Author: Mike Hodges

BJ Penn Says He and Nick Diaz Are in a "Must-Win Position"

Whichever way you look at the main event, BJ Penn and Nick Diaz each have something to prove heading into their bout this weekend. After UFC welterweight champion Georges St-Pierre sustained a knee injury, which would force him to pull out of the …

Whichever way you look at the main event, BJ Penn and Nick Diaz each have something to prove heading into their bout this weekend. 

After UFC welterweight champion Georges St-Pierre sustained a knee injury, which would force him to pull out of the main event, Penn and Diaz found themselves headlining the card.

Now with the spotlight shining on the two welterweights, “The Prodigy” said they both have to make due with their situation.

“Both of us have a lot of pressure on us come Saturday night. I kind of look at it, we’re both in a must-win position,” Penn told MMAWeekly.com.

Penn’s recent track record at 170 pounds hasn’t been stellar. After moving up to face Matt Hughes at UFC 123, the Hawaiian suffered a setback in his next bout against Jon Fitch that saw both competitors fight to a draw. Questions surrounding Penn’s motivation and lack of interest in fighting became apparent once again, but he insists he still has the passion to compete in the UFC. 

“I love to do this. I love to do mixed martial arts. I love fighting for the UFC,” he said. 

As for Diaz, he is currently riding a 10-fight win streak but his notorious resentment for the media has prevented him from competing for a title shot.

Now that Diaz has been given a second chance to prove his worth to UFC management and the fans, Penn said the Stockton, California native has an entirely different agenda to focus on. 

“Nick’s here to prove himself, that he’s here to stay and that he is a title contender,” he said.

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Dana White Says Carlos Condit Is Guaranteed a Title Shot at Georges St-Pierre

While UFC 137 features a pivotal welterweight bout between BJ Penn and Nick Diaz, a victory for either for either competitor will not earn them a title shot. UFC President Dana White confirmed that Carlos Condit will receive his title shot against…

While UFC 137 features a pivotal welterweight bout between BJ Penn and Nick Diaz, a victory for either for either competitor will not earn them a title shot. 

UFC President Dana White confirmed that Carlos Condit will receive his title shot against Georges St-Pierre, as promised, during a UFC 137 press conference earlier today. 

“(Carlos) Condit’s in,” White said. “Condit is sitting and waiting.”

The title bout between Condit and St-Pierre was scheduled to headline this weekend’s card until the champion suffered a knee injury that forced him out of the event. Condit has decided to wait for St-Pierre to recover.

Although the injury is not severe, St-Pierre will undergo rehabilitation to repair the injury. The French-Canadian expects to return in February 2012, however White remained tight-lipped as to when Condit and St-Pierre would face each other. 

“GSP should be six to eight weeks,” he said. “He’s just got to have some rehab on his knee. Hopefully it doesn’t lead to surgery.”

In light of the champion’s absence, Penn and Diaz will now serve as the main event. 

UFC 137 is scheduled this weekend, live from the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas. 

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B.J. Penn: It Would Be "Awesome to See" Georges St-Pierre Move to 155 Lbs.

Since Firas Zahabi said that he would prefer Georges St-Pierre move down to 155 pounds as opposed to moving up to compete in the middleweight division, rumors have been circulating regarding the champion’s potential move. The idea of witnessing St…

Since Firas Zahabi said that he would prefer Georges St-Pierre move down to 155 pounds as opposed to moving up to compete in the middleweight division, rumors have been circulating regarding the champion’s potential move. 

The idea of witnessing St-Pierre move down is intriguing and it certainly has a him put on a few lightweight competitors’ radars, including former UFC lightweight champion B.J. Penn. 

“The Prodigy” was a featured guest on MMANation on 106.7 The Fan and gave his thoughts on the possibility of seeing St-Pierre compete at lightweight. 

“With Firas saying that Georges St-Pierre can make 155 pounds easily, it’s easy for me sit here and call BS on that, but I guess Firas would know much better than I would,” Penn said. “That would be pretty amazing if St-Pierre made 155. That would be awesome to see.”

Penn has a history with the French-Canadian, as he has competed against him on two separate occasions. His second bout with St-Pierre saw Penn overwhelmed by the champion’s size and wrestling ability that allowed the champion to earn a TKO in the fourth round. Since then, Penn has found success at lightweight and welterweight, respectively. 

However, if the Hawaiian picks up a victory over Nick Diaz this weekend at UFC 137, he could challenge St-Pierre for a third time, but Penn said there is more reward in beating him at welterweight. 

“I think the place you’d want to fight Georges and be able to beat Georges would be at welterweight because even if you did fight him at lightweight and he was depleted down and say you did beat him, you would always have to do that welterweight fight anyway,” he said. 

Although another title shot is not in Penn’s immediate plans, he still intends on entering his bout with Diaz and putting on a good performance.

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UFC "Primetime" Velasquez vs. Dos Santos Sneak Preview

As their anticipated title bout draws nearer, fans will now get an in-depth look into the lives of UFC heavyweight champion Cain Velasquez and Junior dos Santos. The two heavyweight contenders will be featured in the next installment of UFC Primet…

As their anticipated title bout draws nearer, fans will now get an in-depth look into the lives of UFC heavyweight champion Cain Velasquez and Junior dos Santos. 

The two heavyweight contenders will be featured in the next installment of UFC Primetime, scheduled to air this Sunday on FOX following NFL on FOX. The show will then lead into a title bout between Velasquez and dos Santos on Nov. 12th, live on FOX Sports. 

Velasquez will make his first title defense after defeating former champion, Brock Lesnar, at UFC 122 last year. Meanwhile, the Brazilian has been on an impressive run lately, as he recently beat Shane Carwin at UFC 131 to earn a shot at the heavyweight title. 

Before the actual broadcast of Primetime, here is a sneak preview of the upcoming episode, which features both Velasquez and dos Santos. 

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UFC to Return to Brazil in January 2012

Following the success of UFC 134, the UFC has already planned to make its return to Brazil next year. TATAME.com reports the company has planned to host an event in Sao Paulo on January 1st 2012. The Brazilian website also reports that UFC owner L…

Following the success of UFC 134, the UFC has already planned to make its return to Brazil next year. 

TATAME.com reports the company has planned to host an event in Sao Paulo on January 1st 2012. The Brazilian website also reports that UFC owner Lorenzo Fertitta visited several cities within the past few weeks to hold meetings on potentially hosting a UFC event. 

According to several sources, the UFC has decided to host their next event in Sao Paulo and have already began to contact officials, managers and Brazilian fighters to prepare for their upcoming bouts. 

The UFC recently returned to Brazil to host UFC 134 in Rio de Janeiro earlier this year. The event showcased many of the country’s prominent stars including Mauricio “Shogun” Rua and UFC middleweight champion Anderson Silva, who headlined the card against Yushin Okami. 

This will be the UFC’s first trip back to Sao Paulo since 1998, where the first Brazilian show took place featuring such fighters as Vitor Belfort, Wanderlei Silva and Pedro Rizzo.

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Cesar Gracie: Nick Diaz Should Face Georges St-Pierre If He Finishes BJ Penn

While an anticipated super-fight between Georges St-Pierre and Nick Diaz did not end up headlining UFC 137, there is a possibility they will square off in the near future. While appearing as a guest on “The MMA Hour” with Ariel Helwani, Diaz’s man…

While an anticipated super-fight between Georges St-Pierre and Nick Diaz did not end up headlining UFC 137, there is a possibility they will square off in the near future. 

While appearing as a guest on “The MMA Hour” with Ariel Helwani, Diaz’s manager Cesar Gracie believes that the Strikeforce welterweight champion should receive a title shot in favor of Carlos Condit. 

Gracie said the only way Diaz could earn his title shot against the champion is if he were to dominate and finish his opponent, BJ Penn. 

“There’s no question about it that I will ask for that if Nick has a tremendous performance and he can finish BJ, I would ask for that,” Gracie said. 

A series of unfortunate events has led to Diaz and Penn meeting in the main event this weekend, a bout that neither fighter had any interest in; except due to the Hawaiian’s relationship with Diaz and his camp. However, Gracie spoke to Penn’s camp and the two sides came to a mutual agreement and the bout was finalized. 

Gracie said that the amount of attention has increased on Diaz, after he was moved to the main event. An opportunity Diaz would surely like to take advantage of, especially if he is able to win in an impressive fashion over the former UFC lightweight champion. 

“In some strange way, it worked out,” Gracie said, regarding the bout between Diaz and Penn. 

Should Diaz earn a dominant victory this weekend, not only will he add some credibility to his name and solidify himself as a big draw with the company, but he will undoubtedly make a strong case to become the next contender for the UFC welterweight title. 

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