Sean Sherk Swings Back

source insidefighting.com

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE </div><div class='quotemain'>You wouldn’t know it from the UFC 84: ill will promos but headliners BJ Penn and Sean Sherk have not always hated one another. Former lightweight champion Sean Sherk says he always knew that he’d face current champ Penn some day but never had a problem with him until “The Prodigy” decided to kick him when was down.

“It’s been more recent,” Sherk tells InsideFighting.

“Since he decided to drop to lightweight and since the whole nandrolone thing I guess he decided to kick me when I was down,“ he continues.

The “nandrolone thing,” of course, was Sherk’s one year suspension issued by the California State Athletic Commission after he tested positive for the steroid before his title defense against Hermes Franca last July. Sherk, who hired top legal support and appealed to the state, maintains his innocence to this day.

His suspension was cut in half by the commission after his appeal hearing but in the time he was out the UFC stripped him of his champion’s status and Penn claimed the title with a submission over Joe Stevenson last January. The bad blood began when Penn became public, vocal and profane in his criticism of Sherk and his alleged steroid use according to the former champion.

“We had always been cordial and I had wanted to go to Hawaii and train with him awhile back. His trainer Rudy Valentino actually cornered me when I fought in Hawaii. We had always been real cordial with each other and never had any issues until the nandrolone test and he took the opportunity to criticize me,” Sherk says.

Penn has not limited his critique of Sherk to the topic of steroids but has also claimed that Sherk was “broken” and sent to the lightweight division by Georges St. Pierre, who stopped Sherk in 2005. Sherk was a welterweight until he dropped down to lightweight for a title shot after beating Nick Diaz in 2006 and, needless to say, does not appreciate Penn’s revisionist history of his own career.

“First of all, BJ is actually wrong. I dropped down [ to 155lbs] after I beat Nick Diaz and was offered a title fight. He dropped down 155lbs after losing two consecutive fights at welterweight. I am 34-2 as a welterweight and dropped down to 155 after a win. BJ making fun of me is just contradicting himself and making him sound like an idiot,” Sherk says.

In this case, Sherk is the one with the correct facts. Penn lost a decision to St. Pierre at UFC 58 and lost a welterweight title fight against Matt Hughes at UFC 63 after injuring his ribs. That’s when Penn moved back down to his natural weight class of 155lbs for a grudge rematch with former champion Jens Pulver in the spring of 2007.

Semantics aside, it’s arguable that Penn has looked better than Sherk against two common opponents, St. Pierre and Hughes (whom Penn beat once prior to losing to him). Sherk lost a five round decision in 2003 to Hughes and was TKO’d by St. Pierre.

“BJ looked better against St. Pierre than I did. He went the distance and probably won the first round. He looked better than me and there’s no way around that but I believe that styles make match ups and St. Pierre was not a good style for me.

"I’m not going to make any excuses for size. Everybody I’ve ever fought at welterweight was bigger than me so that wasn’t it. The fact of the matter is that St. Pierre was the better fighter that night. He used his reach well, has solid striking and is a phenomenal wrestler. Look what he’s done to every single wrestler he’s fought: he’s taken them down and pounded them. He did that to Frank Trigg, Hughes, me and Josh Koscheck who is a four time all American. The guy can wrestle and for me just wasn’t a good match up because of his reach and mobility,” Sherk admits.

Sherk believes he has a better chance against Penn. Pundits might guess possible advantages for Sherk in the wrestling department, cardiovascular conditioning and physical strength but the fighter out of Minnesota believes his biggest advantage will be…well, his will.

Penn says that Sherk was “broken” by St. Pierre but the Muscle Shark disagrees and says it’s Penn that has given in during a fight before.

“No I’ve never been broken. The GSP fight was stopped. I didn’t quit. I didn’t look at the ref and say I was done. I would have still fought. He stunned me and then threw a flurry and it was stopped. I stood up afterwards and was perfectly fine other than the cut that needed stitches later. After I got those I wasn’t in the hospital or anything. I ate some dinner with my family. I was not broken by any means.

“BJ, I’ve seen him broken. In the second fight with Hughes when he was caught on his back and eating those punches and elbows he was just flopping around like a fish out of water. That was a guy that didn’t want to fight anymore. I’ve seen that in a couple of fights where if the fight is not going his way he kind of just says, ‘F_k it. I don’t really care.’ You can see it in someone’s face.

“He’s not really fooling anyone with his talk. Maybe that’s what he uses to motivate himself but I’m not going to quit. He could be punching my face and I’ll come back and get back at him. I’ve been in so many wars. Look at how many back and forth fights I’ve been in and I’ve never given in,” Sherk says.

Sherk isn’t used to fighting against an opponent that he genuinely does not like as will be the case when he and Penn face down May 24th. Nevertheless Sherk is confident that his anger will help him fight better.

“I actually compete better if I don’t like somebody. It tends to motivate me more, I perform better. I had a couple fights where things have happened leading into a fight that frustrated me, things my opponent was doing to throw me off. In those fights I fought better than ever before. That’s what’s going to happen with this fight. If I’m mad I don’t see red to the point where I my lose attributes - I think I gain attributes. I get faster, stronger, faster-thinking and more technical. I think it helps me out and that’s one reason why I’m really looking forward to this fight,” Sherk reveals.

Another reason is because Sean Sherk, both the husband, father, son, brother and the fighter, is eager to put his steroid scandal behind him and make headlines inside the ring again. Almost a year ago Sherk dropped from one of the highest peaks in the sport to a position of public disgrace, lost wages and lost time. And for most of that time he’s also had to watch his most visible critic and future opponent heave additional insults and threats at him as well as take his title.

It’s not difficult, then, to imagine the emotion Sherk will bring with him into the UFC Octagon as a challenger. The fight means one thing to him, even if it will come in many forms.

“Really this fight to me represents redemption. It represents me getting back into the cage, me winning back my title that I shouldn’t have lost in the first place. It represents a big milestone in my career because if I win this fight right here I feel I will make it to the UFC Hall of Fame and that’s my ultimate goal,” he says.</div>

man o man I have to admit, I'm not sure who to root for in this match. On one hand I want to see BJ be dominant and one of the top p4p fighters in the world and on the other, I think Sherk is honest in his statement that he didn't knowingly take steroids and a win will vindicate him.
all I hope for a is a tough back and forth fight that will have everyone cheering and both fighters looking great.

 

I want BJ to win, I just want the guy to be a champion. Imo, he would have a really hard time against GSP again, and I want to see him reign as a champ than as the 2nd man behind GSP.

It would be great to see Franca back too.

Oh, and I would argue that Sherk left the Welterweight division in a worse manner.

Against GSP:
BJ managed to hang with GSP and was an equal threat for first round, then GSPs greater endurance took over.
Sherk just had little ability to do anything against GSP.

The other fight:
Sherk vs. Diaz, Sherk was the agressor the entire fight, and put a lot of energy into it. Basically the only reason why he won. I would give a slight edge to Diaz in damage done, but Diaz played pretty defensive, and Sherk could do little to hurt him. However Diaz was afraid to go on the offensive.

BJ vs. Hughes 2:
I can't remember it off the top of my head, but:
"In the bout, Penn controlled the first two rounds, but sustained a rib injury during the scramble to take Hughes' back in round two. He was visibly different in the third round, appearing exhausted and missing punches he was landing earlier. "
From Wikipedia

I personally think that Penn performed better in his 2 losses, than Sherk did in his loss and his win (more like a tie). However I do think that Sherk matches up better against Penn then he does against GSP and Diaz, it should be interesting.

Sidenote: An interesting fight I'd like to see is Hughes vs. Diaz, I know that Nick Diaz is fighting for other organizations, but Hughes is a tough ground and pounder and better at takedowns than Sherk. And I find Diaz an unorthodox specimen, because he doesn't look like a fighter because of how skinny he is.

 

I LOVE watching the best do what they do.

I am the type of sports fan that lives to watch the greats in action. Nothing is more enjoyable to me than to watch an athlete that will be talked about for generations.

I believe that BJ can be that guy in MMA. There are few fighters that have the physical ability that he does. The question is; whether or not he can live up to his potential. Every time I watch him I hope that we are on the verge of watching a legend.

This fight could be his last chance to be one of the all time greats in the sport. The difference between being good and great.

Edit: BJ can BE that guy. Anderson IS that guy. Gretzky and Lemieux played at the same time didn't they?

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (speeds @ May 14 2008, 03:11 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div><div class='quotemain'>I kind of like BJ even though he is a dick, but at the same time I don't really want him to win this fight because I want him to stay at lightweight. However, I want Sherk to lose because I hate the "I didn't know I was taking steroids" excuse, plus, after all his whining, he will have saved himself a grand total of six weeks by putting up a fight, whereas his suspension would've been up July 7th, 2008, otherwise. And I don't really want to play the race card, but Hermes Franca takes it on the chin like a man and winds up unemployed, whereas Sherk is a bitch about it and keeps his title. Wow.</div>
See, I didn't see it as whining. If you're guilty why spend all that money on lawyers and possibly lose like he did? The fact that Dana 'give no fighters slack' White is backing him and others who have been around him find it unlikely a health nut like him would do such a thing makes me believe he's innocent. Most times I'm a skeptic and I may be wrong here, but I'm giving him the benefit of the doubt.

Franca asked to be let go to btw, he thought he would be able to fight outside the country while on suspension in NA then he found out he wouldn't. He did it ass backwards.
Now if the UFC doesn't sign him back.. well that's just not right.
have you heard that they were not signing him back?

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Flush @ May 14 2008, 06:20 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div><div class='quotemain'>I LOVE watching the best do what they do.

I am the type of sports fan that lives to watch the greats in action. Nothing is more enjoyable to me than to watch an athlete that will be talked about for generations.

I believe that BJ can be that guy in MMA. There are few fighters that have the physical ability that he does. The question is; whether or not he can live up to his potential. Every time I watch him I hope that we are on the verge of watching a legend.

This fight could be his last chance to be one of the all time greats in the sport. The difference between being good and great.

Edit: BJ can BE that guy. Anderson IS that guy. Gretzky and Lemieux played at the same time didn't they?</div>
well said and that's part of why I want him to win.
that and my picking him in the first round of our fantasy draft will look that much better

 

another article on Sherk
source cnnsi.. yes SI is finally giving MMA some coverage.

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE </div><div class='quotemain'>It's a story we've come to know very well: pro athlete tests positive for steroids, fans respond with tired disappointment. Pro athlete professes innocence, fans grow even more tired. Pro athlete slinks back into the fold, fans forgive, but never quite forget.

It gets a little more depressing every time we see it played out, but only because it's so predictable. We used to use terms like "disgraced" to refer to these fallen heroes. Now, that rhetoric seems too dramatic for something so increasingly common. We just say "tarnished." Or "caught." We don't know who will be next, but we know there will surely be a next.

It's this impenetrable skepticism that makes Sean Sherk's situation so daunting. The former Ultimate Fighting Championship lightweight title-holder tested positive for steroids after defeating Hermes Franca last summer. Sherk immediately cried foul.

He filed an appeal with the California State Athletic Commission.

He hired lawyers and built a case against Quest Diagnostics, the laboratory responsible for testing the samples.

He took, and passed, three polygraph tests.

He tested his over-the-counter supplements and presented evidence of contamination in one of them.

But none seemed to make a difference. Not to the CSAC, the media or the fans. The athletic commission cut Sherk's suspension in half, but upheld his $2,500 fine -- a kind of tip of the hat to reasonable doubt, but one that didn't erase the damage to his career and reputation. He lost his title and saw it awarded to rival B.J. Penn, who has repeatedly condemned Sherk for the positive test. To most, Sherk was branded a cheater -- a label that still follows him everywhere, threatening to diminish his accomplishments.

"I've done everything I can do to clear my name," Sherk said. "It's up to each individual to look at the facts and decide for themselves whether they believe me or not. The problem is that a lot of people don't bother to look at the facts first. They just hear 'positive test,' and they look at me and what I've done and think, 'Oh, he's got to be on something.' I'm not. People have to decide that for themselves, but the people who know me and the people who look at the facts will see for themselves that I'm telling the truth."

It seems like nothing he can say or do will ever be enough. No polygraph test or evidence of contamination. As sports fans, we're past the point of even considering his innocence. If an accusation was enough to torpedo someone like Roger Clemens, a positive test seems like a stand-alone guilty verdict for Sherk. It just fits the usual story line.

However, the typical narrative isn't always the right narrative.

Even the most cynical among us has to accept that while there are, undoubtedly, legions of banned substance-users who are never caught, there will inevitably be innocent athletes condemned by false positives. When it happens, though, good luck pleading the case. The well was poisoned around the time the Bay Area Laboratory Co-Operative entered the scene.

This is what Sherk is finding out as he prepares to face the highly touted Penn at UFC 84 next weekend in an attempt to reclaim the lightweight title.

"It's out of my hands, really," Sherk said. "I still feel like that belt is mine. I don't think it should have ever been taken from me in the first place. I'm looking forward to the chance to get it back and I think that this is the fight where, afterwards, you'll finally be able to say who's the real lightweight champion."

The question now isn't just whether or not you believe Sherk, who the CSAC and UFC have both labeled a guilty man who has served his time, but what you make of his career before and after the positive test.

Sherk is 32-2-1 in his MMA career. He's only been stopped once -- by current welterweight champ Georges St. Pierre in a bout that precipitated Sherk's drop to the155-pound division. Do we throw all that out the window based on the suspicion that he might have used steroids before without ever being caught? If he beats Penn and reclaims the title while testing clean, does that put the controversy to rest?

There's no easy answer. Sherk may be a cheater. He may be an innocent man wrongly accused. Only he knows for sure. While he's had to endure a torrent of criticism the past 10 months, he'll get the chance that every fighter does when he or she steps into the arena: a shot at victory based on merit and ability alone. No drugs. No rulings from the athletic commission. Nothing but two fighters in the cage together.

What Sherk does with his chance may define his career up to this point and beyond. Considering the level of competition he's facing in Penn, it would be hard to imagine a better metric by which to judge a man.</div>

 

Penn for the MOFO WIN!!!!