BJ Penn, former UFC champion of the lightweight and welterweight division, has finally decided to retire. At the age of 35 years old, BJ Penn decides that it is about time he retired from professional mixed martial arts.
BJ Penn has actually been considered as one of the best, if not truly the best, lightweight fighter of all time. He announced his retirement after a 3rd-round TKO defeat to Frankie Edgar during the finale of "The Ultimate Fighter."
BJ Penn (16-10-2) had not fought in the ring since he dropped at a lopsided unanimous decision to Rory MacDonald in December of 2012. However, rumors about a 3rd fight with Edgar, a fighter whom he had already lost to two times in the past, managed to bring BJ Penn back inside the ring when 2014 started. When he lost to Edgar (17-4-1) for the 3rd time, he finally decided that it was time for him to hang up his gloves.
He said, "This is the end. I'm thinking to myself, 'Why did you step back in the Octagon after the beating Rory MacDonald gave you?' The reason is I really need to find out. If I didn't make this night happen, I would have always wondered. I would have complained to everyone, 'I could have done it again! I could have done it again!' Now, I know for sure that I can't."
To date, BJ Penn remains one of the only two UFC fighters in history who were able to win titles in various weight classes. He won the 170-pound title by submitting Matt Hughes in January of 2004 at UFC 46. Four years later after this victory, BJ Penn won a 155-pound title by submitting Joe Stevenson at the UFC 80. BJ Penn was able to defend this title three times.
This article is copyrighted by Travelers Today, the travel news leader
