Tonight (Sunday, January 15, 2017) UFC Hall Of Famer BJ Penn makes his highly-anticipated return to Octagon action after nearly three years, and will take on the flashy young No. 10-ranked featherweight Yair Rodriguez in the main event of UFC Fight Night 103. In our co-main event UFC veteran Joe Lauzon meets Marcin Held in
Tonight (Sunday, January 15, 2017) UFC Hall Of Famer BJ Penn makes his highly-anticipated return to Octagon action after nearly three years, and will take on the flashy young No. 10-ranked featherweight Yair Rodriguez in the main event of UFC Fight Night 103.
In our co-main event UFC veteran Joe Lauzon meets Marcin Held in a lightweight scrap, in addition to a welterweight contest between Court McGee and Ben Saunders, and a flyweight bout between John Moraga and Sergio Pettis.
It should be a fun night for fight fans in Phoenix, and you can check out the full card, start time, and how to watch here:
Event: UFC Phoenix: Rodriguez vs. Penn Date: Sun., January 15, 2017 Location: Talking Stick Resort Arena in Phoenix, Arizona Broadcast: FS1
Main Card (10 PM ET, FOX Sports 1)
Featherweight: Yair Rodriguez vs. B.J. Penn
Lightweight: Joe Lauzon vs. Marcin Hield
Welterweight: Court McGee vs. Ben Saunders
Flyweight: John Moraga vs. Sergio Pettis
Preliminary Card (8PM ET, FOX Sports 1)
Bantamweight: Frankie Saenz vs. Augusto Mendes
Heavyweight: Oleksiy Oliynyk vs. Viktor Pešta
Lightweight: Alex White vs. Tony Martin
Heavyweight: Walt Harris vs. Chase Sherman
Preliminary Card (6:15 ET, UFC Fight Pass)
Women’s Strawweight: Jocelyn Jones-Lybarger vs. Nina Ansaroff
Lightweight: Devin Powell vs. Drakkar Klose
Light Heavyweight: Joachim Christensen vs. Bojan Mihajlovi?
UFC Fight Night 103 is here, and it goes down tonight (Sunday, January 15, 2017) from the at Talking Stick Resort Arena in Phoenix, Arizona. The prelims on Fight Pass will feature four bouts starting at 6:15 p.m. ET while the FOX Sports 1 prelims will feature four bouts starting at 8 p.m. ET. The
UFC Fight Night 103 is here, and it goes down tonight (Sunday, January 15, 2017) from the at Talking Stick Resort Arena in Phoenix, Arizona. The prelims on Fight Pass will feature four bouts starting at 6:15 p.m. ET while the FOX Sports 1 prelims will feature four bouts starting at 8 p.m. ET. The main card features four bouts starting at 10 p.m. ET.
According to oddsmakers, Yair Rodriguez is a -420 favorite over BJ Penn, who is a +335 underdog. Joe Lauzon vs. Marcin Held in a lightweight will be the co-main event and both fighters are -110, which means oddmakers do not have a favorite nor an underdog. Here are the betting odds:
MAIN CARD (FOX Sports 10 p.m. ET)
Featherweight: Yair Rodriguez (-420) vs. BJ Penn (+335)
Lightweight: Joe Lauzon (-110) vs. Marcin Held (-110)
Welterweight: Court McGee (-105) vs. Ben Saunders (-115)
Flyweight: John Moraga (+130) vs. Sergio Pettis (-150)
PRELIMINARY CARD (FOX Sports 1/8 p.m. ET)
Bantamweight: Augusto Mendes (+145) vs. Frankie Saenz (-165)
Heavyweight: Oleksiy Oliynyk (-140) vs. Viktor Pesta (+120)
Lightweight: Alex White (+155) vs. Tony Martin (-175)
Lightweight: Devin Powell (+220) vs. Drakkar Klose (-260)
PRELIMINARY CARD (UFC Fight Pass/6:15 p.m. ET)
Strawweight: Jocelyn Jones-Lybarger (+130) vs. Nina Ansaroff (-150)
Heavyweight: Walt Harris (-135) vs. Chase Sherman (+115)
Light Heavyweight: Joachim Christensen (-240) vs. Bojan Mihajlovic (+200)
Heavyweight: Cyril Asker (-125) vs. Dmitry Smoliakov (+105)
Sunday night in Phoenix, there will be a rising from the ashes. Surely there isn’t a more appropriate city in the world for it to occur.
BJ Penn, a living legend who has spent the past couple of years as a retired afterthought and the past year o…
Sunday night in Phoenix, there will be a rising from the ashes. Surely there isn’t a more appropriate city in the world for it to occur.
BJ Penn, a living legend who has spent the past couple of years as a retired afterthought and the past year or so trying to jump through the proper hoops just to end his exile, will enter the cage to take on young gun Yair Rodriguez in a featherweight feature.
And there’s excitement.
Penn is one of the few men who can garner attention simply by telling people he’s going to do something.
People care about Penn and what he’s doing. He’s magnetic, the type of character who draws people in and invests them in his pursuits. It’s that type of magnetism that made him the biggest star in the MMA world for a period in time, a charismatic two-weight champion who would box you up or choke you out if you didn’t come correct on fight night.
He fought every great from his era, standing across a cage or ring from the like of TakanoriGomi, Renzo Gracie, Jens Pulver, Matt Hughes (three times), Georges St-Pierre (twice), Frankie Edgar (three times) and even LyotoMachida in a heavyweight bout.
He was the epitome of a martial artist, a man who believed heart and technique could overcome any challenge put before him and who was far less focused on a manicured record and a fat pay cheque than he ever was about going out and testing himself in the name of greatness.
Sure, there were criticisms at times about his commitment to the sport, his interest in training and his motivation, but it was always a guarantee that when the lights were on and it was time for Penn to show up to a fight, he would do it to the best of his abilities. More often than not that ended with him licking the blood of a vanquished foe from his gloves as he paraded around in victory.
However, athletically, that Penn is long behind us. While he’s still magnetic and charismatic, he hasn’t won a fight in six years and hasn’t been more than a shadow of himself in that time. He’s a man who built a legacy on fighting anyone, anywhere, at any weight, and the tolls of that choice have been evident for a very long time now.
Yet because he’s a star and this is a sport driven by them, his comeback has people buzzing. There’s enthusiastic talk about how he may look now that he’s training with Greg Jackson, consideration that featherweight is perhaps the weight he should have fought at all along and even a UFC Countdown show cataloguing the process surrounding his return—a first for a UFC show broadcasting on FOX Sports 1.
Penn is the type of asset the UFC can use to either get a young talent like Rodriguez over with fans or who can prop up an event on his own as needed. At a time when ConorMcGregor is on hiatus and Ronda Rousey is at rock bottom, proven commodities are valuable and hard to come by, and those on the scale of Penn are almost impossible to find.
He’s burnt out, though.
Even if he wins on Sunday, he wins to what end? A single, surprising outcome and a fight with another younger, hungrier guy who wants to be the man to end the legend of BJ Penn? Two more such fights? Five more? How long can that be viable, even in a best-case scenario?
At 38 years old, time just isn’t on the Hawaiian’s side. He’s an icon, the type of star whom the sport may never see again because he was created by the perfect confluence of attitude, exposure and a growth period that was entirely unique. But he’s not a contender any longer, not a man who should be in there with top-10 opponents after taking nearly three years off.
Yet because his name looks so good on the marquee, he’ll fight such an opponent on Sunday, and regardless of the outcome, you might well see him fight again afterwards.
That’s star power. That’s the need for BJ Penn the name outweighing what’s good for BJ Penn the man, because while stars burn out, that star power never does.
Tomorrow night (Sun., January 15, 2017) the UFC will return in a high-profile time slot with UFC Fight Night 103 from Talking Stick Resort in Phoenix, Arizona. The card itself may not live up to the billing of a MMA event set to follow FOX’s NFL playoff broadcast, but it does feature the return of
Tomorrow night (Sun., January 15, 2017) the UFC will return in a high-profile time slot with UFC Fight Night 103 from Talking Stick Resort in Phoenix, Arizona. The card itself may not live up to the billing of a MMA event set to follow FOX’s NFL playoff broadcast, but it does feature the return of former welterweight and lightweight titleholder BJ Penn, who will look to begin a new chapter of his storied career against rising potential star Yair Rodriguez, who will look to use “The Prodigy” as his biggest win to date.
The card offers somewhat little name value aside from the main event, with Joe Lauzon vs. Marcin Held squaring off in the lightweight co-main event. Find out who we picked to win the two main bouts here:
BJ Penn vs. Yair Rodriguez:
Mike Drahota:
While “The Prodigy” has no doubt had one of the more historic and prominent careers in UFC history, it remains to be seen if his comeback attempt can bear any fruit. Since it was announced last year, Penn’s return has been blocked by seemingly endless injuries, a USADA suspension, and even a set of disturbing allegations that ultimately didn’t result in criminal charges. That makes me wonder if it was doomed before it began.
Predicting the future based on the past is at times a tough undertaking, however, so we can only focus on the facts we have. In that area, Penn simply has a massive challenge before him in the form of Rodriguez, arguably the UFC’s best rising star after the recent falls of Paige VanZant and Sage Northcutt. “El Pantera” is fast, powerful, and well rounded, and he also possesses quite possibly the most dynamic and unorthodox striking skills at the featherweight division.
“The Prodigy” has been training with both Greg Jackson and Jason Parillo, and he no doubt has the all-around game to pull off a big win. But with five losses in his last seven bouts, I just don’t see it in such a difficult fight. Penn could certainly shock the world, and his best chance to do so is probably on the ground with his world-class submission game. I just tend to believe Rodriguez’s length, speed, and accuracy will enable him to outclass Penn on the feet. Yair Rodriguez by unanimous decision.
Mike Henken:
As big of a fan of Penn as I am, I feel as if “The Prodigy” has quite a tough fight in front of him. Not only has he not won a fight since 2010, but he also hasn’t competed since being brutally stopped by Frankie Edgar in 2014. He will now attempt to make his return at 38 years of age against the red-hot prospect Rodriguez. The former TUF: Latin America winner has compiled a 5-0 record inside of the Octagon using his long and rangy striking style that includes a wide variety of spinning and jumping attacks.
Rodriguez also possesses somewhat solid wrestling and a seemingly solid ground game, although he prefers to strike. However, the Mexican can get wild at times, leaving open the opportunity for Penn to use his crisp and powerful boxing to land a big shot. Penn should also look to close the distance, as Rodriguez likes to fight from the outside. If the fight ends up on the mat, “The Prodigy” may also have a chance, as his jiu-jitsu is second to none. Now training under the tutelage of legendary trainer Greg Jackson, it’ll be interesting to see what form of Penn shows up. While I could see him pulling something off in Phoenix, I feel as if Rodriguez will stick and move on the outside, while picking Penn apart. Rodriguez by fourth-round TKO.
Joe Lauzon vs. Marcin Held:
Mike Drahota:
This possible lightweight barnburner doesn’t possess any true ranking implication for the crowded 155-pound division, but it will almost assuredly be a lot of fun. Bonus leader Lauzon has seemingly alternated big performances with ho-hum ones, and he’s lost five out of his last nine bouts after dropping a controversial split decision to his longtime foe Jim Miller in his latest bout. Held, on the other hand, is a grappling wiz like Lauzon, but he has a lot more to prove after dropping his UFC debut fight against another longtime veteran in Diego Sanchez. Held has to win to begin living up to the promise he brought, and I think he gets it done here after Lauzon puts him in some dangerous spots. Held by unanimous decision.
Mike Henken:
The co-main event should be an intriguing fight between two entertaining fighters. Lauzon is extremely aggressive, constantly pushing forward with combinations. On the ground, he fights in a similar manner, relentlessly hunting for a finish. Held is also an aggressive fighter, although he tends to push forward looking for a takedown. On the canvas, Held is extremely dangerous with submissions, although Lauzon is a brown belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and a very strong grappler himself. I see “J-Lau” avoiding a grappling match and landing big shots on the feet. Lauzon by second-round TKO.
When Yair Rodriguez steps foot inside the Octagon tomorrow night (Jan. 15) he’ll be looking to extend his winning streak to eight. Standing in his way will be former two-division Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) champion B.J. Penn.
The two haven’t exactly been trading barbs, but Penn recently revved things up by claiming Rodriguez asked to fight him because he thought it would be easy. “El Pantera” is puzzled by Penn’s words and expressed his confusion at a media scrum.
“He’s an expert, like he said. He’s pretty good at what he does, and I respect him so much. The way that he talks isn’t going to change the way that I think about him. He said he’s a professional and he’s been in dozens of fights, and he’s acting like an amateur for now. For me, I’m not mad with him.”
“I never asked for this fight. I don’t know who told him that, but it’s some fight that the UFC offered me and I accepted just like he did. I don’t know who created that lie, but I didn’t ask for this fight.”
“The Prodigy” is a UFC Hall of Famer and easily the biggest name “El Pantera” has ever encountered. Despite the accolades Penn has earned throughout his career, Rodriguez plans to treat him as he would anyone else.
“It’s an honor, but he’s a human being. I respect everyone else, it could be the President. I’d respect him the same way I respect you. It doesn’t matter who it is, I’m gonna respect them the same way.”
Tomorrow’s UFC Fight Night prelims will begin at 8 p.m. ET on FOX Sports 1 (FS1). The action will continue on the same network at 10 p.m. ET.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mq0psjm4f3I
When Yair Rodriguez steps foot inside the Octagon tomorrow night (Jan. 15) he’ll be looking to extend his winning streak to eight. Standing in his way will be former two-division Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) champion B.J. Penn.
The two haven’t exactly been trading barbs, but Penn recently revved things up by claiming Rodriguez asked to fight him because he thought it would be easy. “El Pantera” is puzzled by Penn’s words and expressed his confusion at a media scrum.
“He’s an expert, like he said. He’s pretty good at what he does, and I respect him so much. The way that he talks isn’t going to change the way that I think about him. He said he’s a professional and he’s been in dozens of fights, and he’s acting like an amateur for now. For me, I’m not mad with him.”
“I never asked for this fight. I don’t know who told him that, but it’s some fight that the UFC offered me and I accepted just like he did. I don’t know who created that lie, but I didn’t ask for this fight.”
“The Prodigy” is a UFC Hall of Famer and easily the biggest name “El Pantera” has ever encountered. Despite the accolades Penn has earned throughout his career, Rodriguez plans to treat him as he would anyone else.
“It’s an honor, but he’s a human being. I respect everyone else, it could be the President. I’d respect him the same way I respect you. It doesn’t matter who it is, I’m gonna respect them the same way.”
Tomorrow’s UFC Fight Night prelims will begin at 8 p.m. ET on FOX Sports 1 (FS1). The action will continue on the same network at 10 p.m. ET.
UFC Hall of Famer BJ Penn and Kenny Florian meet in the main event of UFC 101. BJ Penn returns against Yair Rodriguez at Fight Night Phoenix on January 15th.The post BJ Penn vs. Kenny Florian Full Fight Video appeared first on LowKickMMA.com.
UFC Hall of Famer BJ Penn and Kenny Florian meet in the main event of UFC 101. BJ Penn returns against Yair Rodriguez at Fight Night Phoenix on January 15th.
Sunday night in Phoenix, there will be a rising from the ashes. Surely there 
