Frankie Edgar says B.J. Penn retiring is ‘probably what is best’
Frankie Edgar is set to take on another Hawaiian for a UFC belt at UFC 240. But, his first shot at a Hawaiian was against B.J. Penn where the two fought three times, with two being championship bouts.
Although the two were rivals, Edgar admits it has been hard seeing Penn continue to fight and lose.
“I watched B.J. coming up and his highlights and it’s tough seeing him lose fight after fight,” Edgar told MMA Junkie. “But he’s the guy in there, not me. He knows what the deal is, he knows what he wants to accomplish, so I can’t knock anybody that wants to do what they want to do.”
However, Edgar knows it is hard to tell a fighter when to retire. Even he is 37-year-old, and many think that is too old to fight. But, Edgar wishes his longtime rival would hang up his gloves. He knows Penn is one of the best to ever to do it, but he knows retiring from the sport is harder said than done.
“Do I wish he would retire and just enjoy life? Probably,” Edgar said. “It’s probably what’s best for his body, but I don’t really know what’s going on in his head. … I’m sure everybody has a little piece in it, but ultimately it’s up to him. No one is putting a gun to his head and making him fight. It’s all on him.”
Ultimately, Penn is coming off of yet another loss in his most recent bout, and his streak has extended to seven straight losses, a UFC record. There, he lost a decision loss to Clay Guida at UFC 237. His last win was against Matt Hughes at UFC 123 in November 2010. No matter what, the Hawaiian is one of the best to ever do it regardless of his record.
