UFC Hall of Famer B.J. Penn has another date scheduled for his Octagon return.
The former UFC welterweight and lightweight champion, whose return from an two-year retirement has been postponed on several occasions, will meet featherweight standout Yair Rodriguez in the main event of a Jan. 15 Fight Night card in Phoenix. The UFC announced the fight on their Spanish-language website on Monday.
Penn (16-10-2) hasn't fought since a July 2014 loss to Frankie Edgar. Having announced his return late last year, been has had scheduled fights with Dennis Siver (first at UFC 196, then UFC 197), Cole Miller (UFC 199) and Ricardo Lamas (for a fight card in Manila which was subsequently canceled) all fall out. The latter, scheduled for Nov. 5, was yanked when Penn suffered a rib injury.
Rodriguez (8-1), is one of the most sensational up-and-coming fighters in the game. The Chicago resident by way of Chihuahua, Mexico and winner of the first TUF: Latin America is 6-0 in the UFC, with his most recent victory a five-round decision over Alex Caceres on Aug. 6.