BJ Penn wants Georges St-Pierre in a trilogy bout at UFC 205
Over the course of his UFC career, BJ Penn has twice fallen to former welterweight champion Georges St-Pierre, but he would like to get one more shot -- this time at lightweight.
St-Pierre said in a recent interview that he could easily make the cut down to 155 pounds to fight in the UFC after insisting that his body is still considered small for the welterweight division.
Hearing that news perked Penn's ears up as he prepares to make his return to the UFC after retiring in 2014 and facing St-Pierre seems like a good idea to him.
Penn took to Twitter to call St-Pierre out for a fight at UFC 205, which takes place at Madison Square Garden in New York.
Hey @GeorgesStPierre if you can make 155 easily, I'm free in November and would love the opportunity to fight you at 155 pounds in New York.
— BJ PENN (@bjpenndotcom) June 27, 2016
Now there are any number of hurdles that would have to be cleared for this fight to ever materialize. At the top of the list is Penn's current status with the UFC after he was temporarily suspended by USADA (United States Anti-Doping Agency) for using an IV with liquid over the legal limit prior to his last scheduled bout.
There has been no word on the repercussions for the infraction, although Penn doesn't believe the penalty will be all that severe after he apologized for the mistake. Penn has maintained his innocence that the IV was not being used for any nefarious means.
In addition to Penn's current standing with the UFC, St-Pierre still hasn't signed a new contract with the promotion since announcing his intention to return.
St-Pierre has stated that he's ready to fight again, but he still needs to reach a deal with the UFC after he went on sabbatical following his last bout in 2013.
Penn also previously planned to return to the UFC as a featherweight with his last bout being booked against Dennis Siver at 145 pounds. Of course, Penn would likely abandon that move with a shot at St-Pierre on the line.
If all those obstacles are dealt with there's still the issue of the UFC's willingness to give Penn a third shot at St-Pierre after losing to him on two previous occasions. Penn gave St-Pierre one of the hardest battles of his entire career when they first met in 2006. The rematch was much more lopsided with St-Pierre beating Penn by TKO in a shutout performance when they met again in 2009.
All that said, a Penn vs. St-Pierre showdown would certainly get a lot of people to watch as one current Hall of Famer faces off with another cinch Hall of Famer for a third time.
