Josh Koscheck would be the perfect opponent for BJ Penn to face in his return to the octagon.
Koscheck revealed on his Twitter account that he had been offered to face the Hawaiian. Unfortunately, Penn turned it down and will continue to focus on his life outside of the UFC, according to the Cagewriter blog.
In mixed martial arts, styles make fights and this would of been one of the more enjoyable matchups to look forward to.
First of all, Koscheck’s trash talk to help sell the fight would certainly motivate Penn to perform at his best, and the former UFC lightweight champion is most dangerous when he is motivated. It’s evident from some of his past bouts that his most dominant victories were fueled by trash-talk coming from opponents like Kenny Florian, Sean Sherk and Matt Hughes.
Stylistically, this bout would favour Penn in nearly all aspects of the fight.
While Koscheck does possess one of the best wrestling pedigrees at 170 pounds, Penn is one of the most flexible and durable fighters, and he has shown an excellent ability to stay on his feet against some of the sport’s elite wrestlers, including Sherk and Georges St-Pierre.
Penn also displays arguably the best boxing in MMA and is very good at avoiding his opponents’ attack with well-timed head movement, especially when he utilizes his jab. Koscheck’s stand-up has progressed recently, but he tends to get sloppy when he attempts to land a cross or a overhand right, leaving his guard wide open.
Although this bout appears to be anything but finalized, there is still time for Penn to reconsider and try to make a comeback. It’s understandable if he wants to reevaluate his options momentarily, however, Penn is still relatively young at just 31 years old and would likely be only one or two wins away from a title shot.
Penn should accept a fight against Koscheck. It would help him add another quality opponent to his resume, and it would affirm his stance in the welterweight division.
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