Quote:
Originally Posted by Palma
Those losses shouldn't be brushed aside, but they are both very questionable losses along with his loss to Machida (imo)... Penn could just have easily been undefeated at this point. In all four of his losses he looked like the better fighter. In the case GSP he was easily the better fighter... GSP is just better at manipulating the rules and is there for a better competitor, but no one can watch that fight and honestly say he was the better fighter.
|
There is nothing questionable about his loss to GSP. Penn lost rounds 2 and 3. Was it a great win for GSP or a bad loss for Penn? No, it wasn't, but Penn lost. GSP changed his game and took Penn down, he was able to do very little to Penn on the ground... because GSP was fighting BJ Penn.... on the ground...
Nothing questionable about over exerting yourself against an opponent and hurting yourself either. In fact, that makes you fighting UNINTELLIGENTLY.. Hughes took his punishment and then finished Penn. His injury against Hughes wasn't a freak accident like say, Barnett vs. Cro Cop I.
I don't see what is questionable vs. Pulver/Machida either. Sure, Pulver was saved by the bell, but the win was a win. As far as I'm concerned, anyone who questions Penn's loss to Pulver/Machida, must also question Penn's win over Serra.
If you want to blame those losses and underestimating an opponent, then fine.. but they are legit. If you want to claim (and I would agree) that Penn has never gotten his ass handed to him, then fine.
My thoughts on the Penn is that at LW, he is damn near impossible to beat. When he leaves that weight class, things change.
Penn could have been easily undefeated, but he isn't. So could a ton of other fighters.
Don't get me wrong, Penn awes me. His recent change of attitude has made me a bigger fan of him now than probably ever before. He is absolutely the greatest LW ever in the sport, in the same way that Hughes was the greatest WW, Fedor the greatest HW, etc. I don't care if Florian/Huerta beats him, he is still the best. But he isn't divine and he isn't unbeatable. P4P, there are better fighters.