UFC Quick Quote: BJ Penn is happy eating and drinking as much as he can

"When it comes to 155 pounds, I don't even like cutting the weight to make that weight. It's not a tough cut for me -- I probably cut three of four pounds on the day of the weigh in. But you have to cut down food and you have to cut your water down. And I don't know if that's a healthy thing. I mean if someone said let's meet tomorrow at 12 o'clock to fight somewhere, your family honor is on the line, I wouldn't stop drinking water and stop eating. I don't see how that can help you and make you the stronger person.... I come from a whole different mindset. I believe you get as healthy as you can and fight the best guy possible. I feel that I'm a healthy person right now and in a great mindset, and I know that when we get to Australia we're going to fight less than 24 hours after the weigh in, so I'd rather be in the position that I'm in. Twenty hours later me and Jon Fitch are going to be standing in the ring looking at each other and I'm going to be happy knowing that I was drinking as much water and eating as much as I could the whole time I was getting ready to fight someone of Fitch's caliber. I don't think Dana [White] would ever let [me fight at 155 again]."

-- Former welterweight and lightweight champion, BJ Penn, talks about some weighty issues during today's media conference call to promote his fight with Jon Fitch at UFC 127 at the Acer Arena in Sydney, Australia, on Feb. 26, 2011. "The Prodigy" -- who dominated the UFCs 155-pound division for nearly four years before losing back-to-back fights to reigning champion Frankie Edgar -- feels healthier 15 pounds heavier. In fact, he feels it's possibly even to his advantage, especially when taking on one of the bigger welterweights such as Fitch, who has to stick to a strict diet and cut significant weight to make the 170-pound division limit. While Fitch nurses his body back to health with capfuls of PediaLyte to slowly rehydrate his system after weighing in, the Hawaiian will be slugging glasses of water with reckless abandon. Is this really an advantage, or is Penn just trying to convince himself, and those who are listening, that he really belongs at welterweight ... even though he sports a losing record north of 155 inside the Octagon?