• UFC 137

Fit and firing Penn will beat Diaz - St-Pierre

ESPN staff
October 24, 2011
BJ Penn has won one of his last four fights © Getty Images
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Welterweight champion Georges St-Pierre believes former champion BJ Penn has the necessary tools to beat Nick Diaz, providing he is fully fit.

St-Pierre will be an interested spectator for the headline fight at UFC 137 in Las Vegas, where Penn, who has returned to welterweight following a spell at lightweight, takes on the former Strikeforce champion Diaz.

The pair come into the fight in very different form. Penn, coming in off the back of a draw with Jon Fitch at UFC 127, has won just one of his last four fights. Diaz, meanwhile, has won his last ten fights and is unbeaten since 2007.

But St-Pierre believes that Penn's experience will prove too great for Diaz on his UFC debut, providing Penn is adequately prepared for the clash.

"I think BJ Penn will win the fight because I believe he has more skills," St-Pierre said. "If he uses all his set of skills then BJ Penn will win. But, the thing with BJ Penn is sometimes you don't know what BJ Penn will show up to the fight.

"If he's well prepared or injured - I don't know. Sometimes, I saw him perform very well at the best of his ability and he's the best guy. But when he doesn't perform at the best of his ability he can be beat. Nick Diaz is very consistent, he has a similar style of fighting all the time. But, I believe if the right BJ Penn shows up, he'll win the fight."

© ESPN Sports Media Ltd.
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