Top 70 B. J. Penn Quotes

When I was 22 years old, I wanted to become the lightweight champion of the world.

The second Hughes fight was a huge reality check. But it didn’t hit me right away.

There’s more opportunity for me to get three UFC belts at 145 than going to 185.

It is not constantly in my head that I am a champion or a UFC fighter. I forget about that. It is very important to other people, and I am glad to have the support, but fighting is my passion. It is what I like to do.

You can’t make everyone happy no matter what. All I can do is live my life and try to be successful and please myself.

My greatest moment in my whole career is when I became the first non-Brazilian to win the Brazilian jiu-jitsu world championship. That was my greatest moment.

I want to leave a mark in this sport.

I separate my family life from fighting.

Martial arts was founded on the spirit that it’s not only a sport, but a way of life.

The lion doesn’t care that the sheep laugh at him. Remember that. The lion just stays there. The animals make noise and tease. The guy with the belt is the lion.

I do get pumped up about it when I go different places and people are like ‘come on! You gotta fight again! You gotta fight again!’ But it’s a lot of work.

I think I should stay retired.

Some days you think nothing surprises you anymore and other times I’m thinking I can’t believe this journey and how it went down.

Some guys are athletes and some guys are fighters. But, whether I look down on that or not, they’re just out there trying to do the best job they can to put food on the table, so I can’t be too hard on them.

My best moment in the UFC, I guess now that I look back, I guess my biggest accomplishment is the two belts in two weight classes. I really wanted to see if I could make it three, but you know, you’re talking about the best guys in the world.

Maybe if I had made the move in my early 20s it would have been different. But I did not feel good at 145.

I never even thought I would be in the UFC.

You just go out there, you’ve got to keep training, keeping training as hard as you can and keep winning fights. The only thing that’s real is the fight. Everything else is fake.

I’m a purist, and I’m more a fighter than an athlete.

I want to go get that 145-pound belt. That’s definitely a huge motivation for me. I believe with Greg Jackson’s help, I can get that done.

I thought I would go win 100 in a row with 100 knockouts.

I don’t want any freebie fights.

Jon Fitch is a great opponent, a tough opponent, but St. Pierre brings the whole backing of Canada with him to a fight.

2017 is going to be the biggest year for martial arts in the history of the Earth.

I definitely like the rubber guard. I always try to use it, especially when I’m just grappling or at the gym.

I’m not a great athlete that can play any sport. But one thing I could always do is… fight back.

I love my life. But I love fighting more.

This is my wife. MMA is my wife. For life.

I should have never fought at 145.

It does blow me away, though, when I see Werdum just got the belt at 37 and then you see Mark Hunt still fighting at 40. All these different things. It is amazing. I don’t know. They’re out there, they’re doing it.

We see fighters fight their whole career and never get a title shot. It doesn’t matter if they rack up 10 wins if people think they’re boring. We all know how it works.

My lasting legacy now is just going to be in highlight reels.

Back when we won the 170-pound title, I knew we were going to go back and get the 155-pound title but the 145-pound title wasn’t even a thought in the mind. We would have had that title already if it was around.

I look for ways to try to build the sport, ways to put more fans in the seats and more money in our pockets.

I don’t want to just be, ‘Oh, he was good back in the day.’ I want to be known as one of the best.

It ain’t the technique, it ain’t the speed, it ain’t the power. It’s who wants it the most.

I’d feel OK facing anyone for the welterweight title.

Jiu-jitsu is created where the small man can beat the big man.

I know there are a lot of others who are willing to take shortcuts for the sake of money, but when I see that… I get real irritated. I hate it.

I just love the fighting.

I’m definitely excited to be a part of the UFC spreading out globally around the world.

I’m a fan of everybody, I respect everyone.

I want to get one more world title. Three titles at three weight classes, and without a doubt 145 is my best option.

Maybe the word they should use instead of Motivated Penn is Prepared Penn.

Fighting is still a fight for me. It always has been.

Jiu jitsu is a great art for self-defense. But jiu jitsu alone won’t get you to a world championship in the UFC or even a winning record sometimes.

I always have fighting inside my head and heart.

I guess being a competitor, you always have that itch. But what it is is… it’s tough.

Tsunamis are always big news around Hilo, grew up always getting ready to escape a tsunami.

Anybody they ever offer me in fighting, I’ll probably never be surprised, unless it’s the guy’s first fight in the UFC.

Fighting, to me, has always been something different than what everybody’s else opinion is. I’ve never believed what everybody else has.

Dennis Siver, he’s a tough guy.

As life goes on, life just gets harder.

My dad took us to a couple of karate classes when we were young but we didn’t really get into it.

Being the champ is fake, all of that is all fake.

When I first started fighting, I thought I was God’s gift to fighting.

I’m sure there are people in all sports that bend the rules but I’m not going to sit here and point the finger.

I guess looking back you’re only as good as you think you are. You can lie to yourself and that’s what you have to do.

Honestly, I don’t have any special techniques for Sean Sherk.

Training in Brazil at Nova Uniao was nothing short of amazing. I can’t thank Leo Santos and coach Andre Pederneiras enough for their efforts.

Back then, 22, I just loved the sport so much. It was such an exciting time, it was fun. It was an amazing ride.

Keith Kizer doesn’t want to look anyone in the eye.

I wish I owned the UFC, you know?

The UFC is martial arts and it’s all about technique.

It isn’t always the funnest feeling, sparring three days a week, getting punched in the face at 38 years old, it might not always be the funnest feeling but it’s better than a lot of other things. I love it.

Of course I can’t retire on a win – but then, I can’t retire on a loss either.

Fighting is still not a sport for me.

The training camps are tough, going through that.

I’d like to fight welterweight and lightweight at the same time if I could.

That’s the mark of a man, just keeping your head up, right? Not taking the easy way out.