Tag: BJ Penn

Must-See Video Roundup: Penn’s Trainer Going Apesh*t, Megumi Fuji on Ninja Warrior, Krazy Horse Gets Choked Out + More

(18 seconds in = that moment when you realize you’ve literally been screaming obscenities on national television for the past 15 seconds. Props to FightersOnly.) 

We should all be thanking our lucky stars for tape delay, because if it weren’t for the quick minds (and fingers) of the UFC’s censorship department, some of our children might have had their minds permanently tainted by the obscene gestures and naughty words used by two men trying to beat the ever-loving shit out of each other last Saturday night. And that is unacceptable. I mean, violence is one thing, but the middle finger being thrown about all willy-nilly?! I don’t want my illegitimate children growing up in that kind of cold, harsh world.

And God forbid the censors had let the onslaught of f-bombs delivered by BJ Penn‘s trainer during his introduction (as captured above) slip past them, or we would have had a full blown crisis on our hands. As you can see, the gentlemen to the top left of the screen — likely through some sort of Hawaiian, mumbo-jumbo voodoo ritual that involves the repeated shouting of curse words — somehow absorbed all of the energy Penn was supposed to have stored up for his fight with Rory MacDonald in the moments beforehand. It’s the only explanation of how Penn gassed in a minute and a half, and the defense I am prepared to use whilst trapping my disappointment in his performance deep in the recesses of my soul.

Anyway, I spent most of my morning drowning my sorrows in alcohol compiling a playlist of awesome, semi-MMA-related videos from around the web that will last you through your lunch break, so check ’em out after the jump.


(18 seconds in = that moment when you realize you’ve literally been screaming obscenities on national television for the past 15 seconds. Props to FightersOnly.) 

We should all be thanking our lucky stars for tape delay, because if it weren’t for the quick minds (and fingers) of the UFC’s censorship department, some of our children might have had their minds permanently tainted by the obscene gestures and naughty words used by two men trying to beat the ever-loving shit out of each other last Saturday night. And that is unacceptable. I mean, violence is one thing, but the middle finger being thrown about all willy-nilly?! I don’t want my illegitimate children growing up in that kind of cold, harsh world.

And God forbid the censors had let the onslaught of f-bombs delivered by BJ Penn‘s trainer during his introduction (as captured above) slip past them, or we would have had a full blown crisis on our hands. As you can see, the gentlemen to the top left of the screen — likely through some sort of Hawaiian, mumbo-jumbo voodoo ritual that involves the repeated shouting of curse words — somehow absorbed all of the energy Penn was supposed to have stored up for his fight with Rory MacDonald in the moments beforehand. It’s the only explanation of how Penn gassed in a minute and a half, and the defense I am prepared to use whilst trapping my disappointment in his performance deep in the recesses of my soul.

Anyway, I spent most of my morning drowning my sorrows in alcohol compiling a playlist of awesome, semi-MMA-related videos from around the web that will last you through your lunch break, so check ‘em out after the jump.


(Props to MMAlinker.)

Up next, an appearance by a young Megumi Fujii on the legendary Japanese game show Sasuke, or as it is better known, Ninja Warrior. Personally, I was always more of a Takeshi’s Castle/MXC fan myself, but I’ll admit, the (SPOLIER) Jump Hang obstacle that Fujii eats it on looks like it would be pretty damn tough in its own right. Not being run over with a Temple of Doom boulder tough, but a hell of a lot more badass than the padded down, kiddie-league bullshit that is the current American version of NW.


(Props to ZombieProphet.)

So everyone’s favorite probably homeless fighter, Charles “Krazy Horse” Bennett, returned to action over the weekend, taking on the 13-10 Ronnie “Bam Bam” Rogers. Having dropped three out of his last four fights, a surprisingly reserved Bennett — which I’m going to blame on the quaaludes Bennett has probably been making in the alleyway — engaged in a surprisingly technical scrap with Rogers. But don’t worry, we were treated to a couple of Bennett’s infamous slams before he got (SPOILER) choked out at the end of the first. Don’t worry, Krazy Horse, we hear Dana White’s got a one room cardboard bungalow available for rent.


(Props to MiddleEasy.) 

And speaking of homeless people, this playlist wouldn’t be complete if I didn’t show you the interaction between Nick Diaz and a homeless man with one of the honest-to-God most disturbing health conditions I’ve ever seen. Although I think his “Fuck you, pay me” sign is lacking a little creativity, I can see why it would appeal to a guy like Nick Diaz, who has literally been saying the exact same thing his entire career. And like the vagrant, Nick doesn’t know what it’s like to buy a house either!

That last one was a freebie.

–J. Jones

Carlos Condit’s Manager Says They’re Up for Rory MacDonald Rematch, Suggests Neutral Territory


(Photo via CombatLifestyle.)

Following Rory MacDonald‘s three-round assault of BJ Penn at UFC on FOX 5, the 23-year-old welterweight contender made it clear that he wanted a rematch with Carlos Condit, who previously TKO’d him with seven seconds remaining in a fight that MacDonald might have won on points. (You can revisit MacDonald’s darkest moment right here.) As Rory told Ariel Helwani on Fuel TV, “I was humiliated and embarrassed after that fight, and I think about that fight all the time, it haunts me, and I really need to get past that chapter in my life. My challenge is out there, it’s up to Carlos to accept my challenge…he’s coming off a loss, he’s gotta fight somebody, it might as well be me.”

Makes sense to us. But does it make sense to Condit? According to his manager Malki Kawa, hell yes. “Carlos Condit doesn’t back down from any man,” Kawa told MMAWeekly. “If the UFC asks us to fight Rory MacDonald, Carlos will take the fight.”


(Photo via CombatLifestyle.)

Following Rory MacDonald‘s three-round assault of BJ Penn at UFC on FOX 5, the 23-year-old welterweight contender made it clear that he wanted a rematch with Carlos Condit, who previously TKO’d him with seven seconds remaining in a fight that MacDonald might have won on points. (You can revisit MacDonald’s darkest moment right here.) As Rory told Ariel Helwani on Fuel TV, “I was humiliated and embarrassed after that fight, and I think about that fight all the time, it haunts me, and I really need to get past that chapter in my life. My challenge is out there, it’s up to Carlos to accept my challenge…he’s coming off a loss, he’s gotta fight somebody, it might as well be me.”

Makes sense to us. But does it make sense to Condit? According to his manager Malki Kawa, hell yes. “Carlos Condit doesn’t back down from any man,” Kawa told MMAWeekly. “If the UFC asks us to fight Rory MacDonald, Carlos will take the fight.”

There is one point of contention, however — the venue where the fight would take place. Though their first bout took place at UFC 115 in Vancouver, MacDonald mentioned during his post-fight interview with Joe Rogan on Saturday that he’d like the rematch to take place in his home-base of Montreal. As you can imagine, that’s not an ideal scenario for the Condit camp; Kawa counter-proposed that the rematch happen in Las Vegas — neutral territory, though much closer to Condit’s home in Albuquerque, New Mexico.

So how would a Condit vs. MacDonald rematch go down in 2013? MacDonald clearly has the firepower to give Condit a bad night — and maybe he’s gained the poise and maturity since their first meeting to avoid another ill-timed implosion.

Anderson Silva vs. Jon Jones and 10 MMA Superfights We Would Love to See

Now that 2012 is almost gone, we are left with the promise of some big fights for 2013. Of course, we all hope they will live up to the hype that has been afforded them, be it by the press, Dana White, or our own imaginations and preconceived notions. …

Now that 2012 is almost gone, we are left with the promise of some big fights for 2013. Of course, we all hope they will live up to the hype that has been afforded them, be it by the press, Dana White, or our own imaginations and preconceived notions.

We can look forward to Jose Aldo vs. Frankie Edgar, Georges St-Pierre vs. Nick Diaz and scores of other fights, but we continue to wonder about those larger than life superfights becoming reality.

Aldo-Edgar is close to a superfight, as is GSP-Diaz, but they both fall short for a variety of reasons, most due to perception and status in the sport.

That is not to say they can’t be sold as mega-bouts, because they can, but Jose Aldo and GSP will be the men that bring the “super” into the notion of a superfight, and that is where they fall slightly short.

For a real superfight to be, well, super, both men need to carry that load— like Anderson Silva and Jon Jones, for instance.

Still, we shouldn’t let mere technicalities hold us back in our wanting and wondering. There are true superfights out there that could redefine the notion, or at least prove that sometimes, it is enough that one man carry the load as long as the other is willing to share it during the bout itself.

A fight is a coauthored affair, after all, and sometimes public perception isn’t as sharp as it should be, especially with the casual fan who depend on the general media to make their predeterminations.

So, here are 10 fights in that vein that we would love to see; some more than others, but all deserving in their own way of some hope of realization.

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BJ Penn: Why Lightweight Is No Longer a Viable Option for "The Prodigy"

Although BJ Penn has steered clear of the media since he was shellacked by the unnervingly glacial Rory MacDonald at UFC on Fox 5, Saturday night’s postmortem has centred on the possibility that “The Prodigy” is on his way to permanen…

Although BJ Penn has steered clear of the media since he was shellacked by the unnervingly glacial Rory MacDonald at UFC on Fox 5, Saturday night’s postmortem has centred on the possibility that “The Prodigy” is on his way to permanent retirement.

The debate as to whether the former two-division champion should go down this route has been mostly one-sided, yet it remains unresolved largely due to a vocal minority.

On the MMA Hour, earlier tonight, Ariel Helwani and Eric Jackman suggested that they would like to see Penn drop back down to lightweight—with the latter even stating that he wouldn’t be opposed to the Hawaiian sticking around at welterweight.

While I can’t defend the notion that Penn should hang around as a gatekeeper at 170 pounds, one can understand the desire to see him once again compete at his natural weight.

At the age of 33, it will be a while before “The Prodigy” picks up his pension, and while he may be past his prime, he is hardly in the same boat as the Ken Shamrocks of this world.

It was only last year that he fought to a draw with the then No. 2 welterweight on the planet, Jon Fitch. He was perhaps on his way to winning that contest until, not unexpectedly, he gassed out in the final frame.

So, the argument that Penn could compete at the top of the lightweight division is not without merit.

However, I suspect that the proponents of the aforementioned argument would be quickly disabused of this notion if Penn were to drop down to 155 pounds and face a top contender.

The reason for this is simple.

BJ Penn’s last two fights have shown that the size difference played only a minor role in the beatings handed out to him by Nick Diaz and MacDonald.

Despite what the Hawaiian’s more rabid fans might think, he was not out-muscled or worn down by his much larger foes.

One could even argue that neither Diaz nor MacDonald took full advantage of the physical handicap, since both bouts were fought almost exclusively at striking range.

The second point is that, at least on Saturday, Penn looked to have a lot more in the tank towards the end of the fight than anyone could have anticipated.

He almost sprinted to the centre of the cage at the start of all three rounds, and generally looked much fresher than he had against Diaz or Fitch.

No, it wasn’t size nor cardio that slayed him. It was indeed beauty that felled “The Prodigy,” albeit in the form of MacDonald’s violent, visually poetic combinations.

Put more simply, BJ Penn was outclassed by a much better mixed martial artist. The result would have been the same had Rory been four inches shorter and three inches narrower.

In a qualitative, if not quantitative, sense, the sport has reached new heights over the last couple of years. The calibre of mixed martial artist that now competes inside the Octagon is on a different level than anything we have seen before.

Freddie Roach once described BJ Penn as the best boxer in MMA, but “The Prodigy’s” recent outings have served to demonstrate the limitations of a purely boxing-centred approach.

Similarly, his once-peerless ground game no longer appears novel when compared to the submission artistry of Demian Maia or Rousimar Palhares.

In addition to the sport’s continued evolution, Penn’s skills have undoubtedly declined to a degree.

While I don’t subscribe to the view that they have dropped off the figurative cliff, it seems clear that he is slower, less explosive and his reflexes have been blunted to the point of debilitation.

I remain open to the possibility that I am wrong about BJ Penn’s prospects in the modern MMA world, but current evidence suggests that it is time for him to hang up the gloves and preserve the legacy he has fought so hard to build.

Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com

BJ Penn: It’s Time to Call It a Career

BJ Penn has had one of the most successful runs in UFC history. He’s asked where was his 10 fight winning streak. With his mentality he never could’ve had one. Despite being sometimes severely outsized at welterweight, “The Prodigy” took fig…

BJ Penn has had one of the most successful runs in UFC history.

He’s asked where was his 10 fight winning streak. With his mentality he never could’ve had one. Despite being sometimes severely outsized at welterweight, “The Prodigy” took fights with bigger guys that others shy away from. He could’ve stayed at lightweight where he held a 11-3-1 record and dominated everyone not named Frankie Edgar. He could’ve taken carefully picked opponents at welterweight and looked great defeating them.

However, he took the road less traveled. BJ always took the best fighters out there. He fought an undefeated Lyoto Machida that weighed 220 pounds, took on a much larger GSP, and also took fights at middleweight. In a sense, BJ got in his own way. His warrior mentality that everybody knows and loves lead to lots of damage and a poor end to a historic career.

Whether it was Rory MacDonald punishing him with body punches and kicks or Nick Diaz wailing away at him, he never gave up. If he were to end his career right now he’d be one of the only fighters ever to never get knocked down in his entire career. One of the only fighters to step up and fight guys a weight class four classes up from where he belongs.

For that BJ should be remembered as one of the all-time greats. These days guys need $50 million to fight in a catchweight bout. BJ would just pack on the cheeseburgers and make it happen.

For all of the naysayers who say that BJ lacked motivation in some fights, I dare them to find someone else in the UFC today that has his resume and still takes on the challenges he has. Anderson Silva stepped up to light heavyweight and fought Forrest Griffin, James Irving, and Stephan Bonnar, all while refusing to fight Jon Jones. BJ has stepped up to fight GSP twice, Hall of Famer Matt Hughes twice, and a prospect in Rory MacDonald that not many people want a piece of. Many people are afraid to lose. BJ welcomed the challenge of going out to win.

With all of that said, unfortunately Father Time has come knocking at BJ’s door. He’s not going to be licking blood off of his gloves anytime soon and his days of contending for a Championship are very well over. 

Despite the struggle and ineptitude of his final appearances against much larger and stronger competition, remember BJ as being quite possibly the last true warrior of the Octagon. Remember him as one to never back down from a challenge no matter how much larger his opponent was or how bad a matchup looked on paper. BJ Penn always came to fight.

Some people will leave BJ out of the conversation with the Anderson Silvas and GSPs of the MMA world. In a way it’s warranted because he will never be what Anderson and GSP are.

And maybe that’s a good thing.

Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com

10 Things Learned from UFC on FOX 5 and Major Headlines

Unlike most of my UFC recaps, this will be different because of the UFC on Fox 5 card having only four fights. Also there were a few major announcements from Dana White’s press conference on Thursday that I want to cover regarding Ronda Rousey an…

Unlike most of my UFC recaps, this will be different because of the UFC on Fox 5 card having only four fights. Also there were a few major announcements from Dana White’s press conference on Thursday that I want to cover regarding Ronda Rousey and George St. Pierre.

UFC on FOX 5 was the best FOX card on paper and it instantly delivered the best showing on FOX. It wasn’t the best UFC event of the year because of the lack of finishes but the fights were very entertaining with some major breakout performances.

It would have been nice to see less one-sided fights, but there weren’t any fights that made you want the clock to hit zero already like Matt Hamill versus Roger Hollett at UFC 152. I’d rather watch a Joe Rogan five minute promo hyping up a card three straight times than watch that fight again. Now here are the highs and lows that we saw and learned from UFC on FOX.

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