UFC president Dana White has repeatedly stated that before a champion in any weight class should jump up or down in weight to compete, he should clear out his division of worthy challengers. Apparently White thinks that lightweight champion BJ Penn is close to clearing out the lightweight division and, with a win over Frankie Edgar at UFC 112, may be setting himself up to make another run at the welterweight title.

Source: Fight Line

mma_g_ufcfans_576

Hawaiian fight fans can now enjoy the same safety-first regulation that Las Vegas fans have known and loved for so long.

An island that’s long had a tradition of prizefighting — with some accompanying crowd melodrama that’s sometimes turned public officials cool to the idea — Hawaii has put up with MMA in the same manner as a neighbor might put up with a nuisance kid.

Effective Wednesday, the sport will be a sanctioned, licensed event with rules and regulations that mirror Nevada’s.

Fighters, judges, referees, and promoters will now undergo a licensing application; blood and drug testing will be instituted; gate and pay-per-view receipts will be taxed.

All good news for the physical well-being of athletes, obviously — and a likely boon for the UFC, which could see a B.J. Penn-headlined show in Hawaii become a tsunami of cash.

“No, it’s too close to BJ’s last fight,” the elder Penn wrote in a text message. “He wants to spend time with his baby.”

Penn, 30, welcomed his first child, daughter Aeva, to the growing Hilo clan in October 2008. However, the new father spent a substantial amount of time thereafter promoting and training for his Jan. 31 mega-fight against UFC welterweight champion Georges St. Pierre at UFC 94 in Las Vegas.

St. Pierre pummeled Penn (13-5-1) for the majority of four rounds in their 170-pound contest until the Hawaiian’s cornermen called its quits before the last stanza. Now the fighter’s camp wants Penn to receive all the time he needs to re-group for his bout with Florian.

“We are still negotiating the fight,” the elder Penn said. “No date [is] scheduled, but we are thinking late July or early August.”

Source: ProWrestling.com

Getty Images

Welcome back UFC Lightweight Champion and Hilo native, BJ Penn. If you haven’t been connected to the local sporting scene, he is returning from a Welterweight title showdown with Georges St. Pierre. Unfortunately, the fight’s outcome was not the one BJ had trained for. However, any athlete knows that sometimes it just isn’t their day. What is rare is to find an athlete and champion who is humbled even in defeat.

During his video interview at BJPenn.com, he openly says that he got beat and beaten up. He has offered no excuses for his loss or performance even though this fight is not without controversy. Greasegate, as it is now referred to, is basically an alleged cheating scheme involving St. Pierre’s camp and vaseline. The incident is currently under investigation.

Since BJ’s return to the UFC in March of 2006, he has been able to reestablish himself as one of the organization and world’s best MMA fighters. In today’s world, athletics is a lucrative business and the BJ Penn brand is a hot commodity. When you combine a hot brand such as BJ Penn with a billion dollar company such as The Ultimate Fighting Championship, you are even more unstoppable.

Dana White, president of UFC announced in January that they are going to expand the UFC brand by opening UFC Gyms. In his interview with the Associated Press, White said, “We’re going to force all these other gyms to take it up to another level. Just like we have in the fight business, and everyone’s trying to compete with us now, same thing’s going to happen in the fitness industry.” The UFC is getting into the fitness business and the first gym in Hawaii will sport the BJ Penn name.

Ordinarily, this wouldn’t pose much of a threat to the large companies such as 24 Hour Fitness, Gold’s or Bally’s but what makes this situation different and very interesting is who the UFC chose as their partners in this endeavor. New Evolution Fitness Company (NEFC) is owned and operated by none other than Mark Mastrov and Jim Rowley. Mark Mastrov is the founder and former chairman of 24 Hour Fitness. His partner and CEO of UFC Gyms Jim Rowley, was the former Division President of 24 Hour Fitness. Both of these fitness geniuses helped to take their former company to unbelievable growth year after year.

Despite being well known in the fighting business, UFC Gyms will not be about fighting and according to Rowley, “It will be about training in new dynamic ways, training like your favorite fighters and training with results in an environment like no other.”

(Source: Examiner.com)