EXCLUSIVE | BJ Penn “It is time to wake up and come eat the long-legged fish”

UFC Hall of Famer and former two division world champion BJ Penn will return to the octagon this Sunday night in Phoenix when he meets surging featherweight contender Yair Rodriguez in the main event of UFC Fight Night 103.

‘The Prodigy’ recently caught up with BJPENN.com’s Chris Taylor where he discussed his upcoming fight and unveiled his all-star corner for Sunday’s highly anticipated contest.

Taylor asked Penn to share his thoughts on his upcoming opponent (Rodriguez), here is what “The Prodigy” had to say.

“When I look at Yair Rodriguez I see a young, tough kid and a very skilled opponent.”

As for how the contest will play out, Penn believes that the time has come to eat the long-legged fish.

“I keep having this reoccurring dream where my followers say to me ‘Wake up BJ. Wake up. It is time. Come eat the long-legged fish.’”

Penn explained to Taylor exactly what the quote meant.

“That is what they used to say when they would sacrifice the guys. That is what they would say to their gods in Polynesia. They would say to their gods ‘God. Come god. Come eat the long-legged fish.’”

According to Polynesian mythology (via the ‘Handbook of Polynesian Mythology’), up until about 1350, the islands would routinely send double-hulled canoes filled with sacrifices, offering and gifts to the Polynesian god ‘Oro.

Foreign priests and chiefs would meet in a type of convention for several days. On a designated day, the gift-laden canoes would sail through the pass of Te-ava-moa into the lagoon of ‘Opoa on Raiatea amidst the loud trumpet sounds from the conch shells and the throbbing beats of the great drums. The local high chiefs and priests would welcome the visitors and supervise the unloading of the various sacrifices (human and animal). Sacrificial prayers would be made to ‘Oro such as:

“Now eat of thy long –legged fish (reference to humans). ‘Oro my King. Eat of thy fish of the sea my King ‘Oro-taua (Fighting Warrior).”

Do you think BJ Penn will emerge victorious at this weekend’s UFC Fight Night 103 event?