B.J. Penn took a unanimous decision loss to Nick Diaz last October and since then he has vowed to stay retired.
Penn took one of the worst beatings of his career at the hands of Diaz and retired shortly afterwards. That’s where one of the best fighters in UFC history should stay—retired.
Penn has nothing to prove at this point in his career. He has earned belts in two weight classes—lightweight and welterweight—and that alone gives him the prestige of being one of only a handful of fighters to have held belts in two different weight classes in the UFC.
On top of that, he has beaten some of the best fighters the UFC has seen in both weight classes.
Penn hasn’t been the same since his unanimous decision loss to Frankie Edgar at UFC 112 having gone 1-2-1 since that loss. That doesn’t exactly scream “amazing.”
Penn was an excellent fighter—one of the best—he just doesn’t have what he used to and going into a fight with a guy like Josh Koscheck could worsen his legacy. He just isn’t the same fighter.
Not everyone gets to end their career on a high note. Seeing his performance against Diaz only shows that Penn can’t hang with the top five guys anymore.
Outside of fighting, he has a family and that is a big reason to stay out. Without anything to prove, why not sit back in Hawaii and be around for all holidays and events? Heck, I’d love that kind of retirement if I got to rest in relax in Hawaii, who wouldn’t? Surf, beach and pretty much just an awesome atmosphere.
Penn is something of legend when it comes to MMA. He is a fighter who excelled at all aspects of the game with crisp boxing and amazing grappling talents. He was the first of many great lightweight fighters in the UFC.
Now though, with a growing family, a beautiful place to retire to and nothing left to prove to fans or other fighters—why go back?
At this point in his career, it just seems pointless.
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