UFC Hall-of-Famer Matt Serra is one of the few who is not looking to see B.J. Penn finally hang it up.
Former UFC champion B.J. Penn suffered his seventh straight loss on Saturday at UFC 237 against Clay Guida via unanimous decision. And as he continues to rack up one defeat after another, many in the MMA community have been calling for “The Prodigy” to finally hang it up for good.
But there are those like Conor McGregor who wants to see Penn “soldier on” despite his setbacks. Another name on that list is Matt Serra, who made his argument during a recent episode of the UFC Unfiltered podcast.
“I don’t know. It’s not like what’s happening to Rashad Evans or somebody like Chuck Liddell where you’re like, ‘Man, I don’t want to see him get hurt anymore,’” Serra said (transcript via MMA Fighting). “I don’t know. I’ve known B.J. for so long, I love the dude, he’s a really good person. The guy’s a legend. He can do whatever he wants.
“I wish him best. I don’t want to… I’m not sitting here saying he should retire. It’s not like he is getting destroyed, and it looked like he was having a great time, as far as leading up to it. And he did look good in the beginning, you know!”
Speaking from a fighter’s perspective alone, Serra sympathizes with Penn’s seemingly unending desire to compete, despite the numerous losses.
“Dude, let me tell you, I’m 44. I fought him when I was 28,” he said of Penn. “The guy has been around, man. The guy has been around. It’s not about money either with B.J. I just think that guys do this for so long, when it comes down to what’s next. It’s just what you’re used to.
“It’s like a routine. It felt weird when I stopped. Like, ‘Oh I don’t have a fight coming up, even after a few months? Now what the f—k is going on?’”
Penn currently holds a record of 16-14-2 (with 13 wins by knockout). He last tasted victory in 2010, where he defeated Matt Hughes in a rubber match via first-round knockout. He did retire from competition in 2014 after his third loss to Frankie Edgar, only to return three years later.