Originally Posted by bbjd7

JZ has around equal stand up and BJJ that while not as good as BJ's is good enough he won't get subbed.

Also JZ is in much better shape and is way stronger than BJ. I see this fight going down a lot like GSP vs BJ except JZ won't get owned in the stand up.

Originally Posted by drockh

BJ seems like hed be a dick if you met him in person. Sean Sherk on the other hand seems like hed be a nice guy and sign autographs etc...

Originally Posted by G-S-P

Regardless of what nuthuggers on either side will have you believe, this is a close fight.

On the feet I give BJ the edge because he has very solid boxing technique that's often overlooked, very good power in both hands, and an iron chin. Sherk has fast hands and decent technique as well, but he lacks power and his tiny reach won't do him any favors against Penn. That being said, he has a great chin as well and BJ will have to load up on the punches to hurt him.

Sherk is obviously the superior wrestler but Penn's takedown defense is legendary and for good reason. He has insane flexibility in his hips and legs and his balance is extraordinary which makes getting him on his back quite a chore. The plus side for Sherk is the fact that even if he has to work incredibly hard for his takedowns, he'll more than likely still have some gas in the tank as the fight progresses. We still don't know if that will be the case for BJ or not.

On the ground there's no debate as to who has the superior skill. Penn is a world-class BJJ player and I don't mean "world class" in the Rogan sense of the word. He's gifted with flexibility and lower body dexterity that is mindboggling, he has BJJ experience at the highest levels, and he's shown that his submissions have translated very well into MMA. His guard has only been passed once, and that was by Hughes after the rib injury. As good as his guard is, his top game is much better and Sherk does not want to end up on his back against Penn.

I believe the wrestling is where this fight will be won. If Sherk can't take down Penn nearly at will, he's going to have a hard night. If Penn can't stop the shot for the majority of the fight, he'll likely drop a decision based on Sherk's top control. I think the former is far more likely considering that Sherk is somewhat like a smaller version of Hughes and Penn was able to stuff most of his takedown attempts, but Sherk could also break BJ in terms of cardio late in the fight and grind out a decision or a TKO stoppage similar to what Hughes did in his rematch with BJ.

BJ's offensive wrestling is often overlooked for flashier parts of what is a superb all-around MMA game, but the fact remains that BJ has very solid takedowns. Gomi is a very good wrestler and BJ had no trouble putting him on his back at any time. That being said, Sherk has better takedown defense than Gomi and BJ could expend a lot of needed energy trying to get a takedown so my strategy for Penn would be to box on the outside and try to catch Sherk with a big uppercut or knee when he shoots in for the takedown. BJ has a good jab to hook combo that he likes to throw and he can score points with that on the outside, but his uppercut is his best punch in my opinion, and it would work wonders if he can nail Sherk's rhythm and timing. If he's able to drop him he can pounce and start working that BJJ magic from the top position.

Sherk is a very workmanlike fighter. He has nothing flashy, just gritty, in your face, grinding wrestling and it's very effective for him. He has cardio that's rarely equalled in the sport, immense strength, solid top position grappling and excellent passing skills, a great chin, an explosive shot, and freakishly short limbs that are hard to get leverage on for submissions. I've long been a believer that there is no bad match-up for Penn, but Sherk is the closest thing. To win this fight he has to first be willing to stand and trade with Penn. BJ has excellent reflexes and his sprawl has been noted, so if Sherk doesn't set up his takedowns with strikes he's going to be in trouble. He's also got to trust in his chin when he's in the pocket, but seeing as how he was nailed with knee after knee against Franca and still survived, I doubt that will be a problem. When he gets takedowns he's going to have to employ an extremely conservative GnP, watch his posture, and be very careful when attempting to pass. I'd also imagine that he'll be ultra-conservative until he feels Penn's energy begin to wane and his mind break. Then he'll turn on the heat as much as he feels comfortable doing inside of Penn's guard.

So there's my take on how both guys could win this thing.

Originally Posted by Chrisl972

I agree with you expect for one part. I think BJ has the edge here. To me BJ wins in every aspect except Cardio and Take Downs. BJ has better striking, more power in his strikes, he has better TDD, better BJJ, and a better chin.

Even with all of that going for him, I still see this fight as a CLOSE match up. (As you can tell) I'm hoping Penn pulls this off, but the later in the fight it gets, the more Sherk has the odds of winning it.

Originally Posted by RageInDaCage

ahahahahah a better chin? get real, sherk was tko'ed once by the greatest ww of all time nice try bud