Saturday night in Boston Frankie Edgar retained his lightweight UFC belt via unanimous decision by frustrating, exhausting and demoralizing BJ Penn. Looking like the only fighter to improve since their previous bout, Edgar was faster, crisper and more energetic than Penn. BJ on the other hand seemed to have learnt nothing from his title loss months ago. Penn looked like a sparring partner for a jumpy, dynamic and almost casually confident Frankie Edgar.
Upon walking into the ring, Penn had a depth of focus that seemed inhuman and frankly, scary. Edgar bounced into the octagon looking like he was about to go for a workout. Up until 10 seconds into the bout, the aura of invicibility surrounding Penn seemed to foreshadow an inevitable comeback victory. But Edgar began to float into and out of Penn's reach and to outscore the former champ. Penn was flat footed while Edgar looked like an upside down bungy-jumper with his incessant and visually confusing -- and therefore highly effective -- bob n' weave. The crisp snap of Edgar's kicks and punches did not always land but they did keep coming. Whereas Penn seemed content to react to Edgar, appearing to look for that one lucky combo to rattle and slow down the buoyant Edgar. A combo which never came. Edgar did not manage to overwhelm Penn but he did outscore him and force him to play at his pace. Penn stuck to mostly countering Edgar. Always a bad game plan for a challenger.
Although the actual punch count would have been in Edgar's favour by slightly less than a dozen, the lightweight champ had the more stunning shots and took Penn down 3 times and kept the Hawaiian prodigy on the canvas for minutes on end. Penn managed only two take downs but he had to scrap and scramble for them and both were eventually reversed or escaped from by Edgar. In the end, Edgar did not finish or overwhelm Penn but he stunted and confused him much more soundly than in their first match.
The biggest disappointment for BJ fans should not be the final outcome but the road to that outcome. BJ had a ferocious vibe as he entered the octagon. If only he had fought as ferociously, Penn fans would have a certain satisfaction to help nurse their disappointment. But within a minute of this rematch, it appeared Penn's gameplan was not proving difficult for Edgar and Penn went into an Edgar/Penn 1 trance and marched himself to a predictable technical defeat. The Randy Coutures, Chuck Liddels and Matt Hughes of the sport loose but they do so only after letting it all hang out. When a gameplan is not working, you do not become your opponent's sparring buddy, coasting to a comfortable defeat and avoiding drama and trauma. You dig deep and you try everything... EVERYTHING in your arsenal. Both the well practiced and the spontaneously created come out and you fight for your title, career and legacy. True champions have heart. That kind of heart. Unfortunately, this was distinctly absent from BJ Penn on Saturday night. In the pre-fight interviews from his fight camp, Penn stated that he surrounded himself with sparring partners that were not "here to hurt me." Perhaps this was a strategic mistake. That kind of fight camp may make for good friendships, but it isn't the cauldron from which you can forge a comeback. Between the 4th and 5th rounds, Penn's corner was not giving him D-Day instructions. There was an awkward silence and someone said something along the lines of "hey, he stole [the belt] now you go get it back." This is barely motivational to someone currently frustrated by a guy who has already beat him only several weeks ago. What BJ needed from round 2 onwards was a consistent dose of reality. "Hey, Penn. You're the better fighter, but you're not fighting like it. You need to risk getting knocked out by letting your hands, feet, knees and elbows go. Now."
The overall disappointment is that Penn is a better fighter than Edgar. But the size of Edgar's heart and the depth of his will were twice that of Penn. And it was enough to turn off Penn's will to win. BJ is an emotionally motivated figher. He is not quiet and cerebral like Couture and he is not relentless like Clay Guida. Purely emotional fighters can ride a tidal wave of optimism when things are going their way. But they can crash stunningly when their bubble is popped by stubborn opposition.
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