Penn vs. MacDonald

This is the official discussion thread for Penn vs. MacDonald. Let's see what you've got.

@Swick, come on its inevitable. Its the one thing that keeps me from being a huge Penn fan, he whines too much and makes too many excuses. Its kinda funny how everyone loves him but people hate on Palhares for doing the same thing or hate on Lombard for one excuse.

Yeah, BJ's excuse-making every time he loses is annoying.  But that's not my biggest disappointment with him.

I love most MMA fighters because they've chosen, among the countless ways to earn a living, fighting.  They give their lives to it.  And they sacrifice to stay in top condition.  I don't know when he lost his intense motivation, but somewhere along the line, BJ lost his will to train, to keep his stamina at full force.

His tiny gas tank is the smallest in MMA.  His refusal to train right has resulted in his becoming virtually a 1-round fighter.  He gassed in the second round in both his GSP fights, his second fight with Hughes, his fight with Diaz and his fight with Fitch.  By the end of the second round, he was out on his feet.  

That is the biggest disappointment I have with him.  He holds his destiny in his own hands.  Will he train harder for his upcoming fight with Rory MacDonald?  We all hope and pray he does.  We all admire that he fights bigger guys as a WW.  But if he doesn't change his lazy ways, he will be tooled and rag-dolled by the big, strong, young Canadian, and we all fervently pray he resists the over-whelming temptation to retire to play with his newest baby, returns to LW, and re-dedicates himself to his fighting career.

I don't hate on BJ Penn, but I've never been one of his biggest fans, either.  I just admire him as a fighter and hope he will regain the traction of his career.  It's never too late, if you have the will.  We all hope he does.

* Edited at 11.21.2012, 11:11 AM ET *

BJ Penn is the closest thing to the old days we have in MMA...Baby J doesn't care about size like it seems other people do...I won't fight so and so cause he's bigger then me or I won't move up in weight to fight cause its too hard. In a day where a fighter moves down a weight class to be the bigger man after a loss BJ Penn is the exception. Hell BJ fought a 220 pound Lyoto Machida and went the distance. How many WW in the world could do that today?

* Edited at 11.21.2012, 11:08 AM ET *

@Soccerkick, which confuses the hell out of me when he *****ed Nick out for being bigger. Usually he has no problem with the other guy being bigger and if he thought Nick was big then wait until he sees Rory

I think with that fight BJ was just a little burnt out on the sport and with the new baby he wanted to make sure fighting is what he still wanted to do.

 

The Rory fight for BJ Penn is a different kind of fight...Rory is Firas' Golden Child right now being groomed as the future of MMA...BJ is looking to send a big "F*** You" to Firas and Tristar in this fight. Rory is a big tough kid, but he hasn't been locked in the cage under the lights and cameras with someone like BJ Penn yet. Che Mills has some power in his hands, but he's no where close to being the technical boxer BJ is and Che's ground game was non-existent!

This is one fight I'm extremely disappointed is not a 5-rounder.  When Dana White decided to make all the Main Event fights 5-rounders, whether or not they were title fights, was good.

But why not go the extra mile and make all the really big fights, where you have 2 big names, also 5-rounders.

Here are the fights I am extremely disappointed will not be 5 rounds.

BJ Penn vs. Rory MacDonald
Shogun vs. Alexander Gustafsson
Alistair Overeem vs. Bigfoot Silva
Jon Fitch vs. Demian Maia
Vitor Belfort vs. Michael Bisping
Rampage Jackson vs. Glover Teixeira
Donald Cerrone vs. Anthony Pettis
Roy Nelson vs. Matt Mitrione

These fights all would be much, much more interesting if they were 5 rounds.  Does anyone disagree?  As if I have to ask!

Roy Nelson/Matt Mitrione can't be 5 rounds thats not right to do to Meathead taking it on short notice

@Soccer  Have you forgotten that Rory was 'locked in the cage' with Condit?  Condit was well-rounded as BJ.

I don't believe Condit is as well rounded as BJ...Did Condit win the Mundials at the black belt level 3 years after starting BJJ? Did Freddie Roach say Condit has the best boxing in MMA? Is Condit a 2-Division UFC Champion? Has Condit fought a list of names like BJ Penn?

* Edited at 11.21.2012, 11:30 AM ET *

I think Condit is a better striker than BJ.  BJ may know a more precise technique in throwing his punches, but his arms are stubby & shorter, like Matt Serra's, and Condit has a wider wing-span, to deliver his hooks.  BJ has no range for his striking.  He must get inside, unlike Condit, who can strike from a point further out.

I agree that BJ has better BJJ, but how fast you learned it is not relevant.  It's how well you apply it now.  Listen.  I like Penn.  I hope he continues on and returns to LW.  I want him to re-ignite his passion and find a new gear and new traction in his fighting career.

But I am also of dry eyes and cold sober as to his prospects in doing these things.  The fight with Rory will tell everyone a lot as to whether or not BJ has it in him to be reborn currently.

If BJ were to fight Condit, he would be beaten badly.  The Condit / Diaz fight told us that simple fact.  Nick beat up BJ pretty convincingly.  Condit out-smarted Nick that tells the world a WHOLE LOT!

Not disrespecting the Helos Kid.  Just committed to keeping it real.

* Edited at 11.21.2012, 12:40 PM ET *

BJ has way better TDD then Condit. Condit barely put up a fight when he was taken down by both GSP and MacDonald. Georges had to put in some work to take BJ down before he gassed. This has a very good chance of staying on the feet for a good % of the fight.

Bottom line.  I think Rory MacDonald will beat BJ both on the feet and on the ground.  BJ should have a better chance on the ground, I'll give you that.  But the needle on his gas tank will be edging towards empty half-way through the second round.

Whatever game-plan BJ has in mind, he better get it done early.  And by that, I mean before he hits half-way in the second round.  After that, all his tools and skills plummet, as he just doesn't have the energy to bring them to bear, no matter how superb they are.

* Edited at 11.21.2012, 12:46 PM ET *

training with Askren

Looks like T-Wood in the background too

I would love to see a video of Asken and Penn on the mat. 

He's baaaaaaaack!

No, no he's not. Rory is going to decimate him. The fact that he has to ct any weight at all let alone as much as he did, shows how lazy and how much he didn't train when he was away. 

BJ Penn is looking good as hell, **** bout to get real, watch Rory get injured again

BJ is de best. B.J. Penn via Mata Leao round 2. after two rounds of beatdown from the Prodigy.

I think if BJ loses it's not because Rory is better it will be because Rory trained harder and smarter. It will be interesting to see if Rory can get BJ down and then do anything on the ground.