UFC News: BJ Penn Announces Retirement from MMA
It took a bloody beating courtesy of rival Frankie for BJ Penn to realize he’s done with the sport of Mixed Martial Arts (MMA). The former UFC champion was defeated and humiliated by Edgar in The Ultimate Fighter 19 (TUF19) finale and he announced his retirement in the post-fight press conference.
"This is the end. I'm thinking to myself 'why did you step back into the Octagon after the beating that Rory MacDonald gave you?” stated the 35-year-old Penn after the fight.
“The reason is that I really needed to find out. If I didn't make this night happen for myself I would've always wondered, I would've always went back-and-forth and begged Dana to let me back in. I just need some closure.”
He got the closure he needed—the toughest and ugliest way possible. Edgar dominated the match and all three rounds and put Penn out of his misery at the 4:17 mark of what would be the final round of the match and Penn’s career.
Penn, who will end his career with a 16-10-2 record, is considered by many to be the best lightweight of all time.
And UFC President Dana White readily agreed about his greatness.
“He's one of two people who have won two titles in two different weight classes, he built the 155lb division, he's a legend who helped build the UFC and the list goes on and on about the things BJ Penn has done,” declared White.
Nicknamed “The Prodigy”, Penn became the first non-Brazilian to win the black-belt division of the World Jiu-Jitsu Championship that year in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil in 2000.
Penn have won the UFC welterweight title in 2004 in UFC 46 against Matt Hughes and the UFC lightweight title in 2008 in UFC 80 against Joe Stevenson.