LAS VEGAS  — On a conference call prior to UFC 84, BJ Penn could not hide his anger for Sean Sherk, the former UFC lightweight champ

“This is personal,” said Penn. “For me, it’s hard for a guy who never used performance-enhancing drugs. I wake up day in and day out, and my body is in pain. It gets to you after a while when you hear about someone who uses performance-enhancing drugs. It’s unbelievable. I feel I’m a purist. When someone uses EPO, or hormones or steroids it just gets to you after a while. Fighting is the most important thing in the world to me. When they pervert it, I can’t take it or handle it.”

Sherk listened and then responded calmly.

“I train hard and study video,” he said. “We set game plans and get guys to come in to mimic the guy I’m fighting. It is the same thing I always do. [In regard to Penn’s comments about steroids], I know what I did and didn’t do. I went above and beyond to prove my innocence.”

On May 24th, when the fighters squared off at the MGM Grand Garden Arena, Penn again could not hide his anger for Sherk, as he scored a TKO at the end of Round 3. The beginning of the end occurred when Penn connected with a powerful knee, which dropped Sherk against the fence. Penn then pounced and put the finishing touches on the bout.

In other bouts, Wanderlei Silva convincingly put an end to his three-fight losing streak by scoring a KO over Keith Jardine, and Lyoto Machida scored a decision over Tito Ortiz.
Following are some quick highlights of the fights. For additional coverage, check out Ultimate Grappling magazine.

The Main Card
The Fighters: Antonio Mendes (14-3) vs. Thiago Silva (13-0)
Division: Light Heavyweight
The Winner: Silva

AS IT OCCURRED …
The Fighters: Tito Ortiz (16-6) vs. Lyoto Machida (14-0)
Division: Light Heavy
The Winner: Machida
Highlights of the Fight: They are feeling each other out. Tito shoots and does not get the takedown, but he throws a knee while in tight. They tie up and Machida slings Ortiz against the fence. The crowd chants “Tito” at 2:16.  Tito swings big but misses. Machida throws a high left round kick to the head. Good combo by Machida. Low round kick followed by a high left round kick to the head. Ortiz drops his hands as if in frustration when Machida does not engage. Machida takes Tito down and mounts him with less than 15 to go. Round ends.

BETWEEN ROUNDS: Tito stood between rounds, and Pedro Rizzo gets in his face and is very animated.

ROUND 2. Touch gloves. They both fake. At 3:53 some of the crowd chants “Boring.” Tito can’t score a takedown, and Machida comes after him with some punches while Ortiz is against the fence. Boos at 2:40 of the round. Good kick by Machida. He faked a mid-level kick and went to the head. Machida is dancing out of harm’s way. When he wants to attack, he does. Tito motions as if to say come on and fight. Ortiz tries to shoot but Machida sprawls and ends up in Ortiz’s guard. Ortiz’s girlfriend, Jenna Jameson, yells something in his direction with 16 seconds to go in the round. After the round, Ortiz holds his hands out as if to say Machida won’t fight.

ROUND 3. The ref gets tangled up in his own feet and goes down. He quickly gets up and smiles. Machida delivers a huge knee to the body that drops Ortiz. He follows him to the ground and pounds away. Jameson jumps up and holds her hands to her mouth. Ortiz is down and bloodied. 1:05 to go. Machida is in Ortiz’s guard with 45 seconds to go. Jameson yells something.

Ortiz works for an armbar, but Machida works out of it somehow.

After the fight, Ortiz walks toward Jameson and throws his arms out slightly, as if to say he gave it his best shot.

The Fighters: Goran Reljic (8-0) vs. Wilson Gouveia (10-5)
Division: Light Heavy
The Winner: Reljic

The Fighters: Keith Jardine (13-5) vs. Wanderlei Silva 
Division: Light Heavy
The Winner: Silva

The Fighters: Sean Sherk  (36-3) vs. B.J. Penn (14-4)
Division: Lightweight Championship
The Winner: Penn


What PPV Didn’t Show
•. At 6 p.m., Jenna Jameson, Tito Ortiz’s girlfriend, along with a female friend and a bodyguard, made their way into the Grand Garden Arena and sat in the front row, just behind the UFC ring girls.

• Clay Guida, UFC lightweight fighter, wearing a black T-shirt, sat in one of the front rows.

 

Memorable Moments
• Jason Day’s walk-in music. Stones. Start Me Up.
COMMENT: Mick always provides high energy.
• Bruce Buffer’s calls.
COMMENT: High energy, intense, chill producing.


The Undercard
•
The Fighters: Shane Carwin  vs. Christian Wellisch
The Winner: Carwin

The Fighters: Dong Hyun Kim (10-0) vs. Jason Tan (6-3)
The Winner: Kim

The Fighters: Yoshiyuki Yoshida (10-2) vs. Jon Koppenhaver (6-2)
The Winner: Yoshida

The Fighters: Terry Etim vs. Rich Clementi
The Winner: Clementi

The Fighters: Kazuhiro Nakamura (11-8) vs. Sokoudjou (5-2)
The Winner: Sokoudjou

The Fighters: Rousimar Palhares (17-1) vs. Ivan Salaverry (12-6)
The Winner: PalharesBODY COPY GOES HERE