BJ Penn vs. Kenny Florian

So, at long last BJ Penn makes his return to the lightweight division. You know, the one Joe Rogan said (about 100 times) was best suited to him. 155 is where we’d see the best BJ Penn ever. That BJ would be a big improvement over the one that got squashed by Georges St. Pierre this past January. He’s got no where to go but up.

As for Kenny Florian, he’s been waiting for this moment even longer. The poor guy has been inactive ever since he embarrassed Joe Stevenson. After 3 years of being undefeated in the UFC’s most competitive weight class, it’s safe to say he’s earned his title shot.

Fans are looking at this as BJ’s chance to reestablish himself as one of MMA’s best pound for pound fighters. Are they looking past Kenny Florian? Perhaps, but it’s doubtful that Penn is. BJ knows that he needs this win to erase the memory of him “quitting” (as GSP eloquently put it) in his last fight.

However it’s also clear that Kenny Florian has his own reasons for placing a lot of importance on this fight. Let’s say for a moment that he does lose this match. By the time he gets another title shot, he’ll be in a senior citizens home. Given what we’ve seen from Kenny in his last few fights, he’s in the best possible position to win the title.

So, what do you get with two highly motivated octagon warriors? Ideally – a really competitive fight. There’s no way that BJ can win this match in the same fashion he has in his last 3 lightweight battles. In fact, he should barely be considered the favorite. He is the favorite because Florian has not faced a guy quite like BJ Penn. Provided we’re talking about the BJ that doesn’t take an occasional holiday while training for a title fight.

Stylistically, they match up fairly evenly. They both have explosive striking. Penn has better conventional boxing, while Kenny has the better Muay Thai. Penn has slightly better takedown defense, which could prove useful. They both have awesome grappling skills. If Penn can wind up on top when they do decide to go to the ground, he’ll have a distinct advantage. Kenny should consider busting out those elbows of his. It’s a good thing he knows how to use them from the bottom.

Penn haters can take comfort in knowing there’s a chance we’ll see an upset. After all, BJ is always overdue for a good humbling.

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