During the UFC 73 post-fight press conference, UFC President Dana White mentioned that BJ Penn has decided to fight at 155 pounds and that he could challenge UFC Lightweight Champion Sean Sherk in November.
Penn, of course, recently dispatched of Jens Pulver in a lightweight bout at The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) 5 Finale last month -- his first dip down to the weightclass in years. Since that second-round submission win, "The Prodigy" has been noncommittal about his future plans, expressing an interest to avenge losses to Matt Hughes and Georges St. Pierre in the welterweight division.
After rumors emerged that he was in talks to fight Diego Sanchez at UFC 74, which were quickly debunked by his camp, Penn said that an announcement regarding his future would soon be made via his Web site, BJPenn.com.
No such announcement has yet to appear.
Sherk successfully defended his belt for this first time over the weekend, outpointing challenger Hermes Franca on all three judges scorecards in a five-round struggle. The champion overwhelmed and controlled the jiu-jitsu specialist -- sans a few well-timed knees -- for a majority of the 25 minutes.
Let's wait to see what BJ has to say about this recent revelation from White. Penn has a history of being unpredictable, and this situation could be no different.
But the lure of another championship opportunity -- in addition to the 170-belt he captured in 2004 -- could keep Penn in the division for at least one more fight. And it would certainly be a good one against Sherk.
The rumored destination for a November show is The Prudential Arena in Newark, N.J.
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