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SINGAPORE – A major setback has hit the Ultimate Fighting Championship’s second live event in the Philippines on October 15 as mixed martial arts (MMA) legend BJ Penn has withdrawn from his featherweight bout against Ricardo Lamas.
According to a report from USA Today’s MMAJunkie.com, Penn has suffered an undisclosed injury in training and will not be able to face Lamas in the main event of UFC Fight Night Manila 2, which takes place at the SM Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay City.
Penn, who is one of the only two fighters in UFC history to win world titles in multiple weight classes, announced his decision to come out of retirement this past January after briefly calling it a career when he suffered a brutal third-round stoppage loss to Frankie Edgar in July 2014.
His much-awaited Octagon return at UFC 199 last June was postponed after the two-division world champion was slapped with a 6-month suspension due to a violation of the promotion’s anti-doping policy.
Penn disclosed his usage of IV in the pre-fight drug test, which is prohibited by the United States Anti-Doping Agency.
Penn’s suspension came to an end on September 25, making him available for UFC Fight Night Manila 2 in October.
The 37-year-old native of Hilo, Hawaii is currently on a 3-fight losing skid and has not won a single match since he knocked out Matt Hughes int 21 seconds in November 2010.
The world’s premier MMA organization has yet to release a statement about Penn’s sudden pullout.
In addition, it is unclear if the UFC will be able to find a replacement opponent for Lamas on short notice.
The scheduled co-headliner of UFC Fight Night Manila 2 is a heavyweight clash between Derrick Lewis and Marcin Tybura, while the only other featherweight fight on the card is pitting Cole Miller against Mizuto Hirota. – Rappler.com
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