Dana White bringing UFC to Hawaii, wants BJ Penn to headline

Back in Dec. 2009, former Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) lightweight and welterweight champion B.J. Penn, who was fresh of his UFC 107 drubbing over Diego Sanchez, told UFC President Dana White that completing his trilogy against Georges St. Pierre in Hawaii would sell 40,000 tickets at Aloha Stadium.

While the window for a third dance between the 170-pound rivals is now closed, White may still take him up on that offer and bring the world's largest fight promotion to Hawaii for a future event.

Just one problem: Penn is supposedly retired.

That hasn't stopped White from moving forward with his plans, telling MMA Weekly that he's going with or wihtout "The Prodigy," but still hopes to get Penn in as eventual headliner.

Check it out.

"We're still working on that, but we want to do it. I was kind of hoping to go to Hawaii again and do a B.J. (Penn) fight at the Aloha Bowl, but B.J. wants to take some time off. He's going to relax for a while. We're coming regardless, but that was the fight I really wanted to do there."

"Penn vs. Diaz" was the main event headliner for UFC 137 back on Oct. 29, 2011, at Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas, Nevada. The unanimous decision win for Diaz, which left Penn battered and bruised, sent him straight into an Interim title bout against Carlos Condit at UFC 143.

And sent "The Prodigy" straight into retirement.

Penn said he'll be back "if he ever feels it again," which could weigh in White's favor if he needs the longtime veteran to headline a show in his native Hawaii.

If he ever comes back, who would you like to see him fight?