Major Middleweight Fight Set, BJ Penn Announces Return, Randy Couture Turned Down Fedor Fight
- Former UFC Lightweight Champ BJ Penn officially announced his return to MMA Monday afternoon on Ariel Helwani's MMA Hour. Penn told Helwani that fighting is who he is, and he wants to go after Conor McGregor's Featherweight title. Penn last fought in 2014, losing a one-sided drubbing to current top contender Frankie Edgar.
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- The UFC announced a huge middleweight fight for May 14 in Brazil, as former Light Heavyweight Champion Vitor Belfort and Jacare Souza will do battle in a likely number one contender's bout. Yoel Romero was originally set to get a title shot, but isn't likely to get it due to a potential USADA drug test violation.
- Former UFC Heavyweight and Light Heavyweight Champion Randy Couture appeared on MMA Junkie Radio today, and spoke out why he nixed a proposed bout with the returning Fedor Emelianenko. According to Couture, his long-term health was the reason he didn't take the fight.
"At 52 years old, to put my body back through all that and do the things I know I need to do to do it right is a lot to ask. I'm more worried about sustaining an injury that's going to affect the rest of my life," Couture said.
Fedor ended up demolishing the overmatched Jaideeph Singh at Rizin on December 31st.