contested at 148 pounds following Griffin’s failure to make weight on Friday. See post-fight interview

A WEC standout, Palaszewski (35-14) was the busier of the two from the start, allowing him to keep Griffin (15-6) off balance until he caught him with two lefts to the head, staggering the Las Vegan. Palaszewski pounced on his hurt opponent, ripping off a volley of unanswered blows until a left-right sent Griffin to the canvas, prompting referee Steve Mazzagatti to halt the bout at the 2:45 mark. The finish scored “Bartimus” a $75,000 bonus for Knockout of the Night.

VERA vs. MARSHALL

Brandon Vera survived a late fight surge from Eliot Marshall in their light heavyweight bout, going on to win a close, but unanimous, decision to snap a three fight winless streak. See post-fight interview

Scores were 29-28 across the board for Vera.

Appearing confident and focused, Vera’s striking looked sharper than it has in several fights, and with the exception of some solid punches landed by Marshall with a little over two minutes remaining, he clearly controlled the opening round.

The action slowed considerably in the second, but Vera remained on top, scoring much of his points with his control of Marshall on the ground.

In the opening minute of the final round, Marshall rocked Vera with a right hand and pounced, looking to finish. Vera weathered the assault and got back to his feet, but ate another hard shot before closing the distance and tying the Coloradan up against the fence.  With a little over two minutes left, the two broke, and after a sloppy exchange, the bout went back to the mat, this time with Marshall taking Vera’s back. After a spell of inactivity, Marshall sprang into action with a tight armbar attempt, but Vera got loose and made it to the final bell for a much needed victory.

With the win, Vera improves to 12-5 with 1 NC; Marshall falls to 11-5.

NIJEM vs. DOWNES

The Ultimate fighter season 13 finalist Ramsey Nijem scored his first Octagon win in his lightweight debut, shutting out Danny Downes over three rounds. See post-fight interview

The unanimous decision for Nijem read 30-25, 30-26, and 30-27.

Nijem (6-2) didn’t disguise his gameplan leading up to the bout, and he executed it as soon as the bell sounded, using his striking to get Downes (8-3) to the mat. Downes didn’t stay there long, but he didn’t stay upright long either, as Nijem scored a second takedown.  As the round entered its second half, Nijem took Downes’ back and got the hooks in, eventually sinking in a rear naked choke. Downes found some daylight though, escaping and getting back to his feet. Regardless, Nijem kept the pressure on and ended the stanza in the same dominant position.

The fighters took matters to the mat almost immediately in round two, with Downes’ submission attempts met by attempts from Nijem that, while not successful, kept him in a dominant position where he could rip off ground strikes and put another round in the bank.

The third round was the most lopsided of the bout, with Nijem completely dominating the entire five minutes, but he was unable to finish the gutsy Downes on the ground.

CARMONT vs. CAMOZZI

Debuting Canadian middleweight Francis Carmont did his training partner, welterweight champ Georges St-Pierre proud, scoring a shutout three round unanimous decision win over Chris Camozzi. See post-fight interview

Scores were 30-26 and 30-27 twice.

Carmont (17-7) fought well in his first UFC round, edging a competitive first five minutes with a takedown and some busy striking when Camozzi (15-5) wasn’t pinning him to the fence and getting his own strikes off. 

The first half of the second was a grueling one, as Camozzi and Carmont battled it out at close range along the fence, but in the second half, Carmont pulled away once he got loose, slamming Camozzi and later dropping him with a hard left hand in the final minute.

Striding forward confidently, Carmont ripped off some hard punches early in the third and generally controlled matters, only finding some trouble when Camozzi almost locked in a fight-ending kimura in the closing moments of the bout.

STARKS vs. JACOBY

Coming in on short notice to replace the injured Brad Tavares was no problem for Arizona’s Clifford Starks, who won a methodical, but clear-cut three round unanimous decision over Dustin Jacoby in a clash of unbeaten middleweight prospects. See post-fight interview

Scores were 30-27 across the board for Starks, who improves to 7-0; Jacoby falls to 7-1.

A slow first round favored late replacement Starks, as he was able to fight at a measured pace, scoring with a sporadic, but stiff, jab on a number of occasions before ending the round with a takedown. When Jacoby got busier in the second frame, Arizona State vet Starks went back to his D-I wrestling game, putting his foe on his back with relative ease and finishing up with some solid ground strikes. After landing two jarring shots in the early stages of the final round, Starks again got the bout to the mat, with his ground and pound attack cementing his victory.

LAS VEGAS, October 29 – Matt Mitrione had made quite the impression in just five professional fights, all in the UFC, but the Ultimate Fighter alum’s step up fight against veteran contender Cheick Kongo proved to be too much of a leap at the moment, as Kongo scored a three round unanimous decision win over Mitrione in the UFC 137 co-main event Saturday at the Mandalay Bay Events Center. See post-fight interview

The judges saw it 30-27, 30-28, and 29-28 for Kongo, who improves to 27-6-2; Mitrione falls to 5-1.

Mitrione tried to baffle Kongo with his unorthodox movement and some early fight chatter, but the Frenchman wouldn’t take the bait, instead choosing to wait for Mitrione to make the first move so he could counter. A couple sloppy exchanges eventually followed before the two locked up against the fence. After a stalemate, referee Herb Dean broke the two, and Kongo tried to lead with two rights, but he came up short. Mitrione proceeded to pressure Kongo, but he wasn’t throwing any punches, drawing the ire of the crowd. In the final 30 seconds, Kongo opened up a bit more, but there was no significant scoring.

Apparently the fighters were sufficiently warmed up from the first round, as both began getting their offenses in gear in the second, Kongo landed with some hard leg kicks and threw in punches to the head and body as well. Mitrione started throwing more himself, but he wasn’t having the success his opponent was, even though he was the unquestioned aggressor.

Mitrione came out fast to begin the final round, but Kongo responded with a furious attack of strikes capped off by a slam of the former NFL lineman. Mitrione calmly worked his way back to his feet, but Kongo kept him tied up against the fence, landing with knees to the leg the whole way. Kongo went on to score another takedown on Mitrione, who was unable to escape from under the ground attack of the veteran heavyweight.

NELSON vs. CRO COP

It was the end of a heavyweight era, as former PRIDE superstar Mirko Cro Cop called an end to his storied career after getting stopped in the third round by Roy Nelson, who resurrected his own after back-to-back losses to Junior dos Santos and Frank Mir with an impressive effort from start to finish. See post-fight interview with Cro Cop

After testing his standup with Cro Cop for the first minute of the fight, Nelson quickly shot in for the takedown and got it, freeing him up to work his ground strikes. Midway through the round, Cro Cop sprang to his feet and was able to land a left kick to the body and a left punch to the head, reddening Nelson’s face. Nelson fired back with a hard right hand, but after the two circled each other for a bit, Cro Cop delivered a hard uppercut that got the crown chanting his name. Nelson kept moving forward though, and his pressure appeared to bother Cro Cop. See post-fight interview with Cro Cop

In the second, Nelson briefly rocked Cro Cop, but the Croatian returned the favor a second later. Cro Cop proceeded to empty his clip on “Big Country,” but the iron-chinned Las Vegas refused to go down. With a little over two minutes left, Cro Cop drew a roar as he threw his trademark left kick to the head, but Nelson avoided any danger as he moved in and then took Cro Cop to the mat. Moving into side control, Nelson smothered Cro Cop and locked his arms up in the crucifix position, opening him up to a barrage of punches and evening the score for the series of shots he took earlier in the round.

A minute into the final round, Nelson’s right hand staggered Cro Cop, and seconds later, he got his exhausted opponent to the mat with a right-left-right. Nelson proceeded to take Cro Cop’s back and finish him with strikes, with referee Steve Mazzagatti calling a stop to the fight at the 1:30 mark.

With the win, Nelson improves to 17-6; Cro Cop, one of the most feared strikers to ever compete in the sport, falls to 29-10-2 with 1 NC. He was never to match his success in Japan in the UFC, only managing a 4-6 record in the organization, but the standing ovation he received from the crowd following the bout was evidence of the impact he had on MMA.

JORGENSEN vs. CURRAN

Bantamweight contender Scott Jorgensen put in a full night’s work in his bout with returning vet Jeff Curran, winning a close unanimous decision over “The Big Frog” in a competitive three rounder. See post-fight interview

Scores were 29-28 twice and 30-27 for Jorgensen, who ups his record to 13-4; Curran falls to 35-14-1.

Jorgensen ate a steady diet of jabs as the bout opened, forcing him to seek – and get – a takedown. Both fighters stayed busy on the ground, with Curran not content to stay idle on his back as Jorgensen worked his strikes. After a restart by referee Kim Winslow with less than 40 seconds left, Curran landed a couple hard punches before Jorgensen ended the frame with a second takedown.

There were some solid standup exchanges to start the second round, but a missed Curran takedown attempt allowed Jorgensen to lock his foe up and land with a series of knees before scoring with his own takedown. A second takedown would follow later in the round, but a late surge by Curran reminded his foe that he was not done yet.

The third round was a closely-contested battle, with both fighters giving and taking their best shots. The slightly busier Jorgensen looked to have the edge though, with his solid defense keeping Curran from scoring the takedown and landing his haymakers.

HIOKI vs. ROOP

Japanese featherweight star Hatsu Hioki made his long-awaited UFC debut in the opener, but he got more than a stiff challenge from George Roop before eking out an unpopular three round split decision win. See post-fight interview

Scores were 29-28 twice and 28-29 for Hioki, who improves to 25-4-2; Roop falls to 12-9-1.

Roop’s busy striking attack kept Hioki from getting into any sort of offensive rhythm as the bout started, and the Arizonan continued to score until Hioki was able to pin his foe to the fence and eventually get him to the mat with a little over a minute left. But Hioki was still unable to capitalize, allowing Roop to get back to his feet before the bell.

Hioki was more effective in closing the distance on his lanky foe in round two, and this time, he was able to gain a dominant side control position quickly before moving into the mount. And while Hioki pinned Roop to the canvas for much of the round, Roop got loose late and finished with a flourish, chasing Hioki around the Octagon until the bell.

Roop got his own takedown in the third, smothering Hioki in the subsequent exchange on the mat. Hioki tried to work for submissions from the bottom, but Roop was resolute in his attack, and while he wasn’t spectacular, his workmanlike performance appeared to earn him the victory, but the judges disagreed.

LAS VEGAS, October 29 – 15 compelling minutes with BJ Penn made it clear – it’s been too long since we’ve seen Nick Diaz in the Octagon. But in defeating “The Prodigy” via unanimous decision in the UFC 137 main event Saturday night, Diaz’ first UFC bout since 2006 sent shockwaves through not only the Mandalay Bay Events Center, but through the MMA world, as he apparently retired Penn and put himself squarely in line for a shot at Georges St-Pierre’s welterweight title. See post-fight interview with Nick Diaz

“I don’t think Georges is hurt, I think he’s scared,” said Diaz, who was originally scheduled to face St-Pierre on this card before he was pulled from the bout after no-showing two press conferences to promote the fight. St-Pierre was then slated to face Carlos Condit before injuring his knee and withdrawing, pushing Diaz-Penn into the main event slot.

And while seeing the surging Diaz score the win over Penn wasn’t a shocker, Penn’s sudden retirement in the Octagon after the bout was. See post-fight interview with BJ Penn

“Hats off to Nick Diaz,” said Penn. “This is the last time you’ll see me in here. I want to perform at the top level.  I’ve got a daughter and another one on the way. I don’t want to go home looking like this.”

Scores were 29-28 twice and 29-27 for the former Strikeforce welterweight champion, who shook off Penn’s strong first round to dominate the next two frames. The bout earned Fight of the Night honors and both men took home an extra $75,000.

The in-arena anticipation for the bout was like that for a world title fight, and Penn came out firing to start the bout, landing a couple good shots before Diaz wrapped him up against the fence. Penn broke loose fairly quickly, again working his striking game and reddening Diaz’ face. After a miss by Diaz, Penn scored a takedown, taking Diaz’ back in an ensuing scramble before settling in the top position. Diaz stayed busy with strikes from his back, and with a little over two minutes left he found his way back to his feet.  Pinning Penn to the fence, Diaz’ tried to get his offense in gear, but Penn got away with a quick elbow and continued to impress with his standup. Diaz fired back with his usual busy attack, as well as some taunts, but Penn kept his cool.

A fired up Diaz slapped away Penn’s punches and stuck his chin out as round two began, but again, Penn’s cool served him well as he got in some quick shots before the two tied up. After breaking, the two exchanged at close quarters, but after stuffing a takedown attempt, Diaz was able to mark up Penn’s face with some knees. After that sequence, Diaz began to open up as Penn stood with his back to the fence, and the Stockton native’s body attack appeared to do the most damage.  With 1:40 left, Diaz hurt Penn with a left to the head and he opened up with both hands, putting the former two division UFC champ in serious trouble. With less than 20 seconds remaining, Penn finally got a brief respite as the two locked up, but as the bell sounded, Diaz was clearly in control of the fight.

Barely able to contain themselves at the bell to start the final round, Penn tried to lock up with Diaz to get the fight to the ground, but the tireless Diaz wasn’t having it. Penn did use the time to get back to the middle of the Octagon for a moment, a key to him getting back in the fight. Diaz’ relentless attack wasn’t allowing for too many moments of daylight, but Penn did get his shots in, with the evidence showing on Diaz’ face. Diaz was doing the lion’s share of the scoring though, with Penn’s amazing chin on display for all to see. With under two minutes left, Penn surged with a series of hard shots, not ready to give in. A brief tie-up against the fence wasn’t a break, it was just an opportunity for the two to recharge for one last assault, and that’s just what they gave each other, drawing an appreciative roar from the crowd for a final blast of toe-to-toe slugging.

With the win, Diaz improves to 27-7 with 1 NC; Penn falls to 16-8-2.

It takes more than the stereotypical mean mug and tattoos to separate the fighters from the civilians these days. A lot more. But for starters, a simple conversation about what was probably (or at least should have been) the most physically painful day of a person’s life should give you a good indication of where someone stands on the fighter / civilian line.

Take Warsaw-born Illinois resident Bart Palaszewski for example, and ask him about his April 2005 bout with Andrew Chappelle. You can almost hear the joy in his voice when he responds.

“Oh man, that was a brawl,” said Palaszewski, who defeated Chappelle via three round unanimous decision. Simple enough. We’re established that he’s a mixed martial artist. But is he a fighter? We’ll let Mr. Palaszewski continue with his recollection of the fight.

“It was the one and only SuperBrawl that happened on the mainland, outside Hawaii, and it was just a brawl, I loved it,” he said. “It was one of my favorite fights and it showed me that I have heart because I had the blown out elbow and the broken hand and still came out with the win. I was beat up for a while after that fight.”

Case closed. This one’s a fighter.

So where does this kind of heart and determination to carry on through serious injuries and not only compete, but win?

“Good cornermen,” he laughs, recalling how he returned to his corner after the first round and told his coaches “I’m pretty sure my elbow’s blown out.”

“Stop being a girl, get out there,” they responded.

He did, but in that second stanza, “I broke my right thumb doing the Fedor (Emelianenko) punch / jump into the guard like an idiot. (Laughs) And I’m pretty sure he broke his hand the same exact way.”

At the end of the round he presented his hand to his corner, describing the thumb simply as “Sideways, backwards.”

“It’s fine, it’s not broken,” came the retort. “Get out there.”

Palaszewski laughs about it now.

“As much as it’s not a team sport, your corner’s gotta be there for you to tell you a little white lie.”

Now Palaszewski is not recommending this kind of courage for everyone, and he doesn’t expect fighters to always fight on after suffering an injury in the Octagon. In other words, don’t try this at home. But it is his way of doing things, and he’s sticking to it.

“You’re in a fight,” he said. “You’re not playing chess. You might get a black eye, you might get cut or get your nose broke or an arm broke. Finish it. Yeah, I understand if your bone’s sticking out or a doctor stops it or you literally can’t continue, but if you’re like ‘okay, it hurts, bad, but I’m still here,’ screw it man, give it your all.”

That philosophy has carried the 28 year old through nearly 50 pro fights (34-14) since he started off his career 0-4 in 2002-03. He’s been in with the likes of JZ Cavalcante, Cole Escovedo, Clay Guida, Steve Bruno, Ivan Menjivar, Chris Horodecki, John Gunderson, and Jim Miller, and that was before he ran off seven fights in the WEC, going 4-3 with a win over Anthony Pettis. And now, finally, he will be making his UFC debut this weekend with a UFC 137 bout against Tyson Griffin.

“It’s definitely a dream come true,” said Palaszewski. “Everybody wants to be in the UFC. I’ve fought in different organizations all over the world and I seasoned myself, and I wouldn’t take it back. I loved every minute of it. I loved working with the WEC, the IFL, and all the little shows. Obviously without them I wouldn’t be here now. But I’m seasoned now, I’m ready to go and I’m right where I want to be.”

And the strangest part of the whole thing is that despite paying his dues for nearly a decade while seeing less experienced fighters get called to the big show, “Bartimus” has no regrets, no sour grapes about things taking so long.

“In a way I’m glad I went through the School of Hard Knocks,” he said. “I wouldn’t change anything for the world. I’ve got quite a few losses, but I’ve got a crap load of wins as well, and I love it. I think it’s the right timing for me. I took small steps, I didn’t rush into it, and I think this way, the longevity of my stay in the UFC will be much better. I fought my way up, I’ve seen it all pretty much, and I’m here to stay.”

One of the last imports from the WEC merge to make the move to the Octagon, Palaszewski saw his debut delayed even further earlier this year when a UFC 130 bout against Cody McKenzie was scrapped, replaced by a bout with Gleison Tibau, and then scrapped again for good when Palaszewski was forced to withdraw. But he hasn’t let his idle time go to waste, as the former lightweight finally found the time to make the cut to the 145-pound weight class.

“It (losing the UFC 130 bout) was kind of frustrating, but at the same time, I’m kinda happy it happened and that’s why I’m making the 145 cut,” he said. “I always wanted to do it, but I never really had a chance because they kept us pretty busy (in the WEC). So I’m trying to make a positive out of what happened.”

Only a fighter would think cutting to a new weight class 10 pounds south was a positive thing. But then again, this is the same guy who can’t wait to throw hands with longtime UFC standout Tyson Griffin.

“He’s a good wrestler who likes to throw, so it kinda works out for me,” said Palaszewski. “But a lot of guys throw down with me until they get hit, so we’ll see how he reacts after the first punch lands. But he is a good wrestler so I’ll have to be aware of that. I’m not really worried about his striking. I know he likes to throw, but there’s a difference between throwing and actually knowing how to punch and kick. So I’m not really worried about that. The only thing I’m cautious about is his wrestling.”

And despite his tendency to go hands up, chin down and start brawling once a couple shots start landing, Palaszewski is a jiu-jitsu black belt, he’s done neglecting his ground game, and he’s promising that the fighter who shows up for his UFC debut in Las Vegas is going to be a lot different than people remember him.

“I think the last two, three years, I’ve improved the most,” he said. “When I started fighting, I was just a kid, and I was going on pure technique and pure insanity. I was just out there fighting and loving the sport. Now I’ve become a mixed martial artist. I’ve sharpened my boxing, I’m really working on my Thai Boxing, I’ve been wrestling my ass off and I want that to be phenomenal as well. I’m a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt and I’ve been spending a lot more time on the mat and I’m finally getting my adult strength. (Laughs) I’m a late bloomer. I know I haven’t reached my peak and reached the level I want to be at, and I think the next couple years are really gonna unfold a lot for me and I’m going straight to the top.”

Broken bones and all.

It’s been 10 years, 25 fights, and two UFC championships in two weight classes, but BJ Penn has a confession to make. At 32, things don’t get easier for him in the moments before the opening bell.

“I think the butterflies are getting worse with the years,” he chuckles. “I’m surprised on that. I thought it would get easier and easier. I guess it was getting easier for a little while, but now I’m up in my thirties, and I don’t know if it’s because I’ve got kids or what, but it seems like the butterflies get worse. I don’t know why. I’m comfortable, I’ve got a lot of experience, but it just seems that way.”

So when Saturday rolls around once again for “The Prodigy,” he will expect those nerves to kick in, the adrenalin to start flowing, and for the 11th time, he will make the walk to the Octagon as a main event fighter. And that part of it never gets old.

“I remember back when I main evented my first UFC fight against Jens Pulver ten years ago,” said Penn of his UFC 35 title fight with “Lil’ Evil.” “That meant the world to me then. I guess everybody in life, they want to feel self-worth in whatever they decide to do, and it’s the recognition and the excitement. I remember the first time I got that main event, (UFC vet and former Penn coach) Renato Verissimo said ‘whoa BJ, you’re the main event?’ ‘Yeah, can you believe that?’ What a ride. And when I got the news that I’d be main eventing this fight, I thought ‘man, what a great career, what a great life and opportunity I’ve had over the years.’”

It’s almost as if Penn’s getting sentimental about his career and what he’s accomplished in the sport over the last decade. But don’t mistake that trip down memory lane for an exit strategy. Penn, who is coming off a February draw with Jon Fitch, isn’t ready to head to the beach in Hilo just yet.

“I’m 32 and if I could keep winning fights and all that stuff, I think I’m addicted to being in the UFC and I want to try and make this last as long as I can,” he said. “As long as I’m happy. I know it’s easy to get burned out and I’ve talked about retirement and burning out all the time, but I’m trying to enjoy the ride.”

And when you’ve been to the proverbial mountaintop like Penn has, the key to keeping things fresh is to constantly receive the type of matchups that not only make you want to sacrifice and train, but that force you to. Penn’s original foe for this Saturday’s card was former WEC champion Carlos Condit, a fighter on a hot streak who certainly fit the mold of dangerous opponent. But after a crazy series of events that saw Condit elevated to the main event against Georges St-Pierre after Nick Diaz no-showed two press conferences, Penn was without an opponent for the show’s original co-main event.

“At first when it all happened, I thought that Nick was gone from the UFC,” said Penn, “so I was talking to them about maybe putting me and Jon Fitch back together. (UFC President) Dana White told me that Jon Fitch was hurt and out until December, and he said if you want to fight, give me a call. If not, just let me know.”

Then things got even more interesting.

“Then Dana calls back and we end up putting the Nick Diaz fight together,” said Penn, who was now going to face the former Strikeforce welterweight champ who was quickly brought back into the UFC fold. “I know Nick, he’s been a training partner of mine and I get along great with him and his brother. But everybody’s trying to put fights together, and at the end of the day they were looking at their options and we were looking at our options, and the best thing for each guy’s career was to fight each other. This is a job – nothing more, nothing less – and that’s what ended up happening.”

But UFC 137’s musical chairs weren’t finished yet, as St-Pierre got injured, forcing his bout with Condit to get scrapped. What happened next? Penn vs. Diaz was the new main event.

“I always felt that me and Nick Diaz was the main event fight,” said Penn. “Me and Nick is a great fight, and I knew we were gonna draw some followers.”

Oh, they’ve drawn some followers, as the buzz for the main event is getting louder and louder as the countdown to the opening bell continues. Yet oddly enough, it’s not Penn – the usual lightning rod for some prefight drama – who is getting the lion’s share of the attention. It’s Diaz who is the talk of the town, with every utterance from his mouth drawing tweets, message board posts, and fevered analysis. For his part, Penn seems comfortable in this unique role, and as he explains, the fans and media aren’t the only ones with a microscope on the Stockton, California native.

“I’ve kept a very close eye on Nick Diaz’ career,” said Penn. “He’s one of my favorite fighters that I love to watch out there and I think right now, he’s probably the best boxer in mixed martial arts today. He certainly has some fights to prove it. He spars with Andre Ward, he was signed to fight Jeff Lacy, he was considered to fight Roy Jones Jr., and with accolades like that and with the performances that he puts on in the ring, with a high volume of punches and all those things, I definitely think that he’s probably the best boxer in the sport today.”

But when you’re able to deliver praise like that to a future opponent, it usually means one thing – you’re pretty confident in your own ability to defuse your foe’s attack and score the victory. So where does Penn’s confidence come from? Maybe it’s because he’s looking in the mirror.

“We’re similar in a lot of the same ways,” said Penn. “With the boxing, with the jiu-jitsu and with the way are careers have gone. Once in a while we end up clashing with the powers that be, and it just ends up going that way for some reason. There are a lot of similarities between me and that guy.”

It takes more than the stereotypical mean mug and tattoos to separate the fighters from the civilians these days. A lot more. But for starters, a simple conversation about what was probably (or at least should have been) the most physically painful day of a person’s life should give you a good indication of where someone stands on the fighter / civilian line.

Take Warsaw-born Illinois resident Bart Palaszewski for example, and ask him about his April 2005 bout with Andrew Chappelle. You can almost hear the joy in his voice when he responds.

“Oh man, that was a brawl,” said Palaszewski, who defeated Chappelle via three round unanimous decision. Simple enough. We’re established that he’s a mixed martial artist. But is he a fighter? We’ll let Mr. Palaszewski continue with his recollection of the fight.

“It was the one and only SuperBrawl that happened on the mainland, outside Hawaii, and it was just a brawl, I loved it,” he said. “It was one of my favorite fights and it showed me that I have heart because I had the blown out elbow and the broken hand and still came out with the win. I was beat up for a while after that fight.”

Case closed. This one’s a fighter.

So where does this kind of heart and determination to carry on through serious injuries and not only compete, but win?

“Good cornermen,” he laughs, recalling how he returned to his corner after the first round and told his coaches “I’m pretty sure my elbow’s blown out.”

“Stop being a girl, get out there,” they responded.

He did, but in that second stanza, “I broke my right thumb doing the Fedor (Emelianenko) punch / jump into the guard like an idiot. (Laughs) And I’m pretty sure he broke his hand the same exact way.”

At the end of the round he presented his hand to his corner, describing the thumb simply as “Sideways, backwards.”

“It’s fine, it’s not broken,” came the retort. “Get out there.”

Palaszewski laughs about it now.

“As much as it’s not a team sport, your corner’s gotta be there for you to tell you a little white lie.”

Now Palaszewski is not recommending this kind of courage for everyone, and he doesn’t expect fighters to always fight on after suffering an injury in the Octagon. In other words, don’t try this at home. But it is his way of doing things, and he’s sticking to it.

“You’re in a fight,” he said. “You’re not playing chess. You might get a black eye, you might get cut or get your nose broke or an arm broke. Finish it. Yeah, I understand if your bone’s sticking out or a doctor stops it or you literally can’t continue, but if you’re like ‘okay, it hurts, bad, but I’m still here,’ screw it man, give it your all.”

That philosophy has carried the 28 year old through nearly 50 pro fights (34-14) since he started off his career 0-4 in 2002-03. He’s been in with the likes of JZ Cavalcante, Cole Escovedo, Clay Guida, Steve Bruno, Ivan Menjivar, Chris Horodecki, John Gunderson, and Jim Miller, and that was before he ran off seven fights in the WEC, going 4-3 with a win over Anthony Pettis. And now, finally, he will be making his UFC debut this weekend with a UFC 137 bout against Tyson Griffin.

“It’s definitely a dream come true,” said Palaszewski. “Everybody wants to be in the UFC. I’ve fought in different organizations all over the world and I seasoned myself, and I wouldn’t take it back. I loved every minute of it. I loved working with the WEC, the IFL, and all the little shows. Obviously without them I wouldn’t be here now. But I’m seasoned now, I’m ready to go and I’m right where I want to be.”

And the strangest part of the whole thing is that despite paying his dues for nearly a decade while seeing less experienced fighters get called to the big show, “Bartimus” has no regrets, no sour grapes about things taking so long.

“In a way I’m glad I went through the School of Hard Knocks,” he said. “I wouldn’t change anything for the world. I’ve got quite a few losses, but I’ve got a crap load of wins as well, and I love it. I think it’s the right timing for me. I took small steps, I didn’t rush into it, and I think this way, the longevity of my stay in the UFC will be much better. I fought my way up, I’ve seen it all pretty much, and I’m here to stay.”

One of the last imports from the WEC merge to make the move to the Octagon, Palaszewski saw his debut delayed even further earlier this year when a UFC 130 bout against Cody McKenzie was scrapped, replaced by a bout with Gleison Tibau, and then scrapped again for good when Palaszewski was forced to withdraw. But he hasn’t let his idle time go to waste, as the former lightweight finally found the time to make the cut to the 145-pound weight class.

“It (losing the UFC 130 bout) was kind of frustrating, but at the same time, I’m kinda happy it happened and that’s why I’m making the 145 cut,” he said. “I always wanted to do it, but I never really had a chance because they kept us pretty busy (in the WEC). So I’m trying to make a positive out of what happened.”

Only a fighter would think cutting to a new weight class 10 pounds south was a positive thing. But then again, this is the same guy who can’t wait to throw hands with longtime UFC standout Tyson Griffin.

“He’s a good wrestler who likes to throw, so it kinda works out for me,” said Palaszewski. “But a lot of guys throw down with me until they get hit, so we’ll see how he reacts after the first punch lands. But he is a good wrestler so I’ll have to be aware of that. I’m not really worried about his striking. I know he likes to throw, but there’s a difference between throwing and actually knowing how to punch and kick. So I’m not really worried about that. The only thing I’m cautious about is his wrestling.”

And despite his tendency to go hands up, chin down and start brawling once a couple shots start landing, Palaszewski is a jiu-jitsu black belt, he’s done neglecting his ground game, and he’s promising that the fighter who shows up for his UFC debut in Las Vegas is going to be a lot different than people remember him.

“I think the last two, three years, I’ve improved the most,” he said. “When I started fighting, I was just a kid, and I was going on pure technique and pure insanity. I was just out there fighting and loving the sport. Now I’ve become a mixed martial artist. I’ve sharpened my boxing, I’m really working on my Thai Boxing, I’ve been wrestling my ass off and I want that to be phenomenal as well. I’m a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt and I’ve been spending a lot more time on the mat and I’m finally getting my adult strength. (Laughs) I’m a late bloomer. I know I haven’t reached my peak and reached the level I want to be at, and I think the next couple years are really gonna unfold a lot for me and I’m going straight to the top.”

Broken bones and all.