Former UFC lightweight champion BJ Penn is still very relevant in the overall division picture, but he’s taking on Matt Hughes at welterweight rather than fighting lightweight top contender Kenny “Kenflo” Florian. Many wondered if Penn was looking for a more likely win versus a tough battle, but that doesn’t seem to be the case at all. Talking to MMAJunkie, Penn explained how the fight with Hughes went down:
“I talked to Dana, and they tried to put me in the ring with Florian, (and) Dana said Florian was hurt,” said Penn, who submitted Florian in 2009 to defend the belt. “[Dana] said, ‘What do you think about Hughes?’ I said, ‘Matt Hughes?’ I got chicken skin all over my body. I said, ‘Tell him I’m coming. Tell him, let’s go.’”
After suffering back-to-back defeats, Penn said he had more sense than to request a fight with a UFC Hall of Famer who fights at a heavier weight class – especially one who’s climbed back into title contention with a string of wins over Matt Serra, Renzo Gracie and Ricardo Almeida. But with the opportunity to fight again quickly, and with Hughes on board, he simply couldn’t pass it up.
“I’m more respectful than that to lose two fights in a row and say, ‘OK, give me Matt Hughes,’” Penn said. “They offered me that fight. Matt was really excited about the fight. Dana called me and said, ‘We offered Matt the fight. He’s going to put everything on hold to take the fight if you want it.’ And I said, ‘I’ve got nothing else better to do. Let’s do this.’
Penn doesn’t gain much with a win except for a paycheck, as most would expect him to return to the lightweight division and make another run at the title. With current champion Frankie Edgar next looking to take on Gray Maynard you could certainly see Penn still fighting Florian for rights to the next title shot. Still a matchup with Hughes does seem like something that fans want, and it should make for a very entertaining bout especially with Hughes recent ressurgence.