BJ “The Prodigy” Penn (16-11-2) has had a legendary career in the world of mixed martial arts. But he looked even older than his age of 38, as he was on the receiving end of a beating from one of the sport’s brightest young prospects.
24-year-old Yair “El Pantera” Rodriguez (11-1) dispatched the UFC Hall of Famer with a series of kicks. In round one, Rodriguez was dominant. Landing head kicks at will, largely with the left leg, and appeared to stun Penn on multiple occasions.
Round two is when the fight came to a close. Rodriguez landed a beautiful front kick, followed by a right-hand punch that dropped Penn. The young star then landed a barrage of punches on the ground that lead to referee John McCarthy stopping the fight.
This was Penn’s first fight since 2014 when he was stopped by Frankie Edgar in the first round. He teamed up with famed trainers Greg Jackson and Mike Winkeljohn, but it appears that Father time has caught up with him. Penn looked very slow, stiff, and uncomfortable in the octagon. “The Prodigy” is a trailblazer of this great sport, as he won titles in two weight classes, but it is time for him to hang up the gloves.
For Rodriguez, it appears that the future is very bright. Ranked No. 10 in the UFC Featherweight rankings, Rodriguez has set himself up for another major fight. The featherweight division is a stacked one, leaving a lot of possibilities for him. He looked very sharp, relaxed, and explosive in this fight and could be a handful for anyone in the weight class.
In other news, the UFC announced on this broadcast the coaches for the 25th season of The Ultimate Fighter. The two coaches will be UFC bantamweight champion Cody Garbrandt (11-0) and former champion TJ Dillashaw (14-3). This means that these two will fight at the conclusion of the season, which debuts in April. This is one of the best fights in the sport and will be very emotional, as the two are former teammates. The location and date of the fight have not yet been announced.
But in the immediate future, the UFC has a new young star in Rodriguez. And a legend who appears done in Penn.
