Former UFC Lightweight & Welterweight champion BJ Penn (16-7-2) is now added to the growing list of fighters who are personally requesting the opportunity to be featured on the promotion's long awaited return to the homeland of their founders in Brazil. The main event for this event has already been confirmed to feature a Middleweight title bout with longtime reigning champion Anderson Silva taking on #1 contender Yushin Okami in a rematch of a bout that saw Okami take a victory by way of Disqualification. Though not confirmed yet on the UFC website, the co-main event is planned to feature a Light Heavyweight rematch between two former champions with Mauricio Rua looking to avenge a loss to to fan favorite Forrest Griffin. The lineup for this main card has yet to be made official as former Heavyweight champ Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira and former Light Heavyweight champ Lyoto Machida have also put in their requests to be included on this card. Even the original UFC champion and #1 MMA icon Royce Gracie has made a special request to be featured in this momentous event to finish his entire career in his family's homeland in the promotion his family founded.
Penn is coming off the second Draw of his career against longtime Welterweight contender Jon Fitch at UFC 127: Penn vs Fitch which many fans and fellow fighters saw him winning. The two were scheduled for a rematch at UFC 132: Cruz vs Faber II, but Fitch received an injury to his shoulder during training, which was followed by Penn receiving an injury of his own that scrapped him from the event entirely. Penn has some history with Brazil and is well recognized in the world of BJJ being recognized as one of the fastest practitioners to have earned his black belt. Penn has assured how serious he is about his request saying that he he would move his camp to Brazil a month in advance to train properly in the homeland of the most dangerous attribute in his arsenal. Which such seriousness coming from one of the most dangerous BJJ practitioners in the world of MMA, it would seem fit to put Penn on such an important card...but against who?
Similar to how the UFC stacked their lineup for UFC 129: St. Pierre vs Shields, matchmakers are putting at least one Brazilian born fighter in each bout. The first name that many MMA fans are throwing in the discussion that meets the criteria of being born in Brazil is dangerous Muay Thai striker Thiago Alves (18-7-0), though he is already scheduled to fight at the end of this month against Rick Story at UFC 130: Rampage vs Hamill. Alves is one of many Brazilian born fighters who have requested a spot on the Rio de Janeiro, but the chance of being pitted against Penn could ride on the result of the bout and whether he leaves the bout his bout against Story in decent condition that would fit the timeline needed to heal and properly prepare. Should Penn be considered for the Rio de Janeiro card, our personal suggestion would be to stray from the intended showcasing of homeland talent and pit Penn against another dangerous elite BJJ black belt in Jake Shields (26-5-1). Shields recently received his first loss in over five years in a not so entertaining bout against longtime Welterweight champ Georges St. Pierre. Assuming that Shields left the recent event with very little damage other than the visible marks on his face, it would be a perfect match for the two of them. Penn is an elite BJJ black belt with devastating strikes, and Shields is an elite BJJ black belt that is also one of the hardest to put away. The only other match we can see for Penn that would still stray from the homeland showcasing would be Josh Koscheck (15-5-0) if he were to be medically cleared sometime soon. Koscheck also possesses a heavy handed striking game that can take on Penn, and has a strong wrestling base that could give him a hard time on the ground. Though it seems unlikely that Koscheck would be cleared and prepared in time for this event, he does seem like an interesting match-up.
Penn is an elite name in the world of MMA, and is a name that demands a high level opponent. The possibility of Alves being a scheduled opponent hinges on the results of his upcoming bout with strong grinding wrestler Rick Story. Shields is free at this time assuming he is healthy and willing for an offered bout with the former champion. Koscheck would be an interesting choice should he be medically cleared in time, especially seeing that his team at the American Kickboxing Academy already had a strategy cooked up for his teammate Jon Fitch. Including Penn on this card could prove be be an entertaining decision that would attract more interest from the awaiting fans in the birthplace of the founders of the Ultimate Fighting Championship.
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