Tag: UFC 152

Don’t Worry, BJ Penn Will Clean Up MMA’s Steroid Problem Himself If He Has To


(Careful, BJ — drinking Sean Sherk’s blood is one of the easiest ways to get a false positive.)

In a Floyd Mayweather-esque bit of gamesmanship, BJ Penn went on twitter yesterday to make a unique “offer” to his next opponent, welterweight prodigy Rory MacDonald:

“VADA anti-doping has offered to sponsor our upcoming fight. I’ve accepted and invite you to help me clean up the sport. VADA results will be released after the fight to ensure that the fight happens. Lets get started asap!!”

You see what he did there? If Rory refuses to undergo VADA’s voluntary PED screenings, well then he’s a doper, and by extension, all the accusations that Penn previously made about MacDonald’s mentor Georges St. Pierre were accurate, and BJ Penn is the last honest man in the sport. (Like the fight itself, this whole VADA business just seems to be a way for Penn to stick it to his old buddy GSP.)


(Careful, BJ — drinking Sean Sherk’s blood is one of the easiest ways to get a false positive.)

In a Floyd Mayweather-esque bit of gamesmanship, BJ Penn went on twitter yesterday to make a unique “offer” to his next opponent, welterweight prodigy Rory MacDonald:

“VADA anti-doping has offered to sponsor our upcoming fight. I’ve accepted and invite you to help me clean up the sport. VADA results will be released after the fight to ensure that the fight happens. Lets get started asap!!”

You see what he did there? If Rory refuses to undergo VADA’s voluntary PED screenings, well then he’s a doper, and by extension, all the accusations that Penn previously made about MacDonald’s mentor Georges St. Pierre were accurate, and BJ Penn is the last honest man in the sport. (Like the fight itself, this whole VADA business just seems to be a way for Penn to stick it to his old buddy GSP.)

And how about this “results will be released after the fight to ensure that the fight happens” business? Translation: “Even if you decide to use steroids during this training camp, nobody has to know until after the fight, and we can both still get paid, so it’s totally cool.” Is that supposed to make us feel better about VADA’s legitimacy, or Penn’s commitment to fair competition? How is this going to “clean up the sport” if the fight could theoretically still proceed with at least one of the fighters using performance enhancing drugs? What’s Penn’s angle here, outside of self-promotion?

Luckily, MacDonald has already responded to this mess: “already worried BJ? honestly i think its a great idea 2, and im ready to do the testing for our fight as well.”

Now, whether or not the UFC will actually allow Penn and MacDonald to go rogue and conduct their own drug testing outside of the athletic commissions is beside the point, I guess. But it’s nice to see MacDonald call Penn’s bluff. Once again, I’m reminded of the eerie prophecy that Penn made at the end of this classic clip. MacDonald is that 12-year-old kid, finally meeting up with the original “Prodigy” at the end of his career. No amount of fight-stipulations in the world are going to prevent the inevitable from happening.

Penn vs. MacDonald is slated to go down at UFC 152, September 22nd at the Air Canada Centre in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.

GSP: 5 WWE-Inspired Ideas to Bring Georges St-Pierre Back to the UFC

This November, the UFC will feature one of the most anticipated returns in the sports history as UFC Welterweight Champion Georges St-Pierre will return to the octagon.GSP is one of the most easy-going guys in the sport, and one thing is for certain: W…

This November, the UFC will feature one of the most anticipated returns in the sports history as UFC Welterweight Champion Georges St-Pierre will return to the octagon.

GSP is one of the most easy-going guys in the sport, and one thing is for certain: When he returns, St-Pierre will be looking to get right back to work and add on to his already impressive nine-fight winning streak.

But, what if St-Pierre wanted to add a little style to his comeback? If that’s so, that would most likely mean changing his walkout song or wearing a cool, new walkout t-shirt.

Say that wasn’t enough, and St-Pierre wanted to take his comeback to the next level—the WWE level. While it’s not very likely and all these ideas have about a combined zero percent chance of happening, it’s still fun to think about.

With that said, here are five WWE inspired ways to bring UFC Welterweight Champion and one of the pound-for-pound fighters in the World Georges St-Pierre back to the UFC.

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UFC 152: Javier Mendez Says There Is "No Truth" to Cain Velasquez’s Broken Hand

Fans can finally breathe again, as Cain Velasquez’s head coach denied rumors that the former champion suffered a broken hand, leaving his anticipated rematch with Junior dos Santos still on target for UFC 152.The head coach of American Kickboxing …

Fans can finally breathe again, as Cain Velasquez‘s head coach denied rumors that the former champion suffered a broken hand, leaving his anticipated rematch with Junior dos Santos still on target for UFC 152.

The head coach of American Kickboxing Academy shot down the reports that Velasquez would be unable to return in September and confirms he is already sparring in the San Jose-based training facility.

“No truth,” Mendez told TheScore.com.

Cain told the doc after his fight that his front knuckle was bruised and all they did was give him a slip that he needed an X-ray before being cleared. Standard commission practice is all that happened and they gave him a six-month suspension until he has his X-ray to clear him. He has no injuries other than the bruise and even sparred on Monday.

Earlier reports suggested otherwise, and fans were left wondering what would become of the new main event, scheduled for September 22 at the Air Canada Centre in Toronto.

UFC president Dana White already confirmed a co-main event between Rory MacDonald and B.J. Penn is set to be on the card, and he also hopes to put Velasquez and dos Santos in the headliner, barring any injuries.

Mendez is confident that Velasquez can return to the Octagon in September, and he expects the rematch to end with different outcome.

“You can count on the rematch being different,” he said.

With the latest string of injuries tampering with UFC events these days, the company cannot afford to lose a marquee matchup featuring two of the heavyweight division’s top draws. This card will be promoted to a great extent, and considering the magnitude of the matchup, it makes sense for it to be held in one of the UFC’s biggest markets.

Fans may just get their wish to see one of the biggest fights of the year go ahead as planned, and that is a huge deal for the UFC.

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Who Is More Deserving of a Shot at Carlos Condit: Kampmann or Hendricks?

As Dana White announced after UFC on FX: Johnson vs. McCall, the UFC is targeting UFC 152 as the target date to feature the Welterweight Championship bout between George St-Pierre and current Interim Champion Carlos Condit.White also announced that the…

As Dana White announced after UFC on FX: Johnson vs. McCall, the UFC is targeting UFC 152 as the target date to feature the Welterweight Championship bout between George St-Pierre and current Interim Champion Carlos Condit.

White also announced that the number one contender fight would happen on the same card between Johny Hendricks and Martin Kampmann.

But, GSP is coming off one of the most serious injuries an athlete can suffer in a torn ACL, therefore there remains that uncertainty that St-Pierre will be ready by the November fight date. So, if GSP is unable to return by November, who should face interim champion: Hendricks or Kampmann?

Johny Hendricks is coming off back-to-back wins over Jon Fitch and Josh Koscheck, both who are former welterweight number one contenders. Hendricks defeated Fitch with style, knocking him out in only 12 seconds. Against Koscheck, Hendricks wasn’t as impressive as the two went toe-to-toe for the entire 15 minutes resulting in a split decision win that some thought to be controversial.

Either way, only George St-Pierre has defeated both Fitch and Koscheck, which makes the feat even sweeter for Hendricks.

Hendricks is 13-1 with wins over Amir Sadollah, T.J. Grant, Charlie Brenneman, Mike Pierce, and the aforementioned Jon Fitch and Josh Koscheck. Hendricks only loss was a decision to Rick Story and Hendricks has showed amazing improvements since that fight.

Has Hendricks done enough to secure a spot as the top contender in welterweight division? One fighter in particular would disagree.

Martin Kampmann continues to wow fight fans with his ability to comeback in fights where it appears he is on the verge of being finished. Earlier this month, Kampmann was rocked by fellow welterweight Jake Ellenberger, but soon gained momentum and finished Ellenberger with a vicious collection of knees.

This wasn’t Kampmann’s first rodeo though, as he was beaten up and looked like he was on his way to dropping a decision to former title contender, Thiago Alves, before locking in a guillotine with less than a minute remaining in the 3rd round.

Kampmann has a professional MMA record of 20-5 holding wins over Thales Leites, Jacob Volkmann, Paulo Thiago as well as the previously-mentioned Thiago Alves and Jake Ellenberger. Kampmann also holds a controversial split decision victory over current Interim Champion Carlos Condit. 

Both men are right on the door step and it’s nearly impossible to say one guy deserves over another, but if GSP is unable to compete by November, one of these two men should fight Carlos Condit for the Interim Welterweight Championship, but which one?

Condit has gone on record stating he’d rather face Kampmann to avenge his only loss in the UFC, and I believe that if GSP isn’t ready to go, that’s the fight we will see at UFC 152. If Hendricks would have finished Koscheck, I’d say Hendricks deserves it, but what it comes down to to me is the two men’s last two victories.

Hendricks landed one huge shot and ended his fight with Fitch in 12 seconds, which is great for the fans, but we honestly didn’t get to see that fight. If that punch doesn’t land, would Hendricks still had been victorious? Comparing that and a close, split decision win over Koscheck with Kampmann’s back to back finishes over two of the toughest guys in the welterweight division goes a long way in my book.

As I’m sure you feel the same way, I hope GSP is able to return to the UFC this November, therefore we can crown a true Welterweight Champion as well as crown a true new welterweight number one contender as Hendricks and Kampmann will face-off.

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B.J. Penn Wants to Prove Loss to GSP Was a ‘Fluke’

Georges St-Pierre and Tristar Gym may have won the battle, but if B.J. Penn has things his way, they won’t win the war.The former two-division champion is set to come out of retirement at UFC 152 to take on rising welterweight star and Tristar standout…

Georges St-Pierre and Tristar Gym may have won the battle, but if B.J. Penn has things his way, they won’t win the war.

The former two-division champion is set to come out of retirement at UFC 152 to take on rising welterweight star and Tristar standout Rory MacDonald.

There is plenty of history between Penn and MacDonald’s mentor, St-Pierre. The two first met in a closely contested No. 1 contender’s bout at UFC 58, where St-Pierre walked away with a split decision and a trip to the hospital.

The stakes were higher the second time the two legends crossed paths.

At UFC 94, it was a champion vs. champion matchup as St-Pierre defended his welterweight title against Penn, who was the reigning lightweight champ at the time.

St-Pierre stomped out past cries of controversy in a lopsided beating that ended with Penn’s corner throwing in the towel before the fifth round.

In an interview earlier this year with Brett Okamoto of ESPN.com, Penn credited the loss to St-Pierre as one of two bouts that have haunted him over the course of his career.

“I’m trying to find myself a little bit––not as a fighter trying to come back to the sport, but just as a person. I just honestly sit back and reflect and look at how it went. I really do feel I could have done a lot better in a lot of different situations. I’m heartbroken with the way some of the fights went. The way my UFC 94 fight [against Georges St-Pierre] and my fights with Frankie Edgar went. I’m heartbroken about those fights.”

Penn now sees a small opportunity for payback against MacDonald. Sure, this isn’t a world title bout against St-Pierre, but a win over a budding contender like MacDonald would be huge for Penn at this point of his career.

Is this all about vengeance? If not, what is “The Prodigy” really looking to prove against a young lion in MacDonald?

In an interview with Abel Pulver of “Just Scrap Radio,” Penn talked about his desire to show the world he’s a much better fighter than the guy who was dominated by St-Pierre.

“The past is the past. There’s nothing for me to talk about on that end. That is definitely left in the past.

It would be nice to let them know [the loss to GSP] was a fluke. The fight is not going to go down the same way. Rory is not going to just walk in there and take me out and beat me up for four rounds straight and end up putting me away. I really believe that the fight is going to go different, and they are going to realize that when we start fighting. This isn’t the same guy they fought that night, and this is going to be a whole different thing.”

Despite continued attempts by fans and media to paint Penn and St-Pierre as adversaries, “The Prodigy” says he doesn’t have any personal issues with St-Pierre or Tristar Gym.

His bout against MacDonald is just business.

“There is no bad blood. I see Firas [Zahabi] all the time. I see Georges. Everything is in the past. I’d like to get out there and show Tristar Gym and their fans – I’m a worthy opponent. I’m not just a guy that’s going to walk in the ring and somebody’s just gonna walk across the other side and walk across and crush me. That’s not gonna be the story.”

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B.J. Penn Claims Rory MacDonald Was Exactly ‘What I Needed’ for UFC Return

The long speculated return of B.J. Penn is finally official. After the UFC unsuccessfully tried to use Josh Koscheck to draw the “Prodigy” out of retirement, the young lion in the UFC’s welterweight division, Rory MacDonald, took a crack at it. Pe…

The long speculated return of B.J. Penn is finally official. 

After the UFC unsuccessfully tried to use Josh Koscheck to draw the “Prodigy” out of retirement, the young lion in the UFC’s welterweight division, Rory MacDonald, took a crack at it. Penn verbally agreed to fight MacDonald via his website, but it wasn’t made official until a day after UFC on FX 3. 

Penn was a guest on Tuesday’s UFC Tonight and was interviewed by hosts Kenny Florian and Todd Harris. Responding to Harris, Penn explained why he came back for a fight with MacDonald:

Rory’s a guy with a lot of hype around him and it’s a lot of good hype. That hype is justified. He’s been doing very well. I wanted to go up against him, Firas, the whole TriStar team. They got a real good thing going on up there and I want to take a crack at it.

Penn has the scars from his last fight with Georges St. Pierre at UFC 94, where he said many incendiary things about the welterweight champion. While I’m certain that Penn is intrigued by the unique stylistic matchup that MacDonald presents, it’s very likely that he wants to prove he can beat Firas Zahabi’s young lion. 

Penn is a naturally competitive person. Knowing his personality, he didn’t want to retire from MMA on a loss to Nick Diaz. He’s young enough that he could still hypothetically make another run at a UFC belt and get a potential third fight with St. Pierre. 

Usually I’d expect the crowd to favor the Canadian fighter, but with Penn being such a fan favorite and coming out of retirement, I wouldn’t be surprised if he’s showered with adulation.

The fight with MacDonald is tentatively scheduled for UFC 152 in Toronto this September. The main event is expected to be Junior Dos Santos vs. Cain Velasquez II. 

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