Ever since BJ Penn and Nick Diaz have been slotted into the main event picture at UFC 137, Diaz’s manager, Ceasar Gracie, has been vocal about rescheduling the bout to five rounds.
UFC President Dana White announced earlier this week that the two competitors would headline the event after UFC welterweight champion Georges St-Pierre was forced to withdraw from the card due to injury.
While Gracie has been open to the idea of seeing Diaz and Penn compete in a five round, and although he was hesitant at first, Penn is willing to accept the bout under new terms.
“I want to be compensated accordingly and that’s it. I’m more than willing to do a five-round fight,” Penn told MMAWeekly.com.
The Hawaiian native has not competed in a five-round bout at 170 pounds since his second encounter with St-Pierre at UFC 94 in 2009. Penn was challenging for the welterweight title but ended up suffering a TKO loss to the champion in the fourth round. Since then, Penn has only moved back to the welterweight division on two separate occasions.
With the event being just one week away, both fighters seem content to meet in a five round contest.
But according to Penn, mixed martial arts is as much of a sport as it is a business, and “The Prodigy” believes he is entitled to a higher salary should the bout commence. Whether it is from the UFC boss or Gracie, he expects a raise.
“If Dana wants a five-round fight, just give me a call and we can put it together right now,” he said. “Or if Cesar wants to make it a five-round fight and he wants to compensate me personally, he can put his money where his mouth is, it’s that easy. I’ve been training to fight. I’m ready to fight.”
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