UFC Executive Explains Why BJ Penn Was Allowed To Fight At UFC 237
Former two division UFC champion BJ Penn suffered a unanimous decision loss to Clay Guida at UFC 237.
UFC Executive Dave Shaw says Penn was able to compete at the event since none of the fighter’s legal issues have come to a conclusion.
“I think until there’s some sort of conclusion reached on that situation, and there’s information that comes to the forefront, I think that he’ll continue to have a plan to fight,” Shaw said at the UFC 237 post-fight news conference (via Dave Doyle & Ken Hathaway of MMA Junkie).
Penn has been dealing with domestic violence issues surrounding an estranged girlfriend, as well as allegedly threatening a farmer with a machete.
The former two division champion is in the midst of a seven fight losing streak and Shaw doesn’t know what is next for Penn.
“Now, I’m not sure having lost this fight, not having won one since 2010, that’s a pretty big skid,” Shaw said. “I’m not sure what he wants to do with his career. It’s something that next week we’ll try to figure out what the next step is, but at this point I don’t really know what that means.”
There has been no comment from Penn at this time as to what is next for him, but the fighter’s last win came at UFC 123 in November in 2010.
