BJ Penn vs. Jon Fitch, George Sotiropoulos vs. Denis Siver Planned for UFC 127 in Australia
Just hours after earning impressive wins at Saturday’s UFC 123, new challenges already await former champ BJ Penn and rising lightweight George Sotiropoulos, as Penn is expected to face welterweight contender Jon Fitch and Sotiropoulos will likely meet Dennis Siver at UFC 127 on Feb. 27 in Sydney, Australia.
UFC President Dana White announced the matchups at UFC 123′s post-fight press conference.
Penn (16-7-1) knocked out hall of famer Matt Hughes in just 21-second at UFC 123 in their anticipated rubber match to rebound from back-to-back losses to Frankie Edgar, while Fitch (23-3), who was targeted to face Jake Ellenberger in February, has earned five-straight decision wins.
Both Sotiropoulos (14-2) and Siver (17-7) are coming off impressive submission wins, as the Australian Sotiropoulos tapped Joe Lauzon in the second-round of UFC 123′s “Fight of the Night” for his sixth-straight UFC win, while Siver stopped Andre Winner in the opening-round with the “Submission of the Night” last Saturday at UFC 122.
The UFC 127 fight card is also rumored to include Michael Bisping vs. Jorge Rivera and Carlos Condit vs. Chris Lytle.
For the latest UFC 127 news and UFC 127 rumors stay tuned to MMAFrenzy.com.
Pictured: BJ Penn
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No disrespect to Siver, but George needs a number one contenders bout. The winner should get the next shot after the WEC and UFC titles merge.
wow awsome main event
Poor George he just isn’t getting the sit up he deserves. He’s 7-0 in the UFC and he’s on a 8 fight win streak. He’s even fought Shinya Aoki. I thought he would have got Sherk or even Gomi. Those fights makes a bit more seen to me anyways.
Whilst the other fights do make more sense from a rankings point of view, George is massively popular and a hugely marketable asset for the UFC in Australia. This may be the UFC thinking smart and making sure George comes out of Sydney victorious. Siver is a good fighter, but he is not on George’s level.
I am a bit confused as to why UFC seem to be running with Bisping/Jorge when Dana did state that Bisping would get a Top 5 guy in his next fight. Bisping/Marquardt or Bisping/Wandy II would surely be more marketable fights in Australia?
I do like the Penn / Fitch fight tho. If Fitch thinks the ground is a safe place with Penn wow is he in trouble.
GSP had no problem with BJ Penn on the ground the 2nd time they fought and I think that’s Fitch’s best chance in winning also. He’s a great well rounded fighter, but so is BJ Penn. I think this fight will be one to see and I would like to see the winner get a title shot. It’s understandable if the winner doesn’t get the title shot though. Should be good. :)
It will be a repeat of GSP and BJ 2, Fitch is way to big and way to tough. He will smother BJ and pull out a decision.
yea I reluctantly agree :(
This is the matchup i feared when BJ announced he was fighting at 170
A repeat, except BJ quit in Penn-GSP 2.
I’m not sure I like that fight for BJ. He better show up in SICK shape for that fight. That’s a tought fight for both guys. Look forward to seeing it.
BJ AND FITCH is an awesome i called it last night right after bj KOed hughes…. BJ is gonna run through Fitch nasty!
Its not awesome..Fitch lays on him for 3 rds (UD Fitch) & Sotiropoulos deserves a better fight
FITCH gets koed mark my words!! bj is too quick and powerfeul for anyone execpt gsp at ww…
Penn may win the fight, but exactly when was the last time anyone has seen Jon Fitch T/KO’ed at 170?
Answer: never.
When was the last time anyone has seen Jon Fitch T/KO’ed at 185?
Answer: again, never.
The last [and only] time Jon Fitch was KO’ed was back in 2002, against Wilson Gouveia, and at 205…
gonna have to say, fitch has had some scary moments with his chin but managed to recover, if anyone will stop him, it will be BJ Penn. GSP mixed his wrestling in when he fought Fitch which i feel like was a bad and good choice at the same time. he mixed it up but i feel GSP could have stopped him with strikes. I just think GSP is too safe. And i dont even think BJ knows the meaning of safe
Also have to add that Jon Fitch lacks a lot of power in striking and BJ has never been knocked down, so what will BJ fear in the standup department. absolutely nothing. Fitch better hope he gets a hold of BJ and he also better hope BJs wrestling isnt up to par, which unfortunately for him, BJ has experienced the greatest wrestler in MMA and i feel like that experience will help him keep the fight standing and win. Fitch is somewhat slow and has very little power so BJ has 99 percent chance of success on his feet and its up in the air for grappling.
I feel the only way to win for fitch is cardio, but hes only got three rounds to impose his will. If BJ wins 2 rounds its over, Fitch cant finish BJ, Fitch cant finish anyone. I like him, but his style does not cause stoppages and BJ is ****in tough to finish.
I hope fitch does get KOed but my fear is he will leg hump BJ to a UD
So Jcohl youre saying jon fitch isnt human at 170 (or 185 for that matter) and cannot be knocked out lol. I have witnessed Fitch take hard shots and he does have a great chin but don’t be so quick to right off a possible KO in this fight. I doubt it’ll happen but it is a fight so who knows.
@bharris4 -
I’m not “saying” anything, but feel free to “LOL” as much as you like.
Jon Fitch’s record speaks for itself, overall and at 170.
Of all the likely considered outcomes of a Fitch-Penn scrap, Fitch losing by T/KO is the least likely result.
If there are any numbers to the contrary, I’ll consider them and revise my POV. Until such time, I’ll keep things based in reality…
i dont see Jon Fitch losing this one.
my prediction- BJ will gas out and gets subbed or clubbed.
i dont see BJ doing the KO on Jon Fitch or a sub…
i DO see BJ’s cardio giving out.
Jon Fitch will kick the legs from under him or tire him out.
if i had any spare money i’d bet on it :-)
Yup I completely agree. Jon Fitch has not fought anybody with hands like Penns, except for GSP and he got smashed by GSP and even GSP doesn’t have hands like BJ. Fitch should take it to the ground, but I [edit] think BJ being shorter will have more leverage in stuffing the takedowns.
judging by your second comment I believe this is what you wanted to say here- Chris L.
maybe george doesn’t think he is ready for a top notch fight. either way silver is crazy good with his standup and george is good but If memory serves I’ve seen him wobbled a time or two. So that fight on the feet could go bad for him.
My only bad thoughts about the idea is that both fighters are on hot streaks. And putting them up against each other kinda kills off a streak. I would almost throw 1 of them to a number 3 or 4 guy and the other to a number 2 or 3 guy. so maybe if they both win they still stand higher in the rankings and then possibly fight. I hate to see someones streak end without it really being a contention spot. It just seems that it would be a waste of few good fights otherwise
IMO George Sotiropoulos is just another victim of the UFC putting business interests ahead of the sport, but thats nothing new.
In reality Sotiropoulos has earned at the bare minimum a title contenders fight, but because he’s an Aussie and the org feels they need a poster boy in every overseas event they run, he’ll be running point for 127.
The good news is that he’s earning the good will of the front office, which in a lot of cases is better than getting the fight he might have been hoping for.
Plus, a lot of folks are high on Denis Siver after 122, so this isn’t as big a let-down as some might think…
Keep in mind that Maynard-Edgar won’t happen until January, If Miller gets past Olivera I guarentee he will have the next shot due to his history with the champ and the contender. Oh and by next shot I mean it will be after the Henderson-Pettis gets their shot… no real games being played here, just a contender eliminator and a chance to fight in your backyard.
Nice, good of Dana to give John Fitch a proper opponent and a fight that has huge relevance withing the division.
This is going to be a fun, tough fight.
Glad to see BJ with some huge momentum, hopefully he’ll train very hard, because you know John Fitch will come in fully prepared to beat someone up.
Gotta go with Fitch here.
u mean Fitch will come in ready to hug someone up lol!! Bj looked amazing against Hughes. I truly want him to go back to lightweight but if he can get past Fitch in a spectacular way we may be ready to see Bj getting really close to a third match with the GSP. N e ways Fitch better be prepared 4 war!!!
i dont see BJ take on GSP either. and i dont see BJ take on Jon Fitch …
sorry, but BJ aint hungry enuff 4 that.
yep, Jon Fitch it will be :-)
i think Fitch needs this win more…
alves vs penn would’ve been even better
This is actually a great match up. And it leads to a potential super fight with GSP if BJ can take Fitch out in impressive fashion. Or it gives Fitch a win over a legend, which he needs.
A lot of people think there is no need for BJ to get a third crack at GSP, since he got utterly dominated in the second fight, but let’s look at all the factors. Whether you think it is b.s. or not, there was some controversy in the second fight, which leaves the door cracked open for another fight. Even if it’s just to see GSP dominate again and close the books on that saga.
There’s also the mysterious Penn X factor to consider. I don’t think there’s ever been a fighter you could judge the outcome of the impending bout more by the way he looks walking in then anything else. He is clearly a guy who lives and dies by his state of mind leading up to the bout. Yes, he’s very erratic. But with his less than stellar performances come the brilliant ones, and there is still the possibility that he could give GSP a much, much tougher fight the third time around.
After GSP/Penn 2, I said that if BJ was ever to get a rematch he would have to beat two top 5 guys at WW in order to even be considered worthy to face GSP again. Fitch being the clear #2 is a great place to start. I think Hughes was probably in everyone’s top 10 after the Almeida win. If BJ can come in fired up and take Fitch out in devastating fashion it builds a lot of momentum for another fight with GSP.
It’s not like anyone is really challenging GSP at the moment. In order to beat GSP you have to be able to hurt him on his feet. Penn still has the ability to do that to anyone. He also has incredible submission skills once he has you hurt and is on top.
Unfortunately, given his BJJ pedigree, BJ is not really about finding subs from his back. He almost always looks to sweep and get back up when he finds himself there. Against Fitch, this could be an issue. The Fitch fight also tests how well BJ holds up at WW against a big guy looking to grind him down, which is the textbook way to beat him at WW. Edgar established the textbook way to beat him at LW (tons of movement, outbox him, and throw in takedowns to keep him guessing).
BJ has that X factor though, and can show up like a mad man and switch your lights off in the first round. The one thing we haven’t seen from BJ is the ability to be down and out in a fight and then come back and win in the later rounds. He accuses GSP of being a front runner, but that is looking like some serious projection. Could BJ win a back and forth war with Fitch, undergo a ton of adversity and pull out the win? I would like to see that question answered. I’d also like to see whether BJ has what it takes to put Fitch away quickly, something no one in the UFC has even come remotely close to doing.
For Fitch’s part, it gives him a huge name and a chance to take his career to another level. Can he come in and destroy BJ Penn? Can he get a finish? Can he even get a W? Since it is Fitch, he will likely be all about smothering him, but BJ has a great ground game and can definitely reverse him there.
Very happy with this match up. A lot of questions will be answered. Maybe we are seeing the last and best resurgence of BJ Penn. If he wants to go down as one of the all time greats, he’s gotta go on a very big run now. I, for one, have enjoyed his checkered career and think he still has the ability to get back all the way to the top of the mountain, where his Kryptonite in the form of GSP awaits. If he could find a way to beat GSP it would be one of the greatest wins in mma history.
I agree that Fitch should get a title shot if he defeats BJ, but if BJ wins, I think he should take on Jake Shields before either of those 2 get a title shot. Shields won the decission over Kampmann but IMO lost that fight.
does anyone else think that Sotiropoulos should get Jim Miller? Miller has been begging for a top opponent and imo this makes much more sense for Sotiropoulos then him fighting siver.