Good news for B.J. Penn fans.

After a three round beatdown at the hands of Nick Diaz during last month's UFC 137 pay-per-view, the former lightweight and welterweight champion (perhaps hastily) declared his retirement from combat sports.

But that doesn't mean he's fought his last fight:

"I kinda think this is something that I should have did after the first Frankie Edgar fight. Bunch of my coaches pleaded with me to step away from the sport, take some time off. I was just kind of in the mix, I kept going, kept going, trying to push myself. I don’t really like the results I’ve been getting. Take some time off. Take some time away from the sport. If I ever feel it again, I’ll come back. If it interests me, if it excites me. I don’t want to be sitting in the locker room saying, I can’t believe I’m still doing this. If it excites me, we'll see how everything goes, but I definitely need some time away."

Aside from the Penn faithful, that's good news for any mixed martial arts fan, especially when you consider the kind of impact the Hawaiian "Prodigy" has on the fight game. Love him or hate him, he puts asses in the seats.

Hear more about his possible return (via Inside MMA) after the jump.

How about it Maniacs, what's the over/under on his return?