BJ Penn: I’m Moving Up To The Welterweight Division
BJ Penn’s next two opponents may both be determined tomorrow at UFC 87 in Minnesota.
The winner of the featured lightweight clash between Kenny Florian and Roger Huerta is expected to receive a shot at Penn’s 155-pound title while Penn has hopes of fighting for the promotion’s welterweight championship against the winner of the UFC 87 main event between current 170-pound champion Georges St. Pierre and challenger Jon Fitch.
Penn is expected to return to the octagon in December at the UFC’s final show of the year, likely against the winner of tomorrow’s St. Pierre-Fitch title bout.
Both Penn and UFC President Dana White recently offered up their thoughts to MMA Weekly on what lies ahead for the UFC’s 155-pound champion.
“I don’t think he’ll get the winner of Fitch and GSP,” White said. “He wants to fight GSP if GSP wins the title. GSP has a win over him. He wants to try to beat GSP. I don’t think he’d move up if Fitch won.”
Penn, however, says it doesn’t matter who holds the welterweight title as he’d face St. Pierre or Fitch for the championship.
“I’d feel okay facing anyone for the welterweight title,” said Penn. “Jon Fitch is a great opponent, a tough opponent, but St. Pierre brings the whole backing of Canada with him to a fight. Fan base, this sport, it’s entertainment. It would be great to put on a big fight with me and St-Pierre, but then again, it’s about me fighting the best fighter and if Fitch goes down and proves he’s the best fighter, then he’s the man. I’m moving up to the welterweight division and moving down to defend the lightweight title.”
Woohoo!!!
I KNEW IT… GSP IS GONNA BEAT FITCH AND PENN WILL MOVE UP AND I THINK HUERTA WILL WIN AND END UP FACING SHERK/GRIFFIN THE THE LW BELT
So dont want to see BJ move up to fight GSP.. come on man..Just smash peeps in 155…
i think thats what he should do to but i want him to get proven that he still can’t be GSP
Dude that’s gonna be a badd a$$ fight. My boy GSP’s gonna kick his a$$ again though.
i second that… but jazzkok get reading to get told off. everyone on this website is for penn man
BJ wants to tie Randy and be a 2x LW champ + a champ in 2 weight divisions.
Whether Fitch or GSP win, I want Penn to move up. Penn is the type of fighter I’d love to see matched up with almost anyone. I don’t feel that way about too many fighters.
This is way off topic but where have JPM and Dave MD been? Hope they’re ok….think of the possiblities….. Prison, death, married, children, busy at work, got lives outside the wonderful world of MMA…..
HA HA HA HA AND COLE MILLER
WE NEED EVERYONE BACK BEFORE THE GAME COMES OUT. CUZ DONT’ FORGET ABOUT OUR MMAFRENZY TOURNY
jazzkok,
I don’t know man….. BJ is new and improved. Even his mind state has obviously changed. I am not taking anything away from GSP excpet that I question him after his loss to Serra. Most likely it was a fluke but I want to see GSP string together some wins to convince me. The return ass whoopin to Serra nearly has me a believer that it was a fluke. FLUKE FLUKE FLUKE!!!!(stupid f-n word) I am just saying Penn is bad apples and a different fighter than he use to be. GSP might be different since his loss to Serra but like I said, GSP needs to show his dominance now.
Should GSP lose to Fitch, is everyone going to still think highly of GSP as a fighter?
No reason not to think of him highly still. I’d just hope he could come back and beat whoever the title holder is and not become another Rich Franklin.
GSP is a good guy…but if he beats Fitch and BJ shows up as ready as he was for Sherk & Stevenson then I feel sorry for him.
Kouch,
Yes.
YZ,
Good point. I’m telling if we can set tournaments up we’re going to make some lifelong video game friends through the world of online gaming. There’s guys I use to play Socom 2 with on PS2 3-5yrs ago who I now play a ****load of different games with on PS3. I’ve never met any of them in person and live hundreds of miles away but it’s wierd how cool you can become with someone through similar life interest on a game. Just like here…only we don’t have video games with head sets….I hope Dannyboy gets a PS3 to play me so we can discuss politics….poor guy ate all that liberal communist hub bub right up. I need to save him.
ya gsp is new and improved FITCH beat alves and sanchez and he will do it again he is the rich franklin of welter weight fitch is good but gsp will be un stoppable bj should have to fight the loser to deserve the championship fight. bj is over rated we will see the welter weight division is getting tougher and tougher stay at 155 bj lost to matt hughes
fox racing i dont like bj either sorry everyone doesnt love bj like u, penn vs alves, penn vs sanchez, penn vs fitch and then maybe penn vs gsp, i like sherk but i think gsp would tko in the 1st sherk almost made it to the forth, gsp wrestling right now is the best in the whole world of mmma!!! you will see
Highly wasthe wrong word…..I TAKE I BACK.
Is everyone going to still see GSP as dominant, high caliber and lethal?
A lot of it probably depends on how the match goes before we can answer that but I think it is worth pondering.
I heard Tyson Griffin was having a secret relationship with Jenna Jameson until the other day. Apparently Tito came home from training early and Tyson had to crawl up into the hall way of a million c0cks. It was too unbareable to stay inside so he figured, “f-it” and came out. Tito picked him up with a smile and cradled him thinking his baby had been born.
yes mmma mega mixed marial arts gsp is just under silva for pound for pound silva, gsp, fedor
I don’t think BJ is overrated at all. How?
NEV-o,
GSP needs to prove his dominance before he is considered a P4P. I think he is one of very few fighters with potential to be considered a P4P but not right now. He has a few more wins to go.
KOuch,
“Should GSP lose to Fitch, is everyone going to still think highly of GSP as a fighter?”
No.
It depends on how he gets beat.
What mma frenzy tourney? PS3 or XBOX 360? I’m in if PS3. B.J. Penn is a great fighter, but I don’t think moving up and down weight classes is a smart move on his part. G.S.P. is a huge welterweight as it stands now. The fight I want to see is Anderson Silva Vs. G.S.P. That would be awesome. What do you all think?
Was the serra fight a fluke or does gsp have a week chin? Probably won’t find out tomorrow but if he fights alves the chin will definitely get tested.
anderson should keep kick a$$ in 205.
As much as i love gsp, if penn stimina has improved (which i dont feel has been tested yet) he is going to pound him out. remember last fight? peen on the ground will be very interesting as well. lets get ready to rummmmbbbllleee!!!!
I’ll still think highly of him. The guy is a very dangerous fighter. Just because he would lose a fight to Fitch who happens to have only 1 loss doesn’t mean he isn’t a bada$$! Would I consider him a P4P top guy? No, but I still think he would be a top 5 for sure in his weight class which is no joke.
that fight with serra never showed that gsp has a weak chin, it showed a hit to the back of the head can drop anyone, Raffy
timcat i agree with you but i think silva will walk away with that one. either way you look @ it, whoever wins i dont see a decision.