After two years of retirement and months of speculation, B.J. Penn is coming back to the octagon. The fighter many consider to be the greatest lightweight of all time will meet featherweight veteran Dennis Siver at UFC 199 in Los Angeles. So what should we expect from the legendary former champion?
Bet on UFC odds at BookMaker.eu
B.J. Penn
Dennis Siver
Please note, the UFC odds at BookMaker are updated daily. The lines listed here may have changed since this article was posted.
EARLY REACTIONS
I’m sensing a lot of mixed emotions from fight fans about Penn’s return. Some are just happy to see him back, but a good number also feel like he should have stayed retired. I’m part of this latter group.
Penn’s body of work as a whole is amazing. He is one of two people to win titles in two weight classes -- Randy Couture being the other. Other course of his career, he’s beaten the likes of Matt Hughes, Diego Sanchez, Kenny Florian, Renzo and Rodrigo Gracie, and Jens Pulver. His combination of flexibility and athleticism along with his boxing and jiu-jitsu was previously unseen.
At his peak, Penn was one of the most exciting fighters in the world. But that peak came more than five years ago. And it has long since passed. Three straight losses from 2011-2014, each in devastating fashion, prompted Penn to announce his retirement from MMA. Does he have anything left for his comeback?
QUICK BREAKDOWN
Penn’s last three fights proved that he doesn’t have what it takes to compete against elite opponents anymore. In his last bout, against Frankie Edgar, “The Prodigy” was beaten up, taken down, and TKO’d in the third. His two prior fights, against Nick Diaz and Rory MacDonald, were particularly hard to watch. He stood and ate punch after punch, showing he might be too tough for his own good.
But against Dennis Siver? He’s got a chance. Especially since he’s training with Jackson-Wink MMA -- perhaps the top training camp in the sport. Siver is a respectable opponent, but he rests squarely in the division’s middle class. The German has also lost two straight, though one of those came against now-champion Conor McGregor.
It seem as the UFC is gifting the popular Penn with a winnable matchup. Penn is the bigger man and the two are the same age. If the former champion can’t get by somebody like Siver, than it’s hard to see a place for him anymore. Nobody wants to watch him fight newbies and scrubs, but nobody wants to see him get demolished in superfights either.
As for now, I’m leaning towards Siver, simply because he’s been active and Penn has shown nothing in his past three fights.
UFC odds: Dennis Siver UD Penn
HOW TO BET
Access live betting lines now at BookMaker Sportsbook! You can even wager on sporting events as they unfold on television with BookMaker’s live betting platform. Money lines, totals, props and money line are all available now. UFC 199 takes place Saturday, June 4, 2016 at The Forum in Los Angeles, CA. The card will be televised on pay-per-view starting 10 p.m. ET following the prelims on FS1.
