If BJ Penn loses to Frankie Edgar, Dana White to issue ‘retirement talk’
If BJ Penn loses to Frankie Edgar, Dana White to issue ‘retirement talk’
Former UFC lightweight and welterweight champion BJ Penn steps into the octagon against former lightweight champion Frankie Edgar for the third time on Sunday.
The two former champions recently coached opposite one another on The Ultimate Fighter Season 19 and will finish complete their trilogy on July 6.
Edgar has two victories over Penn, originally taking the lightweight strap from the Hawaiian in the UFC’s first ever trip to Abu Dhabi in April 2010 and then against in the rematch in August of that same year.
Penn is 1-4-1 his last six fights, with his last win coming over Matt Hughes by first round KO in 2010.
UFC President Dana White has been known to have the “talk” with fighters he feels are reaching the end of their career. White states that it is more about their friendship and well being than putting on fights for the fans.
“When you look at a guy throughout his career, Chuck Liddell went through the same thing,” explained White. “You could hit Chuck Liddell with a baseball bat when he was younger in his career and the guy never got rocked or hurt. And Nogueira was that same way. If you looked back throughout his career how many wars this guy has been in, the Crocop fight, all the wars this guy has been in, how much punishment he used to take, now he gets hit and he gets hurt a lot easier… If he lost, he and I would have been having a discussion.”
Now White says he will have the talk with BJ Penn, if Penn loses to on FOX Sports 1 this Sunday.
“This is B.J. Penn’s last fight possibly,” said White on FOX Sports 1 as transcribed by Dave Doyle. “If he wins, we’ll see what he does from there, but if he loses, I will actually push for him to retire.”
“It could be possibly watching Michael Jordan playing his last basketball game. It could be Tiger Woods’ last golf game.”
