Why I Fight: The Belt Is Just an Accessory

by Jay Dee "B.J." Penn, Dave Weintraub

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.

Genres: Sports, Biography, Martial Arts, Mixed Martial Arts, Nonfiction, Memoir, Autobiography

320 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2010

Reviews

[Jason Slovak · Rating 4 out of 5]

I won this book through the Goodreads First-Reads giveaway program. So, a big "Thank You" to both Goodreads and the publisher for this book!

I've been an MMA/UFC fan for a while now and pretty much the whole time I have disliked BJ Penn. After reading this book though my opinion of him has COMPLETELY changed.

The UFC, for whatever reason, has always kind of cast his as a villian and I was always more than happy to view him that way myself. Reading this book though, you will find out that not only is his personality different from what you may think it is but also pretty much his entire story is different too. The UFC always seems to want to make it sound like he comes from this really wealthy family in Hawaii and BJ has had this really cushy upbringing with pretty much not a care in the world. On top of that, they almost always make it sound like he doesn't take training seriously and he's even pretty lazy. My impression of him now is nothing like that. In a lot of ways he had a harder time growing up than I did and I'm pretty much from the suburbs... He also takes his training very seriously and in my opinion, works his ass off to be the best he can possibly be.

On top of all of that, it was really interesting to get kind of a "behind the scenes" look at how the UFC operates and specifically how Dana White can be. Almost every time I talk to my friends about Dana, I make a point to mention how "fair he is" when it comes to making hard decisions. Now, I don't know that I think of him quite the same way. Of course there are 2 sides to every story but I really got the impression that he's more a 2 faced business man than his on screen image lets on.

BJ also goes in-depth about the "greasing" incident with GSP. At the time when that whole thing was going down I really thought BJ was just making excuses for a poor performance. Turns out there was A LOT more to this story than just BJ pointing a finger. I found myself siding with BJ on this issue and GSP is even my favorite fighter (although his stock dropped some for me now).

All in all, I say this is pretty much a must read for MMA/UFC fans. If nothing else, you will get a first hand account of what it is like to live that lifestyle and all that goes with it.

[BookMarc · Rating 4 out of 5]

'Why I fight: The Belt is Just an Accessory' by Bj Penn is the first autobiography I have read in quite a while and as I'm always up for a bj I just couldn't resist the lore of this book.
The last time I delved into the autobiography genre I picked up a copy of 'Batista Unleashed', which was just about the worst autobiography I've ever read, and so expectations weren't particularly high going into this one due to the similarities of them both being tough, muscular athletes. Thankfully, I can tell you that my negativity was unwarranted as I thoroughly enjoyed this book from beginning to end.
I'm not actually an MMA fan, although I have watched a few fights on tv and know who BJ Penn is, so I was very much going into this blind with little knowledge of the sport and its participants. I was pleased to find that my lack of knowledge did not detract from the book as when explanations of fighting styles and techniques are required they are explained in simple terms that anyone can understand. Also my understanding of the sport grew in relation to the life story being told as I learned, along with a young and reckless BJ Penn, the art of fighting, discipline and dedication required to be the best of the best. I really enjoyed how that was done and was a testament to the writing skills of Dave Weintraub.
As is the case with autobiographies you know what you're getting in terms of structure. It starts out recounting BJ's upbringing, with stories from his childhood, and heads on through adolescence on into manhood and his eventual rise to MMA superstar. Sometimes I find autobiographies can be over zealous about one aspect of the subject's life but 'Why I Fight' was paced well and I never became bored due to overkill of a particular era of BJ's life.
Overall this was a learning experience for me and an entertaining read at the same time. I also discovered that my view of Hawaii as a peaceful, sun, surf and sand nation is very far from the reality of life there...especially the one experienced by BJ Penn.

[Tara · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 stars. Bland writing, plus Penn is unfortunately just not a terribly likable human being. For example:

“Jens and I stood in the room, waiting to pick fighters for our respective teams. The contestants were all standing together in one large group, awaiting selection. The first thing I did, I looked over at some of the guys and asked, “If any of you here know for a complete fact that you want to be on my team and give me one hundred percent, and want nothing to do with Jens Pulver’s team, raise your hand.” Most of the guys in the group raised their hands, and it became an extremely uncomfortable situation. It made Pulver look bad.”

Penn actually thinks his disrespectful, middle school behavior made Pulver look bad. Yeah, he’s kind of a jackass. Great fighter, but definitely a bit of a jackass.

Oh, and he also spends way too much time criticizing the UFC. He was shocked and offended that a company like that is actually primarily interested in making money. Astounding, isn’t it? Well, no, not exactly. But it sure as shit seems to have stunned and horrified poor, innocent Penn. I can’t wait to read his next book, where he finds out about Amazon and Walmart and Apple...

[Adam · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the best and boldest fighter biography I've read yet. BJ is blunt when describing bad dealings he's had with the Gracie family and Dana White, so much so that the ghost writer was fired from the UFC after this book was published.

[Mitch Smith · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed the in sight into the world of the UFC that you don't read about ie; Dana White and the UFCs grand plan to control their fighters for the greater good of the organizations profitability. Very interesting read.

[Max P · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was a varry good book. Because it gave a lot of detail.

[Matt M · Rating 4 out of 5]

I started getting into UFC right at the time of his season of TUF vs. Jens, I was a fan of team Jens throughout the show and even after him beating Jens I could not allow myself to root for BJ. After reading this book though I have mad respect for BJ as a fighter and person. I think it says a lot about someone to be proud of where they come from. It is a shame the book stopped at the point it did, I would have enjoyed getting his in depth no holds barred commentary on the

[Rachel Bertrand · Rating 3 out of 5]

This one took me a while to really get into, and I kept putting it down. It was fun to reminisce about the early days of MMA, but I wish BJ had gotten into a deeper discussion of what was really happening. It seemed like it was more of a BJ Penn fan-book than anything else. Then again, had it been titled "100 Reasons to Love BJ Penn," I probably still would've picked it up and enjoyed reading about the Prodigy.

[Stacy Lukasavitz Steele · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an exciting page-turner, especially if you're into MMA/UFC. It gives you a glimpse into one fighter's origin story, the politics of the UFC, and the descriptions of the fights are especially exciting. Plus, it's a fantastic example of Penn's exemplary character, even in the face of public scrutiny, justified or not.

[Cali Edwards · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not a classic autobiography and overly short (even allowing for the fact it ends before Penn lost the title at UFC 112 in 2010) but has some decent information in it.

Not well written, just functional. There's a great book to be written on Baby Jay - this isn't it. But it's okay for now.

[Patrick Porras · Rating 4 out of 5]

Four stars because it was an interesting read. It's not a great biography in terms of writing style or depth, but it surpassed expectations. BJ is one of my favorite fighters and hearing the story of his childhood and early career and subsequent rise was fascinating.

[Jeff Pavlick · Rating 3 out of 5]

If you want to learn more about B.J. Penn, you will probably enjoy this book

"I don't worry about losing all my fans. Whatever true fans you've got will stick by you, so that's nothing to worry about."

[Shaun McNamara · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good if you’re a fan.

[Alex · Rating 2 out of 5]

+1

[ANDREWKHAN · Rating 5 out of 5]

An inspiring book to anyone, not just BJJ practitioners and MMA fans.

[Ivan · Rating 3 out of 5]

About as good as expected

[Artiom Karsiuk · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was written not only by a future UFC Hall of Famer, two division champion and legend of the sport, but also by an annoying bitter little slacker. BJ Penn is one of my favorite mixed martial artist - if he wasn't, I would give this book the time of day. Without a shadow of a doubt, one of the greatest pure talents to have ever stepped onto an MMA canvas. He is also a spoiled brat.
But first things first, the part of the book on his childhood and teen years was fascinating, because I come from Lithuania (the asshole of Europe) and I always imagined Hawaii to be this “Lilo & Stitch” paradise. Penn painted a completely different picture: you can easily buy crack on the street, cannabis growing wildly everywhere [felt a bit jelly reading that], constant parties and fights. Those were some interesting pages. Not the only interesting thing from his childhood, though. I could have never imagined that BJ was as huge pro-wrestling fan: he collected magazines, had replica championship belts and religiously followed Hulk Hogan’s carrier (whom he, to this day, calls “my hero”). Wow… I’m a huge wrestling fan as well, so I loved every word of it.
The part of his book that starts to chronicle his carrier was pretty detailed. No BJJ belt was left unmentioned, no medal forgotten. And when it came to MMA, you got a very detailed account of each fight plus the preparation for it. Not only that – as a bonus, you got a bundle of excuses for each of his loss. Those were the pages I hated: after every “W” Baby Jay was patting himself on the back, surfing the highest of highs and planning to retire at the age of 100 with a stack of gold on his shelf; but as soon as he suffered defeat, he was immediately contemplating retirement, blaming his camp, the UFC, the stars and that guy on the street for everything that went wrong. It was as if he had a bipolar career. He took all the credit and NONE of the responsibility. I love BJ, but I hated that.
One more thing made me cringe – and this was either a sign of complete ignorance or he was just trolling. The money. There was no point of his career (with the exception of his very first UFC contract) where The Prodigy was happy with his pay. I had no problem with that, because very few people in life are. I had a problem with his chimp logic that went along the lines of “Matt Hughes earned $50,000 – I beat Hughes, so I should be making at least that much”. Hold on there, tiger! Based on this kiddy logic, Fabricio Werdum should have bought a gold-plated Maserati after June 26, 2010. And the fall of Chuck Liddell should have given birth to roughly four new UFC millionaires with Jardine, Evans, Rua and Franklin sharing a champagne filled jacuzzi. That’s not how it works – this is not Highlander: you do not inherit your opponent’s contract after you’ve slain him. The most shocking thing about this way of thinking is that he was a ‘rasling fan – not only that, he was a HULKAMANIAC. If anyone if UFC should have a grasp of marketability and its worth, he should.
All in all, the book was pretty good, because you always hear how BJ is extraordinarily talented and how he would be a world-beater if he could just find motivation and discipline. Well, this bio is a perfect illustration of what’s going on in his head – it shows you that he had very few “nemesis” throughout his carrier that really made his juices flow:

#1 Jens Pulver
#2 Sean Sherk
#3 Matt Hughes
#4 Georges St-Pierre

[Loy Machedo · Rating 3 out of 5]

Loy Machedo’s Book Review - Why I fight – The belt is just an accessory by BJ Penn with David Weintraub

For a guy like me who loves reading biographies, self-help or business books reading David Weintraub contribution on the life of Mixed Martial Artist Champion - BJ Penn’s aptly titled memoir ‘Why I Fight – The belt is just an accessory’ would seem strange. But all your doubts would be non-existent when I tell you that though I am obsessed lover of self-help books, I am also a big fan of Mixed Martial Arts – at least as a viewer if not a participant.

My introduction to the world of fighting began as a youngster with the glamorous entertainment of brute strength with World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE). Embarrassed to admit it but it was only at the late age of 29 did I realize that WWE was all but only entertainment and scripted fights. With that came in a void that later on was filled by an accidental introduction to a MMA (Mixed Martial Arts) Video of Ultimate Fighting Champions (or UFC as the company is famously known as). It was there I was introduced to the world of MMA and the superstars that dominate this sport.

BJ Penn is one among two great legends of the MMA who for the last decade has dominated himself as a champion in two weight classes making him known as a the pound for pound great champions.

In this book BJ Penn shockingly speaks him mind out – both of the sport, the hypocrisy of a few famous stars, the behind the scenes dirty laundry that is not shown and most importantly the business side of the sport.

He confesses his opinions of his colleagues (sounds too formal a word, especially when you consider he and his colleague bash the living day lights of each other in the ring) and does not hold back the hatred he has for some of them.

Overall a book that takes you through the childhood of a young man from Hilo, Hawaii who was born and destined to get into the Octagon (the fight ring of the UFC), to the pinnacle of his career that made him one of the most respectable fighters and legends of the fighting world.

The only drawback of this book, like all other books on MMA fighters, well its attractiveness would be limited to a MMA fan base. So if you are not a MMA fan, this book is not for you.

Overall rating – 4 out of 10….Nah make that 5 out of 10 for his honesty.

[Gary Braham · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is the project of former UFC lightweight champion, BJ Penn. The book was an easy read, that progresses in a linear fashion through BJ's life. There were really two parts to the book.

In the first part, we learn of BJ's upbringing. He describes what it's like to grow up in Hawaii. Then there's the history of his first experiences with boxing, brazillian jiu jitsu, and just plain out fighting. From there, he moves to California and gets more serious about training in competitive jiu jitsu. BJ descibes the people he trained with, the places he trained and fought, and the people he fought against.

Once he reaches the UFC, the story progresses from fight to fight, giving us a look into the preparation for each bout, how the matches are made, what it's like to travel and compete, and then finally, there's a play by play for each of his fights. Interwoven between the descriptions of the bouts, we get a look at the politics of the UFC. Penn pulls no punches in describing the brutality of contract negotiations, and his heartbreak following a tough loss.

The book reaches it's climax during the controvertial fight against George St. Pierre. BJ describes his preparations for the fight, the fight itself, and his thoughts on the aftermath. Finally, he ends with a bit of redemption, tranferring some of his dislike for GSP onto his next lightweight opponent, Kenny Florian, and beating him convincingly in the final fight covered by the book.

BJ Penn is one of the more interesting fighters in the UFC, he is willing to share his personal stories and experiences, which makes the book worth reading.

[Justin · Rating 3 out of 5]

First of all I must say thank you BJ Penn for responding to my Facebook post! It means the world to me and beat up MacDonald! Anyways the book gives a very informative inside look at Dana White, pioneers in the sport, the UFC's early days, misconceptions about the Hawaiian lifestyle, and a personal view of who Penn is and obviously why he fights. It is somewhat confusing to know who is who in the ever growing list of trainers, mentors, and coaches BJ surrounds himself with, especially if you read it in more than one sitting considering you will since it's a large book. I recommend 1. Watching some footage of his fights while reading passages on fighting to know exactly what he is talking about if you are not familiar with the fighter lingo plus it's more exciting 2. Looking at his overall record can help you piece together which fights take place where and when. I didn't want to do this because I thought it would spoil the book but I wish I did cause it's a biography not a mystery thriller, don't make the same mistake I did! I could relate to his constant and relentless thinking about jiujitsu since I wrestle in high school. Overall the book is very easy to read with very little vocabulary words. Some of the training aspects can get repetitive and tedious if you haven't been involved in combat sports like when he talks about reaching a higher level. I admire BJ's need to fight the best at any weight class and I still can't believe he fought Machida at 225lbs. I truly feel like any MMA or BJ Penn fan will love this book and become an even larger BJ Penn fan. BJ is an interesting person who is easy to relate with on a personal level and his book is very much enjoyable.

[DH · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sometimes when you read a memoir or a biography, you think the author is holding back or he or she is stretching the truth to get a point across. Why I Fight, however, was a brutally honest and raw account of BJ Penn’s life. He didn’t hold anything back and he wasn’t afraid to say what’s on his mind even if it’s not politically correct. He tackles every subject a fighter goes through in this book from disputes with coaches to his position against steroids and cheating, as well as trying to figure out the right balance in training and diet and everything in between.

He revealed a lot about MMA and UFC and the book was definitely an eye opener. The descriptions of his fights were so detailed and vivid that there were times I thought I saw the fight occurring right before my eyes. On the other hand, he also discussed the business aspect of the game and the difficult negotiations and lawsuits he had to go through, which is something that fans normally don’t think about.

I would definitely recommend this book for anyone who’s a fan of BJ Penn or MMA. It’s a very insightful look into MMA from the perspective of a fighter, which is completely different from how you view it as a fan. You don’t necessarily need to be a fan of MMA or even understand it to read the book because Penn does an excellent job of breaking down the terminology and explaining the sport to the readers.

Note: book received from goodreads giveaway

[Brenda · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’ve been a fan of the UFC for many years. So when I won a free copy of BJ Penn’s book from Goodreads, I was pretty excited to read it. The book provides a very personal insight into BJ Penn’s life as a child in Hawaii and his move into mixed martial arts. He provides his story with brutal often candid honesty when describing his own failures and achievements. He presents things in a way that does not necessarily criticize but more to enlighten. It was impressive to hear about all of the hard work that goes into being a UFC champion. I even recalled the Caol Uno fight in which he won in 11 seconds. He just ran out of the ring after that fight. At the time I was watching, I often wondered what could be going through his head. It was nice to see it show up in the story and read his detailed account of the fight. He talks about the huge risks of being a fighter while getting little in the way of rewards but brings his own perspective to the sport, the UFC and why he continues to fight. At the same time, he stays true to his Hawaiian culture and brings discipline and purity to the sport. This book is really great and really captured what a stand up fighter BJ Penn really is.

[Todd · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have read many books from many fighters, including: Randy Couture, Chuck Liddell, Renzo Gracie, Forrest Griffen and others. WIthout hesitation, I rank this book in the top 2 of these. I can't decide whether this or Forrest Griffen's Got Fight is my favorite. Griffen's book is hilarious and raw. It made me laugh out loud. This book, never did. It's an honest look into the things that I've watched unfold on the screen, and read about online and in magazines. I feel like I know both sides of the stories. Unlike Couture's book, which put a big smudge on his captain america image, this book actually made me like Penn more. It tells of his dedication to the competition of combat sports from boxing on his parents porch in Hawaii, to the world of comptetitive BJJ. I loved how this book felt like it was a conversation with Penn, and not like a prompted response to some unasked question. BJ Penn's Why I Fight is a definite 3+ stars guarenteed to any MMA fan with a literature addiction. Read it.

[Kenny Lam · Rating 3 out of 5]

BJ Penn's autobiography provides some insight into the internal politics that is the UFC while allowing Penn to speak his side of the story.

As a devoted Jiu Jitsu student, I truly enjoyed the chapter's that covered Penn's spectacular rise as a Jiu Jitsu athlete culminating in his gold medal at the Mundials.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book as it puts into words some of the changes I too have noticed concerning the sport of MMA and the truly negative effects the UFC monopoly has on many fighters trying to make it in this industry.

Having essentially stopped following MMA with the disbandment of PRIDE FC back in 2007 due to being turned off by the 'Americanization'/ Commericalizing/Circus nature of the UFC and its meathead fans, I believe Penn's recurring observation regarding true fan's/long-time reporters vs. mainstream fans/uneducated reporters is spot on.

However, Penn's fighting spirit, evident throughout his life, just might win me back.

Ultimately, a good book, just read it.

[Rotten · Rating 5 out of 5]

I train in a related art, Aikido which has no competition or tournaments. Aikido is derived from Aiki Jitsu so somewhat related, similar.

I'm interested in why people train but more why we keep training and excel. I've seen so many start .... and quit, and promote through ranks .... and quit. For everyone who finally reaches black belt rank .... many quit.

People take up MA for a variety of reasons; need for self defense, fitness, discipline. But sticking with it for years with all the years, injuries, what makes you "a lifer", life long participant? What have you learned about your self? Odds are good that if you're a lifer, stick with it that self mastery is the key.

As some said here it's an easy read but yet a good one. A young man faced with tremendous odds, poverty, tough conditions finds a teacher, an art and motivation to excel.

Find it at your local Independent Bookstore.

[Khurram · Rating 4 out of 5]

BJ always does and says what he wants, damn the consequences that is the way BJ is love him or hate him, agree or disagree BJ will say it as he sees it. Since his early days he has never been able able to keep a secret or him mouth shut. He talks about how his natural ability, and living in Hawaii (the natural playground), prepared him for a life in pro fighting. He talks about his dedication the ju jitu. His run ins with other fighters. BJ has never been a great cardio guy, but he still trains harder then the rest of us non pro athletes. BJ gives his opinions on all him opponents, and his bitter legal dispute with the UFC. I have commend BJ on his stance on athletes and drugs, also "greesing". A good book about BJ's journey through life, MMA and his take in his legendary fights. I enjoyed the book and am always on the look out for what BJ is going to do next.

[Rochelle · Rating 2 out of 5]

I won this book from Goodreads and was very surprised when I received this. I thought this was going to be a book about boxing,but to my surprise it was about BJJ and MMA and the UFC, which were totally new to me.

As a primer to understanding the sport, I found it to be excellent. The story of his early life and personal life is rather sketchy. At one point suddenly he is a father, without any preamble.

He promotes himself very well throughout the book as an honest athlete (no steroids, no greasing), but he does go through a lot of people and leaves many of them behind.

A very different read for me. This book is probably a must read for UFC fans as they will be able to follow a blow by blow account of each of the fights.

[William Lopez · Rating 3 out of 5]

BJ was an astounding fighter, and the dude is a pretty good author too. This book was a fairly intimate look at Penn's life, and is better written than the other autobiographies written by fighters of his time, like Chuck and Tito. If you are not a fan of the business dealings of the UFC, this adds some fuel to the fire.

Really though, this book was written too early, as it ends with Penn's fights against Florian and Sanchez. I would love to know what he thought about his two losses to Edgar, his draw to Fitch, his pummeling by Rory, and his third fight with Hughes that ended (unfortunately) way to early to be satisfying to anyone. Now that he is attempting a come back and fighting at 145, perhaps he will have enough fuel for a second book. I'd read.

[Azaghedi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Learned a lot about people in the MMA world who aren't named BJ Penn, and I can't say the portraits of them were too flattering. Now, this is only one side of the story, but regardless of how you feel about BJ, he does come across as honest. It was one of the better books by a fighter I've read yet, even though (or perhaps due to the fact that) it was coauthored.

Postscript: I heard today, 2/13/13, that BJ mentioned the dropping down to 155 and fighting as a lightweight once again. Only time will tell if this pans out, but I'll certainly be supporting the Hilo Kid whenever and wherever he fights!

[Yoonmee · Rating 2 out of 5]

It's not going to win any literature awards, but BJ Penn's autobiography is still an interesting peek into his life and the growth of MMA in general. As with any memoir/autobiography, it can be hard to tell how forthright the author is being; Penn painted himself as a clueless kid who didn't mean to piss people off but was a victim or circumstance and naiveté for much of his early career. Maybe it's true, maybe it's not. Who knows. Despite being a BJ Penn fan, I'm giving this 2 stars because it was a little bit boring and not very well written.