Penn in fight of his career
By Dayton Morinaga
Advertiser Staff Writer
Hilo's BJ Penn will be carrying added weight in the main event of the Rumble on the Rock 6 mixed martial arts card on Saturday.
Gregory Yamamoto • The Honolulu Advertiser
In addition to moving up to a heavier weight class, Penn will be carrying the proverbial weight of an entire state on his shoulders.
"This is not just big for me, it's important for Hawai'i, " said Hilo's BJ Penn of Saturday night's bout against Brazil's Rodrigo Gracie.
"I've had some big fights in my career already," he said. "But this is huge. This is not just big for me, it's important for Hawai'i."
Penn will face Brazil's Rodrigo Gracie in a 185-pound bout. Several other top-ranked competitors are scheduled to fight on the card, including Hawai'i's Wesley "Cabbage" Correira and Falaniko Vitale.
Some fight publications and Web sites are describing the event as the most anticipated mixed martial arts card in the United States in recent years.
"Per capita, Hawai'i might be the biggest place for mixed martial arts," said Penn, 25. "Japan is the mecca, and the (Mainland) United States has (Ultimate Fighting Championship), then Hawai'i bridges that gap. This card is important because it shows Hawai'i can have big events."
If it is Hawai'i's greatest card, then it makes sense to have Penn in the main event.
He is the state's most successful competitor in mixed martial arts — the only American ever to win a jiu-jitsu black belt world championship. He is 8-1-1 as a professional, and has been the No. 1-ranked competitor in the world at both 160 pounds and 170 pounds.
What: Mixed martial arts in an octagon-shaped steel cage Where: Blaisdell Center Arena When: Saturday, preliminary bouts start around 7 p.m. Who: 11 bouts, with BJ Penn vs. Rodrigo Gracie in the main event Tickets: Range in price from $30 to $200; available at the Blaisdell Center box office, Ticketmaster locations, or online at ticketmaster.com
Recent victories over Takanori Gomi of Japan and Matt Hughes of Illinois have led some publications to label Penn with the unofficial title of "best pound-for-pound" fighter in all of mixed martial arts.
RUMBLE ON THE ROCK 6
"I'll fight anybody, it doesn't matter," Penn said. "If this were a fight on the street, it wouldn't matter who's bigger, so why worry about it?"
The weight limit for Saturday's main event is 185 pounds, but Penn does not expect to be anywhere close to that. As recently as last year, he was fighting at 155 pounds.
"I'll probably come in around 177, and that's after couple extra stops at the drive-in," he said. "(Gracie) didn't want to come down to 170, so I said I'll go up."
Gracie normally fights at 185 pounds. He is 5-0, and his last four victories have been against top-ranked Japanese fighters.
"He's one of the best out there right now," Penn said. "We're both very explosive fighters, so it should be a good one."
Gracie's most impressive trait might be his name. Gracie is the most famous name in jiu-jitsu and mixed martial arts, and several members of the family have earned world championships.
There are even several Gracie jiu-jitsu schools in Hawai'i, so Rodrigo Gracie will have his share of supporters in attendance.
However, most of the fans will be backing Penn in what is expected to be a filled Blaisdell Center Arena. Penn runs his own mixed martial arts school in Hilo, but this will be only his second professional bout in Hawai'i.
"I just feel so comfortable when I'm here," Penn said. "I get to sleep in my own bed, train in my own gym. Plus, knowing all my friends and family are here makes me feel so much better."
All the bouts on Saturday's card will take place in an octagon-shaped steel cage.
Among the other top fighters on the card are kickboxing champ Carter Williams, Japanese Olympic wrestler Kazuyuki Miyata, Royler Gracie (Rodrigo's cousin), undefeated heavyweight Sean O'Hare, and 6-foot-10, 280-pound Wes Sims.
Reach Dayton Morinaga at dmorinaga@honoluluadvertiser.com or 535-8101.
