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On Saturday August 28, 2010 one of the most anticipated rematches of the year will take place between "The Prodigy" B.J. Penn and Frankie "The Answer" Edgar. The common belief among most MMA fans/writers is that Penn will regain his UFC Lightweight Championship in this fight and reclaim his spot as the top lightweight in the world. Even with Penn’s loss to Edgar at UFC 112 in Abu Dhabi, many still regard Penn as the best lightweight in the world.
During their UFC 112 bout in April, Edgar shocked the world winning by winning a unanimous decision, doing what no other lightweight had been able to do since January 11th, 2002 in defeating Penn. Edgar used excellent footwork to elude B.J. for much of the fight. He kept B.J. chasing him constantly while using his boxing prowess to score points and pull off the decision. Though many felt B.J. had done enough to win, the judges saw a much different fight and awarded Edgar the UFC Lightweight Championship.
I am not a fan of a fighter losing their Championship to a decision loss, especially a fight as close as Edgar-Penn; although I did give Edgar the nod and thought he stayed just one step ahead of B.J. throughout the fight. B.J. started off trying to find his range and trying to establish his legendary jab, but I felt he faded a bit too much as the bout continued.
After the bout, a report from Penn’s camp claimed the former champion was battling a sinus infection and was on antibiotics. While this definitely could have played a role in Penn’s performance, I feel the fact that BJ has had major problems with cardio in the past and the fact that his commitment to training has been questioned multiple times should not be overlooked.
Point blank, Edgar out worked Penn, so Edgar is the Champion. There is no doubt in my mind that B.J. is the most talented lightweight on the face of this earth, and if he dedicated himself each and every fight to being in the best shape he could possibly be in, he would still be unbeaten as a lightweight with exception to the Jens Pulver loss back in early 2002. B.J. has stated in interviews that the loss to Edgar allowed him to reassess his career and gave him the fire he’s needed to stay relevant in today’s MMA game, refusing to let younger talent pass him by. The question is will it translate, physically, into a great training camp.
Frankie Edgar without a doubt is a work-a-holic and will come into their bout on the 28th in excellent shape and with an excellent game plan. He’s a tough, tough kid and I do not see him giving up the Championship he worked so diligently for without a Championship fighting effort.
Frankie is an excellent wrestler and has good boxing skills, and he utilizes his footwork like no other lightweight in the world, in my opinion. Though he has stated he has a different gameplan for this fight and is treating it as if it is a completely different fight, I feel he will do much of the same as he did in their previous bout.
This bout is the most intriguing fight of the year in my opinion. It quite simply could go either way. B.J. without a doubt is the more talented of the two fighters, but Edgar is a much harder worker. When you are fighting at this level, it's hard for a work-a-holic to lose to a fighter that isn’t one. I feel this fight boils down to one thing, has B.J. Penn trained like a true champion?
If so, B.J. should have no problems finishing this fight. The problem is that history repeats itself, and B.J. has showed time and time again that he does not have the work ethic of a champion, relying on his talent for much of his career. After listening to B.J. speak about what the loss to Edgar has done to him mentally, I believe B.J. has put his heart and soul into this training camp. I feel he believes he is an all-time great and knows that he must finish Edgar to be the best lightweight of all time. I think B.J. comes out and in dominant fashion knocks "The Answer" out.
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