Dana White insists B.J. Penn is looking to return to the UFC, not stay retired

By: Jamie Penick, MMATorch Editor-in-Chief

B.J. Penn was in Sweden last week to attend UFC on Fuel 2, and he appeared on Fuel TV's post-fight show to discuss his MMA future. At the time, he claimed he was remaining retired and didn't see a scenario in which he'd return.

Well, UFC President Dana White now says he's not being truthful, as he's discussed a comeback with "The Prodigy" very recently.

"I heard some [expletive] that he said he was going to retire and all this stuff," White said following Saturday's UFC 145 post-event press conference (transcribed by MMAJunkie.com). "I talked to him, and he's like, 'I want to fight again.'"

When, where, at what weight, and against whom are all questions that don't have an answer at this point, but White said they're conversing about Penn returning, and with "The Prodigy" at least considering one more run, we could see him back in the Octagon sooner rather than later.

Penick's Analysis: As I wrote when Penn said he was staying retired, he doesn't have anything to prove, and doesn't have to retire, but if he did return there are plenty of available and interesting fights for him to take. I like a lot of different matchups in the lightweight division, and several at welterweight spring to mind as well. He can still be a relevant competitor if he's serious about it, though he may not ever be the Champion-level fighter we had seen of him up until 2010. If Penn returns, he'll still garner a lot of interest from fans, so the UFC surely would love to have him back. As with all MMA "retirements," only time will tell here, and the possibility of minds being changed is always high.

[B.J. Penn art by Cory Gould (c) MMATorch.com]

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