FanPost

UFC Quick Quote: Keep the 'fake' belt and the 'fake' accolades -- BJ Penn just wants to win 'real' fights

"Frankie actually did some things that impressed me actually and actually that I started adding to my game. I liked how he didn’t hold on to the take downs too much and just kind of broke away. And I like how he did some different things and no matter who you are in the ring with they’re always teaching you and you’re always constantly learning ... You know, maybe people (say this) about me, but, you know, as far as wanting to go out there and prove that Frankie Edgar can't beat me and get my belt back, you know, there is no lack of motivation for this fight ... I want to prove to the world, I want to prove to Frankie, I want to prove to Frankie's corner, I want to prove to my corner, I want to prove to everybody, you know, who the best fighter is in the world, who's got the most tools, and who can execute better ... No one is untouchable. And if they are, they just haven't run into the right guy. When you hear people say you're the greatest lightweight of all time and this and that and this and that, it's bullshit. It's not real. It's fake. You know, being the champ is fake, all of that is all fake. You just go out there, you've got to keep training, keeping training as hard as you can and keep winning fights. The only thing that's real is the fight. Everything else is fake."

Former UFC Lightweight Champion BJ Penn talks to the media at the UFC 118: "Edgar vs Penn 2" conference call (via PennyJoMMA) about his upcoming rematch against Frankie Edgar on Aug. 28 in Boston. "The Prodigy" coughed up his 155-pound title last March, when he couldn't find an "Answer" for his opponent's stick-and-move offense. The Hawaiian seems less concerned about holding titles or being considered the greatest of all time than he is winning fights. Is he downplaying the significance of the lightweight championship because he no longer has it? Or has he slowly transitioned into a different type of fighter, the warrior spirit who just wants to fight for the sake of fighting?

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