Jon Fitch Vs BJ Penn: UFC 127 Breaking News
By Sean Farrell
Top UFC welterweight contender Jon Fitch will face off against former UFC lightweight and welterweight champion, BJ Penn, in the main event of UFC 127 later this month.
During yesterday’s UFC media conference call, UFC President Dana White said that the winner of this fight will become the top contender for the UFC welterweight championship. That’s right the winner is the #1 contender for Georges St. Pierre’s welterweight crown. White went on to say “Let’s face it, the reality is Penn has held titles in both weight classes, Fitch has fought for the title and has literally dominated that division for a long time, just didn’t win the title. Either one of these guys who wins this fight is in the mix… they’re the number one guy.”
Both fighters have fallen to GSP who will defend the title against Jake Shields at the biggest event in UFC history UFC 129 on April 30.
Since Fitch last faced GSP in August of 2008, he has gone on a five-fight winning streak. Despite being #1 contender being added to his bout with Penn, Fitch noted that he plans to stay focused on his current task and it’s going to be a tough one. Fitch spoke on not looking ahead on the #1 contender spot saying “I don’t want to waste any time thinking about anything other than fighting B.J. right now,”
BJ “The Prodigy” Penn however, has long been an known for not only his ridiculous talent for fighting but also his ability to compete at multiple weight classes, from lightweight (155 pounds) to even light heavyweight as Penn weighed 191 lbs. in his 2005 fight with then 220 pound Lyoto Machida.
After losing two fights in a row to current lightweight champ Frankie Edgar, Penn put on the weight and jumped back up to welterweight, where he knocked out UFC and MMA legend Matt Hughes in 21 seconds to get back in the win column. “The Prodigy” will likely be giving up some twenty plus pounds to Fitch come fight night. Penn addressed the weight difference between him and Fitch and explained how not having to cut weight will actually benefit him come fight night saying “When it comes to 155 pounds, I don’t even like cutting the weight to make that weight, it’s not a tough cut for me – I probably cut three of four pounds on the day of the weigh in. But you have to cut down food and you have to cut your water down. And I don’t know if that’s a healthy thing.”
A longtime fighter of testing yourself against the best regardless of opponents size, Penn went on as to why dropping pounds to gain an edge over an opponent simply doesn’t factor into his fighting philosophy at all. “I mean, if someone said ‘let’s meet tomorrow at 12 o’clock to fight somewhere, your family honor is on the line,’ I wouldn’t stop drinking water and stop eating. I don’t see how that can help you and make you the stronger person. I come from a whole different mindset, I believe you get as healthy as you can and fight the best guy possible. I feel that I’m a healthy person right now and in a great mindset, and I know that when we get to Australia we’re going to fight less than 24 hours after the weigh in, so I’d rather be in the position that I’m in.”
Penn also said that he is looking forward to actually feeling full and hydrated when he tips the scale and having the same feeling again when he gets into the Octagon with Fitch, an advantage that Penn is convinced could outweigh all of Fitch’s twenty pounds as Penn stated “Twenty hours later me and Jon Fitch are going to be standing in the ring looking at each other and I’m going to be happy knowing that I was drinking as much water and eating as much as I could the whole time I was getting ready to fight someone of Fitch’s caliber.” If that is what Penn thinks and you mix that up with the coaching of Floyd Mayweather, SR., Fitch may have bitten off a smaller bite like he intended but with a much bigger punch.
Penn and Fitch will square off February 26, 2011, in the main event of UFC 127 at the Acer Arena in Sydney, Australia.
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