Following BJ Penn’s decisive win over Matt Hughes at UFC 123 Saturday night, UFC president Dana White announced he’s already picked Penn’s next opponent.
After the post-fight press conference, White said that Penn will stay at 170 and will next fight Jon Fitch at UFC 127 in Sydney, Australia this upcoming February.
“I already made the fight,” White said. “Him and Fitch in Sydney.”
This marks a new opponent for Fitch, who was originally slated to face Jake Ellenberger at UFC 126 on Feb 5. Since losing a decision to welterweight champ Georges St-Pierre at UFC 87, Fitch has won five consecutive unanimous decisions.
However, White made it clear that this fight is not necessarily a top contender fight, despite Fitch’s continued success within the organization.
“If BJ beats Fitch, if Fitch beats BJ, they’re both in the mix,” White said.
Penn gave Hughes the quickest lost of his long career, stopping the fight in just 21 seconds. Prior to the win, Penn suffered back-to-back losses to champ Frankie Edgar. The loss was Hughes’ first since UFC 85 and snapped a three-fight winning streak.
White also stated that he likes Penn at 170 pounds.
“BJ Penn comes in 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.
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