He owns 16 mixed martial arts victories, two UFC championship belts, a UFC Hall of Fame plaque and the admiration of countless fans, but only two words matter now: BJ’s back.
Eight years to the day Hilo’s BJ Penn became the second fighter to capture UFC titles in two different divisions, Penn on Tuesday said he was returning to the octagon, motivated to go down in history as the first man to rule three classes.
Appearing on “The MMA Hour,” Penn told host Ariel Helwani his reasoning for stepping back into the brutal competition is simple.
“That’s who I am. That’s what I do, and 100 percent I will be fighting in the UFC in 2016,” Penn said. “This is my last resort, and I’m going to give it everything I got.”
Training in Albuquerque, N.M., at the legendary Jackson Wink MMA gym under the tutelage of Greg Jackson, the 37-year-old Penn said he thinks he has two years of competitive fighting remaining in him.
Penn (16-10-1), who went 1-5-1 in his last seven fights and hasn’t fought since July 2014, said his decision didn’t come lightly, but he underscored his enduring trust in Jackson’s advice.
“If I didn’t have somebody like Greg Jackson to talk to me and tell me I could do this,” he said. “I look at him. Who cares what everyone else is saying around the world? They don’t know the game at all.”
Penn said he discussed his plans with UFC President Dana White and hoped for a March 5 return.
His possible change of heart came to light last Wednesday when he engaged in a war of words and challenges with Nik Lentz. On Tuesday, Penn brushed off Lentz as a “punk” and “jealous guy,” but he gave Lentz a one-time offer to fight at 155 pounds and dared him to call into the show and set up a fight.
“The lion doesn’t care what the sheep says,” Penn said. “I wanted to use him as a punching bag to get the rust out.”
Ultimately, Penn wants to fight at 145, which was his weight when he suffered a third-round TKO loss to Frankie Edgar in his last stint in the octagon.
“I believe I will be the only man with titles in three different weight divisions,” Penn said. “Maybe I am declining, but maybe I didn’t give myself the best opportunity to beat these guys.”
He said he has that with Jackson, a strong entourage and reinvigorated body that hasn’t taken much punishment of late with only four fights in the past five years.
Penn also came out of retirement in 2012 to fight Rory MacDonald in what was a one-sided loss.
Looking back, Penn said, those who saw his Hall of Fame induction in July should have noticed he still had a spark in his eyes for his true passion.
“I have a wonderful life back in Hawaii,” Penn said. “I love my life, but I love fighting more.”
Email Matt Gerhart at mgerhart@hawaiitribune-herald.com.
