BJ Penn: I’m too old to talk smack
I found out about GSP’s knee injury keeping him and Carlos Condit off the UFC 137 card, and me and…
I found out about GSP’s knee injury keeping him and Carlos Condit off the UFC 137 card, and me and Nick Diaz being the new main event when I saw it on BJPenn.com. Then yesterday we had a crazy press conference call where Nick Diaz wasn’t on until 40 minutes into it.
I didn’t find it disrespectful; I think it is Nick being Nick, and he’s not gonna change. He’s going to do what he’s going to do, and not do what he’s not going to do. That is cool. I know he will show up for the fight and it will be a great fight in the new UFC 137 main event.
That’s all that really matters – who wins this fight and who loses.
At this stage in my life, I feel I am too old to talk smack. As I get older, what I realize is that all anyone remembers is who wins fights. I find the smack talking funny when fighters do it, but no one remembers anything except who wins the fights.
Right now, I feel I got a clean slate with anyone in the sport. I am happy with my career, winning two titles and beating some great fighters, but I also feel I have more to do. I have to get better and I have to show I am as good as people have said I am. I’m getting older. This is a career to me, but fighting is what I live for.
As far as having to hate everyone I fight, or proving I can outbox a boxer, or tap out the best BJJ guy, I don’t need to prove that anymore. What I want to do is fight hard, win some big fights and see what happens. I’d like to win the title, but I don’t think about that.
But beating Nick Diaz, title fight or no title fight, is a big deal. He’s a great fighter and dangerous anywhere. I won’t disrespect him, the fans or myself by not concentrating 100 percent on this fight at UFC 137.