B.J. Penn looks to be set to make a return to the octagon, and believes he has what it takes to take the 145-pound belt away from Conor McGregor.
The legendary UFC fighter hinted at a comeback in an Instagram post last week where he was pictured alongside trainer Greg Jackson, but he confirmed that his return was the real deal on Tuesday.
Speaking on the MMA Hour with Ariel Helwani, Penn said that he wanted to make the comeback because "that's who I am. That's what I do".
"I want to go get that 145-pound belt. That's definitely a huge motivation for me. I believe with Greg Jackson's help, I can get that done. And I believe that I will be able to walk away as the only man with three titles in three weight divisions".
Penn also revealed that he was currently weighing in at 158-pounds, so would have some work to do to make the cut for featherweight, but stated that he would be happy for his first fight back to be against Nik Lentz at 155-pounds, possibly at UFC 197.
He said that he and UFC president Dana White have talked about him coming back, but stopped short of saying that White had agreed to it happening. However, he did say that it was "100%" that he would be fighting in the UFC in 2016.
He added that, while March 5th isn't that far off, he has been preparing for a return for months, and will be at his best at UFC 197 if he gets a shot.
At 37-years-old, Penn is no longer in his prime and suffered three defeats in a row before retiring, the last of which was against Frankie Edgar in The Ultimate Fighter finale in July of 2014.
Penn was inducted into the UFC Hall of Fame after he retired, having previously been both the Lightweight and Welterweight champion.
Via MMA Fighting
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