B.J. Penn, UFC Fight Night 103 Early Weigh-in Results - Ceremonial Weigh-in Video

BJ Penn issues statement following loss at UFC 232

UFC legend, BJ Penn suffered another defeat at UFC 232 against grappling specialist Ryan Hall. Penn, who is the former UFC lightweight and welterweight champion, return to the Octagon looking for his first win since 2010.

Ultimately, that was not the case as after Penn was having success on the feet for the first two minutes. Hall caught him in a heel hook and forced Penn to tap. It was the first submission loss of Penn’s Hall-of-Fame career. In the end, Penn’s losing streak now sits at six.

Speaking to his website, BJPENN.com, Penn issued a statement.

“I was shocked at how deep Ryan [Hall] was able to sink in the leg lock right off the hop. The timing was perfect. I tried to run and pull my leg out, but I wasn’t going anywhere as my knee was still stuck inside his hips. So I tried to defend my knee and turn it up towards the sky. By the time I looked back he had already switched to the heel hook and my ankle just popped.

“You know I felt like I had one of the greatest training camps in my life for this fight. Training in Brazil at Nova Uniao was nothing short of amazing. I can’t thank Leo Santos and coach Andre Pederneiras enough for their efforts. We had practiced everything, including leg locks, and I felt great. It just didn’t work out this time around.”

The main concern is Penn’s health in which he said the ankle is swollen, and his ankle popped during the submission. He admitted the submission was perfect and there wasn’t much the legend could do. Ultimately, many believe he is ruining his legacy fighting now, but for Penn, he isn’t worried about that. He just wants to fight because that is all he knows.

“I just got back home to Hawaii. I’m going to let my ankle heal up and then I will contemplate what is next for my life,” Penn said of what’s next.

Many would like to see the Hall-of-Famer ride of into the sunset, and that may be an option, but don’t be surprised if you see Penn back in the Octagon sometime in the near future.

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Cole Shelton
Cole Shelton covers MMA for BJPenn.com, MMANews, and MyMMANews.com while also being the lead MMA odds writer for Sports Betting Dime