Thomas Gerbasi, UFC - Ill Will indeed. The tension in the air was thick Friday at the MGM Grand Conference Center’s Marquee Ballroom as the 22 fighters on Saturday’s sold out UFC 84 card weighed in, and the heat wasn’t just confined to the headliners, UFC lightweight champion BJ Penn and former champion Sean Sherk. In fact, after months of back and forth barbs, Penn (155) and Sherk (155) were just ready to stop talking and start fighting tomorrow night.
LAS VEGAS, May 23 – Ill Will indeed. The tension in the air was thick Friday at the MGM Grand Conference Center’s Marquee Ballroom as the 22 fighters on Saturday’s sold out UFC 84 card weighed in, and the heat wasn’t just confined to the headliners, UFC lightweight champion BJ Penn and former champion Sean Sherk. In fact, after months of back and forth barbs, Penn (155) and Sherk (155) were just ready to stop talking and start fighting tomorrow night.
“I’m gonna give everything I can,” said Penn. “I’m not gonna stop the whole night. I’m not gonna stop.”
“I’ve got a job to do,” said Sherk, who will be looking to regain the crown stripped from him after a positive test result for nandrolone last year, a result he still vehemently denies. “I put all that behind me…I think you guys are in for a hell of a night.”
By the looks of things, Sherk is right and while that goes without saying for the main event, the rest of the card looks just as explosive, with previously overlooked bouts between light heavyweights Antonio Mendes and Thiago Silva, Goran Reljic and Wilson Gouveia, and and Kaz Nakamura and Sokoudjou all showing the type of intensity during their post-weigh in staredowns that usually means a war is about to break out
As for the more established 205-pounders on the bill, Wanderlei Silva and Keith Jardine were focused but respectful, while former light heavyweight champ Tito Ortiz showed more venom for UFC President Dana White (who was not in attendance) than the man who will be trying to punch him in the face tomorrow night, the calm, cool, and collected Lyoto Machida.
