UFC Officially Announces UFC 94: St-Pierre vs. Penn 2
The UFC has officially announced UFC 94: St-Pierre vs. Penn 2, which features the highly anticipated rematch between welterweight title-holder Georges St-Pierre and lightweight champion BJ Penn.
In their first meeting in early-2006 St-Pierre topped Penn via split decision to become the top contender in the 170-pound division, and ultimately captured the title, while Penn dropped down to 155-pounds and earned the lightweight championship.
Now, nearly three years removed from their first meeting, the pair of top UFC fighters will meet again, but this time the welterweight championship will be on the line when they clash on January 31st in Las Vegas.
“This may be the most anticipated rematch in UFC history,” said Dana White, UFC President. “Their first fight was an epic battle of two of the best pound for pound fighters in the sport. After that fight, St-Pierre would go on to win the UFC World Welterweight title and Penn would go on to win the UFC World Lightweight title. Now these two champions meet again with a lot of pride and St-Pierre’s title on the line. This fight will be talked about for years to come.”
Tickets for the event, which will air live on pay-per-view, are priced from $750 to $50 and go on sale today on Ticketmaster.com for UFC Fight Club members. The newsletter presale (password: CHAMPIONSHIP) begins on Saturday at 1pm ET while the public sale begins on Sunday at 1pm ET.
“I’m very honored to fight BJ Penn and very excited because it’s the fight that everybody wants to see, including myself,” said St-Pierre. “It will be one of the most anticipated fights in UFC history, and I’m glad and humbled to be a part of it.”
“For that fight, I was at a point in my career where I didn’t prepare as well as I should have,” Penn said. “During the second and third round I realized that I ran into someone that wanted it more than I did…Now, I’m very prepared to go five rounds.”
Top light heavyweight contenders Lyoto Machida and Thiago Silva are also expected to clash at UFC 94, with more bouts expected to be officially confirmed soon.
For the latest UFC 94 rumors check out the MMAFrenzy.com MMA rumors section.
BJ by submission (choke) 3rd round 4th minute!
HAHA… don’t get ur hopes up!! NEVER GONNA HAPPEN!! NEVER!!!!
Willy D,
In your dream!
Will be an awesome dream!! And dreams do come true!
I SAY GSP BY UD
Go USA! BJ by TKO 2 minutes into the 3nd round!
GO CANADA!!!!!!!!!! gsp by stoppage in 3 round
BJ Penn
*and let the debate begin*again for the hundreth time*
@FR702, we only have 2 and a half months, so shouldn’t be to much debating! Also calling Machida TKO 2nd round 2nd minute.
GSP all the way on this one. far to strong and he is improving each fight. BJ Penn is awsome and in the best shape of his life, but their is a reason he moved down to lightweight, the only chance he has is on the groung by submission an even that is hard to belive with GSP’s awsome and improving ground and submission skills. If anyone thinks he will out strike GSP they are nuts. I say GSP wins by TKO from ground and pound 4th or 5th round or UD. GSP will remain champion but it will be a great fight. And plus GSP trains here in Albuquerque part time, only one of the greatest gyms ever Greg Jackson’s Camp. I cant wait untill Thiago Alves fights the winner, that kid looks like he wants to knock anyones head off. Bad matchup for GSP I think better for BJ Penn but it would be great to see GSP fight Alves and out strike him with his quickness and reach.
Hmmm…hard to say which UFC I’ll spend money on in Jan. I guess it depends on how I feel about the undercard fights.
GSP by gnp…I think GSP has improved too much for Bj to handle..
@WillyD, ever since this SUPERFIGHT has been rumored everyong has been debating this, on every little aspect, I believe it shall continue til the day of the fight, then excuses of why GSP lost will come a flyin haha
@Nico, u said something to the effect of, if u think BJ will outstrike GSP you are nuts…. Um BJ Penn is a more poweful striker than GSP and I also believe that GSP has better kicks (which since he has become such a great wrestler he has gone away from), Also u said that BJ’s only chance to win is via sub, why do u believe this? I think BJ can (t)ko GSP… U picked GSP via gnp in the 4th or 5th round (hoping clearly that Penn gasses after the 3rd) or by UD, with Penn’s rubbergaurd what sort of gnp is St.Pierre goin to pull off? Cheers..
Penn all the way. Striking is too close to call (Penn has a few KO’s and wasn’t it against Sherk that he owned him without the fight going to the ground???) and you have to give the advantage to Penn on the ground.
I will say though that the fact this is so easily argued in favor of either fighter means it will be an awesome f-ing fight.
Both are fantastic fighters but i do feel BJ will win this one in fact i see BJ’s top level stand up (BJ has the most underrated boxing skills in MMA) being too much for GSP.
Penn via TKO in the 3rd.
@FR702, I know, I was playin about the debating. This thread will probably be 100+ comments long about who is going to win and every time it gets mentioned from here on out, more debates. And I agree 100% about the excuses why GSP lost afterwards. BJ Penn will continue his talk, “I only want to be known as the best ever, is that too much to ask?”
I agree with FR702 100 percent. I also believe that Machida will win by decision again. But I really hope Silva wins.
I want thiago to get in machidas face and smash him no1 has put pressure on lyoto before so I hope he doesn’t run or be ‘elusive’ when thiago starts punching him in the face! However I see this fight going 3 rounds with machida using some leg kicks and some of that ‘elusive’ striking!
WillyD and JustJoe thx and cheers
I’m really interested in the 13~0 v 13~0 duel that is Machida v Thiago…. Polar opposites in styles that is going to be a good fight, I think with Silva’s charging style he will cut down Machidas movement and find range I’m just wondering how Lyoto is going to react should be good
Machida will use leg kicks, front kicks, head kicks, until Silva gets frustrated and makes a mistake. Let’s his guard down and Machida high kick to the dome, Silva goes down, and Machida finishes it TKO due to strikes. IMO of course.
Well well here we go again lol. Bj wins of course I am not sure he has ever fought a less than great fighter. He has fought tougher opp by far and he fought them when they were in their prime not getting out of the game. As for his stricking watch the penn uno fight enough said. Bj wins in the first or second if he let’s it go that long and he wins by whatever method he decides to. Machida wins thiago just reminds me to much of sokodju and he just couldn’t get it going against machida hate watching his boring fights though and I hope thiago wins.
penn loses again , GSP is ready for this matchup . bJ penn has great skills and hs fought good oposition , but has probs with guys naturally bigger than himself . take the machida fight … BJ got beat soundly by someone who had a natural size advantage and skill to match and the same will happen here . funny how BJ doesnt talk about fighting Machida again since he is always avenging losses . Not knocking BJ but it seems to be about revenge with GSP why not duke it out with lyoto while he’s at it .
I’ll be pulling for the Hawaiian kid on this one, but it can go either way. i think penn will win cause he lost the first meeting.. lyota will win and fight the winner of the evans/griffin fight. still can’t believe they going to do 2 PPV in 2 weeks. you would be stupid to not by this card.. go to hooters for the other card lol
Gsp decision 48-47
Bj wins the early rounds and GSP grinds him out with takedowns
Hmm, as far as I’m concerned these two are on par as far as skill goes, it’ll probably come down to the weight/height advantage GSP has.
BJ has a better BJJ game GSP in BJJ, but I very much doubt he can sub him. GSP dominates BJ’s wrestling and I’d say stand up is a draw, although after the Fitch fight, I might give it to GSP. BJ has great boxing and heavy ass hands while GSP has a very unpredictable, well-rounded stand-up game.
GSP is one of the few fighters in the biz that can get BJ to his back and keep him there. Ground and pound could be a factor here for sure.
At the end of the day I can only see BJ catching him with his heavy hands. I don’t see him subbing GSP. GSP could dismantle him like he did Fitch, out wrestle him like he does EVERYONE, or a good old ground and pound. However it goes down, it’ll be a war, and probably a decision.
The difference between the two is not much, BJ packs those powerful jabs and has crazy flexibility from his back. GSP is more well rounded with exceptional wrestling, great control and a more dynamic athlete. I would say this will be similar to the first fight with BJ ending up with a damaged face from ground and pound. Both fighters are so much better than they were the first time and with GSP training and learning in Brazil now also he should have much better JJ.
Sorry willy D, this is like that dream that you had when you were in highschool and dreamnt that you would take that hot cheerleader to the prom….didn’t happen right?
BJ PENN “makes a comeback” and defeats PULVER,STEVENSON and SHERk and now EVERYONE thinks he’s “the p4p best in the world” and “his stand up is above average”. Let’s take a look at that list.
Pulver-1 dimensional and washed up
stevenson-just another TUF guy who is just alright and will never be a champ.
sherk-ok stand up,no submissions and wrestling
these are the guys that make BJ PENN “AMAZIN”??.
Dude…seriously. BJ’s stand up only looks “above average” cuz he fights dudes who’s stand up is below average. GSP has beat the best and is way too well rounded and talented to lose to anyone right now. He’s learned from his loss and is unstoppable
Bj Penn went to a bar, GSP went to the hospital
They both have improved since their last fight (which will be well over two years since they met), my question is (maybe I missread what u typed) but did u mean that GSP has better JJ than BJ or that GSP JJ has improved greatly?
BJ Penn with a damaged face?? Think you are mistaken, GSP was messed up after that fight. Words of BJ after that fight “I’m here giving an interview, the other guys going to the hospital. Who do you think won?”
I dont think BJ is nearly as effective or dominant in welter weight as he is in LW. To say either fighter will dominate or do whatever he wants when he wants is ridiculous.
I meant to say similar to the first fight BUT this time BJ ending up busted up.