UFC Hall of Famer and former UFC Lightweight Champion BJ “Baby J” Penn (16-10-2) was on Fox Sports 1’s UFC Tonight show last night and issued a challenged and if it is accepted it would signify the former multi weight class star’s return to active mixed martial arts competition.
“I’m sick and tired of talking about Mike Dolce,” said Penn, as transcribed by David St. Martin for MMA Fighting. “You know what, Mike Dolce? I put a challenge out right now, you go grab Nik Lentz (25-7-1), that’s your boy? Bring him down to 145 [pounds]. I’ll run right through him in one round and then I’ll find you in the back and I’ll smash you, OK? Let’s do that right now. I’m ready.”
“He brought Nick Lentz in for five rounds, but he couldn’t continue after the fourth and left the cage bloodied,” Penn said in 2014. “Dolce even walked up to me after and said he ‘knew I was going to win the fight because I just broke Nik Lentz.'”
“Mike Dolce wants to say all this stuff – I don’t train. I don’t this and that. Let’s do this. Bring him down to 145. It sounds like I would [come out of retirement]. I would come out for that.”
“Some things were said and this and that. Got me heated. I was there. He was there to work for 20 days. I paid him $1,000 a day. I’m not here to talk about that again but I’m sick and tired of hearing it so many times.
“145. Let’s do this. That was my last fight. It didn’t go well. I had a very bad showing. I’m ready for something like that. I’ve been hanging out. I haven’t stepped in the gym for two years. I’ll come out for the grudge match and we’ll see what happens after that.”
Penn is 1-5-1 in his last 7 bouts and hasn’t fought in a year. Lentz is 2-2 in his last four, losing his last outing to BJJ stand out Charles Oliveira via guillotine in the 3rd round of their Co-Main Event bout at UFC Fight Night 67.
When contacted, Dolce expressed nothing but love.
“I have nothing but good things to say about B.J. Penn,” said the coach. “He is a legend whom I will cheer for anytime he competes.”
