BJ Penn Lacks the True Parts of a Legend

BJ Penn, in my opinion, is the most talented mixed martial artist in the UFC today.  Unfortunately, talent will only get you so far.  Watching an almost lackadaisical Penn coast his way to a loss against an opponent many believed he was leaps and bounds better than was eye opening.  Of course, not to take anything away from lightweight champion Frankie Edgar, who showed that hard work, gameplanning, and confidence can go a long way in the Octagon.  However, the true story of Saturday night for me was not how great Edgar is but how BJ Penn is simply an immense talent that lacks the true ingredients of a legend. 

A legend in my mind exudes certain qualities.  It has nothing to do with his outside demeanor but moreso what he does or does not do inside the cage/ring.  Let's see how BJ Penn stacks up to my legend criteria:

Perseverance - A true legend of any sport, perseveres.  When faced with a challenge, that person takes it on no matter how much they have to shed blood, sweat, and tears.  A good example would be just a few weeks ago at UFC 117 when champion Anderson Silva was outworked and outmuscled by Chael Sonnen.  Instead of sitting back and admitting defeat, the champion changed the course of the entire fight with just a minute and some change left in a fight he had lost every single round.  Compare that to Saturday, when faced with the same type of odds, BJ Penn simply wilted under the pressure.  There was no sense of urgency whatsoever.  Everything from his demeanor to his actions shouted defeat throughout the championship rounds.  This is one quality certainly missing from BJ's repertoire.

Talent - Another prime quality of a legend is talent.  This is one thing BJ has in abundance.  You can look at the guy and look at his fights and just know that when he puts his mind to something, he masters it.  From his striking to his unworldly jiu-jitsu, BJ Penn, as I stated in my first sentence of this commentary, is the most talented fighter I have ever seen in the Octagon.  Unfortunately there's a price to pay with talent.  If that is all you possess or all you stand on, your foundation will not last long.  For as good as BJ is, there's something to say about hard work.  A good example is his former welterweight foe Georges St. Pierre.  GSP has always been talented.  However, he does not see a ceiling for those talents as he matures in the sport.  He takes it upon himself to tweak what God's given him and maximize his strengths while minimizing his weaknesses.  BJ Penn seems to be the polar opposite.  Maybe it is his team or maybe it is his ego, but from watching him the last few  years, you do not see a fighter that has refined or refreshed his talents but basically a fighter that has relied on said talents to get him by opposition.  Do not get me wrong, watching BJ Penn destroy Diego Sanchez and Kenny Florian was a thing of beauty.  Thing is, his strengths were both those fighter's weaknesses and neither (at that weight) possessed the skillset to debunk BJ's.  So while this is a quality BJ has, it is one that he has let stagnate for some time.

more after the jump

SBN coverage of UFC 118: Edgar vs. Penn 2

Heart - What legend do you know who does not have heart?  This is one trait that is not necessarily God given but something you have to learn yourself.  I think of heart and I think back to UFC 102 and the main event between Randy Couture and Antonio Rodgrio Nogueira.  'Big Nog' has had many wars that have shown what heart is truly about but I will focus on Couture here.  He was faced with numerous submission attempts and battered on the feet, yet throughout their 15 minutes of all out war, never once did you see Couture mentally or physically checkout from the fight.  Never once was there a moment where you thought Couture would simply back away or run or coast through a round.  He faced a big time threat and even in defeat proved that he was truly a legend.  BJ Penn, however, lacks the true definition of heart.  Sure, he is a guy that even when exhausted will stumble out of his corner and attempt to throw punches and that is admirable but the lack of urgency you see in his face and body language in fights that he is visibly losing (Edgar 2, GSP 2, Hughes 2) does not exactly point out heart.  Even in the first Edgar and St. Pierre fights, instead of pouring it on in the closing rounds and leaving everything in the Octagon, he coasted his way to the end.  Not exactly a good example of heart.

Legacy - This is something Penn has said he wants to leave on the world of MMA many times.  Legacy is leaving a resounding mark on something for the future to revel in.  Building a legacy is something done through years and years of hard work and diligence.  A good example of legacy, especially in MMA, is Wanderlei Silva.  Although his best years are far behind him, many people block out the bad and remember the good.  It is not like he had a 3-fight run or was on top for a year or two, his dominance and memorable bouts span nearly 7 years.  Win or lose, he continually etched his name into legendary status.  Will BJ Penn be remembered for his accomplishments or what he could have accomplished?  While some guys that have built their legacy (Chuck Liddell, Wanderlei Silva, Randy Couture, Matt Hughes) can mask their steady decline on age and mileage, BJ is still a young man at 31 (will be 32 later this year).  If we are questioning his future at this early age, maybe his legacy is not quite in tact.  While he has done things and fought opposition no sane man at his size would, will he be remembered for taking on all challengers because he was bored with a certain weight class or will he be the new age Vitor Belfort, in that people are anxiously awaiting for him to return to the form that made him popular.  I think Penn's legacy in the sport is safe as long as he does not go the route of guys like Ricco Rodriguez and Mark Kerr, but if Penn has in fact reached the glass ceiling in his career, his legacy does not stand where it should be.

All in all, BJ Penn has MADE me become a fan of his because he is ridiculously talented.  The problem is that we have seen on several occasions that he brings the talent to the cage but does not always complete it with the proper work ethic.

Miscellaneous Thoughts from UFC 118

- I didn't really watch Andre Winner/Nick Lentz, meh

- Joe Lauzon was on a MISSION.  Do not ever offer that dude cake in your life!

- Marcus Davis could make some money being in one of those drunk driving accident scare photos after Saturday night.

- It is hard not to be a fan of the Diaz brothers, they simply do not care who they fight!

- What was Kenny Florian doing? 

- Gray Maynard got his title shot, but unless the undercard has Mike Tyson, Chuck Liddell, Randy Couture, GSP, Anderson Silva, Brock Lesnar, The Undertaker, Shawn Michaels, Triple H, The Rock, Stone Cold Steve Austin, Sylvester Stallone, and Barack Obama...this will do worse pay-per-view buys than UFC 72 (bet y'all don't even remember that one)

- Demian Maia is good but not great.

- Mario Miranda is good but not that good.

- James Toney had my mom in tears laughing, she thought this fight was a joke.

- Randy Couture, ummmmm.

and I'm out!