Quote: BJ Penn Only One To Say If He Should Fight Or Not
Much of the MMA world was at least somewhat shocked when news broke earlier this month that BJ Penn would return against fellow veteran Clay Guida.
Penn will take on “The Carpenter” at May’s UFC 237 from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. It’s a high-profile spot to return, yet many thought “The Prodigy” would mercifully hang it up after his submission loss to Ryan Hall at last December’s UFC 232.
However, that’s not the case. Penn will despite not having won a fight since a late 2010 knockout over fellow former champion Matt Hughes. He’s lost six bouts in a row, a number of defeats that UFC athletes are usually released for far before reaching. But Penn is a legend despite his downward-trending numbers, so he gets yet another chance. His name is really the only thing keeping him afloat.
Guida’s Surprise
That became clear when Guida appeared on this week’s episode of ‘The MMA Hour,’ where he discussed his surprise at Penn’s stagnating results. ‘The Carpenter’ said he had to have a friend point out to him that Penn had not won since 2010:
“You know what, someone brought that to my attention the other day. It was a close friend of mine who’s a huge fight fan, he’s very knowledgeable about the sport, and I couldn’t believe it when he said that it’s been 2010 since he won a fight. So I mean, it’s kind of hard to believe that, it’s hard to think that a guy who was a former two-time champion at lightweight and welterweight, you know, hasn’t won a fight in nine-plus years. It’s pretty incredible. But you know what, getting in the cage with someone like BJ Penn, you know, is an opportunity you can’t turn down.”
Despite that fact, Guida admitted he couldn’t turn down fighting a legend. As many call for him to retire, the longtime fan favorite said only Penn, his family, and his team were the ones who could make that call:
“But getting in the cage with someone like BJ Penn, it’s an opportunity you can’t turn down. He’s the only one, and his camp and his family are the only ones to say if he should be competing or not. So that’s totally up to him. I’m not in a position to say that. So I’m accepting the fight, and we’re going to put on a show for the fans.”
