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 you’re 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 you’ve been challenged at all since you started taking those fights? They’re good fighters but they’re 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 aren’t the same kind of caliber as Gomi and Hughes when I finished Gomi and I finished Hughes and I didn’t finish Rodrigo and I didn’t finish Lyoto, those guys are very good fighters too. It’s just perception of people. But I’ve been in the ring with all those guys. I know if I’m in the ring with Hughes again, I’ll finish him again. Gomi same thing. Actually, next time I fight Rodrigo, if it ever does happen, I’d put him away and finish him. Definitely, I’ve grown as a fighter since these last couple fights. Not to say Gomi and Hughes haven’t grown. I mean they’re awesome. They’re great fighters. Look what Gomi’s done, knocking everybody out. Hughes coming back, beating all those guys again and this and that. So, I mean, it’s not like they’re on a tear but I feel I’m a great fighter and contend with anyone.
Gross: There’s an argument out there that basically the fights that you’ve 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 you’re putting yourself in a “no lose” situation where a loss doesn’t really hurt you and there’s 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 don’t 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? It’s f__ked.
Gross: Renzo is 1-5 in his last six fights and hasn’t been a player in that division in a long time. So why did you accept that fight?
Penn: I think it’s all about filling up a 20,000-seat arena, you know what I mean. I think that’s 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, it’s a good fight. It’s going to be an exciting fight. I mean, if you look at every single one of the people—you know, fighting in a show it’s all about who’s going to watch the thing—if 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. What’s that like headlining a show in your home state, obviously in front of a pro-B.J. Penn crowd?
Penn: It’s awesome. I like fighting over here. The day of the fight I can sleep all day. It’s nothing new. It’s not in my hometown, but on another island. Same state. So I just feel comfortable. It’s the same air I breathe everyday. It’s good. When I get in that ring, I like how Renzo stares people down, I’ll be on the other side walking around looking at him. We’re looking at each other. The hype and the energy and everything is building up. I’m going to feel it. I’m going to feel the hair on my body standup and look across the ring. It’s going to be excitement. There’s going to be electricity in between the two of us standing across the ring looking at each other. Renzo’s a crazy guy to count out. He can fight good with a lot of people. I don’t know how much he’s 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. He’s a lot older. He’s 38 years old. He’s had a lot of time off. That’s the best thing a lot of times. When you fight so often, you’re so active you take a year off and you’re just on it. You’re ready to train. You’re ready to fight. There’s something missing in your life for that one year. So it’s back. He’s got a challenge like me to step up to fight and I’m sure he’s going to come in hard, fighting hard.
Gross: If you don’t stop him or submit him, will you be disappointed?
Penn: Who’s the last person who did stop him or submit him? Sakuraba right? Oh, Henderson knocked him out. Of course I’m going to go full bore to stop him or submit him. But I’m not going to say I’m going to be disappointed in myself. As long as it’s an exciting fight, you know what I mean. As long as fans can say, “I got my money’s worth. This is what I paid for.” As long as the fans go home happy, I’ll 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 that’s how they’re perceived?
Penn: If they want to see me fight the best of the best, let me fight all the guys. I’ll fight Hughes again in a second. We’re trying to put a fight together with Jeremy Horn (pictures) at 185, so it’s not like I’m trying to jump out of the weight class. Because I’m walking around at 185 right now. That’s what I’m fighting at. And when I said I really want to test myself against someone like Wanderlei Silva (pictures) and people like that, I’m 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 don’t 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.