SEATTLE — B.J. Penn is one of the greatest fighters in the history of mixed martial arts.
He’s one of two men to hold UFC titles in two divisions, having worn gold in both the welterweight and lightweight divisions. The only other man who can lay claim to such an achievement is Randy Couture, and “The Natural” is a first-ballot Hall of Famer if an independent MMA shrine to the greats were ever to be established.
“The Prodigy” is arguably the best lightweight to ever set foot in the cage, having gone undefeated when competing at the 155-pound limit over a seven-year stretch that included his UFC title victory over Joe Stevenson, and outstanding performances against Diego Sanchez, Kenny Florian, Jens Pulver, and Takanori Gomi.
It’s been a while since we’ve seen that Penn though.
Over his last five fights, the soon-to-be 34-year-old fighter from Hilo, Hawaii has a 1-3-1 record, and he has just one win in the welterweight division since upsetting Matt Hughes for the title way back at UFC 46 in January 2004.
Yet despite his recent struggles, fight fans continue to hold out hope for a return to form for Penn. Though he has just a single victory over the last three years heading into his showdown with Canadian prospect Rory MacDonald Saturday night a UFC on FOX 5 in Seattle, reports of an focused and motivated Penn have pundits and fans wondering if this will be the night he turns back the clock and returns to contention.
It’s a scenario that seems to be distinct to Penn.
Watch Saturday’s UFC on Sportsnet: Henderson vs. Diaz, starting with the televised undercard at 5 p.m. ET / 2 p.m. PT, followed by the four-fight main card at 8 p.m. ET / 5 p.m. PT. A bonus early preliminary fight will air on Sportsnet.ca at 4:30 p.m. ET / 1:30 p.m. PT.
Most fighters who reach this point — 10-plus years into a decorated career and struggling to find the win column — don’t have throngs of people anticipating a late-career renaissance. The usual narratives for athletes in that space revolve around memories of wins gone by, talks of retirement, and their place in the pantheon of all-time greats.
But that doesn’t seem to be the case with Penn — not heading into this bout and not during his recent run of poor results.
Instead of writing him off and questioning whether it’s time for him to hang up his four-ounce gloves — something he said he was doing following his October 2011 loss at the hands of Nick Diaz — fans and critics seem to be holding out hope that the mercurial Penn is going to rediscover the fire that made him so dominant during the early years of his career, and led to a collection of outstanding performances during his run atop the lightweight division.
Images of the usually undersized and somewhat doughy welterweight version of “The Prodigy” looking in tremendous shape heading into this weekend’s meeting with MacDonald are adding to the talk of a resurgence. All the usual buzzwords the accompany the build-up to a Penn fight are being tossed around again, as discussions of how a “focused” and “motivated” version of Penn could be trouble for MacDonald on Saturday night — not to mention the amazing reception he received from the crown at Friday’s weigh-ins (in contrast to a chorus of boos for his Canadian opponent.)
What is it about the Hawaiian that makes so many people willing to overlook his recent track record and history of lethargic efforts brought on by a lack of motivation in order to hold out hope that this will be the fight where he finally puts it all together again?
Why does Penn continually get the benefit of the doubt where so many others would have already been written off?
The answer, I believe, lies in the incredible wealth of talent the 33-year-old fighter possesses, talent which some feel wasn’t maximized during his career.
There is no question that a fit and motivated Penn is one of the most gifted competitors to ever step into the cage. In fact, he might be the best natural talent this sport has seen, but his motivation didn’t always match his physical gifts, and his career — and legacy — has suffered for it.
Over a 30-month stretch starting with Penn’s return to the UFC in January 2007, he had no equal in the lightweight division. He thrashed former rival Pulver, and battered Stevenson into a bloody mess that photographer Martin McNeil expertly captured in one of the most memorable MMA pictures of all time. He left former champion Sean Sherk crumpled against the cage at the close of the third round following a devastating flying knee and a torrent of punches, and then delivered precise surgical performances against Florian and Sanchez that made each man look like he had no business being in the cage with the then lightweight champion.
It’s those brilliant outings — those dominant performances against elite competition in the lightweight division — that make the times where his focus and motivation come under scrutiny hard to accept. Everyone knows how impressive Penn can look inside the cage, and when he comes up short, it’s hard to know for sure if he was beaten by a better man or beaten by himself during training camp.
The issue now, however, might not be preparation.
Even though Penn showed up on the scale in impeccable shape, at two pounds lighter on Friday afternoon, he’ll be at a considerable disadvantage in the size and strength departments come fight night, and he’s also still a decade MacDonald’s senior. While it was his focus and commitment that let him down at times earlier in his career, Penn might simply be at a competitive disadvantage competing in the welterweight division these days, and especially against a potentially oversized 170-pounder in Ares.
Penn has the skill set to challenge MacDonald, even beat him; it’s the same tremendous talent that allowed him to battle Lyoto Machida to a decision loss on a K-1 Hero’s card during his two-plus-year sabbatical from the UFC. But he also is rightfully installed as the underdog heading into Saturday’s contest.
Many who await this contest hope to catch a glimpse of the old Penn — a return of the sublime talent that has existed in flashes, if only for one more night.
They hold out hope — and always will — because for them, hoping for a renaissance and losing because of a lack of motivation or focus is better than being overtaken by younger fighters and losing a battle against Father Time.
