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The Great Sherdog Debate: Penn vs. Sherk
It's a battle that has the mixed martial arts world at odds: Former
UFC lightweight champion Sean
Sherk (Pictures) versus B.J. Penn (Pictures), the one-time UFC
welterweight king and current 155-pound titlist.
MMA insiders and fans alike are torn as to who will rise from the rubble with the legitimate UFC lightweight world title. Sherdog.com's managing editor and undefeated Great Sherdog Debate superstar Mike Fridley and long-time columnist Mike Sloan think they have the answers.
Sloan: I was going to just throw in the towel right off the bat because when it comes to challenging you, the from-left-field relative newcomer to this shindig I created, my luck runs astray. I just can't seem to beat you, Fridley, you jive-talkin' Big Ten homer from a city I loathe. (I detest Columbus because the greatest guitar player in history was murdered there.)
But now my luck will change and with that, my confidence has grown to epic proportions. Let the gospel ooze from my fingertips and the trash talk spew from my mouth. Well, fingertips, too, I suppose.
Sean Sherk (Pictures) is a shoe-in to win his lightweight title back for myriad reasons. So before you even begin to bother with replying to my initial barrage of soon-to-be facts, I suggest you just leave your Ohio-based, education-starved ADD at the door and walk away with your tail between your legs.
For starters, I picked Sherk to win, and that in and of itself is reason enough to lay some money down on the fighter who possesses one of the silliest nicknames in our sport's history. I will admit, the guy you picked to win this title fight at least has a cool name, but that alone won't win you this competition.
Secondly, I've completely given up on Penn as a fighter because for all of his natural talents and inhuman pliancy, the guy just can't close out a major fight. He lost hands down in what was his first mega fight against Jens Pulver (Pictures). Then he struggled against both Matt Serra (Pictures) and Caol Uno (Pictures), two men he should have handled considering how hyped he was. I'll give you the first win over Matt Hughes (Pictures), but in their rematch Penn's true colors (i.e.: lack of focus and conditioning) reared their ugly faces. Oh, yeah, what about his nose dive against Georges St. Pierre (Pictures), a fight he was clearly winning but gave it away like he was allergic to winning?
People can point to his last two fights all they want, but I just scoff and laugh at such idiocy. Pulver is nowhere near the same fighter he was six years ago when he was the first man to defeat "The Prodigy." And besides, who actually thinks a fighter who spends too much time designing his wacky hairdo will even win?
Also, though Penn did outclass and submit Joe Stevenson, he was lucky to get that choke when he did. During his post-fight interview with Joe Rogan, he was huffing and puffing more than Cheech and Chong. I'm supposed to believe this guy will be able to go five full rounds? Please.
Look, Fridley. I understand that when it comes to jiu-jitsu, Penn is about as good at it as I am bad at soccer. And yes, his striking is better than Sherk's, though Penn isn't exactly Anderson Silva in that department.
What this contest boils down to is conditioning, and that's where Sherk will eat him like a pail of chum. Penn will be at his most dangerous late in the first and for the first three quarters of the second round. Once Penn realizes that he won't be able to knock his foe out with strikes and that it's near impossible to submit him, he'll cave in.
Sherk will seize control in the third and by the end of said stanza, Penn will be so exhausted he'll barely be able to stumble back to his corner. Sherk will easily slam Penn to the canvas seconds into the fourth. About two minutes in, Penn's gas tank will have fallen off his chassis and tumbled off to the side of the road. It'll be easy picking for Sherk, who will recapture his vanquished 155-pound crown with a stoppage win somewhere near the midway point of the fourth. Mark those words.
Give it up, fat kid -- you have a better chance betting on Penn and Teller in this debate and let me know how defeat finally tastes.
Fridley: Strong words, Sloan. You seem awfully confident for a man who has dropped six straight to a "newcomer." With a streak like that and more second chances than Antonio Bryant on your résumé, it's a wonder our fearless new leader Brad McCray even let you tangle with yours truly.
We can turn this into a repeat performance of our past battles, with me smack talking your scrawny tail from Ohio to Kathmandu, but I'll take the high road and save the barbs for Lisa Lampinelli and Don Rickles.
Let's kickoff this systematic thrashing much liked your sawed-off former champion will receive Saturday in Sin City.
Make no mistake: B.J. Penn (Pictures) will crush Sean Sherk (Pictures). Yes, it's that simple. We could end here and readers in the know would leave satisfied.
Penn is superior in nearly every facet of the game. If he chooses to do so, the Hawaiian can make this look painfully easy. Striking, wrestling, submissions, explosiveness and general athletic ability -- pundits and fans alike agree that Penn has the edge across the board.
That said, let us not forget about a fighter's most critical attribute.
Confidence.
It makes men of boys and champs of chumps.
Penn is on an absolute tear and feels as if he is head and shoulders above his peers in the lightweight division. Judging by recent assaults on Jens Pulver (Pictures) and Joe Stevenson, few would argue with the Hawaiian, who possesses a grimy mean streak and Mary Lou Retton-esque flexibility.
True, Sherk has unearthly cardio and drops levels to hit singles and doubles like Tony Gwynn in his prime. But with the reach of a myNetworkTV sitcom and a one-dimensional, predictable striking game that would make Jake Shields (Pictures) blush, I bet the closest Sherk will get to Penn's chin is when they touch gloves at the beginning of the contest.
From the sound of the opening bell to the crowd's roar when Penn puts Minnesota's answer to Muggsy Bogues away with a rear-naked choke in the second frame, expect complete domination by "The Prodigy," as well as your seventh consecutive loss to a "relative newcomer."
The rest of the card:
Wanderlei Silva (Pictures) vs. Keith Jardine (Pictures)
Sloan: Suddenly the sexy pick is Jardine. People tend to believe Wanderlei is a washed-up piece of driftwood. Most fans of the sport who e-mailed me after I predicted months before the fight that "The Dean of Mean" would topple Chuck thought I was nuts. Many of the same people were labeling me the same when I stated that Silva would beat Jardine. I'm usually always right (ignore my GSD official record) and I'll prove it again with this fight. Silva's aggressive style is the yang to Liddell's defensive counter-striking style. Jardine historically hasn't done well against super aggressive strikers, and it'll show again on Saturday. Silva will knockout my buddy's student in the second, but boy, it'll be fun to watch.
Fridley: Finally, you display some common sense. While I'm not a fan of Wanderlei's sloppy hook game, Jardine has shown me nothing that screams legit UFC light heavyweight contender. Although Silva may struggle with the American's unorthodox striking, I can foresee nothing but a stoppage for Silva in the second round.
Wilson Gouveia (Pictures) vs. Goran Reljic
Sloan: Reljic is making his UFC debut, and it will be a good one. He'll catch Gouveia in an armbar sometime in the second. He won't be mistaken for a doctor from "ER" either.
Fridley: No way. Are you out of your mind, Sloan? I'm going with experience (and talent) here in picking the American Top Team light heavyweight to mop the floor with the Octagon debutant. Gouveia by TKO in the first.
Tito Ortiz (Pictures) vs. Lyoto Machida (Pictures)
Sloan: The Rosetta Stone to this matchup isn't how good Machida really is; it's how much less does Ortiz want it. He hasn't exactly been a motivated or passionate fighter as of late, and it'll show up against Machida. Expect Ortiz to get rocked several times throughout the contest and lose a spirited decision. Don't be shocked if the "Celebrity Apprentice" cast member even gasses out late in the third.
Fridley: I see this bout differently. Ortiz has everything to lose with a bad showing on the eve of free agency. In his decade-plus UFC tenure, how many times has Tito displayed a lack of motivation? Huntington Beach's resident bad boy will be in the best shape of his life to deliver a final stern message to his soon to be former employers. Ortiz will take a 10-8 first round en route to a unanimous decision nod over the untested Brazilian, handing Machida his first defeat in 12 pro contests.
Ivan Salaverry (Pictures) vs. Rousimar Palhares
Sloan: To be quite honest and unlike many so-called MMA "experts," I've never seen "Toquinho" fight before. But judging from his career stats on our Fighter Finder, he seems like a solid submission guy. However, I know pretty much everything about Salaverry. With that said, I like "The Fruit Bat" to prevail by submission in the second.
Fridley: These "experts" that you refer to all have something in common, Sloan. They have embraced the key to knowledge that is YouTube. After watching nearly every professional bout Palhares has engaged in with a simple click of my mouse and some brilliant copy and paste search techniques from our Fight Finder, I see nothing that directs me to anything but a prediction of a Salaverry conquest. "Toquinho" has some serious ground game, but it won't matter when the seasoned veteran uses years of cage savvy to stay one step ahead of his young challenger. Ivan by decision, two rounds to one.
Rameau Sokoudjou vs. Kazuhiro Nakamura (Pictures)
Sloan: Funny. Suddenly Sokoudjou is a farce and a flash in the pan, or at least that's the gist of many an e-mail I've received since he lost to Machida. I think he'll bounce back with a strong decision win against Nakamura in a fight that won't exactly be aesthetically pleasing to watch.
Fridley: Agreed. I'm starting to wonder myself if Sokoudjou's start to 2007 was a fluke, and this bout should tell us a lot about the Cameroonian judoka. I see the West African popping Nakamura with his right hand throughout the first two frames before scoring a technical knockout in the third.
Rich Clementi (Pictures) vs. Terry Etim (Pictures)
Sloan: Is it me or does Clementi seem to fight on every single UFC card lately? It should be a decent scrap, and Clementi will win by decision.
Fridley: I like this Etim kid. He has decent upside and an intriguing build for his weight class, but he is not ready to challenge a well-traveled fighter with nearly 50 trips to the cage under his belt. Expect Clementi, who seems to have peaked at the perfect time in his career, to struggle with Etim's length for the first five minutes. Come round two, the Louisiana native will serve up a pint of Bayou's finest to the young English lad with a rear-naked choke on the heels of a scramble.
Jon Koppenhaver (Pictures) vs. Yoshiyuki Yoshida (Pictures)
Sloan: There were some protests against Koppenhaver on some local Las Vegas sportstalk radio shows due to his "back alley brawl" he got into a few months back. That has nothing to do with this fight; I just wanted to point it out. I like Yoshida to score a stoppage late in the second.
Fridley: "War Machine" struck gold with his violent duel with Jared Rollins (Pictures), and while I'm a big fan of fighters who go for broke, Koppenhaver just doesn't have the defensive grappling skills to offset Yoshida for three frames. Yoshida will hold his own when standing and claim the win with strong punches from the top position after 15 hard-fought minutes.
Jason Tan vs. Dong Hyun Kim
Sloan: The last time most of us saw Tan, he was stretched out like a rug thanks to a Marcus Davis (Pictures) hand grenade. Kim has looked nearly indestructible lately in Deep, and that makes him the winner in this fight. I like Kim via KO late in the first.
Fridley: Roger that. Save for a disappointing draw with Hidehiko Hasegawa (Pictures), the lanky Korean has proved to be an efficient fighter with excellent timing and a surprisingly powerful punch. Will Kim be the first from the Land of the Morning Calm's deep young talent pool to make waves in the UFC? Time will tell, but Kim will get off to a decent start by putting Tan away with strikes in the first round.
Christian Wellisch (Pictures) vs. Shane Carwin (Pictures)
Sloan: We'll see on Saturday if the undefeated Carwin is the real deal. Wellisch is no slouch, and he's the best guy Carwin has fought up to now. My gut says Wellisch will win a decision, a close one.
Fridley: Wellisch, with three trips to the UFC under his belt, should be able to handle Carwin if he can control the tempo. Carwin has finished his opponent within the first period in each of his eight bouts, so getting out of the opening stanza will be unfamiliar territory for the undefeated Coloradoan. I look for Wellisch to start slow but finish with a technical knockout in the third.
GSD Career Totals:
Fridley: 6-0
Sloan: 18-17
Savage: 8-11
Curtis: 3-2
Sherwood: 0-1
Gross (ret): 0-1
De Santis: 0-3
MMA insiders and fans alike are torn as to who will rise from the rubble with the legitimate UFC lightweight world title. Sherdog.com's managing editor and undefeated Great Sherdog Debate superstar Mike Fridley and long-time columnist Mike Sloan think they have the answers.
Sloan: I was going to just throw in the towel right off the bat because when it comes to challenging you, the from-left-field relative newcomer to this shindig I created, my luck runs astray. I just can't seem to beat you, Fridley, you jive-talkin' Big Ten homer from a city I loathe. (I detest Columbus because the greatest guitar player in history was murdered there.)
But now my luck will change and with that, my confidence has grown to epic proportions. Let the gospel ooze from my fingertips and the trash talk spew from my mouth. Well, fingertips, too, I suppose.
Sean Sherk (Pictures) is a shoe-in to win his lightweight title back for myriad reasons. So before you even begin to bother with replying to my initial barrage of soon-to-be facts, I suggest you just leave your Ohio-based, education-starved ADD at the door and walk away with your tail between your legs.
For starters, I picked Sherk to win, and that in and of itself is reason enough to lay some money down on the fighter who possesses one of the silliest nicknames in our sport's history. I will admit, the guy you picked to win this title fight at least has a cool name, but that alone won't win you this competition.
Secondly, I've completely given up on Penn as a fighter because for all of his natural talents and inhuman pliancy, the guy just can't close out a major fight. He lost hands down in what was his first mega fight against Jens Pulver (Pictures). Then he struggled against both Matt Serra (Pictures) and Caol Uno (Pictures), two men he should have handled considering how hyped he was. I'll give you the first win over Matt Hughes (Pictures), but in their rematch Penn's true colors (i.e.: lack of focus and conditioning) reared their ugly faces. Oh, yeah, what about his nose dive against Georges St. Pierre (Pictures), a fight he was clearly winning but gave it away like he was allergic to winning?
People can point to his last two fights all they want, but I just scoff and laugh at such idiocy. Pulver is nowhere near the same fighter he was six years ago when he was the first man to defeat "The Prodigy." And besides, who actually thinks a fighter who spends too much time designing his wacky hairdo will even win?
Also, though Penn did outclass and submit Joe Stevenson, he was lucky to get that choke when he did. During his post-fight interview with Joe Rogan, he was huffing and puffing more than Cheech and Chong. I'm supposed to believe this guy will be able to go five full rounds? Please.
Look, Fridley. I understand that when it comes to jiu-jitsu, Penn is about as good at it as I am bad at soccer. And yes, his striking is better than Sherk's, though Penn isn't exactly Anderson Silva in that department.
What this contest boils down to is conditioning, and that's where Sherk will eat him like a pail of chum. Penn will be at his most dangerous late in the first and for the first three quarters of the second round. Once Penn realizes that he won't be able to knock his foe out with strikes and that it's near impossible to submit him, he'll cave in.
Sherk will seize control in the third and by the end of said stanza, Penn will be so exhausted he'll barely be able to stumble back to his corner. Sherk will easily slam Penn to the canvas seconds into the fourth. About two minutes in, Penn's gas tank will have fallen off his chassis and tumbled off to the side of the road. It'll be easy picking for Sherk, who will recapture his vanquished 155-pound crown with a stoppage win somewhere near the midway point of the fourth. Mark those words.
Give it up, fat kid -- you have a better chance betting on Penn and Teller in this debate and let me know how defeat finally tastes.
Fridley: Strong words, Sloan. You seem awfully confident for a man who has dropped six straight to a "newcomer." With a streak like that and more second chances than Antonio Bryant on your résumé, it's a wonder our fearless new leader Brad McCray even let you tangle with yours truly.
We can turn this into a repeat performance of our past battles, with me smack talking your scrawny tail from Ohio to Kathmandu, but I'll take the high road and save the barbs for Lisa Lampinelli and Don Rickles.
Let's kickoff this systematic thrashing much liked your sawed-off former champion will receive Saturday in Sin City.
Make no mistake: B.J. Penn (Pictures) will crush Sean Sherk (Pictures). Yes, it's that simple. We could end here and readers in the know would leave satisfied.
Penn is superior in nearly every facet of the game. If he chooses to do so, the Hawaiian can make this look painfully easy. Striking, wrestling, submissions, explosiveness and general athletic ability -- pundits and fans alike agree that Penn has the edge across the board.
That said, let us not forget about a fighter's most critical attribute.
Confidence.
It makes men of boys and champs of chumps.
Penn is on an absolute tear and feels as if he is head and shoulders above his peers in the lightweight division. Judging by recent assaults on Jens Pulver (Pictures) and Joe Stevenson, few would argue with the Hawaiian, who possesses a grimy mean streak and Mary Lou Retton-esque flexibility.
True, Sherk has unearthly cardio and drops levels to hit singles and doubles like Tony Gwynn in his prime. But with the reach of a myNetworkTV sitcom and a one-dimensional, predictable striking game that would make Jake Shields (Pictures) blush, I bet the closest Sherk will get to Penn's chin is when they touch gloves at the beginning of the contest.
From the sound of the opening bell to the crowd's roar when Penn puts Minnesota's answer to Muggsy Bogues away with a rear-naked choke in the second frame, expect complete domination by "The Prodigy," as well as your seventh consecutive loss to a "relative newcomer."
The rest of the card:
Wanderlei Silva (Pictures) vs. Keith Jardine (Pictures)
Sloan: Suddenly the sexy pick is Jardine. People tend to believe Wanderlei is a washed-up piece of driftwood. Most fans of the sport who e-mailed me after I predicted months before the fight that "The Dean of Mean" would topple Chuck thought I was nuts. Many of the same people were labeling me the same when I stated that Silva would beat Jardine. I'm usually always right (ignore my GSD official record) and I'll prove it again with this fight. Silva's aggressive style is the yang to Liddell's defensive counter-striking style. Jardine historically hasn't done well against super aggressive strikers, and it'll show again on Saturday. Silva will knockout my buddy's student in the second, but boy, it'll be fun to watch.
Fridley: Finally, you display some common sense. While I'm not a fan of Wanderlei's sloppy hook game, Jardine has shown me nothing that screams legit UFC light heavyweight contender. Although Silva may struggle with the American's unorthodox striking, I can foresee nothing but a stoppage for Silva in the second round.
Wilson Gouveia (Pictures) vs. Goran Reljic
Sloan: Reljic is making his UFC debut, and it will be a good one. He'll catch Gouveia in an armbar sometime in the second. He won't be mistaken for a doctor from "ER" either.
Fridley: No way. Are you out of your mind, Sloan? I'm going with experience (and talent) here in picking the American Top Team light heavyweight to mop the floor with the Octagon debutant. Gouveia by TKO in the first.
Tito Ortiz (Pictures) vs. Lyoto Machida (Pictures)
Sloan: The Rosetta Stone to this matchup isn't how good Machida really is; it's how much less does Ortiz want it. He hasn't exactly been a motivated or passionate fighter as of late, and it'll show up against Machida. Expect Ortiz to get rocked several times throughout the contest and lose a spirited decision. Don't be shocked if the "Celebrity Apprentice" cast member even gasses out late in the third.
Fridley: I see this bout differently. Ortiz has everything to lose with a bad showing on the eve of free agency. In his decade-plus UFC tenure, how many times has Tito displayed a lack of motivation? Huntington Beach's resident bad boy will be in the best shape of his life to deliver a final stern message to his soon to be former employers. Ortiz will take a 10-8 first round en route to a unanimous decision nod over the untested Brazilian, handing Machida his first defeat in 12 pro contests.
Ivan Salaverry (Pictures) vs. Rousimar Palhares
Sloan: To be quite honest and unlike many so-called MMA "experts," I've never seen "Toquinho" fight before. But judging from his career stats on our Fighter Finder, he seems like a solid submission guy. However, I know pretty much everything about Salaverry. With that said, I like "The Fruit Bat" to prevail by submission in the second.
Fridley: These "experts" that you refer to all have something in common, Sloan. They have embraced the key to knowledge that is YouTube. After watching nearly every professional bout Palhares has engaged in with a simple click of my mouse and some brilliant copy and paste search techniques from our Fight Finder, I see nothing that directs me to anything but a prediction of a Salaverry conquest. "Toquinho" has some serious ground game, but it won't matter when the seasoned veteran uses years of cage savvy to stay one step ahead of his young challenger. Ivan by decision, two rounds to one.
Rameau Sokoudjou vs. Kazuhiro Nakamura (Pictures)
Sloan: Funny. Suddenly Sokoudjou is a farce and a flash in the pan, or at least that's the gist of many an e-mail I've received since he lost to Machida. I think he'll bounce back with a strong decision win against Nakamura in a fight that won't exactly be aesthetically pleasing to watch.
Fridley: Agreed. I'm starting to wonder myself if Sokoudjou's start to 2007 was a fluke, and this bout should tell us a lot about the Cameroonian judoka. I see the West African popping Nakamura with his right hand throughout the first two frames before scoring a technical knockout in the third.
Rich Clementi (Pictures) vs. Terry Etim (Pictures)
Sloan: Is it me or does Clementi seem to fight on every single UFC card lately? It should be a decent scrap, and Clementi will win by decision.
Fridley: I like this Etim kid. He has decent upside and an intriguing build for his weight class, but he is not ready to challenge a well-traveled fighter with nearly 50 trips to the cage under his belt. Expect Clementi, who seems to have peaked at the perfect time in his career, to struggle with Etim's length for the first five minutes. Come round two, the Louisiana native will serve up a pint of Bayou's finest to the young English lad with a rear-naked choke on the heels of a scramble.
Jon Koppenhaver (Pictures) vs. Yoshiyuki Yoshida (Pictures)
Sloan: There were some protests against Koppenhaver on some local Las Vegas sportstalk radio shows due to his "back alley brawl" he got into a few months back. That has nothing to do with this fight; I just wanted to point it out. I like Yoshida to score a stoppage late in the second.
Fridley: "War Machine" struck gold with his violent duel with Jared Rollins (Pictures), and while I'm a big fan of fighters who go for broke, Koppenhaver just doesn't have the defensive grappling skills to offset Yoshida for three frames. Yoshida will hold his own when standing and claim the win with strong punches from the top position after 15 hard-fought minutes.
Jason Tan vs. Dong Hyun Kim
Sloan: The last time most of us saw Tan, he was stretched out like a rug thanks to a Marcus Davis (Pictures) hand grenade. Kim has looked nearly indestructible lately in Deep, and that makes him the winner in this fight. I like Kim via KO late in the first.
Fridley: Roger that. Save for a disappointing draw with Hidehiko Hasegawa (Pictures), the lanky Korean has proved to be an efficient fighter with excellent timing and a surprisingly powerful punch. Will Kim be the first from the Land of the Morning Calm's deep young talent pool to make waves in the UFC? Time will tell, but Kim will get off to a decent start by putting Tan away with strikes in the first round.
Christian Wellisch (Pictures) vs. Shane Carwin (Pictures)
Sloan: We'll see on Saturday if the undefeated Carwin is the real deal. Wellisch is no slouch, and he's the best guy Carwin has fought up to now. My gut says Wellisch will win a decision, a close one.
Fridley: Wellisch, with three trips to the UFC under his belt, should be able to handle Carwin if he can control the tempo. Carwin has finished his opponent within the first period in each of his eight bouts, so getting out of the opening stanza will be unfamiliar territory for the undefeated Coloradoan. I look for Wellisch to start slow but finish with a technical knockout in the third.
GSD Career Totals:
Fridley: 6-0
Sloan: 18-17
Savage: 8-11
Curtis: 3-2
Sherwood: 0-1
Gross (ret): 0-1
De Santis: 0-3
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