"The Prodigy" is back.
Appearing on Tuesday's "The MMA Hour" with Ariel Helwani, former UFC lightweight and welterweight champion B.J. Penn officially announced his return to MMA action.
BJ Penn announces on #themmahour that he is indeed coming out of retirement with Greg Jackson. Says he wants to get the 145lb belt.
— Shaheen Al-Shatti (@shaunalshatti) January 19, 2016
The 37-year-old Penn has been making the rounds at the highly regarded Jackson-Winkeljohn MMA Academy in Albuquerque, N.M., fueling speculation that he was planning to fight again.
A budding feud with Nik Lentz added another layer of intrigue to the rumors. Penn formally challenged Lentz last week after "The Carny" spent much of the past year needling the semi-retired legend. Lentz responded to the challenge with an invective-filled letter.
Penn told Helwani that he is going to compete at 145 and make one last run for championship gold. In his lone appearance at featherweight, Penn took a drubbing courtesy of Frankie Edgar, losing by TKO in the third round.
The decision to stay at featherweight likely eliminates the possibility of a Penn-Lentz matchup, as Lentz stated that he will not cut down to 145 anymore.
Penn expressed a desire to fight at UFC 197 on March 5, which would bolster an already stacked card headlined by champions Holly Holm, Rafael dos Anjos, and Conor McGregor.