Following his loss to Nick Diaz at UFC 137, BJ Penn made the shocking announcement that he was going to retire.
Penn, a former welterweight and lightweight champ, has never been knocked out cold and has only lost to former or current world champions.
Although Penn may not be the fighter he used to be, he is only 32 years old.
UFC President Dana White is not fully convinced that Penn is gone for good.
“B.J. is a warrior,” White said at the post fight press conference. “What happened to him tonight has never happened to him in his entire career. What he’s thinking tonight he might not think eight weeks from now.”
While Penn has been called one of MMA’s best boxers, he was outworked by Diaz.
Penn only landed 76 strikes compared to Diaz who landed 239.
White has never been shy to say when a fighter should retire. Starting with Chuck Liddell, White has been adamant about telling fighters past their primes when they should go.
Penn is in somewhat of a different situation though.
He has been on a slump as of late going 1-3-1 in his last five fights. But one of those losses was a close bout with Frankie Edgar that could have gone his way.
He also had a draw with Jon Fitch, a fighter who has only lost once in the UFC to Georges St-Pierre.
Although he’s talked to fighters in the past about retirement, White said Penn’s decision was his own.
“They took B.J. right to the hospital,” White said. “Who knows. It might be or it might not be (Penn’s last fight). That’s up to him. I don’t know.”