B.J. Penn lost to Clay Guida at UFC 237 on the weekend – his seventh in a row inside the Octagon.
Now 40, Penn appeared to have started the fight well but faded under the relentless pressure put on him by fellow veteran Guida.
The “Prodigy” released a statement after his last performance, hinting he may not be done with the sport yet.
“Clay [Guida] came in great shape like we expected,” Penn said to Chris Taylor of his website BJPENN.com. “He didn’t go for many takedowns. He was able to land some good punches and some hard kicks.
“I thought it was a good fight, he got the better of round three. But I honestly felt better than I have in a while out there. I was able to find him with my punches. It was a good scrap.”
Penn acknowledged the losing run which concerns his long-term followers, but suggested he still loves competing in the sport.
“I know I am on a losing streak,” he added. “I think they said it is the longest in UFC history or something. But that being said, I am not going out there and getting knocked unconscious. There are ton of guys, who would be considered in their prime, who still get knocked out cold – even this past weekend.
“I still feel good and the desire to compete is still there. It was a good scrap with Clay, who is a really tough fight for anybody at 155.
“You know what they say, Babe Ruth set a record for most strikeouts too right. But in all seriousness, I do this because I love it. Anderson Silva said it best. Never feel sorry for the Lion, because the Lion doesn’t feel sorry for himself when he is surrounded by a bunch of Hyenas ready to die.”
Penn is currently embroiled in a number of personal and legal battles. He says while they’re ongoing, he will pause his assessment of his fighting future.
“Right now I’m just returning to Hilo. Once I am back we will focus on the custody case and then figure out what will come next.”
