BJ Penn UFC 127 Preview

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BJ Penn has done about as much as one could expect with his MMA career up to this point. As a matter of fact, if he were to walk away right now, it would be hard to argue that he wouldn’t be a hands down unanimous choice for the UFC Hall-of-Fame. There is only one problem with all of the Hall of Fame talk though; Penn isn’t quite ready to cash in all of those accomplishments. Instead, he is worried about winning his next fight and getting back into the welterweight title picture.

In order to take that step and get back into the 170-pound title conversation, he must first get by the always-consistent Jon Fitch, in their UFC 127 main event. Penn closed up shop on his lightweight career for now after losing back-to-back title fights against the current champion Frankie Edgar this past year. He then jumped right back into action and seemingly gained a year’s worth of momentum with his UFC 123 KO over former welterweight champion Matt Hughes in his return to the 170-pound division.

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Skill-wise, Penn wouldn’t seem to have much to worry about when matching up against a fighter such as Jon Fitch. His boxing/stand-up skills are far better than his opponents, and if the bout goes to the ground, he could easily hold his own against the bigger wrestler. So, if it’s not skill or the size, what is there left to worry about? Motivation is what seems to be causing Penn the most trouble over the course of his career. At the top of his game, he is one of the best in the history of the sport; however an unmotivated BJ Penn can be defeated. Although it seems that Penn has re-energized his career after those back-to-back deflating losses to Edgar, it is yet to be seen what he will fight like against an under the radar-type fighter like Fitch. He isn’t fighting Anderson Silva, George St. Pierre, or even Matt Hughes, instead he has to find a way to get up for the grinder.

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It should be enough that a victory over Fitch will earn Penn a chance to fight for the 170-pound title, but as we have seen in recent times, he is unpredictable when it comes to the mental aspect. Yes, an un-motivated Penn is still a dangerous one, but will it still be enough to overcome a motivated Fitch? This bout more than any other in his storied career will tell whether his time has come for the Hall-of-Fame or whether he is just on his way to claiming another title belt.

By Nick Russel
ProFighting-fans.com MMA Staff Writer