(Photo by Mark Nolan Getty Images AsiaPac)
A welterweight rematch has been booked between UFC 127 opponents BJ “The Prodigy” Penn (16-7-2) and Jon Fitch (23-3-1) for UFC 132 after both men fought to a majority draw at the Australian event last month.
News of the rematch was made by officials on UFC.com in the early morning.
Reports of The Prodigy’s retirement have been greatly exaggerated: Dana White confirmed today that BJ Penn and Jon Fitch have verbally agreed to rematch at UFC 132.
The welterweights first met in the main event of UFC 127, a number-one contender bout that ended in a draw. “Both fighters look to keep it out of the hands of the judges this time,” said White.
Penn and Fitch headlined the UFC 127 event and will headline the upcoming UFC 132 show in Las Vegas. Both men fought to a majority draw at the Sydney show (29-28 Fitch, 28-28, 28-28), disappointing both fighters by the result. Fitch dominated Penn in the third, leaving the Hawaiian visibly depressed after the fight. Now both men will get a chance to put the other away once more, and earn a shot at the welterweight title.
Penn is 1-2-1 in his last four matches. Before the draw with Fitch, “The Prodigy” returned to the welterweight division at UFC 123 scoring the “Knockout of the Night” bonus after finishing Matt Hughes by knockout in 21 seconds of the first round. The win brought him back from back-to-back lightweight title losses to Frankie Edgar.
Fitch has gone 5-0-1 since losing to Georges St-Pierre at UFC 87 for the welterweight title. In all five of those wins he’s earned a unanimous victory in each bout defeating Thiago Alves at UFC 117, Ben Saunders at UFC 111, Mike Pierce at UFC 107, Paulo Thiago at UFC 100, and Akihiro Gono at UFC 94. In fifteen professional fights with the UFC, Fitch has gone 13-1-1 and has only finished four opponents in that time.
UFC 132 has not been officially announced, but it is expected to take place on July 2 at the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas, Nevada.