Why BJ Penn should stay at 155 pounds

 

After Georges St. Pierre's victory over Jon Fitch at UFC 87 Seek and Destroy, BJ Penn came into the ring looking for a rematch. It will happen on January 31, 2008, consider it a late Christmas present from Dana White to all of his UFC faithful. Like just about everyone else, I will be paying the 50 bucks to watch it.

I still think BJ needs to take care of his business at 155 pounds first. Since BJ Penn has returned to the UFC he has beat Jens Pulver, Joe Stevenson, and Sean Sherk at 155 pounds. Jens "Little Evil" Pulver got beat down by BJ, the Joe Stevenson fight would have been completely different if BJ had not opened up a nasty cut on Joe's head, and I don't know who the hell came up with Sherk's fight plan, but it was lame. I don't know how they convinced Sherk that his best shot at winning was to have a boxing match the BJ Penn, but they must have been convincing, because the ground and pound monster that Sherk was, only went for 2 take downs before he was TKO'd at the end of the third round.

 

So now after those three fights, BJ Penn wants a rematch with GSP so he can be the champ in two weight classes. His plan is to move back and forth in weight to defend both belts. That sounds like a well thought plan, except for the small fact that GSP will beat him down. The only reason their first fight, which GSP won by split decision, was so close was an upper cut that BJ landed to the tip of GSP's nose. The fluke nose tip upper cut busted up GSP's nose in a bad way, which prevented GSP from maintaining his normal fast pace. If GSP would have been able to breath, that fight never would have went to the judges.

 

Also, if you look a BJ's career he has a 9-1-1 record at 155 pounds, with his only loss way back at UFC 35 to Jens "Little Evil" Pulver. Out of the 7 fights above 155 pounds, B.J. Penn has a 4-3 record. One reason BJ is so awesome at 155 pounds, is he is forced to be in shape to make that weight. Every time I have seen him fight above 155 pounds, BJ seems to win the first round, and then he will gas and get beat down. Even if he is in shape and doesn't gas, GSP will still win the fight.

To me BJ "The Prodigy" Penn has not done enough to move up to a different weight class. I would like to see BJ stay at 155 pounds and fight Kenny Florian, Tyson Griffin, or the wrestler Sean Sherk, not the boxer the BJ has already defeated. Once he has cleaned out the division like Anderson Silva did at 185 pounds, then we can watch the Penn vs GSP fight.