UFC 127 - Penn vs. Fitch

[The Chef]

Re: UFC 127 - Penn vs. Fitch

I truly feel that BJ just doesn't want to fight as much as he did a year ago. He dominated the lightweight division for a long time. Then came out flat on Edgar twice (Well the first fight he got robbed).

What else could he do? If he beat Edgar, he would just be cleaning up lightweight after lightweight. He flunked twice on his test to GSP and wouldn't have much of a draw in a GSP/Penn III.

I truly feel that BJ just lost that fire he used to have. I thought we may have seen glimpses of it against Hughes, but that was too short of a match to tell. Even his attitude has changed, he went from wanting to knocking heads off to "seeing what people got."

His interview with Joe Rogan had no excuses. He knew he lost and felt Fitch got robbed. He sounded like a man that doesn't know if he wants to stay with MMA or not.

Im starting to agree but part of me hopes its just the disappointment of not winning the fight thats causing him to say the things hes saying. I just watched an interview with Ariel after the press conference and he still says hes not sure if hes coming back and doesnt know what hes gonna do from here on out. Penn did make a good point though when he said that loading up with the striking doesnt work if your opponent does everything to avoid that punch, ie. Frankie Edgar, I just wish he had realized that before he dropped the belt to him. My gut tells me he'll come back once he goes back to Hawaii and heals up but he's definitely prone to making rash decisions so I could also see him retiring as well.

[BlueNGold]

Re: UFC 127 - Penn vs. Fitch

He should just take extended time off and say where he stands on things after that.

[Gotmadskillzson]

Re: UFC 127 - Penn vs. Fitch

You really can't extended time off in MMA though. MMA is fast moving and envolving sport, if you take a long time off, you run the risk of becoming irrelevant and left behind.

I mean look what happened to Okami when he got hurt and had to take time off. He went from being the number one contender to being dropped to the bottom for 2 years. Now he is the number one contender again but yet still is put on the side line because everybody wants to see GSP-Anderson instead of him.

Most fights are made 3 to 5 months in advance. So therefore Dana is going to have to know by the end of March if he want to fight again or not.

From the press conference last night, they pretty much made it very clear that if GSP wins against Shields, GSP is just going to vacate his title and move up to middle weight.

UFC can't afford to have no Welter Weight champion for 6 months. Like it or not, BJ Penn and Fitch are the 2 best in that division behind GSP. So if BJ Penn don't want to fight, then they going to have to find somebody for Fitch to fight for the vacant title.

And it wouldn't be fair to give Shields 2 title shots in a row.

[BlueNGold]

Re: UFC 127 - Penn vs. Fitch

There's a big difference between being Yushin Okami and being BJ Penn though.

[Gotmadskillzson]

Re: UFC 127 - Penn vs. Fitch

Not really........UFC is a what have you done lately organization. They go with whats hot at the moment.

[cooldude]

Re: UFC 127 - Penn vs. Fitch

There's a big difference between being Yushin Okami and being BJ Penn though.

Not so much.

[The Chef]

Re: UFC 127 - Penn vs. Fitch

Not so much.

Really? So you think Okami and Penn are on the same level? Thats nuts, and Im not even talking about talent Im talking about drawing power and popularity. Brock Lesnar took a ton of time off when he had his medical issues and came back and went right back to selling out cards and the same can be said for many top level guys like Penn, GSP etc. If Penn left for a year and came back its not as if the fans would suddenly forget who he is and he's have to start at the bottom of the division.

[aholbert32]

Re: UFC 127 - Penn vs. Fitch

My thoughts on last night:

- I had it scored a draw. Thought Penn won 1 and 2 and lost the 3rd 10-8.

- Everybody is acting like Penn is washed up and its ****ing ridiculous. More likely than not he is 1 or 2 fights from a title shot. If GSP beats Shields, he will probably vacate the belt and Penn/Fitch 2 could be for the WW title. If Maynard beats Edgar, I could easily see Penn dropping back down to LW, fighting someone like Guillard or Guida and getting a shot at Maynard with a win. Especially if Edgar drops to FW after a loss.

- I knew the Bisping knee would get this reaction. 1) Rivera had a huge delayed reaction to the knee. He was sitting there begging the ref to take a point which he rightfully did. 2) If he was seriously hurt, he could have said he couldnt go on and taken the win. No one would have killed him for it. 3) He was outclassed before and after the knee by Bisping and I dont think it mattered much.

- If Nate Marquardt or someone else threw that knee NOBODY would have been calling for a DQ. Its just because everyone hates Bisping.

- 5 round non title main events are a horrible idea. There are some cards where co-main events are just as important as the main event. Fitch/Alves 2 was a number 1 contenders fight and would have still been a 3 rnd fight. Same with Shields/Kampmann. With this reasoning a fight like Evans/ Silva or Couture/Coleman would have been 5 rounds even though they meant little in the title hunt.

[BiggestKJ]

Re: UFC 127 - Penn vs. Fitch

My thoughts on last night:

- I had it scored a draw. Thought Penn won 1 and 2 and lost the 3rd 10-8.

- Everybody is acting like Penn is washed up and its ****ing ridiculous. More likely than not he is 1 or 2 fights from a title shot. If GSP beats Shields, he will probably vacate the belt and Penn/Fitch 2 could be for the WW title. If Maynard beats Edgar, I could easily see Penn dropping back down to LW, fighting someone like Guillard or Guida and getting a shot at Maynard with a win. Especially if Edgar drops to FW after a loss.

- I knew the Bisping knee would get this reaction. 1) Rivera had a huge delayed reaction to the knee. He was sitting there begging the ref to take a point which he rightfully did. 2) If he was seriously hurt, he could have said he couldnt go on and taken the win. No one would have killed him for it. 3) He was outclassed before and after the knee by Bisping and I dont think it mattered much.

- If Nate Marquardt or someone else threw that knee NOBODY would have been calling for a DQ. Its just because everyone hates Bisping.

- 5 round non title main events are a horrible idea. There are some cards where co-main events are just as important as the main event. Fitch/Alves 2 was a number 1 contenders fight and would have still been a 3 rnd fight. Same with Shields/Kampmann. With this reasoning a fight like Evans/ Silva or Couture/Coleman would have been 5 rounds even though they meant little in the title hunt.

Spot on. Agree 100%.

[Sandman42]

Re: UFC 127 - Penn vs. Fitch

My thoughts on last night:

- I had it scored a draw. Thought Penn won 1 and 2 and lost the 3rd 10-8.

- Everybody is acting like Penn is washed up and its ****ing ridiculous. More likely than not he is 1 or 2 fights from a title shot. If GSP beats Shields, he will probably vacate the belt and Penn/Fitch 2 could be for the WW title. If Maynard beats Edgar, I could easily see Penn dropping back down to LW, fighting someone like Guillard or Guida and getting a shot at Maynard with a win. Especially if Edgar drops to FW after a loss.

- I knew the Bisping knee would get this reaction. 1) Rivera had a huge delayed reaction to the knee. He was sitting there begging the ref to take a point which he rightfully did. 2) If he was seriously hurt, he could have said he couldnt go on and taken the win. No one would have killed him for it. 3) He was outclassed before and after the knee by Bisping and I dont think it mattered much.

- If Nate Marquardt or someone else threw that knee NOBODY would have been calling for a DQ. Its just because everyone hates Bisping.

- 5 round non title main events are a horrible idea. There are some cards where co-main events are just as important as the main event. Fitch/Alves 2 was a number 1 contenders fight and would have still been a 3 rnd fight. Same with Shields/Kampmann. With this reasoning a fight like Evans/ Silva or Couture/Coleman would have been 5 rounds even though they meant little in the title hunt.

Obviously not all main events would be 5 rounds. I'm in favor of #1 contenders fights being 5 rounds though.

[aholbert32]

Re: UFC 127 - Penn vs. Fitch

Obviously not all main events would be 5 rounds. I'm in favor of #1 contenders fights being 5 rounds though.

The whole "5 rounds" thing comes from boxing where only championship fights are 12 and non championship fights are 10. It makes championship fights worth more and stand out more.

There are other issues with that too. The UFC is so random with what they designate "#1 contenders fights". Fitch has been in two in a row (won both). I think there is a fairness question. Shields/Kampmann wouldnt have been a 5 round fight because Dana never technically designated it a #1 contenders fight. So Shields would have received a title shot by only winning a 3 round fight but Fitch would have had to fight 2 5 rounders to get the same shot.

Also, plenty of #1 contenders arent picked by #1 contenders fights. Brock got his shot without winning one. So did Shields. So did Belfort, Maia, Henderson, Edgar and Rua.

There are plenty of issues with MMA but the # of rounds isnt one of them.

[RockinDaMike]

Re: UFC 127 - Penn vs. Fitch

Here's Ebersole landing that cartwheel kick FTW!!! LOL!

<iframe title="YouTube video player" width="480" height="390" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/d3QPaQgTr1o" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

[goh]

Re: UFC 127 - Penn vs. Fitch

UFC middleweight contender Michael Bisping will face disciplinary action for his behavior following his UFC 127 win, UFC president Dana White told MMA Fighting.

Shortly after finishing his second-round TKO over Jorge Rivera, Bisping walked over to the octagon corner closest to Rivera's team and spit in their direction. The incident was caught on camera, though Rivera's cornermen could not be seen from the angle shown.

Rivera's boxing coach Matt Phinney was hit, according to a statement from their camp. Bisping denied spitting at them, saying, "I was spitting on the floor to let him know what I thought of him."

http://www.mmafighting.com/2011/02/28/michael-bisping-to-be-disciplined-for-ufc-127-spitting-incident/

[ex carrabba fan]

Re: UFC 127 - Penn vs. Fitch

Haha I'm surprised more people didn't mention the incident. Initially when I saw it, I couldn't believe he did it...

I admit I was laughing though. Good ole Bisping, I find him to be a likeable guy.

[DJ]

Re: UFC 127 - Penn vs. Fitch

http://www.mmafighting.com/2011/02/2...ting-incident/

I think his punishment should be a fight against Anderson Silva