Gross: How much are you guys doing behind the scenes to get K-1 more interested in promoting MMA fights and putting MMA fights on TV? If youre doing anything at all.
Gross: Since you fought Hughes, obviously you fought Rodrigo Gracie and you fought Ryoto Machida (pictures) and you had another fight. But do you feel that youve been challenged at all since you started taking those fights? Theyre good fighters but theyre not the top-level fighters not Gomi and Hughes.
Penn: Definitely. I got a lot from this last fight with Lyoto. I really learned a lot. What really works. That was definitely stepping into the fountain of knowledge in that fight. I found out what I can do in there, a lot of different stuff. I really grew a lot, I feel, as a fighter in that fight. But I mean, to say that those guys arent the same kind of caliber as Gomi and Hughes when I finished Gomi and I finished Hughes and I didnt finish Rodrigo and I didnt finish Lyoto, those guys are very good fighters too. Its just perception of people. But Ive been in the ring with all those guys. I know if Im in the ring with Hughes again, Ill finish him again. Gomi same thing. Actually, next time I fight Rodrigo, if it ever does happen, Id put him away and finish him. Definitely, Ive grown as a fighter since these last couple fights. Not to say Gomi and Hughes havent grown. I mean theyre awesome. Theyre great fighters. Look what Gomis done, knocking everybody out. Hughes coming back, beating all those guys again and this and that. So, I mean, its not like theyre on a tear but I feel Im a great fighter and contend with anyone.
Gross: Theres an argument out there that basically the fights that youve taken against these heavier guys puts you in a no lose situation. If you lose the fight, so what? You fought a bigger guy. If you win then you get a lot of accolades. Do you feel youre putting yourself in a no lose situation where a loss doesnt really hurt you and theres really not much to gain out of it?
Penn: The only thing they can say that about is about the Lyoto fight or something because I fought Ludwig if I had lost that would have been terrible. I fought Rodrigo, who was the same size. If I had lost that, that would have been terrible. I fought Lyoto. You know what I mean? F__k man, I thought I was going to win that fight. I still think I can go in and do good. I want to have better training partners. I dont want to make any excuses. If I ever fight him again I want to have better training partners. People like Chuck Liddell (pictures). People like that kind of people to train with if I fight Lyoto. And Renzo. If I lose, where is my career going? Its f__ked.
Gross: Renzo is 1-5 in his last six fights and hasnt been a player in that division in a long time. So why did you accept that fight?
Penn: I think its all about filling up a 20,000-seat arena, you know what I mean. I think thats what K-1 wants to do and what they want to try to put together to fill up a 20,000-seat arena. But besides that, its a good fight. Its going to be an exciting fight. I mean, if you look at every single one of the peopleyou know, fighting in a show its all about whos going to watch the thingif you look at all the people in the UFC welterweight division, even I think the middleweight division, a lot more people know who Renzo is, especially worldwide, not just in the U.S. Because the UFC is just in the U.S. market. But this is going to be worldwide on television in 60 countries and stuff like that. I guess it was a no-brainer for them to try and put that together.
Gross: This is a mega-fight in Hawaii and this arena is huge. Whats that like headlining a show in your home state, obviously in front of a pro-B.J. Penn crowd?
Penn: Its awesome. I like fighting over here. The day of the fight I can sleep all day. Its nothing new. Its not in my hometown, but on another island. Same state. So I just feel comfortable. Its the same air I breathe everyday. Its good. When I get in that ring, I like how Renzo stares people down, Ill be on the other side walking around looking at him. Were looking at each other. The hype and the energy and everything is building up. Im going to feel it. Im going to feel the hair on my body standup and look across the ring. Its going to be excitement. Theres going to be electricity in between the two of us standing across the ring looking at each other. Renzos a crazy guy to count out. He can fight good with a lot of people. I dont know how much hes been training in his last fights. I heard he just showed up the fights. He was teaching, doing business and this and that, not taking it serious though. Hes a lot older. Hes 38 years old. Hes had a lot of time off. Thats the best thing a lot of times. When you fight so often, youre so active you take a year off and youre just on it. Youre ready to train. Youre ready to fight. Theres something missing in your life for that one year. So its back. Hes got a challenge like me to step up to fight and Im sure hes going to come in hard, fighting hard.
Gross: If you dont stop him or submit him, will you be disappointed?
Penn: Whos the last person who did stop him or submit him? Sakuraba right? Oh, Henderson knocked him out. Of course Im going to go full bore to stop him or submit him. But Im not going to say Im going to be disappointed in myself. As long as its an exciting fight, you know what I mean. As long as fans can say, I got my moneys worth. This is what I paid for. As long as the fans go home happy, Ill go home happy.
Gross: There are still a lot of fans who wish you would stick with a division and clean it out and fight the best. Beating Gomi and beating Hughes you have a good argument that you already did that. But do you feel at all for the fans who really want to see you fight the best of the best, at least thats how theyre perceived?
Penn: If they want to see me fight the best of the best, let me fight all the guys. Ill fight Hughes again in a second. Were trying to put a fight together with Jeremy Horn (pictures) at 185, so its not like Im trying to jump out of the weight class. Because Im walking around at 185 right now. Thats what Im fighting at. And when I said I really want to test myself against someone like Wanderlei Silva (pictures) and people like that, Im serious. I want to do those kind of things. I want to fight those kinds of people. I want to take it as far as I can take it, especially for myself too. I want to know how good I am. I dont want to sit back later and be like, yeah man I was the best welterweight ever. Nobody in the whole world ever, ever could mess with me. No one could ever touch me. I want to see. I want to know my limit. I want to know how far I can take it. I want to know who I am. I want to face all these people. I want to look across the ring and look at them in the eyes and stare at them and see how it feels and feel all that emotion. I want to do it all.