When BJ Penn announced he was stepping away from fighting, he did so as a beaten and bruised man. It seemed fitting, as the once mighty Penn was completely dismantled by Nick Diaz. No other fighter made Penn’s face look that way after a fight.
It was obvious Penn just wasn’t the same fighter we remember. Yet his name still resonates as one of the most talented and well-known fighters in the game today. It is the latter that led rising contender Rory MacDonald to call out the MMA legend recently.
Penn, no stranger to a fight, quickly accepted the challenge and thus the UFC began the process of another great match up. The bout makes sense on a number of fronts: for the fans, for the fighters, but most of all for the UFC itself.
For the fans, they get to see one of the biggest stars in the UFC return to the Octagon. Hopefully the time off for Penn has given him some mental rest and we will see a rededicated Penn fight to the best of his abilities.
Fans also get to see MacDonald compete against a worthy challenger and be given a great barometer of where the Canadian ranks. Also, MacDonald appears to be one of the most popular prospects in MMA these days.
The fight also makes sense for both fighters involved as well. A few weeks ago there were rumors of a fight with Josh Koscheck being the one to draw Penn back. While Koscheck likely could talk enough trash to light a fire under Penn’s behind, it is ultimately nothing more than a novelty fight, something Penn hasn’t seemed interested in during his career.
Fighting a legend like Penn makes a lot of sense for MacDonald as well. The maxim, “to become a legend, you must beat a legend” is very much present in this matchup. MacDonald knows Penn isn’t the dominant fighter at 170 pounds. Penn’s name carries a lot of weight with fans and a victory over him would be a turning point for MacDonald’s career.
Perhaps the best manner in which this fight makes sense is for the UFC itself. Penn is a big name they can trot out to face a dangerous prospect in MacDonald. If Penn can somehow overcome the powerful MacDonald, the UFC will immediately have a proven name to be put “in the mix.”
If MacDonald wins, as many fight fans are predicting, it will validate his place in the welterweight rankings. It will also propel MacDonald from prospect to title contender. MacDonald nearly defeated interim champion Carlos Condit in 2010 and a rematch would surely be an exciting bout to headline a card.
The immediate response about Penn facing MacDonald has been fairly negative given the fact that it seems Penn is merely a name for MacDonald to build his own off of. Whether Penn makes a miraculous comeback or loses to the young MacDonald makes little difference to the UFC.
They will win no matter who has their hand raised at the end of the contest.
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