D. Mandel/Sherdog.com
“The Doggy Bag” gives you the opportunity to speak about what’s on your mind from time to time.
Our reporters, columnists, radio hosts, and editors will chime in with our answers and thoughts, so keep the emails coming.
This week, readers weigh-in on a challenger for B.J. Penn, the future of Bellator and the use of overtime rounds in MMA.
After the Gray Maynard decision win at UFC Fight Night 20, the UFC seems to be in a boring lightweight jam in my opinion. Frankie Edgar is no better a choice than Maynard for a title shot. He had two decision wins since losing to Maynard and most recently beat a relative UFC newcomer in Matt Veach. My point is that he isn’t a very exciting draw for a title match at this point and doesn’t have much of a chance at beating Penn. Maynard, especially with a split decision win over Nate Diaz, doesn’t even need to be discussed in the title picture, even with a good winning streak. B.J. Penn, who has finished all of his lightweight opponents in the past two years by KO, TKO or submission, deserves better. Even with a Takanori Gomi-Kenny Florian matchup, we’ve seen Penn handle both of these guys. With the UFC constantly courting Fedor Emelianenko and Gegard Mousasi, why can’t it start making a push for two top lightweights in Shinya Aoki and Eddie Alvarez? Are these guys completely tied down with the Strikeforce-Dream alliance? UFC President Dana White recently said that there are a million ways to strike a deal, so could you experts at Sherdog give me a few scenarios here please?
-- Brad Schuepfer
Brian Knapp, Associate Editor: Penn’s options at 155 pounds, from a competitive standpoint, are limited at best, inside or outside the UFC. Current matchups there, minus a few exceptions, will lead only to repeats of his massacre of Diego Sanchez at UFC 107.
Edgar, at the moment, seems like the best option since the two men about whom you spoke remain under contract with other organizations. Despite his decision loss to Maynard two years ago, Edgar has proven himself a more complete fighter and has been far more impressive of late. Does he have any realistic shot at knocking Penn off his perch, should the two meet as expected this spring? It’s doubtful. Does he warrant such an opportunity? After recent wins over the previously unbeaten Veach, former UFC champion Sean Sherk and one-time World Extreme Cagefighting titleholder Hermes Franca -- not to mention earlier victories over Spencer Fisher, Jim Miller, Tyson Griffin and Deividas Taurosevicius -- he seems as deserving as anyone under the UFC umbrella.
While Aoki and Alvarez pose interesting challenges for Penn -- Aoki from his back, Alvarez on his feet -- both would be heavy underdogs against the Hawaiian. The UFC should pursue Aoki and Alvarez when and if the opportunity presents itself, not necessarily to challenge Penn but to strengthen and bolster the lightweight division once he leaves it. Penn has no equal at 155, plain and simple, and UFC brass needs to plan for his eventual departure. Despite a checkered past there, Penn’s future lies at 170, where he can turn battles with Jon Fitch, Josh Koscheck, Thiago Alves and others into box office magic.