Clay Guida says only B.J. Penn himself and those close to him should decide when he to call it quits in MMA.
UFC veteran Clay Guida has said a fight against B.J. Penn was one he couldn’t turn down despite the 40-year-old’s current losing streak.
A fight between Guida and Penn was booked earlier this month to take place at UFC 237 in May. There will be a combined age of 77 between the two men come fight night, and despite Penn’s dire form of late Guida said he couldn’t pass up a fight against a ‘legend’ like B.J.
“First of all, all the incredible fights that B.J. put on,” Guida said on the most recent edition of The MMA Hour. “He paved the way for not just the lightweight division, but pretty much the UFC. He’s done so much for the sport, so much for so many up-and-coming fighters. I’m just so excited and thrilled that they offered a fight like that. I could not turn it down. That’s not our style, we accept every fight with open arms. To compete against a legend like B.J., he’s more than just a legend. He’s one of the creators, he’s a pioneer. He’s ‘The Prodigy’ for a reason. So we’re excited about this matchup.”
Penn is without a win in almost nine years, last tasting victory against Matt Hughes at UFC 123 in November 2010. “The Prodigy” is on a six-fight losing streak, suffering a first-round submission loss to Ryan Hall late last year, and dropping fights against Dennis Siver and Yair Rodriguez in 2017. Guida says it’s hard to think about Penn’s losses given his dominance early on in his UFC career.
“It’s kind of hard to believe that,” Guida said of Penn’s losing streak. “It’s hard to think the guy that was the former two-time champion — lightweight and welterweight — hasn’t won a fight in nine-plus years. It’s pretty incredible. But you know what, getting in the cage with someone like B.J. Penn, it’s an opportunity you can’t turn down.
“He’s the only one, his camp and his family are the only ones to say if he should be competing or not. That’s totally up to him. I’m not in a position to say that, so I’m accepting the fight and we’re gonna put on a show for the fans.”
UFC 237 takes place on May 11th at the Jeunesse Arena in Rio de Janiero, Brazil. It was revealed earlier today that a previously announced strawweight title fight between Rose Namajunas and Jessica Andrade will headline the card.