We never do know, I certainly don't know! My predictions have been straight **** lately. To be fair, that was the freakiest thing I've ever seen. That was like Wlad gassing against Brewster I could not believe my eyes when I saw how BJ was in that 3rd round This is the part of your post I really disagree with and I'll tell you why. Stevensen was going at Diego until the final bell standing, he is just a limited "boxer" and Diego mixed up his attack and just beat him in a muay thai match pretty much. BJ destroyed stevensen. dropped him in like 5 seconds and then proceeded to beat on him. Sherk is always a game striker and BJ rendered his striking useless and shut him down. Florian was all ready to strike with BJ until he got rocked early and then went into retreat mode when he realized how fast BJs hands were and how skilled he actually was. Penn dictated all of those fights because he could. He did better at dictating those fights then Diego was able to do with stevensen. Diego's striking was made to look very bad against Koscheck, who himself isn't that good of a striker. Also I'm not saying that Diego can't employ GSP's strategy and make it work, but I am extremely skeptical. Diego has not proven to be able to do ANYTHING as good as GSP can. Also we don't know how Diego's cardio will be in a 5 round fight against an elite fighter. Frustration, punches to the face, panic all saps the gas tank. :good
Very true. I agree with this. We've never seen Diego go 5 rounds. But the logical implication from what we know him by suggests he can. We've seen BJ go 5 rounds against Pulver. The distance with Machida. The distance with Renzo. Very true. But he didn't look very impressive and the pace of those fights were unlike the one's Hughes & GSP put on him. He ended up getting punished in those fights. Credit to BJ with imposing his better skills against Stevenson, Sherk, & Florian. But once BJ imposed himself, they didn't have an answer. You said Sherk is a GAME striker. Game as in he's still there and he's trying (credit to Sherk and that's very true) but it was obvious and his face told the story he quit on himself as well. Easy for me to say right? I wasn't the one fighting BJ Penn. Very true. However when sherk went down with the knee and BJ followed up with some punches, BJ kinda like waved his arms to Sherk to stop & stay down and Sherk did. BJ IS NOT GONNA BE ABLE TO SUGGEST TO DIEGO SANCHEZ WHAT TO DO He's not gonna be in a situation mentally where he's quit and is waiting to be flatlined or tapped out. His determination is great and he believes he can win no matter what. Fitch was just to big for him but not even a big 170 lber like that walked right through him. He didn't dominate, he just out muscled him. Stevenson to his credit looked descent in the Sanchez fight. But you also have to take into consideration that was Diego's first fight at lightweight and Diego didn't fight like his true self. The weight cut was a problem and it was obvious Diego had his feet on the breaks and for some reason was flirting with a different style of Boxing in that fight with his fists kinda like pointed backwards it appeared like (we spoke about this before). Come on, do you really think Stevenson fought the real Diego? Had they fought when Stevenson was at 170 Diego would have murdered him:deal The guida fight was also a difficult cut for Diego but he had every intension on fighting like his true self and he did and clearly whipped Guida's ass. Nearly had him KO'd on 2 occasions and fought a Sanchez type of fight. I think if BJ is gonna win this fight, he's gonna have to reach for his stuff. Diego is not gonna fade down like Sherk, or fight just to survive like Florian tried. BJ is the best lightweight in the world but just because he's in his natural weight class doesn't mean he can't be tested there. There's always somebody out there for you and Diego might be that guy. We'll see how good BJ's cardio at 155 is when we see Diego fight him back. If anything, BJ Penn fans should be glad this fight is at 155, because had this fight taken place at 170 in 2006 around when Sanchez whipped Parisyan's ass, BJ would be dog food.
I see what you're saying how Florian and Sherk just gave up. My point is that Diego may do that also, in fairness of course he never has in the past but neither had Florian or Sherk. It's like the look Penn and Hughes showed after GSP manraped them for a few rounds, they looked mentally beaten...and that was the first time they had ever felt that way. Well BJ has the ability to make people feel that for the first time as well. Funny **** when BJ stopped the Sherk fight himself And yes, Diego vs Stevensen (minus Diegos "put up your dukes" boxing style) I think Diego would murder him much the same Florian and Penn did :deal We've talked about this before for sure, I used to LOVE watching diego man. Loved the guys fights. It was the Kos fight, the stevensen fight that made me feel a little strange about him. He just didn't seem to have the killer instinct anymore. But you pointed out he was sick against Kos and weight drained against Daddy. Which are good explanations.
To be honest I'm not sure. That must have been maybe around when the fight was made official?:think Cause he did look huge. Look like he was in the 170's.
Perhaps. Just maybe. Diego is a big dude. BJ & DS are 2 of the bigger lightweights in the division. I don't count Tibau. That ****in cheater:bart
BJ not sure how but picked TKO just for the hell of it. Diego has improved his striking but its still alittle wild and he leaves his chin dangling over his lead foot still to much IMO. BJ doesnt have much of a leg attack game but he has good kick blocking skills and will check Diego's kicks. Where the big skill gap standup is in the boxing ive mentioned what Diego does and BJ has a great jab to disrupt Diego's fast pace and an uppercut a hell of an uppercut to take advantage of Diego leaning in like he does. Diego has decent wrestling but he doesnt have great takedowns his takedown precentage is actually pretty low and you gotta be on a GSP level to get BJ Penn down at this point in his career. If the fight does hit the ground BJs BJJ game is still much tighter and smooth and overall about 2 levels higher. Diego is a very very good fighter maybe better then the Florian or Sherk that BJ has fought most recently but IMO he has no advantage on BJ besides from cardio. However Diego has never fought 5 rounds and BJs has likely improved he went 4 rounds with Florian and absolutley dominated him in that last round and finished him.
I pick Penn over Sanchez at any weight. BJ Penn beat Prime Hughes at welterweight (and SHOULD have beaten him twice except he gassed, which is no excuse, Hughes won but Penn should have come in better shape and he will be in better shape this fight) and gave GSP a damn good fight. BJ isn't dog food to Sanchez at any weight, even IF he loses.
