It looks like Nick Diaz wants to go five rounds with B.J. Penn in the new main event of UFC 137, despite Dana White stating it would only be a three-rounder on twitter earlier today. Of course, they are now in the marquee spot because Georges St. Pierre was forced out of his headlining bout with Carlos Condit due to a knee injury. As usual, Nick's manager Cesar Gracie is leading the campaign for a five-rounder, speaking to MMA Fighting about the idea:
"If they can't fight five rounds against each other, how are they going to fight five rounds against GSP?," Gracie said to MMAFighting.com on Tuesday.
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Sounds like Gracie/Diaz are banking on Penn gassing, which comes as no surprise.
I really like that idea, it would at least partially make up for the loss of the main event. It's probably too short notice to change it now though.
In a stand-up fight with no threat of the takedown i don't see BJ gassing in a 5 rounder.
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BJ Penn beat Frankie Edgar more times than Benson Henderson beat Frankie Edgar.
If nothing else, Cesar knows psychology.
I don't really understand why this was not a 5-rounder to begin with. As I understood, title-eliminators (which I believe this is since Diaz winning likely puts him in line for a title shot), would be 5 rounds. I understand this was scheduled along with a championship fight, so it was not intended to be the main event, but the UFC should also be smart enough to know that they have to plan for fights getting canceled. They should know that the possibility of losing another title fight due to injury was not just a possibility, but a probability. It seems that making this a 5-rounder "just in case" would have been wise, if GSP-Condit goes through no big deal, just means fans are rewarded with not one but two potential 5-round battles, its not like you can't have two of those on the same card.
Only main events are going to be 5 rounds.
Diaz/Penn wasn't signed by both guys to be a main event/5 round fight. I think both guys would have to resign for 5 rounds or something like that.
A lot of behind the scenes stuff we kinda don't know. I do find that behind the scenes stuff intriguing though. Like NFL hardknocks and the showtime show with the SF Giants.
Whether or not we want it to be a 5 rounder is irrelevant. In the case of Penn vs Diaz, each fighter has the right to contest if Dana and the ufc decided to change it to a 5 rounder. Both fighters have been preparing for a 3 round fight. Diaz will not mind the change because the 5 rounds will only benefit him. As for Penn, he has every right to keep it a 3 round fight and he would be foolish to bite on Ceasar Gracie's comment.
Nice try on Gracie's part but it would not surprise me if Penn's team accepts the challenge. I only say this because Penn's team do not know a whole lot about strategy. They may actually think this is a golden opportunity. >>> "Yeah, let's do this. This fight will prepare us for GSP."
Posted by Pookie
In a stand-up fight with no threat of the takedown i don't see BJ gassing in a 5 rounder.
Well, in a 3 round fight, I absolutely agree with you. He probably wouldn't gas in a 5 round stand-up fight, but he could fatigue enough to make a difference in the 4th and 5th. They can't make it a 5-rounder with less than 2 weeks notice, though. BJ has been training for a 3-rounder the entire time, and Nick has been since he got demoted from the title fight.
Posted by KungFuMaster
Whether or not we want it to be a 5 rounder is irrelevant. In the case of Penn vs Diaz, each fighter has the right to contest if Dana and the ufc decided to change it to a 5 rounder. Both fighters have been preparing for a 3 round fight. Diaz will not mind the change because the 5 rounds will only benefit him. As for Penn, he has every right to keep it a 3 round fight and he would be foolish to bite on Ceasar Gracie's comment.
Nice try on Gracie's part but it would not surprise me if Penn's team accepts the challenge. I only say this because Penn's team do not know a whole lot about strategy. They may actually think this is a golden opportunity. >>> "Yeah, let's do this. This fight will prepare us for GSP."
This is why I do not really support 5-round non-title main events. With all the injuries that have been occuring, it presents issues similar to this. I agree, there is no way they can make this a 5-rounder for exactly the reasons you state.
No doubt this is Gracie trying to get his guy an advantage, but I don't think BJ is that dumb. And with GSP out and Dana saying that Condit-GSP will be made when GSP is healthy, there would be plenty of time to prepare for a 5-round title fight. Of course that is assuming that the winner, regardless of who it is, gets the next title shot.
Penn did gas is a mostly striking affair with Frankie both times. Penn and his camp knows his cardio isnt very good and will only stick to 3 rounds because he can win the first 2 and coast in the 3rd when he begins to tire.
i would love to see this as a 5 rounder...the fans deserve this. everyone wants it besides Penn, his camp, and his nuthuggers
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Sounds good to me.
BJ better be in shape, he should take this fight by Knockout or tko doc stoppage- Diaz's facial scar tissue.
If Diaz makes it past the third round, he will have the advantage, because BJ has bad cardio in my mind, and only went champ rounds fighting well, when he wasn't being beat up (Diego, Kenflo).
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Posted by Bubbles
Penn did gas is a mostly striking affair with Frankie both times. Penn and his camp knows his cardio isnt very good and will only stick to 3 rounds because he can win the first 2 and coast in the 3rd when he begins to tire.
i would love to see this as a 5 rounder...the fans deserve this. everyone wants it besides Penn, his camp, and his nuthuggers
Legally your point is bullshit. Against Diaz he would tire in a 5 round fight, against Diaz he would tire by round 3, but he i mot likely gonna knock Diaz out in a couple minutes anyway because he has no chin and his recovery isnt gonna be fast enough.
IMO Penn would have walked through Cyborg rather than getting hi legs hurt so bad he had to win by sub.
In the Frankie fight youre not giving Frankies wrestling enough respect. first fight was 3-2 decision striking, second fight was 5-0 because of the excellent timing of the wrestling.
Your gonna see Diaz THINK he can box by throwing a lot of punches with solid range and no head movement, it will give Penn fit for the whole 1-2 minute it takes Penns boxing to time Diaz.
Posted by Bubbles
Penn and his camp knows his cardio isnt very good and will only stick to 3 rounds because he can win the first 2 and coast in the 3rd when he begins to tire.
Penn just went on record at the conference call stating that he'd love to make it a 5-round affair but has heard nothing from the UFC about doing so.
SHOCKING NEWS: Nick Diaz isn't on the call.
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Posted by Bubbles
Penn did gas is a mostly striking affair with Frankie both times. Penn and his camp knows his cardio isnt very good and will only stick to 3 rounds because he can win the first 2 and coast in the 3rd when he begins to tire.
i would love to see this as a 5 rounder...the fans deserve this. everyone wants it besides Penn, his camp, and his nuthuggers
Penn's conditioning isn't top level, but his endurance is. You may not understand what i mean by that, but it's half of what goes into cardio.
Most of the fighters gassed in Abu Dhabi, and Penn still won that fight. The second fight Penn was figured out from the get go, he didn't fade late in the fight, he was off the mark the whole time. Your Frankie Edgar example is apples and oranges.
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BJ Penn beat Frankie Edgar more times than Benson Henderson beat Frankie Edgar.