Penn vs. Fitch in the works for UFC 127 in Australia
After the post-fight press conference, White told a small group of reporters that Penn will stay at welterweight and will…
After the post-fight press conference, White told a small group of reporters that Penn will stay at welterweight and will next face Jon Fitch at UFC 127 in Sydney, Australia, on February 26 – “I already made the fight. Him and Fitch in Sydney.”
Fitch had expected to face Jake Ellenberger at UFC 126 on Feb. 5. Since losing a decision to welterweight champion Georges St-Pierre at UFC 87, Fitch has won five straight.
Though Penn had said leading up to the fight against Hughes that he had designs on going back and forth between lightweight and welterweight, at the post-fight press conference he said he would put that call in White’s hands.
And White said he prefers Penn at 170 pounds right now.
“BJ Penn comes in and and looks like the absolute world beater, best pound-for-pound in the world, and the next fight he doesn’t – you just don’t know,” White said. “I can tell you this – he looks better at 170 than he does at 155. The BJ Penn that walked into the Octagon tonight reminds me of the BJ Penn of old.”