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B.J. Penn Craves the Thrill of Competition, Pressure and Challenges. (He Also Craves That Title That He Lost)
BJ Penn is back. Big time. And he wants his UFC title back. In the following interview, Penn talks about how and why he returned to the UFC, his quest for the title, what motivates him to train and he replies to the assertion that he's an adrenaline junkie. -Editor
Q: How the heck did you get back in the UFC?
B.J. Penn
Q: How does it feel to be back?
A: It's great. It's where I started my MMA career. I'm pumped up.
Q: Do you have a contract?
A: Yup. Without getting too deep into the details, let me just say that it's for five fights over two years.
Q: Does this mean that you no longer have a lawsuit against the UFC? A: Yup. Everything is finished.
Q: Let's talk a little bit about how you ended up getting to that point in the first place. What were your reasons for wanting to fight abroad?
A: Well, of course, a fighter wants to get paid what he thinks he's worth. Other than that, I just thought it would be good to try it out, and it was a very good experience.
Q: How does your return to the UFC affect your relationship with K-1?
A: It doesn't really, because my K-1 contract indicated that I could always fight in the UFC. In the UFC, as long as you're not champion, there's still a very good chance that it'll be OK for you to fight in other organizations.
Q: What about Rumble on the Rock? Will you still continue to be a part of that show?
A: I definitely think so, but it depends on what is going on with the UFC at that time or the K-1. We'll try to make everyone happy.
Q: What do you think about the UFC's welterweight division right now?
A: The welterweight division is deep with talent. There are a lot of new guys coming up. [Nick] Diaz, Diego [Sanchez] and Karo [Parisyan]. I mean you got so much. You still got [Sean] Sherk, and of course, [Georges] St. Pierre, [Matt] Hughes, Joe Stevenson and the list goes on.
Q: How do you think a Hughes vs. Penn rematch would go?
A: Ummm ... crush him!
Q: Any thoughts on GSP?
A: He's a good fighter, a tough fighter. I don't know if he can beat Hughes, but I think he and Hughes are the top two guys that I probably have to take out to be considered No. 1.
Q: Outside of the welterweight division, who do you think are the best fighters-period-in the UFC?
A: I would probably say [Andrei] Arlovski, [Frank] Mir, Randy [Couture], Chuck [Liddell], and then-not including myself-Hughes, St. Pierre and Franklin's good, too.
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