Rewatch Georges St Pierre vs BJ Penn II (the most important WW fight of all time)

[HHJ]

The buzz at the time of this fight was huge. In here we were marvelling that we were seeing the two best fighters in the world, irregardless of weight class, fighting each other for all the stakes.

What was your thoughts at the time?? WHOSE SIDE WERE YOU ON?????

 

[method115]

I was GSP all the way back then. Great fright. It was crazy the way GSP would evolve in all his rematches.

 

[Doctor Grudge]

I wanted Penn to win probably. He was smaller and more bad ass.

 

[LEWIS540]

At the time, BJ.

In hindsight glad GSP won.

BJ, is in that weird position of being an ATG and also a massive underachiever, and proven to be a rather unpleasant person.

GSP seems to be a very solid human.

 

[fedorthegoat777]

Great fight.
Epic.

 

[joy2day]

The more salient questions are- have you ever been banned by PB? Were you on PB's side?

The famous fight where BJ said he would fight to the death, then wilted on the stool, lol. That's what hyper-macho man claims will get you- embarrassment.

Everyone was looking at their first fight speculating and arguing about what would happen without realizing that GSP had become a monster since- he was vastly improved. Even I didn't know how bad BJ would get tooled.

 

[LEWIS540]

Great fight.
Epic.

Was it?

Remember it being a one sided beat down.

The classic GSP 50-45 but BJ quit, early.

“To the death”.

 

[fedorthegoat777]

Was it?

Remember it being a one sided beat down.

The classic GSP 50-45 but BJ quit, early.

“To the death”.

Well, his career did die that day.
He was once considered the greatest fighter of all time by some.

 

[LEWIS540]

.Well, his career did die that day.
He was once considered the greatest fighter of all time by some.

Penn?

Not really.

Still was LW champion and put in 2 of his better career performances straight after.

 

[HHJ]

The more salient questions are- have you ever been banned by PB? Were you on PB's side?

The famous fight where BJ said he would fight to the death, then wilted on the stool, lol. That's what hyper-macho man claims will get you- embarrassment.

Everyone was looking at their first fight speculating and arguing about what would happen without realizing that GSP had become a monster since- he was vastly improved. Even I didn't know how bad BJ would get tooled.

I honestly thought GSP would stop Penn with GNP late in the fight but that Penn would put up a good resistance until then

 

[HHJ]

Penn?

Not really.

Still was LW champion and put in 2 of his better career performances straight after.

Penn's name was one of the those considered to be one of the best in the world at that time

Silva
Fedor
Penn
GSP's name would be added after he dispatched Penn though he was already highly regarded coming into this fight.

 

[BowserJr]

I was with BJ. The 1st fight was incredible and what made me a BJ fan.

The dude was something else. For him to beat the best LW of the time and the then WW GOAT (now #2) back to back then take the new GOAT to a very close decision near his peak was insane. Especially when you consider the jump from LW to WW in terms of size difference

I thought it would've been close but GSP incredibly levels up like 10x after a loss or close fight. GSP is the GOAT maetial artist. He lost his fighters edge after Serra but the dude is the personification of athlete professional and martial artist. No better ambassador for the sport

 

[Kowboy On Sherdog]

GOAT performance

 

[HHJ]

He lost his fighters edge after Serra

No. He did not.

 

[LEWIS540]

Penn's name was one of the those considered to be one of the best in the world at that time

Silva
Fedor
Penn
GSP's name would be added after he dispatched Penn

Sure.

This wasn’t the start of his downfall though. Legit 2 of his top 5 performances followed this defeat (Kenny and Diego).

Talent wise only BJ is right up there for most people, but truth is his record (despite 2-3 real peaks) has always been a tad underwhelming.

 

[HHJ]

but truth his record (despite 2-3 real peaks) has always been a tad underwhelming.

Yeah but it doesnt tell the whole story.

Him beating Hughes the way he did shook up the whole MMA world.

He was like doing things easily that just wasnt possible for anyone else

 

[VinceArch]

PB was pretty butthurt after the fight.

 

[SuperNerd]

Hispect to the lost and veterans of the war.

Just scrap.

 

[LEWIS540]

Yeah but it doesnt tell the whole story.

Him beating Hughes the way he did shook up the whole MMA world.

He was like doing things easily that just wasnt possible for anyone else

Meh, maybe.

He didn’t really build on it though. Gomo then Hughes back-to-back was epic, but that was ultimately his peak.

Talent wise you’d put him up there as the LW great, but truth be told his record is largely beating top 10ers not top other greats.

 

[Doctor Grudge]

Meh, maybe.

He didn’t really build on it though. Gomo then Hughes back-to-back was epic, but that was ultimately his peak.

Talent wise you’d put him up there as the LW great, but truth be told his record is largely beating top 10ers not top other greats.

What is a top tenner, and how does that apply to Penn but not GSP?

Penn has beaten quite a few fighters that people thought were the best LWs in the world in addition to Hughes at WW. Pulver, Sherk, Gomi, and Uno were not just top ten guys in the 2000s.

Five guys is a lot (good burger joint too). Maybe youll use hindsight voodoo and say so and so wasn't good, but that certainly wasn't the case back then.