Originally posted by KRS-1:
When he called out BJ, BJ was coming off of 3 fights at WW (vs Hughes, vs Fitch and vs Diaz). He also was not the only one to call BJ out during that time, Koscheck also called BJ out...BJ chose to accept Rory's challenge as opposed to Kos' challenge. Rory's initial call out was respectful :
"Right now I feel there's a guy that I want to fight before he leaves the sport and that's B.J. Penn. That's a guy I really want to fight. I respect him a lot. He's a legend and I think it'd be a really good matchup for me to have that fight in Toronto I think it'd be a great opportunity. I'd love the opportunity to fight a guy I've looked up to for a long time and watched since I've been a young kid, so we'll see if he accepts. I'm throwing the idea out there. If he'd like to do it, I'm more than ready to accept. It's more of the idea that he may be retiring, so how many opportunities am l going to get to fight a guy like BJ after he's gone? I think it'd be a great fight. I know I'm going to fight all these guys in the top 10 eventually. I'm a young guy and these guys are going to be around for a long time and I know I'm going to get my shot against all these guys, and maybe I'll be missing my opportunity if I wait too long with B.J. It's definitely not an easy fight. I definitely think I'll win. I'm very confident in myself, but B.J.'s a very dangerous fighter. If you take him lightly, you're in for a very bad night. I'll be at my very best if that fight happens."
And let's not forget why BJ accepted Rory's challenge, it was because BJ felt he had something to prove to TriStar and he said so himself...BJ was still bitter over the losses to GSP.
i know rory's pretty talented even after his defeat tonight. i guess i'm just unimpressed that he beat up on 2 guys who are better light weights than welter weights (diaz and penn). i gave him a pass for his boring fight with ellenberger but tonight was the same s**t. laying on top of the dude in rounds 1 and 2 doing nothing, even rogan called him out. then when hes on top with 10 seconds left he starts raining elbows down.