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BJ Penn eyes future decider with old foe Matt Hughes

BJ Penn was in a class of his own against Diego Sanchez © UFC

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BJ Penn has set the wheels firmly in motion for some blockbuster fights in the welterweight division, after he confessed he is prepared to take a chance against the UFC's "bigger guys".

UFC president Dana White recently spoke about his own desire to see lightweight champion Penn step up a weight class during 2010, once "the Prodigy" has dealt with the challenge of No. 1 contender Frankie Edgar at UFC 112. Should Penn win on April 10, for the fifth consecutive time at lightweight, he would generally be considered to have cleared out the 155lb division.

Having been comprehensively outclassed by Georges St-Pierre on his last visit to the 170lb category, Penn knows he would not get an instant title shot, but there are one or two names he is targeting. The winner of Thiago Alves and Jon Fitch - who fight at UFC 111 - interests Penn, as does a trilogy-completing bout with former champion Matt Hughes.

"I think I could do good against some of the top welterweights," he told IGN. "Yeah, pretty big guys, but you've got to live sometimes, you've got to step up sometime.

"You never know what could happen [with Hughes]. Let's see how him and Renzo [Gracie] go, let's see what happens there."

Penn also admits his fight with Edgar could be the last of his illustrious career at lightweight, having beaten the likes of Kenny Florian, Sean Sherk, Jens Pulver and Diego Sanchez in the past. Boasting a 15-5-1 record, and currently the only man to have owned the UFC lightweight and welterweight titles, Penn wants to make sure his next venture into the bigger weight class is a planned one.

"If I go back to welterweight, maybe I'll try to give it a run, maybe fight a couple of fights there, we'll see how it goes.

"I might try to do it permanent. We'll see; I just don't want to rush anything, just take my time and go out there and do my best."

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