It’s been six months since BJ Penn’s defeat to Nick Diaz at UFC 137, and at last weekend’s ‘UFC On Fuel TV 2’ event in Sweden the Hawaiian fighter gave every indication that he was going to stick to a post-fight decision to retire from the sport, but according to Dana White he’s not giving out the same signals behind the scenes.
Speaking following last night’s UFC 145 event in Atlanta, White said, “I heard some [expletive] that he said he was going to retire and all this stuff. I talked to him, and he’s like, ‘I want to fight again.'”
According to White there’s no indication yet when he might return, but he says, “We’re talking.”
Considering he’s still just 33 years old and his recent losses have come to top-flight competition in Diaz and Frankie Edgar there’s certainly no need for Penn to permanently hang up his gloves just yet, but hopefully if he is going to come back it happens sooner or later as an extended lay-off enjoying the good life is only going to make it harder to get back in shape.
I also hope that he moves back down to the lightweight division where he belongs, and with Edgar no longer the champion the coast is currently clear for him to mount a new assault on the 155lb ranks that he once ruled with an iron fist.
