New Questions from UFC 107

D. Mandel/Sherdog.com

Where’s the blueprint to beat Penn?

In his nine-year career, the only men to stifle B.J. Penn have been wrestlers who weigh 185-odd pounds come fight night: Matt Hughes and Georges St. Pierre. Unless radical new weight cutting techniques are developed, no wrestler at lightweight is likely to best him. (I’d bet money Strikeforce’s Josh Thomson could get him down at least once, though.) That leaves out-striking him. What’s Ray Sefo up to?

Do camps make the fighters, or do fighters make the camps?

In a battle of peripheral faces, Clay Guida seemed to have a leg up on Kenny Florian: Florian had recently split from the respected Mark DellaGrotte -- who had brought him to two title shots -- while Guida had enrolled in Greg Jackson’s Albuquerque dungeon/dojo. None of it much mattered: Florian stuffed him, cut him, and rolled him. What a trainer can do after a certain level has been reached -- and certain habits are ingrained -- is a question for the oracle of any post-fight contemplation: the slop bucket.

Should Brock Lesnar be forgotten for the time being?

Frank Mir’s recent physical changes, he says, are attributable to the revenge he’s searching for against Brock Lesnar. Unfortunately, Lesnar’s intestinal problems have no expiration date, and the idea of vague interim titles only serves to confuse fans and dampen the accomplishments of active talent. If Lesnar can’t return anytime soon, the fair thing for the division is to strip him. (Imagine how angry he’ll be when he gets back.)

Is Penn vs. Aldo a reasonable request?

Nothing beyond a heavy lunch is keeping Penn from dropping another five pounds to meet 145-pound champion Jose Aldo in a catch-weight fight; promoters could probably sell him on the idea by giving him a glimpse of a legacy that holds an unprecedented three titles in three separate classes. Aldo, though, has two strikes against him: toiling in the WEC, he’s largely out of view of the UFC’s core hardcores, and he’s been the 145-pound champion for about 15 minutes. Give Aldo a year or more; if he dominates, it’s a fight worth making.