Penn's wandering eye should be stopped

LAS VEGAS – B.J. Penn decided not long after getting pummeled by Matt Hughes at UFC 63 in Anaheim, Calif., on Sept. 23, 2006, that it was time to start taking his career seriously.

He'd never been finished before and the crushing nature of his defeat that night forced him to take stock of the way he'd flippantly been blowing the prime years of his career.

Long regarded as perhaps the most physically gifted fighter in mixed martial arts, Penn got by more on talent than preparation.

He'd won three in a row since that night and claimed the UFC's lightweight title in the process. It set up a showdown with Georges St. Pierre on Saturday at UFC 94 at the MGM Grand Garden in perhaps the most heavily hyped fight in the 15-plus year history of the Ultimate Fighting Championship.

Penn worked harder and pushed himself longer in training than he had at any point in his career. He quit the carousing and adopted the mentality of a desperate fighter with a point to prove.

And still, it was not enough.

It was not nearly enough.

He was finished at the end of the fourth round when referee Herb Dean, ringside physician William Berliner and Penn's cornermen decided at the same moment that they'd seen enough of the carnage.

There was a time when Penn could speak of moving up in weight to chase championships at welterweight, middleweight and, yes, heavyweight, and one wouldn't burst out laughing.

And even in the promotion for Saturday's fight, UFC president Dana White was asked multiple times in multiple cities by multiple reporters whether Penn would be allowed to chase the middleweight title should he defeat St. Pierre.

White emphatically said no and Penn, always the class clown, shrugged and grinned, as if to say, "The boss won't let me. What can I do?"

The sport has developed to such an extent, though, that Penn is going to have enough problems retaining the lightweight belt he won last January by taking apart Joe Stevenson, let alone worrying about fighting in other divisions.

The size difference between Penn and St. Pierre was stark Saturday. Penn weighed in at 168 pounds Friday and probably wasn't more than two or three pounds more than that when he stepped into the cage in front of the raucous crowd of 14,885.

St. Pierre said he came into the cage at 187 pounds after he rehydrated following the weigh-in, where he came in at the welterweight limit of 170.

He was bigger, stronger and, yes, better, than the man known as "The Prodigy."

When Penn recovers from the beating he took Saturday – and if UFC management is smart, it will give him a lengthy vacation to let his wounds heal – he'll face an exceptionally difficult title defense against Kenny Florian.

Two years ago, that bout would have been one-sided in Penn's favor. But Florian has steadily improved and there isn't a part of his game where he's weak. Penn would be the favorite, but after watching the way he took apart Stevenson at UFC 92, it would hardly be a shock to see Florian away with the lightweight belt around his waist.

But perhaps the best thing for MMA was the one-sided nature of Penn's loss Saturday.

It should end forever Penn's wandering eye and will force him to concentrate on the lightweight division. There are so many great matches to be made there for him in a division in which he won't be outweighed by nearly 20 pounds on fight night by a man with the same talents he possesses.

It was always hard for Penn to look at the 155-pound class and not let his mind wander. It had been years since he'd actually been challenged in a lightweight match and there were big names who would bring purses and even greater glory in the higher weights.

So instead of dreaming of fights against guys like UFC middleweight champion Anderson Silva, Penn can funnel all of his attention into becoming the greatest lightweight ever.

Though White wouldn't concede that the size difference between the men was the difference in the fight, St. Pierre did.

He said because of his size, his strategy was to make it a physical fight in an attempt to tire Penn and lessen his striking.

"I knew I broke him mentally after the first round," St. Pierre said.

That's because St. Pierre's size and strength was such that he was able to control when, where and how the fight was contested. Penn's gymnast-like balance made him difficult to get down, but St. Pierre negated most of Penn's offense while inflicting serious damage of his own.

In addition to Florian, men like Shinya Aoki and Joachim Hansen, who aren't in the UFC, would create major lightweight matches with Penn. So, too, would WEC featherweight Urijah Faber, who someday would like to move to lightweight to test himself against Penn.

It was a difficult night for Penn fans, but some good came out of it despite the brutal beating he absorbed.

He's the best lightweight in the world and now, after realizing he's no welterweight, may finally decide to spend the next few years proving that point.