BJ Penn, Jon Fitch Rematch Will Be Held at UFC 132

**Kemal** · 17-03-2011, 15:23

Their draw in the main event of UFC 127 not yet a month old, BJ Penn and Jon Fitch have verbally agreed to a rematch at UFC 132 in July.

The UFC, continuing its recent trend of making fight announcements itself online and through social media, made the announcement at UFC.com early Thursday. Along with the Penn-Fitch fight, the UFC said lightweights Evan Dunham and George Sotiropoulos will square off.

Though the promotion hasn't yet made the card official, UFC 132 is expected to take place in Las Vegas on July 2 as the company's traditional Independence Day weekend card.

Penn and Fitch fought to their majority draw in Sydney last month. The bout was a No. 1 contender fight for the welterweight title currently held by Georges St-Pierre, who will defend the belt at UFC 129 next month in Toronto against Jake Shields.

In that fight, one judge scored the bout 29-28 for Penn, a former two-division UFC champion at both lightweight and welterweight. The other two judges ruled it a 28-28 draw – giving Penn the nod the first two rounds and a 10-8 round for Fitch in the third.

UFC president Dana White said after the fight he scored it 29-28 for Penn, believing he won the first two rounds and that Fitch didn't do enough to garner a 10-8 in the third – but that he sees how some could score it that way.

The draw snapped a five-fight winning streak for Fitch, who has now gone to the judges in nine straight fights and hasn't won a fight by stoppage since a submission of Roan Carneiro in June 2007. After starting his UFC career 8-0, Fitch got a title shot against St-Pierre at UFC 87, but was dominated and lost a unanimous decision 50-44, 50-43, 50-44.

Penn recently moved back to welterweight after losing his lightweight title to Frankie Edgar at UFC 112, then losing their rematch at UFC 118. He handed UFC Hall of Famer Matt Hughes one of the most decisive losses of his career with a 21-second knockout at UFC 123 in November, winning for the first time at 170 pounds in more than six years.

Sotiropoulos is coming off a disappointing loss to Dennis Siver in his native Australia – his first setback in more than four years, and his first UFC loss after starting his career with the promotion 7-0.

And Dunham, after starting his career 11-0, dropped his second straight with a TKO to Melvin Guillard in the headlining bout of the UFC's Fight for the Troops show at Fort Hood, Texas, in January. Dunham lost a split decision against Sean Sherk at UFC 119 – a loss White refused to acknowledge, believing the judges made a bad decision giving the fight to Sherk.

Also reported to be on the UFC 132 card is a lightweight bout between Guillard and Shane Roller, though the UFC hasn't confirmed that fight yet.

**Kemal** · 31-03-2011, 10:50

Jon Fitch Out of UFC 132 Rematch With BJ Penn

Still 13 weeks out from his rematch with BJ Penn at UFC 132, Jon Fitch has pulled out of the fight due to a training injury.

Sources close to the UFC confirmed the news to MMA Fighting on Wednesday. Word of Fitch's withdrawal from the bout was first reported by MMA Weekly.

There is no word yet on a possible replacement for Fitch. The fight was expected to determine the top contender for the UFC welterweight title currently held by Georges St-Pierre.

Though sources could not confirm to MMA Fighting the nature of Fitch's injury, ESPN reported Wednesday it involved the welterweight's shoulder.

Fitch (23-3-1, 1 NC, 13-1-1 UFC) and Penn (16-7-2, 12-6-2 UFC) fought to a majority draw at UFC 127 in Sydney last month when two judges scored the fight 28-28, giving Penn the first and second rounds, and a 10-8 to Fitch in the third. One judge scored the fight 29-28 in favor of Fitch.

The UFC announced the rematch for its July 2 card in Las Vegas less than two weeks ago. It was expected to serve as the co-main event on a card that now features a bantamweight title fight between champion Dominick Cruz and challenger Urijah Faber.

The draw with Penn snapped a five-fight winning streak for Fitch, who hadn't lost since a title fight decision setback against St-Pierre at UFC 87 in August 2008. He went on to five straight decision wins after that.

Penn returned to the welterweight division in November, scoring a 21-second knockout of former champion Matt Hughes at UFC 123. His move to 170 pounds, where he once held the title before vacating it in a contract dispute, followed back-to-back losses at lightweight to Frankie Edgar. The first, at UFC 112 last April, cost him his lightweight title, which he won at UFC 80 and defended three times. He lost the rematch, at UFC 118, as well.

Internet speculation began quickly after word of Fitch's injury was out regarding a possible replacement opponent for Penn, and Carlos Condit took to Twitter saying it's a fight he would like. "It would be an honor to fight a legend like BJ Penn, one of my favorite fighters ever. If the call comes, I would take the fight in a second," Condit said. Condit has won three straight, but hasn't fought since a UFC 120 knockout of Dan Hardy. He was scheduled to face Chris Lytle at UFC 127 in February, but had to pull out of that fight with an injury of his own.

But UFC officials told MMA Fighting no decision has been made regarding Penn on the UFC 132 card with a potential new opponent, or if he will wait to face a healthy Fitch at a later event.

**Baske** · 31-03-2011, 11:18

Donder toch op met al die rematches die ze in die gewichtsklasse doen. Begin er een beetje genoeg van te krijgen.

**jerul** · 31-03-2011, 13:49

gelukkig is fitch geblesseerd dus we krijgen een andere match=)

**Baske** · 31-03-2011, 14:06

Lijkt erop dat de UFC expres het wereldje klein aan 't houden is met al die rematches. Combineer dat met de monopolie die ze nu aan 't verkrijgen zijn en het resultaat is; me not happy.