On Sunday night at the finale of Season 19 of The Ultimate Fighter, former lightweight champion Frankie Edgar faced off against the man he took the title from, former lightweight and welterweight champion BJ Penn.
Penn had been out for 19 mon…
On Sunday night at the finale of Season 19 of The Ultimate Fighter, former lightweight champion Frankie Edgar faced off against the man he took the title from, former lightweight and welterweight champion BJ Penn.
Penn had been out for 19 months after a semi-retirement, and this was his first career fight at featherweight. Edgar had been out one year to the day, and his last fight, which won Fight of the Night, was a unanimous-decision victory over Charles Oliveira.
In a completely dominant fight, Edgar kept up his winning ways and defeated Penn with a TKO due to ground-and-pound late in the third round. Let’s check out what we learned from the featherweight fight.
What We’ll Remember About This Fight
Edgar’s total domination. Each round consisted of Edgar being quicker with strikes, then getting the fight to the ground and totally controlling Penn. He turned it up a notch in the third round and was able to completely overwhelm Penn with elbows and punches.
What We Learned About Edgar
Nothing we didn’t already know. He’s fast and a top-level grappler with good ground-and-pound and knockout power. He’s also really adept at beating up Penn.
What We Learned About Penn
That his weight was never the reason for his cardio issues. Even at 145 pounds, with Mike Dolce helping him to make weight, Penn was very tired by the end of the second. Many thought a drop to featherweight would help his cardio, but it simply didn’t.
What’s Next for Edgar
There are a lot of potential fights for Edgar. Depending on how long Jose Aldo is out with his injury, maybe Edgar could get an interim title fight against Chad Mendes.
If that fight doesn’t happen, then a fight with either Cub Swanson or Ricardo Lamas could be a definite possibility, with the winner getting the next title shot.
What’s Next for Penn
Retirement. No question.
Going into the fight, UFC President Dana Whitehad said that if Penn were to lose, he would push for him to retire. He never had to push Penn though, as The Prodigy essentially announced his retirement in the cage after the fight and then later made it official.
Now, Penn can go back to Hawaii and just relax knowing that he’s finally retired—for real. He will eventually end up in the UFC Hall of Fame as one of two fighters to ever earn a UFC title in two different weight classes.
The Ultimate Fighter season 19 came to a close with a dominant performance by all of Team Edgar.
Frankie Edgar decimated BJ Penn, Corey Anderson stopped Matt Van Buren and Eddie Gordon upset Dhiego Lima. A fine showing, however the story was the main e…
The Ultimate Fighter season 19 came to a close with a dominant performance by all of Team Edgar.
Frankie Edgar decimated BJ Penn, Corey Anderson stopped Matt Van Buren and Eddie Gordon upset Dhiego Lima. A fine showing, however the story was the main event.
Penn goes out with a whimper.
The Ultimate Fighter 19 Finale Main Card
Frankie Edgar defeats BJ Penn by TKO at 4:16 of the third round
Corey Anderson defeats Matt Van Buren by TKO at 1:01 of the first round
Eddie Gordon defeats Dhiego Lima by TKO at 1:11 of the first round
Derrick Lewis defeats Guto Inocente by TKO at 3:30 of the first round
The Ultimate Fighter 19 season finale takes place on Sunday, and it is headlined by a battle of the coaches.
For the third time, Frankie Edgar and BJ Penn will step inside the cage to oppose each other. The first two times both went the way of Edgar by…
The Ultimate Fighter 19 season finale takes place on Sunday, and it is headlined by a battle of the coaches.
For the third time, Frankie Edgar and BJ Penn will step inside the cage to oppose each other. The first two times both went the way of Edgar by unanimous decision.
This time they meet at 145 pounds.
UFC 112 was the site of the first meeting between the two legends, but Edgar was not yet a legend. In a close battle, Edgar got the nod on the judges’ scorecards, but many felt that Penn did enough to retain his UFC Lightweight Championship.
UFC 118 was the rematch to determine the true champion. Edgar left no doubt in that one, dominating Penn en route to retaining his lightweight title.
Penn has gone 1-2-1 since those two bouts, and Edgar has only managed to go 2-3-1 after defeating Penn twice. They both need this victory.
What are their keys to victory? Let’s break it down.
Frankie Edgar
Keep a High Pace
Drag It into Deep Waters
Don’t Change
What Edgar did in the first two fights is what he needs to do in the third.
Penn has always had cardio questions, and Edgar’s relentless pace will cause a lot of issues in this matchup. His nonstop movement will force Penn to either come forward to close the distance or to maintain a high work rate that will ultimately deplete his energy.
At 145 pounds, how much energy will Penn have? He is supposedly at 148 pounds midweek, but we still do not know how easy this cut was, how good his camp was or how well he will recover after the weigh-in.
The combination of Edgar’s pace and this being a five-round fight could pose big issues for the Hawaiian. That is why Edgar should not change his game plan.
Edgar supremely blends his boxing and wrestling inside the Octagon. He was able to take down Penn three separate times in their second fight. He found the formula that many never did. Edgar’s game plan will only need to be tweaked, not changed.
BJ Penn
Establish the Jab
Manage the Pace
Control, Control, Control
Penn’s most effective offense in his fights with Edgar was his jab. The early part of their first fight was controlled by Penn’s jab, and he needs to establish it once again in this fight.
The jab will set up his other strikes and force Edgar to remain on the outside. Penn can take control of the center of the cage. He will not need to chase Edgar.
Penn cannot let Edgar dictate the pace of this fight. Penn has to be the one to do that in a 25-minute fight. His history of tiring out will always weigh in everyone’s minds. He has gone 25 minutes before and looked great, but only when he was the one who dictated the fight.
If Penn is able to clinch with or take down Edgar, he must control him. Edgar is exceptional at getting off the fence and getting off his back. Penn is the bigger fighter. He is stronger. He must impose his will against the fence. On the ground, he is one of the very best in MMA. He cannot allow Edgar to continually get up.
Edgar is known as “The Answer,” and he has solved all of Penn’s questions to date. This fight is important for both men’s legacies. The keys to victory have not changed much since their first encounter. It is all about who is able to go out and execute his game plan on Sunday.
Talk about an exhibition of fighters at opposite ends of the mixed martial arts spectrum. Two legendary featherweights, Frankie Edgar and BJ Penn, are set to battle in the main event of the finale of The Ultimate Fighter 19 in Las Vegas….
Talk about an exhibition of fighters at opposite ends of the mixed martial arts spectrum. Two legendary featherweights, Frankie Edgar and BJ Penn, are set to battle in the main event of the finale of The Ultimate Fighter 19 in Las Vegas.
The last three fights on Sunday night’s card will be an example of fighters at the end of their careers, and some just beginning their UFC journey.
After leading their teams to this point through this season of the popular reality show, Edgar and Penn will fight for pride and a significant win in their storied rivalry.
Having met twice already, the two know each other very well. It should be an entertaining bout between two of the best ever.
Also, the light heavyweight and middleweight tournament finals will take place. Whose career will go to the next level?
Here’s a look at the entire card, predictions and viewing information. Just below the table is a breakdown of the top fights on the main card.
The Tank Will Roll
If you’re looking for the next potential star of the flyweight division, look no further than Justin “Tank” Scoggins. Through the first nine fights in his career, Scoggins has shown no real weaknesses.
He’s an excellent striker and a good grappler. In his two fights in the UFC, Scoggins has shown both aspects of his game. Dustin Ortiz is no slouch. He’s ranked No. 13 and very quick, but his stand-up game is no match for the relentless Scoggins. Ortiz will try to make this a wrestling match, but he’ll likely be stood up with jabs and leg kicks to keep him honest.
Look for Scoggins to burst into the top 10 with a decisive KO win over Ortiz on Saturday night.
The Black Beast Will Continue His War Path
Even if Derrick “The Black Beast” Lewis doesn’t have the all-around game to ever become a true contender for the UFC heavyweight title, he has the charisma and punching power to be a major draw.
Having scored nine of his 10 wins by KO, the 260-pound beastly heavyweight has shown and proved that he will be a true force.
From a size standpoint, Lewis has a huge advantage over Inocente. Though the 6’3″ 28-year-old Brazilian hasn’t weighed in officially for the bout with Lewis, it’s hard to imagine that he will be much over 220 pounds he’s listed at on UFC.com.
Because Inocente likes to stand and fight, his style plays into the hands of the Beast. This will lead to a quick night for Inocente and another impressive win for Lewis.
Lima Will Make Sure the Truck Stops Here
Eddie “Truck” Gordon is a big and powerful middleweight, but he won’t be able to keep up the pace once the fight goes to the ground. Dhiego Lima is a well-rounded and experienced grappler. His level of comfort on the ground will be the difference.
Gordon is a thickly built middleweight, and the bulk won’t serve him well in this bout. Lima will take him down and drain his stamina. If Lima doesn’t submit Gordon there, he’ll have more energy in the second and third rounds.
The result will be a submission or unanimous-decision victory for Lima.
The Beasts Keep Winning
One fighter who goes by the moniker of “Beast” will have already won his bout. Corey “Beastin 25/8” Anderson will continue the winning ways of the Beastly.
He blew through the TUF house scoring first-round finishes in two bouts. Anderson is simply a better athlete and fighter than Matt “Gutter” Van Buren. After a great bout to reach the final, Van Buren may have gained a solid following.
The Ultimate Fighter Twitter account gave Gutter his props:
Van Buren has a career in the sport, but he’s matched against a potential title contender at 205 pounds in Anderson. Chalk up another win for Anderson as he’ll stop Van Buren in the second round.
The Prodigy Will Have No Answer for Edgar
Both BJ Penn and Frankie Edgar are future Hall of Famers, or at least they should be. That said, one is a bit closer to hanging up the gloves than the other. Per Fox Sports 1 telecast (h/t Yahoo Sports) UFC president Dana White says this is a desperate time for Penn.
“It could be possibly watching Michael Jordan playing his last basketball game. It could be Tiger Woods’ last golf game. This could be BJ Penn’s last fight, possibly. If he wins, we’ll see what he does from there, but if he loses, I will actually push for him to retire.”
Aside from the hyperbole from the president, there is clear truth in the bottom line of the statement.
Penn hasn’t fought since Dec. 2012, and he hasn’t looked good in a bout for years. There would be little reason for Penn to continue fighting if he falls to Edgar.
The Answer has had a year-long layoff himself, but he won his last fight over Charles Oliveira quite impressively.
This is a third bout in a trilogy that really doesn’t make much sense. Penn lost the first two bouts, and he’s a lock to lose the third meeting on Saturday night.
Edgar will win by a clear unanimous decision, and hopefully Penn will retire and wait for the Hall of Fame call.
All height, weight and ranking references per UFC.com.
On Saturday, Chris Weidman will look to defend his middleweight title against Lyoto Machida, and Ronda Rousey will look to defend her title against Alexis Davis.
The next day, Frankie Edgar and BJ Penn will meet for the third time, following their coac…
On Saturday, Chris Weidman will look to defend his middleweight title against Lyoto Machida, and Ronda Rousey will look to defend her title against Alexis Davis.
The next day, Frankie Edgar and BJ Penn will meet for the third time, following their coaching gig on The Ultimate Fighter.
Penn and Edgar first fought at UFC 112, where Edgar won Penn’s lightweight title by unanimous decision. Penn was granted an immediate rematch, and Edgar won a second unanimous decision, and he was more dominant than the first fight.
After the second fight, Penn went 1-2-1 before semi-retiring in December 2012. Edgar would go 2-3-1, including a drop to the featherweight division.
Their fight on Sunday will be Penn’s featherweight debut, while it will be Edgar’s third outing in the division, as well as his third fight with Penn. Let’s see who’s got the edge in their trilogy fight.
B.J. Penn will forever be known as one of the most dominant lightweight champions MMA and the UFC have ever seen. That doesn’t mean the 35-year-old welterweight and lightweight champion should fight forever, though.
Win or lose, UFC preside…
B.J. Penn will forever be known as one of the most dominant lightweight champions MMA and the UFC have ever seen. That doesn’t mean the 35-year-old welterweight and lightweight champion should fight forever, though.
Win or lose, UFC president Dana White thinks he needs to step in before allowing Penn to continue his career.
“This is B.J.’s last fight possibly,” White said on Tuesday on Fox Sports 1. “If he wins, we’ll see what he does from there, but if he loses, I will actually push for him to retire.”
Scheduled to make his return to the octagon—this time at 145 pounds—against Frankie Edgar, many are left to wonder what version of Penn they’ll see.
Or will it be the guy who only captured one victory in his last six Octagon appearances?
Since 2010, Penn has only seen his hand raised once—a knockout over Matt Hughes, who went on to retire just one year after.
It wouldn’t be fair to completely disparage Penn as a force in the featherweight division, especially since he spent the last two years of his fighting career scrapping with much bigger, stronger fighters at 170 pounds.
It’s possible that fighting smaller, but faster, fighters at 145 pounds is all that Penn needs to recapture the dominance he once enjoyed as a lightweight.
But considering the issues he had with a faster fighter in Frankie Edgar back in August and April of 2010—when Penn was only 31-years-old—it’s highly unlikely that fans will see “The Prodigy” return to his former glory.
Win or lose, Penn’s legacy as one of the best fighters to ever grace the Octagon will last forever.
“It could be possibly watching Michael Jordan playing his last basketball game,” White said. “It could be Tiger Woods’ last golf game.”
Kristian Ibarra is a Featured Columnist at Bleacher Report. He also serves as the sports editor at San Diego State University’s student-run newspaper, The Daily Aztec. Follow him on Twitter at @Kristian_Ibarra for all things MMA.
On Sunday night at the finale of Season 19 of The Ultimate Fighter, former lightweight champion Frankie Edgar faced off against the man he took the title from, former lightweight and welterweight champion BJ Penn.