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Opinion & Analysis
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Reader Reax
READER REAX: Second batch of reader responses to question of the week: Should B.J. Penn move to Welterweight? Which fights intrigue you most?
We asked readers this week to send us in their responses to the following question: Should B.J. Penn move to Welterweight? Which fights intrigue you most? Below is the second batch of responses sent in. To have your thoughts on this question published, send in responses to MMATorchEditor@gmail.com.
James Schoening: There is really no point in B.J. Penn moving up a weight class. The only reason he should consider this move would be to try to be the Champion, and at this point that is not realistic. There are plenty of guys at 155 lbs. left to fight, like the upcoming fight with Frankie Edgar, a rematch with Kenny Florian and a potential step up from Uriah Faber.
B.J. is not a huge 155 lb. fighter, and Faber is a huge 145 lbs. . I think that would make for an interesting fight stylistically and would put people in the seats. He's faster, stronger, and quicker... just not as good. It's about time he steps out of the WEC and Sacramento anyway!
Todd Stevens: First of all I am not for the move to 170 lbs. I would love to see B.J. dominate the lightweight divison for the next two years, but if he does move up I would love to see him fight Jon Fitch. Then I would want B.J. to get with Marv Marinovich again and put the extra weight on right and fight GSP a third time.
Matt Windham: First of all, let's be honest and say that the 155 lb., 170 lb. , & 185 lb. Champs in the UFC are head and shoulders above their said 'competition' right now. If BJ moves to welterweight he leaves Kenny Florian, a twice-failed title challenger, and perhaps Gray Maynard, Takanori Gomi and Frankie Edgar as the future of the division. None are top 10 pound for pound fighters, as every Champ in the UFC should be.
Georges St. Pierre and Anderson Silva are in the same boat in their weight classes; not one dominant challenger is in waiting to take the reigns and hold onto them.
Sure, I love superfights; GSP/Penn III would be great. So would GSP-Anderson or Anderson-Machida; but to me those dream, one-off fights, leave a division in limbo, and I am a fan of a dominant Champion.
So B.J., stay light and cement yourself as the best ever at 155 lbs. rather than muck up your rep losing to bigger and stronger guys.
Marc Cardinal: Well I think all contenders would make interesting matchups for B.J. in the welterweight division, but he would have to beat them all to get possibly one more crack at Georges St. Pierre. Even that might not happen because GSP is probably going to move up to middleweight.
However, i would be far more interested in BJ putting on some weight and making it all the way up to middleweight. This would make for a superfight. With Anderson Silva and B.J. both looking for opponents, I think this would make it extemely interesting for the fans. I also think if B.J. is hungry and comes into the fight in great shape, he has as good a shot at that belt as anyone.
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