Fight Biz Quote: BJ Penn
August 8, 2008
“Jon Fitch is a great opponent, a tough opponent, but St. Pierre brings the whole backing of Canada with him to a fight,” stated Penn. “Fan base, this sport, it’s entertainment. It would be great to put on a big fight with me and St-Pierre, but then again, it’s about me fighting the best fighter and if Fitch goes down and proves he’s the best fighter, then he’s the man.â€
–BJ Penn, speaking to MMAWeekly.com. This quote perfectly illustrates the twin masters that any MMA promoter has to serve. There is a fine balance between entertainment and sport that any combat sport has to walk in order to be successful at the highest level. It is much the same case with boxing, which has seen a re-birth of sorts with it’s presentation of it’s biggest fights via the HBO 24/7 format. That show gives the big fights a narrative that is just as much entertainment based as it is anything athletic related.
