BJ Penn returns to the Octagon with Yair Rodriguez waiting at UFC Fight Night

UFC welterweight and commentator Dan Hardy looks ahead to this weekend’s UFC event in Phoenix, Arizona, headlined by a much-anticipated featherweight clash

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This weekend’s event in Phoenix, Arizona, marks the return of a legend. A former two-weight champion and recent Hall of Fame inductee, ‘The Prodigy’ BJ Penn is a competitor like no other. He is one of only three men to have held titles in two divisions, the other two being Randy Couture and ‘The Notorious’ Conor McGregor. It has been some time since Penn set foot inside the Octagon, coming out of a two-and-a-half year retirement intent on another run at the featherweight belt. Achieving that goal would make him the only athlete in history to have championed three weight divisions in the UFC, having already conquered the lightweight and welterweight classes.

Never one to shy away from a challenge, Penn will be welcomed back by a dangerous and dynamic unbeaten prospect named Yair ‘El Pantera’ Rodriguez. A native of Chihuahua, Mexico, ‘El Pantera’ is one of the most promising athletes on the roster. At eight wins unbeaten his confidence is sky-high and he sees this opportunity to add the biggest win yet to his record, against one of the greatest mixed martial artists of our time, as a huge leap toward the belt. His style is exhilarating and with a background in Taekwondo, he is a tornado of kicks and punches. You can never quite be sure what is coming next.

It’s a tough return for Penn. A long-serving UFC fighter, BJ is as much a part of this organisation as the eight posts of the Octagon. His drive to compete at 38 years old is astonishing, especially when you look at what he has already accomplished. Making his debut at UFC 31 in May 2001, Penn was one of the very first lightweight fighters to compete in the UFC. This was back in the early days when weight segregation was becoming more standardised and the fans realised that the lighter guys were faster, more versatile and often more exciting than the heavier fighters.

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I think it’s safe to say that most fighters in the UFC today have drawn inspiration from BJ at some point in their career, Rodriguez included. If the younger fighter can maintain a calm presence during the fight, he may be able to score on Penn without taking too much of a risk. There can be no doubt that BJ’s strength is on the ground. His nickname echoes the beginnings of his MMA career, when he was referred to as a ‘prodigy’ on the mat, receiving his black belt from celebrated coach, Andre Pederneiras, faster than anyone else.

Rodriguez is fast and he is unpredictable; two things that could cause Penn issues if he isn’t able to drag the fight to the canvas. His incredible leg dexterity allows him to use them like another set of arms. If Rodriguez does find himself on the floor it could turn into a Jiu Jitsu lesson, as Penn has 14 years more experience and has faced some of the best. It would be a huge statement for Yair to get this win and would surely silence anyone that is still questioning his championship potential.

If Penn were to win it would add more fuel to an already roaring blaze and prove that he still has what it takes to compete at the highest level. His move to Greg Jackson’s is interesting, and shows a humility that only a great man would maintain with his accomplishments. Reconnecting with Jason Parillo is also exciting, as his hands never look better than when he’s been on the mitts with his favourite boxing coach. He will benefit greatly from being in a big gym full of young athletes, as it will give him many different looks in sparring and many things to consider.

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This is one of those awkward fights where I don’t want to see either guy lose. As a big fan of BJ, his return against anyone would be exciting, but as an analyst who is excited about this young kid’s potential then I don’t want to see Rodriguez get strangled by Penn. A win for Yair rockets him up the priority list for title shots, and a win for BJ adds a very interesting contender into the featherweight mix. With 11 fights before them, the crowd will be fired up and ready for some main event action.

The main card kicks off with Sergio Pettis and John Moraga. Then we have two Ultimate Fighter cast members facing off as season 11 winner, Court McGee, battles the ‘Killa B’, Ben Saunders. Then in the co-main event, multiple ‘Fight of the Night’ bonus winner, Joe Lauzon, will put his grappling skills to the test against Polish submission specialist, Marcin Held. It’s a great way to start the 2017 UFC schedule and a real treat to see such a legendary fighter return for one more bout.

Watch UFC Fight Night: Rodriguez vs. Penn live on BT Sport 2 from 1am GMT in the early hours of Monday 16th January, or catch the Early Prelims exclusively on UFC Fight Pass from 11:15pm GMT on Sunday night.