Will BJ Penn Hang Up the Gloves for Good Following Recent Loss to Rory MacDonald?
After Rory MacDonald dominated BJ Penn at UFC on Fox 5 recently, the calls quickly came for the famed Hawaiian fighter to reverse his coming out of retirement party and finally hang up his gloves for good.
Chief among those saying Penn should head back into retirement was UFC president Dana White.
“He didn’t say it tonight, but I think BJ is probably going to retire, and I wouldn’t mind seeing that,” said White following the fight.
“BJ is a warrior, talk about a guy that doesn’t give up and doesn’t quit and just keeps coming. I have so much respect for BJ; I always have, even through the good times and the bad times. I’d like to see him retire.”
Penn, however, isn’t sure just yet what he’s going to do.
Leaving the door open, he told Inside MMA on AXS TV on Monday to remind his fans that he holds the “old man record for spending the most time in the Octagon and never being dropped once, even to a knee.”
Such bravado might indicate that Penn is considering stepping back in the Octagon, but he didn’t commit one way or the other telling Inside MMA that he is “taking some time to figure out my next step.”
Penn is a two-division champion in the UFC, winning the title in both the lightweight and welterweight divisions.
He has struggled in his last few fights, most recently losing the fights to Rory MacDonald and Nick Diaz, but is considered a shoe-in for the UFC Hall of Fame.
Stay tuned to MMAWeekly.com for all the latest on BJ Penn's decision whether or not to retire.
