Following his bout against Jon Fitch at UFC 127, UFC fans witnessed a side of BJ Penn they see all too often. Penn looked defeated and beaten up for an entire round, and that drew fans to the conclusion that his opponent had won.
But their bout was declared a draw.
In the post-fight interview, Penn sounded like fighting was no longer a passion of his. But according to the Hawaiian, who spoke to Ariel Helwani on The MMA Hour this week, he is far from done.
"I guess I was just bummed out because I know I can beat that guy, and there I was getting my butt kicked in the third round and ending up with a draw," Penn said.
Penn continued saying he still has goals as a fighter. One of those goals is to regain the UFC lightweight title. Penn lost the title to rising star Frankie Edgar at UFC 112 and failed to recapture it in a rematch with Edgar at UFC 118. Also, he says he feels he can win the UFC welterweight title again.
"Those are definitely two dreams of mine," Penn said. "I know those are big aspirations, but I guess you've got to shoot for the stars."
His path to the welterweight title was to begin with a rematch against Jon Fitch, tentatively scheduled for UFC 132. But Fitch had to withdraw due to a shoulder injury.
After Fitch pulled out of the bout, Penn was nursing a shoulder injury of his own, and he decided to withdraw from UFC 132 as well. Whether the two competitors will meet again is up to the UFC. But after reviewing the fight against Fitch, Penn said he doesn't believe he was dominated by his opponent, like most fans think.
"But looking back at the fight, I would have to say I've seen Jon Fitch get many 10-9 rounds that have looked like that. I've seen him do that to Ben Saunders and Thiago Alves and many different people, and he got 10-9 rounds for that," Penn said.
"But at the end of the day, I think everything unfolds the way it should," Penn continued. "And if me and Jon Fitch get the opportunity to step in the ring and meet each other again, that would be a blessing for both guys."
While in his early 30s, a realistic objective for Penn is to stay active for as long as he can. He says he wants to the make the most out of what's left of his legendary career.
"I want to fight. I want to be active. I want to make money. I want to get better and have more of these life experiences, and that's it. I want to stay busy. I don't want to sit on the shelf," Penn said.
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