Doesn’t several failed comeback attempts, former UFC lightweight and welterweight champion BJ Penn still isn’t ready to call time on his MMA career just yet, and so he’ll be stepping into the Octagon yet again to take on Ryan Hall at UFC 232 in Las Vegas on December 29th.
‘The Prodigy’ last fought in June of 2017, coming out on the wrong end of a majority decision against Dennis Siver. That marked Penn’s fifth loss in a row, though going further back the reality is he’s now won just once in his last nine fights since 2010.
During that period he’s appeared to have been ready to retire several times, only to be lured back for big fights with the likes of Rory MacDonald, Frankie Edgar and Yair Rodriguez, all of which he’d lose convincingly.
The 39-year-old Penn has never been someone who will back down from a fight though, and so here he is again, this time going up against a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu ace in the 33-year-old Hall.
Hall won The Ultimate Fighter 22 back in 2015 and the following year would claim a unanimous decision victory over Gray Maynard, but he hasn’t fought since, stating that he’d only return for a big name opponent.
Penn Vs Hall joins a UFC 232 card that will also play host to a women’s featherweight superfight between current champion Cris ‘Cyborg’ and bantamweight queen Amanda Nunes.