• UFC 123

Razor-sharp Penn KOs Hughes to earn Fitch test

BJ Penn only needed 21 seconds to turn the lights out on Matt Hughes © Getty Images

Enlarge

Related Links

• News: Fitch will determine credibility of Penn rebirth
  
• News: Suspended Hughes won't train again this year
  
• News: Rampage told me I'd won - Machida
  
• Profile: Matt Hughes | BJ Penn

BJ Penn inflicted one of the most devastating knockouts of his career on Matt Hughes at UFC 123, and then instantly got handed another stiff welterweight clash by president Dana White.

Penn needed all of 21 seconds to dispose of arguably the greatest 170-pounder in UFC history, dumping Hughes to the floor with a vicious right hand. And after the roars from the Michigan crowd had died down, White revealed Jon Fitch will be next for The Prodigy.

"I already made the fight," White said. "Him and Fitch in Sydney."

Saturday's co-main event was meant to be a classic. Penn and Hughes have owned the lightweight and welterweight divisions respectively in their primes, and they had fought twice before, registering one victory apiece. UFC 123 brought the completion to the trilogy.

Having seen Frankie Edgar get the better of Penn twice in the past year, Hughes planned to use his wrestling to tire The Prodigy out, much as Georges St-Pierre did during the Hawaiian's last venture into the welterweight division.

Hughes did not get chance. In 21 seconds, Penn had released a razor-sharp right hand, before unloading several more on a floored Hughes, handing him his first first-round knockout in almost a decade. White was far from surprised.

"BJ Penn comes in and looks like the absolute world beater, best pound-for-pound in the world, and the next fight he doesn't - you just don't know," he said. "I can tell you this - he looks better at 170 than he does at 155. The BJ Penn that walked into the Octagon tonight reminds me of the BJ Penn of old.

"If BJ beats Fitch, if Fitch beats BJ, they're both in the [title] mix," White added, having awarded Penn the Knockout of the Night bonus.

Elsewhere on a superb night of Mixed Martial Arts, George Sotiropoulos and Joe Lauzon walked away with $80,000 cheques after producing the Fight of the Night. Sotiropoulos is fast becoming one of the UFC's most entertaining fighters due to his willingness to take the bout to all corners of the Octagon, and he overcame an early assault by Lauzon to sink in a second-round kimura. Dennis Siver awaits next for the Australian.

Submission of the Night went to Phil Davis, who cranked on an unorthodox armlock to defeat Tim Boetsch in the second round. Describing the submission as an adapted chicken wing, Davis improved his MMA record to a perfect 8-0.

© ESPN Sports Media Ltd.