Sean Sherk (Pictures) had stated on numerous occasions that B.J. Penn wasn't the authentic lightweight champion of the Ultimate Fighting Championship because he hadn't beaten the true champ -- Sherk himself. When three rounds had completed in the main event of UFC 84: Ill Will, however, the Minnesotan had no choice but to heed Penn's greatness as he slumped against the cage, victim of a technical knockout.

Sherk scowled at Penn as his Hawaiian adversary pranced around the Octagon, tooting his own horn in regards to being the undisputed champion at 155 pounds within Zuffa's ranks. But behind the scornful glare of "The Muscle Shark," it was evident that he embraced the fact that he was soundly beaten by a better fighter - and that it wasn't even close.

As the battered and imbrued former lightweight champion gathered his senses, one could only imagine the thoughts racing through his head. Sherk was probably kicking himself for not being able to land more strikes and for his takedown attempts - scrimp as they were - being completely nullified. Sherk probably believed he could have done better and beaten the man he admitted to hating. But after fifteen minutes of action, Sherk looked more like an amateur than former champion.

Penn's lone perceived weakness is his cardio. Had Sherk been able to press the action and score a few takedowns, he might have been able to slowly drain Penn's energy. Many figured Penn would win the first two rounds but as long as Sherk would utilize his tremendous wrestling ability and sturdy ground and pound, "The Prodigy" would be running on vapors sometime in the fourth.

But Sherk was never able to bring Penn to the ground and instead opted to go on a strict left jab diet. Penn boxed intelligently and moved around the cage with swift footwork. All Sherk did was follow his nemesis around, trying to deliver one punch at a time.

Penn executed a gameplan that not only allowed him to prevail, but kept his gas tank full. His boxing was so precise that he never had to demonstrate his sickening submission prowess. However, too many questions are going to be launched toward Sherk as he fought what I (and many others) consider a foolish fight.

It seemed that Sherk was trying to prove his machismo by standing and trading with Penn, or at least trying to prove some testosterone-laden point that he could box as well as anybody in the game. I can understand trying to accomplish said feat in the first round and maybe halfway into the second. After the second stanza, the strategy should have been thrown aside, but Sherk never showed any desperation -- though his frustration was stamped in red under both of his eyes. Sherk didn't come close to fighting his fight and instead resorted to just following the champion around the cage, getting peppered more than a salad.

I'll never understand why a fighter never changes gears and applies Plan B. It's happened far too many times in the past and it will unfortunately occur many times in the future. At no point did Sherk remotely attempt a Plan B. He absolutely had to know he was on his way to losing the third consecutive round against Penn yet he did nothing. Even if he would have wound up being starched by a punch or a knee or found himself stuck in a submission, why not at least go for broke and shoot in? At least once?

Sadly, all Sherk did was get his eyes dotted, lull himself into a robotic trance and eventually stopped at the end of the third. I have all the respect in the world for every fighter who climbs into a ring or a cage and I certainly don't take anything away from Sherk for trying to win his belt back. But what I do take away from his performance is that he gave the victory to Penn as much as Penn took it from him.

Two Legends Headed in Different Directions

Is it safe to say that Wanderlei Silva (Pictures) is back? The thousands in attendance inside the MGM Grand Garden Arena certainly think so. The vintage "Axe Murderer" was back and in full force as he simply obliterated the underrated Keith Jardine (Pictures) in 36 seconds.

Silva absolutely needed to prevail on Saturday and he couldn't have asked for a more emphatic return to the winners' circle than putting "The Dean of Mean" to sleep for several minutes after a bombardment of hellish punches.

I never felt that Silva was a shot fighter nor did I think he was exposed as a fraud who feasted on too many Japanese tomato cans. But I did believe that he had too many fights in a row, especially after enduring the torture he engulfed against Mirko Filipovic (Pictures) and Dan Henderson (Pictures). His war with Liddell proved he was still a viable warrior and after witnessing Silva crush Jardine faster than it takes Kirstie Alley to inhale a German chocolate cake, it is safe to suggest that Silva never left.

Wanderlei's still an elite fighter, folks. Watch him steamroll a few more foes and then land a shot at Quinton Jackson (Pictures)'s title. And considering how he pummeled "Rampage" on two occasions, I wouldn't be surprised if he became the second man in history to capture a championship in both Pride and the UFC.

As for Tito Ortiz (Pictures), he's finished as an elite-level fighter. Gone is the Ortiz of yesteryear, a menacing creature that instilled terror in his opponents before he climbed into Octagon. Not having had a spectacular performance since the Eisenhower Administration, his lopsided decision loss to the technical Lyoto Machida (Pictures) was a fizzling end to what was once a remarkable career inside the UFC.

Is the second "Huntington Beach Bad Boy" a shot fighter? Absolutely not.

But he's another example of a tremendous champion of years' gone by that has been surpassed by advancements in mixed martial arts strategies and technique. Ortiz has seemed to rely too heavily on his striking ability over the recent years, even though his bread and butter was the ground-and-pound and his takedowns were always suspect.

What Tito needs to do is make an exodus from Zuffa and sign a lucrative deal someplace else. Provided he can be matched up against lower level competition (see: guys who can't defend takedowns) he can bounce back over time and he might be able to reverse the stigma he has affixed to his name that he his best days are far beyond him.

However, if Tito continues to stink up the joint like he did against Machida or Rashad Evans (Pictures), the rabid fanbase will probably evaporate around him.

Misc. Debris

For some depraved reason, all my life I've always wanted to see a referee get clobbered by a fighter, either by accident or on purpose. Gilbert Yvel (Pictures) delivered a few years back. I've also wanted to see a "third man in the ring" make a complete buffoon of himself by tripping and then tumbling to the canvas during the heat of battle. Thank you, Yves Levigne. You delivered on another wish of mine. …

Though his record doesn't exactly express it, Ivan Salaverry (Pictures) is one of the best fighters nobody really knows. With that said, Rousimar Palhares (Pictures)' lightning quick rear naked choke-to-armbar submission of the Seattle-based fighter was mind blowing. Palhares is without a shadow of a doubt someone to look out for in the future. …

I think it's time for Thiago Silva (Pictures) to step up his level of opposition. Not that Houston Alexander (Pictures), James Irvin (Pictures) or Antonio Mendes (Pictures) are slouches, but Silva has proven himself to be an upper tier fighter at 205 pounds. He has yet to lose and the way he bounced back from adversity against Mendes speaks volumes of his genetic makeup. If he's not the real deal, I'll buy a George Michael poster and hang it in my office. …

He's still a young cat in the sport, but I want to see more Shane Carwin (Pictures). His early KO of Christian Wellisch (Pictures) was an eye opener, but I need to first see him on the big stage a few more times before I speak too soon. …

It was rather childish of Dana White and his staff to try and eject Tito Ortiz (Pictures) from the post fight press conference. He was forbidden to step onto the dais to address the media and he was reportedly asked rather rudely to leave the room. Fortunately some of the media members protested and White eventually came to his senses, allowing Ortiz to stay. …

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