Why I Fight: The Belt Is Just an Accessory

by Jay Dee ''b.j.'' Penn, Dave Weintraub

Overview

Claiming that “the belt is just an accessory,” Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) Lightweight Champion B.J. Penn explains Why I Fight in this honest, intimate, and fascinating memoir. Written with David Weintraub, Why I Fight is an unforgettable portrait of one of the top and most recognizable mixed martial artists in the UFC and an up-close look at one of the most exciting and fastest growing sports in the world. UFC and Jiu-Jitsu aficionados—and fans of Iceman, A Fighter’s Heart, and Bruce Lee’s classic The Tao of Jeet Kun Do—will want to explore Why I Fight.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780061803666
Publisher:	HarperCollins Publishers
Publication date:	04/12/2011
Edition description:	Reprint
Pages:	320
Product dimensions:	5.90(w) x 8.90(h) x 0.90(d)

About the Author

BJ Penn is a former UFC lightweight and welterweight champion and is considered one of the best pound-for-pound fighters in the world. In 2000, he became the first and only non-Brazilian-born winner of the World Jiu-Jitsu Championship in the black belt category. Penn is only the second fighter (after Randy Couture) to win UFC titles in two different weight classes. He lives in Hilo, Hawaii.

David Weintraub is a freelance journalist, writer, and producer who has done freelance work for the UFC.

Table of Contents

Preface ix

Acknowledgments xi

1 The First Part 1

2 What I Learned 14

3 Unexpected Changes 31

4 Ralph and Dave 49

5 New Beginnings 76

6 Unfinished Business 93

7 Moving Forward 110

8 Entering the Octagon 119

9 Three-Fight Deal 137

10 Up, Then Down 156

11 Just Scrap 178

12 Title Defense 197

13 Full Circle 219

14 Opportunity Awaits 235

15 The Real Champ 255

16 On an Island 267

17 More than Words 285

Afterword 301