UFC 94 Analysis: Georges St. Pierre vs. BJ Penn

Watching the fight you never would've guessed that BJ Penn once fought Georges St. Pierre to a controversial split decision loss. No, you would've seen the fight for exactly what it was: a lightweight champion fighting a welterweight champion in a division he's just too small for.

The fight was a one sided beating by Georges St. Pierre, a man with so much discipline he makes Buddhist monks look like couch potatoes. BJ Penn simply had no answers to St. Pierre's superior strength and wrestling. There have been some whisperings of controversy (GSP's corner possibly greasing his back in between rounds), but even if true, I couldn't see it changing the outcome of the fight.

There was a part of me that always believed BJ Penn really did have all the potential in the world and that he just lacked focused. Saturday's fight showed that maybe in his previous fights he was closer to his potential than maybe anybody ever saw. He trained hard for this fight, and the results just weren't what we were all hoping for. Perhaps his body has peaked, but I just can't see BJ Penn growing much more as a fighter. At 155 lbs he's still the king, but UFC 94 showed just how much farther than him Georges St. Pierre as progressed.

There's no shame in losing to a champion that's just naturally bigger and stronger, but I just always sort of hoped that a BJ Penn who realized his full potential would be an unstoppable BJ Penn. Now it appears a BJ Penn who realizes his full potential is just BJ Penn.