The cheer you are hearing is that of a strong contingent of mixed martial arts fans around the world, especially in that of his native land Hawaii, as BJ Penn has ended his time on the shelf. ESPN’s Franklin McNeil reports that the former champion has held conversations with UFC President Dana White, and is ending his retirement. While the excitement surrounding the revelation will be monumental, you have to wonder what form of BJ Penn we will see in the Octagon, and if this is the best move for his career.
We last saw Penn when he was soundly defeated by Nick Diaz at UFC 137. With a dejected look on his face, he told Joe Rogan, “this is probably the last time you’ll see me in here.” Beaten in a fashion that we have only seen at the hands of the current welterweight champion Georges St. Pierre, Penn went on to say “I want to perform at a top level.”
While the announcement of Penn’s return by UFC President Dana White will garner a lot of attention just due to the weight that BJ Penn’s name carries in the sport, no opponent has been named, nor timetable set for the former champion’s return. Furthermore, Penn’s return raises some interesting questions that will only be answered with time.
BJ Penn looked to be in a bad position when he left the Octagon after that fight in October of 2011. Diaz had weathered Penn’s early boxing assault to punish him around the cage for the majority of the bout. You have to wonder if Penn’s last two fights will weigh on his mind as he prepares for his second return to the cage. Penn has been notorious for not training up to the highest of his ability, and at this point in his career, he can no longer afford to take this approach. He’s 33 years old, and in the later part of his career, so not taking fight preparation seriously will have dire consequences.
When Penn focuses in on training we’ve seen him put on performances that decimated opponents such as Diego Sanchez, Kenny Florian, and Sean Sherk. However, when he doesn’t, and relies on the natural talent that earned him his nickname, we’ve seen him look sluggish and outworked in defeat. At this point in his career, Penn has to be 100 percent committed to returning to the Octagon in the best way possible. While we know that he has the physical tools to compete with the majority of the combatants on the roster,what is in question is where he is mentally during the preparation for a given fight.
The only thing that we can take from the announcement by White is that Penn will be returning to the welterweight division.
“I’m done with telling Penn where to go as far as weight goes,” White said. “The guy has handled himself in both weight divisions. You get to an age where cutting down to 155 doesn’t make sense anymore.”
Penn is a former welterweight champion, but has struggled in the weight class in recent times. Looking at how the division stacks up today, it’s tough to see where Penn would fit in within the weight class. He’s struggled against big wrestlers who can push him around the cage. Currently the division is stacked with fighters who fit that mold perfectly, in Josh Koscheck, Johny Hendricks, Jake Ellenberger, and former opponents St. Pierre and Jon Fitch. Beyond that, there is the potential for interesting matchups against the likes of Rory MacDonald or Rick Story to whet the palates of fight fans. When looking at the group of guys waiting for the opportunity to welcome Penn back to the Octagon, it’s hard to pick a fight where he would be the outright favorite, as he has been in the past. Yet maybe a situation such as this could help inspire Penn to return to his old form.
When it comes to combat sports, debates will always rage about a fighter’s legacy, and where he should be ranked among the greatest of all time. Penn is often considered not only the greatest lightweight of all time, but one of the best fighters to have ever participated in the sport. If he returns to fighting with the intention to go out on a high note like Chris Lytle, what happens if he is unable to do so? As stated, the welterweight division is packed with some of the best talent in the sport of MMA, and if Penn wants to compete at the highest levels, he would have to defeat those names. Yet many of these individuals would be very tough opponents for the Hawaiian, and it is not unrealistic to think that he could lose against them. If BJ Penn doesn’t return at the top form many expect from him, this last run in the Octagon could be unsuccessful, and harm the legacy he’s created during his career.
Along with Randy Couture, BJ Penn has earned his place in history by being a two-division champion. He has fans across the world, and his name holds a significance that few fighters, even among today’s champions, will be able to claim. Still, the announcement of his pending return will raise a lot of questions and discussion points, until we finally get to see the “Prodigy” standing in the cage and smacking his face, while staring down his next opponent.
