BJ "The Prodigy" Penn is set to meet Joe "Daddy" Stevenson this weekend in UFC 80, set to take place in New Castle, England. BJ is 11-4 with 3 KOs and 3 Submissions. His loses are a who's who of MMA greats...and having witnessed his fight with Georges St. Pierre in person, BJ was robbed in that fight, but that is another blog. BJ's biggest question mark is conditioning. The move down to 155lbs has forced him to be in shape. Recent interviews also show a more mature attitude in BJ who used to pride himself on beating people with little preparation. Now he is training 2 or 3 times a day and wants to be the first fighter since Randy Couture to hold UFC belts in two weight classes. His ground game is out of this world, his wrestling and takedown defense are really not human with that insane flexibility, and his stand up is top notch. If BJ comes with a full tank of gas, this will be Joe's most difficult fight ever.

Joe Daddy has been on a roll lately. He is sporting a 28-7 record with most wins by submission (12). While his record is great, his level of competition isn't near what BJ has faced. He is a complete fighter with great wrestling and BJJ game, and improved striking. He is training out of a fantastic camp at Xtreme Couture in Vegas, so cardio shouldn't be an issue for the Daddy.

Breaking the fight down they seem close to even in each category with BJ getting an edge on the ground and in the stand up. That edge is erased if Joe pushes the pace and BJ isn't in shape. I think the fact that BJ wants this belt and feels it’s his time will be the deciding factor. BJ wins via submission in the 4th round.