For those who believe that B.J. Penns future hovers at or above 185 pounds, they may want to look closely at his uninspired decision victory Friday night over Renzo Gracie (pictures), who despite his family name and early success was 1-5 since 1999 and had not fought for nearly two years following an ACL injury.
To be fair to the 26-year-old, packing on the pounds on a five-foot-nine frame has come largely during a crusade to fight heavier men, which began following the defeat of Hughes in January 2004. But versus Gracie, always a slender middleweight, Penn looked nothing if out of shape.
Gone was Penns trademark rush to fight, which fans first saw in his UFC debut before he smashed Caol Uno (pictures). Friday he moved to the K-1 ring with the grace of a recreational marathoner, not the explosiveness of a world-class sprinter. And his fight followed much the same pattern.
Gracie fought well early, scoring the bouts first takedown. With the Brazilian jiu-jitsu master in his guard, Penn, who despite his size retained much of the flexibility he was famous for among jiu-jitsu circles, relaxed and offered little offense.
In the opening seconds of the second period Penn went to Gracies body and head, connecting accurately almost every time. A jab snapped Gracies head and soon Penn stalked his way around the ring, swatting oncoming punches and kicks like he would a mosquito.
When takedowns became increasingly difficult for Gracie to finish, he began reaching with punches. Penn countered nicely, bouncing his red five-ounce gloves off the Brazilians face.
These were the finest moments the night for the Hawaiian, who faced Gracie in the main event of K-1s first-ever open-air promotion outside of Japan which, according to K-1, drew almost 12,000 spectators to Honolulus Aloha Arena.
The pro-Penn crowd desperately wanted to erupt for their man. But he gave them few opportunities.
Gracie flicked jabs and low kicks to began action in round three. However Penn soon brought the fight to the blue canvas, where it remained until the final bell.
"Renzo fought harder than I expected, and I wish I'd only had 30 more seconds, because I think I had him at the end and then the bell sounded, Penn said of a fight he won by unanimous decision (30-28, 29-28, 29-28).
Had Fridays version of Penn fought the Renzo Gracie (pictures) that warred with Kazushi Sakuraba (pictures) in August 2000, he would have been blown out. Yet Gracies age and injuries changed the dynamics of this fight and in spite of his appearance Penns physical attributes balance and power (speed used to be in there, too) took hold in rounds two and three.
Whether anyone close to Penn will tell him, after sluggish performances versus two natural middleweights and a light heavyweight it is clear that he is at his best at 170 pounds.
Though Penn cannot make 155 anymore, the welterweight limit is clearly in reach. Unlike so many less talented fighters, however, it seems Penns refusal to cut weight is a result of his unwillingness to make the sacrifices necessary to realize his potential. And he is the only one responsible for that.
Could Penn, who fancies himself the best fighter in the world, possibly challenge Wanderlei Silva (pictures), the PRIDE 205-pound champion mentioned repeatedly in recent Penn interviews? What about UFC middleweight champion Rich Franklin (pictures)?
It doesnt seem possible, not if he continues to fight out of shape and flat-footed like he did Friday. At this point, the question for Penn and his handlers has to be: If he stays on his current path, how long until fans give up on him and move on?