https://youtu.be/_VoCWUJm0KY
UFC Hall of Fame legend BJ Penn returns to the Octagon this weekend as he takes on rising star Yair Rodriguez in a featherweight bout.
Penn and Rodriguez will be featured in the main event of the evening at UFC Fight Night 103 as “The Prodigy” looks to get a win over the UFC #10 ranked featherweight and establish himself in the division. Rodriguez on the other hands is looking to get a win over one of the legends in the sport and prove to everyone that he has what it takes to be a UFC champion himself.
Analyst, commentator, and former opponent of Penn, Kenny Florian gave his breakdown of the matchup on a recent episode of the Anik and Florian podcast.
“I’m still waiting to get on that Yair Rodriguez train,” Florian said. “I’m not on it yet and I think that it’s overinflated, the fact that he’s this big of a favorite over BJ Penn. Now I think that BJ Penn’s last few performances, maybe last several performances would indicate that the line is correct. BJ hasn’t showed up. From everything that I’m hearing, however, is that BJ Penn, the old BJ Penn is back, with a couple new tricks.
“I think that BJ Penn will be able to take advantage of a failed risky attack from Yair Rodriguez. Now, Yair could knock him out, he could land one of those crazy techniques and take BJ Penn out. Then, I will definitely be sold on Yair Rodriguez but I don’t know if he’s ready for someone like BJ Penn. I don’t know if his ground game is ready. That’s for sure, I think BJ has a big advantage on the ground. I think Yair is very tricky with his kicking game and could certainly take out BJ with one of those crazy kicks. Striking wise, boxing wise, I think BJ is better and I think BJ wins this in a big upset.
As far as a prediction on how the fight ends, Florian feels that “The Prodigy” will get another finishing win on his record.
“No, it does not go the distance. I think it will be a stoppage from strikes by BJ Penn in either round one or round two. Let’s go with round two,” called Florian.
What is your prediction for the fight between BJ Penn and Yair Rodriguez? Let everyone know in the comment section who you got!
This article first appeared on BJPenn.com on January 12, 2017.