BJ Penn got a new result, just not the one he was looking for.
The questions surrounding Penn and the continuation of his career are sure to linger after he suffered a submission loss for the first time in 31 pro mix martial arts fights.
If you were blinking midway through the first round of Penn’s lightweight fight against Ryan Hall at UFC 132 in Inglewood, Calif., you missed it. Hall dove in, tackled Penn and locked in a rolling inside heel hook, sending the Hilo fighter limping back to the corner with his sixth consecutive loss in the UFC.
“It was unbelievably motivating to face someone with the history and the skills of B.J. Penn,” said Hall (7-1, 3-0 UFC). “It was an honor to get to compete with him. He is someone I looked up to my whole career and will continue looking up to. There are many champions, but a few legends, and I got to face a legend tonight. It was a great opportunity.”
Penn, a UFC Hall of Famer, is now .500 for his career in the MMA organization and 16-13-2 overall, remaining winless since 2010, and he’s 1-8-1 since his last title defense.
What’s next?
Who knows
In November, the 40-year-old Penn said he hoped to finalize a new four-fight contract with the UFC.
Hall, The Ultimate Fighter 22 winner, hadn’t fought in more than two years, but he said he’d like his next opponent to be a top-10 fighter in his division.
“I’m not here to play games – I’m here to face challenging opponents. I’m back – for now,” he said. “I come and go like the wind.”
Penn learned that lesson all to well. In his previous five losses, Penn absorbed 542 significant strikes, only landing 186, but punches weren’t the problem in the undercard matchup.
Penn tried to take the offensive early and staved off a handful of sweep attempts.
Hall took some leg kicks, but it was over in a flash when he made his decisive move at 2:46.