UFC 137: Penn vs. Diaz | Event Profile, Full Results & Legacy
- Daniel Cornmeat
- 5 days ago
- 4 min read
Introduction
UFC 137: Penn vs. Diaz. October 29, 2011. Mandalay Bay Events Center, Las Vegas. The event was originally titled GSP vs. Diaz after Nick Diaz was booked against Georges St-Pierre for a WW title defence. St-Pierre withdrew with a knee injury, and
Nick Diaz returned to the UFC after more than five years in Strikeforce and dominated Penn across three rounds by unanimous decision (28-29, 27-29, 28-29). Penn’s left eye swelled shut during the fight. Post-fight, Penn said ‘I’m done.’ Diaz called out Georges St-Pierre and accused him of faking his injury. Roy Nelson stopped Mirko Cro Cop by TKO in round three. Donald Cerrone earned the KO Night bonus.
Contents
1. Introduction
2. Quick Stats
3. The Build-Up
4. Main Event
5. Co-Main Event
6. Full Results
7. Bonuses & Awards
8. Records & Milestones
9. Legacy & Impact
10. FAQ
11. References
Quick Stats
Date: October 29, 2011
Venue: Mandalay Bay Events Center, Las Vegas, Nevada, USA
Attendance: 10,313; Gate: $3,900,000
Main Event: Nick Diaz vs. BJ Penn — WW (original: GSP vs. Diaz for WW title; GSP withdrew with knee injury)
Result: Diaz def. Penn — UD (28-29, 27-29, 28-29) — Diaz dominates; Penn’s eye swollen shut; Penn post-fight: ‘I’m done’
Notable: Diaz returns to UFC after 5+ years in Strikeforce; Roy Nelson TKOs Cro Cop (Cro Cop UFC retirement); Diaz calls out GSP post-fight; $75k bonuses
The Build-Up
Nick Diaz had been booked against GSP for the WW title after his Strikeforce run, which included wins over Gomi, Shamrock, Noons, and Evangelista Santos. GSP suffered a knee injury in training and withdrew on September 8. BJ Penn, who had recently KO’d Matt Hughes at UFC 123, accepted the main event slot with three weeks’ notice.
Main Event
Nick Diaz vs. BJ Penn — Welterweight
Nick Diaz used his reach advantage and boxing volume from the opening bell. He dropped his hands and walked Penn down, landing combinations. Penn’s left eye began to swell in round one. By round three, Penn’s vision was compromised and Diaz’s combinations were landing with less resistance.
BJ Penn never went down. He has never been knocked down in his professional career. He absorbed the punishment and fired back, landing some clean right hands that bloodied Diaz. But Diaz dominated the scorecards: 28-29, 27-29, 28-29.
Post-fight, BJ Penn told Joe Rogan: ‘I’m done.’ He said he didn’t want to go home to his family looking like that. Penn had made similar statements before. This time it had the weight of a career-defining defeat behind it.
Post-fight, Nick Diaz called out GSP directly: ‘Where you at, Georges?’ He accused St-Pierre of faking his injury and being scared to fight. GSP vs. Diaz was subsequently rebooked for UFC 143 in February 2012.
Co-Main Event
Roy Nelson vs. Mirko Cro Cop — Heavyweight
Nelson was the heavier, shorter HW; Cro Cop was a legend of the PRIDE era operating at the end of his career. Nelson absorbed early Cro Cop leg kicks and worked forward. In round three, Nelson connected and stopped Cro Cop with ground and pound. It was widely understood to be one of Cro Cop’s last fights; he retired from the UFC following this result.
Full Results
Preliminary Card
Clifford Starks def. Dustin Jacoby — Decision — R3 — MW
Francis Carmont def. Chris Camozzi — Decision — R3 — MW
Ramsey Nijem def. Danny Downes — Sub? — R? — LW
Brandon Vera def. Eliot Marshall — TKO — R? — LHW
Main Card
Hatsu Hioki def. George Roop — Decision (Split) — R3 — FW; Hioki UFC debut
Bart Palaszewski def. Tyson Griffin — TKO — R? — FW; bonus ($75k to Palaszewski)
Donald Cerrone def. Dennis Siver — KO — R? — LW; KO Night ($75k to Cerrone)
Scott Jorgensen def. Jeff Curran — Decision — R3 — BW
Cheick Kongo def. Matt Mitrione — Decision (Unanimous) — R3 — HW
Roy Nelson def. Mirko Cro Cop — TKO — R3 — HW; Co-Main; Cro Cop UFC retirement
Main Event — Welterweight
Nick Diaz def.
Bonuses & Awards
Fight of the Night: Nick Diaz vs.
KO of the Night: Donald Cerrone vs. Dennis Siver — $75,000 to Cerrone.
Extra Bonus: Bart Palaszewski — $75,000.
Records & Milestones
BJ Penn never knocked down in MMA — sustained a heavy beating at UFC 137 with eye swollen shut and was never sent to the canvas; one of the career’s defining durability records.
Nick Diaz UFC return — first UFC appearance since 2007; five-year Strikeforce stint included wins over notable competition; returned to dominate Penn immediately.
Mirko Cro Cop retired from the UFC following the Nelson loss — his final UFC fight; a defined end to the career of one of the sport’s most feared strikers.
Legacy & Impact
UFC 137 is remembered as BJ Penn's final significant fight. He never competed at the highest level again with the same consistency. His ‘I’m done’ was later walked back — he fought several more times — but the post-fight statement matched what the performance had communicated.
Nick Diaz's return was defined less by the Penn performance than by what happened afterward. His callout of GSP, his accusation of faking injury, and his combative post-fight demeanour established him as the UFC’s most provocative attraction heading into 2012.
FAQ
Why was UFC 137 not the GSP title fight it was originally scheduled to be?
Georges St-Pierre withdrew from his scheduled WW title defence against Nick Diaz due to a knee injury. BJ Penn accepted the main event fight against Diaz on three weeks' notice.
Was UFC 137 BJ Penn's last fight?
No, but Penn said post-fight 'I'm done' and many believed it was his retirement. He fought several more times but never competed at the same level after UFC 137.
Was Nick Diaz a UFC return at UFC 137?
Yes. Nick Diaz had not fought in the UFC since 2007 before UFC 137. He had spent five years competing in Strikeforce, where he became a prominent welterweight contender.
What did Nick Diaz say after defeating Penn at UFC 137?
Diaz called out GSP with 'Where you at, Georges?' and accused St-Pierre of faking his knee injury to avoid fighting him. The callout led to GSP vs. Diaz being rebooked for UFC 143 in February 2012.
What happened to Mirko Cro Cop at UFC 137?
Roy Nelson stopped Mirko Cro Cop by TKO in round three. It was among the final fights of Cro Cop’s UFC career; he retired from the promotion following the loss.
References
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