Don't "Rush" To Conclusions

The historic UFC 94 card has come and gone. It was the first time two champions from two different weight classes faced off against each other in the UFC, it brought in a staggering $4.3 million at the gate and was one of the company's most purchased pay-per-views. 

The results of the fights will have, and in many ways have already had, tremendous implications for the fighters' futures; especially BJ Penn and Georges "Rush" St. Pierre. 

The main event between these two champions was hyped more than any fight in UFC history with the three-week program, "UFC Primetime." And while the fight was an impressive display of skill and athleticism, I thought it failed to live up to the epic battle it could have been. 

St. Pierre dominated Penn from the opening bell until Penn's brother waved the fight off before the beginning of the fifth round. The fight was a major difference from GSP's split decision victory over Penn in 2006. 

On Saturday, GSP once again displayed his wrestling prowess by securing multiple takedowns on Penn and impressively passing the guard of the jujitsu black belt at will. In 2006, GSP seemed content to fight in space, which gave Penn a much better chance to get good shots off while the fight was standing.   

Saturday's performance solidified GSP as one of the best pound-for-pound fighters in the world and possibly the best athlete in mixed martial arts. But two myths have already been started by the mainstream mixed martial arts media. One claim is that Saturday's victory makes GSP the best fighter in the world and the other claim is that Penn could be done. 

I was surprised how dominant GSP looked against Penn, but I also know he should be ranked the No. 3 pound-for-pound fighter in the world. UFC Middleweight Champion Anderson "The Spider" Silva is clearly the best fighter on the planet. His combination of Muay Thai and jujitsu, along with his power, makes him the most dangerous fighter in the world. He has gone 8-0 in the UFC with all of his wins coming via KO, TKO or submission. He also moved up to the 205 pound weight class and knocked out James Irvin in one minute. 

The No. 2 fighter in the world is WAMMA Heavyweight Champion Fedor Emelianenko. The 32-year-old Russian does not seem to be slowing down as he has won his last four fights in the first rounds, including a submission victory against Tim Sylvia and a knockout over Andrei Arlovski. 

St. Pierre is a great fighter and I believe he is the third best fighter in the world, but he still has plenty to prove to be considered the best. A win over the very dangerous Thiago Alves will be another big step forward for St. Pierre. 

As for Penn, he has nothing to hang his head about. He moved up in weight and fought a dominant champion. "The Prodigy" is still young and still extremely skilled. He belongs in the lightweight division and there are plenty of qualified challengers for his title. Matches with Kenny Florian, Tyson Griffin and Roger Huerta would all be interesting to see and there are plenty of promising challengers on the way up. I know Penn loves the megafights, but being a dominant champion in the lightweight division could give him the legacy he seeks. 

So no, GSP is not quite the best fighter in the world yet, and Penn is not on his way out the door. His hunger to compete and win is still too strong to walk away from the sport this early. 

UFC 94 Quick Hits

• Lyoto "The Dragon" Machida had a crazy knockout victory over Thiago Silva with one second left in the first round. Machida is a perfect 14-0 and should get the next shot at the light heavyweight title. Yes, even before Quinton Jackson gets a shot.
• Jon "Bones" Jones looks like the real deal. I picked him to beat Stephan Bonnar, but he looked more impressive than I expected. Once Bones gets his cardio to championship level, he will be tough to beat.
• They should have named this UFC 94: Split Decision. Five matches ended in a split decision. It's a little unnerving to think judges see the same fight that differently.