Could BJ Penn be the next inductee into the UFC Hall of Fame?
UFC president Dana White said today that BJ Penn has potential to make it into the UFC Hall of Fame, but at the same time he thinks that his training habits have held him back from being considered among the greatest fighters of all time: “He’s absolutely a Hall of Famer. Not only at the time when people were saying that the 155 pounders couldn’t headline pay-per-views and all this other stuff, BJ became huge. I love BJ Penn. BJ’s been a huge star for us for a long time, but I think BJ could have been in the talks with who is the greatest of all time.”
The UFC President heaped praise upon the 33 year-old Hawaiian fighter: “Look at BJ Penn’s career and count how many times he’s been in phenomenal shape. I’ve said it for years about BJ. BJ is f&@^ing tough as nails, has an unbelievable chin, a head ofrock and if you look at some of the fights where he’s on the bottom, he’s getting smashed; the guy doesn’t get cut. I don’t know what his skin is made out of. He’s just this kid that was born and built to fight.”
That said, he expressed that they had a few differences: “My big beef with him happened at GSP primetime…he got all upset when I said he wasn’t training hard enough.”
The other subject that came up was Penn voluntarily agreeing to undergo drug testing in advance of his bout with Rory MacDonald at UFC 152 through VADA(Voluntary Anti-Doping Agency): “It’s stupid and it comes up all the time with fighters like Penn and Roy Nelson. NSAC (Nevada State Athletic Commission) does the testing or California or whatever state we are doing it in. Let Nevada handle it. I don’t think both guys are going to participate but whatever, that’s their business.”
When asked who would be the next fighter in line for induction into the Hall of Fame, White said: “I have no idea.”
However, it looks like Penn may be on the short list.
