DETROIT — BJ Penn and Matt Hughes speak of each other respectfully, like two men who have done battle and felt the other man bend their will.
The first time they met was in January 2004. Penn was a young prodigy who reached the expectations many placed upon him by choking out the veteran Hughes to capture his first championship. In September 2006, Hughes got his revenge, becoming the first man to finish Penn when he earned a third-round TKO victory.
In the days before the third and decisive battle at UFC 123, both men admitted they regard the significance of the fight and the rivalry with different views.