Former UFC lightweight champion BJ Penn is in the house.
The retired “Prodigy” will be on the sidelines cheering for his longtime training partner Marlon Vera at the upcoming UFC 292 pay-per-view (PPV) event, scheduled for this Sat. night (Aug. 19, 2023) at TD Garden in Boston.
“Chito” battles fellow bantamweight veteran Pedro Munhoz.
“I always train with ‘Chito’ but this time, he took care of this by himself,” Penn said on Episode 1 of the UFC 292 “Embedded” video blog. “A big boy now, you know? A contender. He does have all the championship qualities and what it is, is the work ethic. He wants it.”
Vera is ranked four spots above Munhoz in the official UFC rankings.
“Chito” (20-8-1) was originally expected to face off against former champion Henry Cejudo; however, “Triple C” withdrew due to injury, paving the way for Munhoz to step in. No question a victory for either fighter will help shape the future of the 135-pound title chase.
For the rest of the UFC 292 fight card and PPV lineup click here.
This story originally appeared on MMA Mania
