Exclusive Interview: B.J. 'the Prodigy' Penn - 1/25/2004
by Michael DiSanto

Great fighters often have to look outside of their natural weight class to find challenges. Roy Jones Jr. won his first major title at middleweight 160 pounds. Yet, nine years later, he found himself fighting a 226 pound John Ruiz as he searched out bigger and bigger challenges. Great champions always want to fight the best. They want to push themselves to the limit. B.J. Penn is no different. On January 31st, he will leave the comfortable confines of the lightweight division and move up 15 pounds to fight the most dominant champion in MMA, Matt Hughes. Can B.J. Penn deal with the bigger, stronger Hughes? Can he beat the odds and become the UFC Welterweight Champion? He certainly thinks so.

We caught up with the top rated 155 pound fighter in the world. Heres what he had to say.

InsideFighting: B.J., talk to me about your typical training day. What do you do from the time you wake up until you go to sleep?
B.J. Penn: A typical training day for me is about 30 minutes of cardiovascular training in the morning. Ill put on the heart rate monitor and hit my target heart rate for about 30 minutes. Then I rest. Depending on the day, Ill maybe go 5 rounds of grappling with somebody or different kind of stuff like that. The next day Ill probably lift weights or do plyometrics and stuff, and then train again night maybe some technique stuff or hit the mitts or something like that. I only train twice per day. I dont know how those guys train 8 hours a day or 10 hours a day because, I mean, I cant do it.

IF: [We both laugh] You spent some time training with Team Quest for your fight with Penn. Talk to me about training experience with Randy Couture.
B.J.: It was awesome, man. Randy is the top ranked guy at 205 pounds. Ive been going over a lot of different stuff with him like the clinch and takedowns. You know, how to set up takedowns, how to defend them and stuff. I went to the Olympic Training Center right before I went to Team Quest, so Ive been doing a lot of wrestling lately. I dont know, I just had a great time up there at Team Quest. We were sparring every day. We were grappling every day. We were just going after each other. It was the type of training that I needed for a fight like this.

IF: Word has it that you caught Randy twice and choked him out. Whats the deal with that?
B.J.: No, thats not true at all. Thats just crap. [laughs]

IF: Okay, lets talk about your fight with Matt Hughes. Do you see any weaknesses in his game that you can take advantage of?
B.J.: Not really. I know hes not a great standup guy, but he has skills. He doesnt really have a lot of weaknesses. Hes good on the ground. Hes tough to submit. Hes knows his positions. Hes a great wrestler. Hes got good standup knowledge. So I dont really see any real big weaknesses. Im just going to come in with whatever strengths that I have and use my game plan what I plan to do to him and throw him off. I dont really see a big hole that I can take advantage of. Im just going to do my thing.

IF: When we go back and watch your fights, there seem to be two different B.J. Penns. Sometimes you are this unbelievably explosive fighter against Caol Uno, for example. Then there are other fights where you are much more passive and let the fight come to you. What do you think you need to do to beat Hughes? Which of those personalities do you need to be?
B.J.: Im going to be coming forward at him. Right when the fight starts getting tough is when Im going to start turning it on and just start going to war. Im just so, so ready for this fight. Im so confident for this fight, so confident in myself. Its just my time now. After Saturday night, everybodys going to find out who I am.

IF: Nice. Your fans will love that one. Lets put you in a situation. Matt Hughes is obviously a great, great wrestler. Hes put every single one of his opponents on their back. If you find yourself on your back during the fight, is it your plan to use your jiu-jitsu to go for a submission or do you prefer to stand back up?
B.J.: Matt Hughes knows Im going to try to stand up. He knows Im great at standing up. So Im going to try to arm lock him, triangle him, whatever I can do from the bottomguillotine him, punch him, hurt him, whatever. You know, Ill try to get up or just finish him there, whatever. The main reason I took this fight is because it will bring out everything in me. Im going to have to use all my skills to beat him. Its not like I can just cruise and relax and still beat him. Im basically fighting for my life in there, you know? Thats why I took this fight. Im going to unlock all of my potential and just let it go on him.

IF: When I spoke to Matt a few days ago, he was very confident, but also very respectful, when he talked the fight. But his teammate, Tim Sylvia, jumped on MMA Weekly Radio and said that Hughes was pissed that a lightweight was moving up in weight to fight him. What are your thoughts on that?
B.J.: I could really care less. Thats all Ive got to say about that. Hes said something like that its disrespectful and stuff. But who cares? Theres no UFC lightweight title. Im a champion, so Im here to get the belt. Who cares if he thinks its disrespectful. Hes going to find out why I moved up when it comes time to fight. I just cant wait for the fight, personally. I hope its the fight of the year. I just hope I get to shut him down in every aspect of his game. I wouldnt mind knocking him out real quick. You know, he gets caught quick and just goes out. But I also wouldnt mind just shutting down every aspect of his game, and then beating him. Well just see what happens.

IF: You mentioned the lack of a UFC lightweight title and that motivating you to move to welterweight. If the Zuffa closes a deal with Spike TV and gets their weekly television show, they will bring back the lightweight title. Lets assume that happens for a moment. Regardless of the outcome of the Hughes fight, do you see yourself staying at 170 pounds or dropping back down to 155 pounds in the future?
B.J.: After this fight Im going to be like a free agent for both divisions. Ill fight in any division, whatever. I can make 55 so easily. Its not hard at all. Im comfortable at 170 pounds. So after this fight, Ill just what challenges are in either division. Ill fight in either one.

IF: A lot of our readers are boxing fans. In boxing, the difference between fighting at 154 or 168 (junior middleweight or super middleweight) is gigantic. Talk to us about the weight difference for you. Do you have to cut a lot to get to 55, so that 70 is very comfortable? And how does that affect your training?
B.J.: Well, I usually walk around at 165 pounds. If Im training, Im between 165 and 163 pounds. Before, I didnt even have to cut weight at all. Now I just slow down a little on my food and stuff. My training partners say that they can push me off of them a little easier when Im 55 because I have 15 less pounds. I think those extra 15 pounds will be nothing because Im fighting Hughes. Fight him with the extra weight will be just like me fighting 155 pounds before.

IF: Do normally you have to cut a lot of weight to get to 155 pounds so that 170 pounds is closer to your normal weight? Or do you have to really increase your food to keep enough weight on to try and fight at 170 pounds?
B.J.: Its my natural bodyweight by now. I walk around at 165 pounds, so I just eat and relax a little. You know, it doesnt really matter. Im just going to be fighting at my natural weight if this was the olden days and I had to kick somebodys ass and take their food. You know, Ill be at that weight right there. Ill just be my natural weight like when Im trying to survive. [we both laugh]

IF: Wow. Thats hilarious. You know, when you fought Gomi, the entire MMA world was split 50/50 as to whether you or Gomi held the top spot among lightweights. Many thought you would lose, and said so publicly. Do you read that stuff and does it motivate you? Or do you just focus on your fight and ignore all the press stuff?
B.J.: To tell you the real truth, I wasnt really that pumped up about the whole UFC light weight tournament. I wasnt even pumped up to fight Uno again. I wasnt pumped up about the whole thing. I wasnt in a rush to fight those people again, and I didnt like the situation I was in. You know, nothing against my trainers, but I think I was taking some of my trainers training in the wrong way. Rather than just using the training to add to my game, I was trying to change some things and this and that. I was just in a very unhappy position. After the Uno fight, I stopped and looked back I thought this guy should have never gone 25 minutes with me! You know? So I took 10-12 months off. When I was going to fight Gomi, fighting started to become fun again. It got turned back to me thinking about things like a street fight. Like if Gomi was right here where Im standing on this sidewalk, Id just crush him. It wouldnt even be a fight. So I started thinking about fighting again, and thinking how simple it really is. Fighting is not some hard thing where youve gotta do all this and that and learn all these different things. A fight is a fight, you know? I got back to the fun of it again, and started remembering how simple it is and how much I love it. I knew for two months before the Gomi fight that he was just going to get crushed. I just knew that the whole time because I knew that I was back, my mind was back and I was happy about what I was doing. Plus, I was getting to fight somebody who Id wanted to fight for a while. I was never in a rush to go out and do this UFC tournament with Din, Serra and Uno. I could have cared less about it. So I was happy about who I was fighting, and just happy to be fighting again after a year off.

IF: So is that what motivates you to fight, the level of competition and big challenges?
B.J.: Thats the only reason I do it. I could fight this guy walking down the street right across from me right now. It wouldnt make me feel good. I get a natural high off fighting the best fighters in the world. Thats what makes me happy. No matter what happens, just the fact that I get to step into the Octagon and fight Matt Hughes makes me smile. Hes #1 at 170 pounds. Im #1 at 155 pounds. I just start smiling thinking about the fact that I get to fight the so-called best that there is right now. It makes me happy just thinking about it.

IF: B.J., talk to me for a minute about fight day. Take through your day and whats going on in your mind as you wake up, drive to the arena, start warming up and then get told that youre next. Bring our readers into your mind and let them experience getting ready for a fight.
B.J.: For me, fight day is always different. I have all these different feelings and different emotions. A normal fight day, I wake up and eat. As the day goes on, it becomes harder to eat as you start thinking about the fight. You use the bathroom more than normal. You know, you start to get everything out of your system. And then you start getting ready. In the dressing room, I warm up by doing my calesthenics, stretching out, hit the mitts, do some tumbling or whatever. Maybe Ill do a few jiu-jitsu moves or whatever I have planned. Then Ill talk to myself a little bit. You know, talking in the mirror in the third person. [laughs] Lets go B.J.. Lets go. This is the time. This is that hour. This is that moment. Lets go do this. Dont stop. Dont stop until your face hits the fence. Just go for it. Thats pretty much what I go through before I walk out.

IF: What goes through your mind as you walk to the ring and then when you hear Big John McCarthy say lets get it on!?
B.J.: Its already decided before that! When Big John, or whoever is working for the UFC, comes to the room and says okay, B.J., youre up, lets go its already past the point of no return. Its on already. From that moment, its already on. Im already fighting before Big John says lets get it on!

IF: Lets talk a bout one of the fights on the card. Your jiu-jitsu teacher, Charuto [Renato Verissimo], is fighting Carlos Newton. Break that fight down for me.
B.J.: I think theyre equal on the ground. I think Carlos Newtons judo is a little better, and Charutos wrestling is probably a little better. I think Charuto has a little edge in standup actually, but Carlos Newton is hard to hurt. Hes hard to knockout, man. Hes got a jaw of steel. Its going to be a great fight. Of course, Im pulling for Charuto. Hes my jiu-jitsu teacher. The only thing Newton has on him is experience. Charuto has him in every angle skill-wise. Of course, Carlos has him in experience. But Im going with Charuto, but were just going to lay back and watch it happen.

IF: I dont want to take up any more of your time. In closing, is there anything youd like to say to your fans?
B.J.: I hope all my fans and Matt Hughes fans really enjoy the fight. I want to thank the fans for everything. Of course, without the fans, wed be nothing. Thanks to them for everything.

IF: B.J., best of luck to you in your fight with Matt Hughes, and stay healthy. Well talk to you at the event.
B.J.: Thanks, man. That sounds good. Ill talk to you then.

Visit us at:

insidefighting.com