UFC 127 Results: BJ Penn Feels He Lost to Fitch, What Is Next for the Prodigy?

With a win or a loss, it is fairly easy to predict the next direction a fighter could take in their career. In the case of a draw, the decision creates uncertainty in what could be next.

With his draw against Jon Fitch at UFC 127, B.J. Penn now only has one win in his last four fights. In Penn's mind, he was lucky to come away without his third loss in four fights. After the fight, Penn felt that he did not do enough to win the fight and was open to a rematch with Fitch.

While a rematch is a possibility, there are a few other options for Penn's next opponent. Coming out of the draw, here are some possible options for Penn. 

Return to Lightweight

This seems like the most unlikely option for Penn, but I'm sure it will still cross his mind at some point. There isn't much fresh competition at 155 pounds for Penn, though. Also, having recently lost back-to-back fights to Frankie Edgar, it would be tough for Penn to earn a title shot any time soon at lightweight.

Aside from Georges St. Pierre, Penn came closer to beating Fitch than anyone else has in a UFC fight. Penn is a serious contender at welterweight and could definitely have a title shot in his future, especially if St. Pierre leaves the division for middleweight.  

Retirement

In a post-fight interview with Ariel Helwani, B.J. Penn said he is "not sure what he is going to do" when asked if he would return to the Octagon. We saw similar emotions from Penn after his second loss to Frankie Edgar, so that quote should be taken with a bit of skepticism. Still, retirement remains an option for Penn at this point.

With some time to think about his decision, Penn will likely realize how close he really was to defeating Fitch. A win over Fitch would have made Penn a top contender at welterweight, so that near miss at a title might be enough to fuel Penn's return.

Winner of Diego Sanchez Vs. Martin Kampmann

Later this week, welterweight contenders Martin Kampmann and Diego Sanchez will meet. Considering Sanchez's high profile and Kampmann's performance against Jake Shields, The winner of this fight is sure to be considered one of the top contenders in the division.

As long as he is fighting, a win over B.J. Penn instantly makes a fighter worthy of a title shot. With these two rising contenders, the UFC may decide to give the winner a fight against Penn to give them an opportunity to show that they are ready to fight for the belt.

Josh Koscheck

After a disappointing end to his fight with Jon Fitch, B.J. Penn may decide to take some time off before his next fight. With Josh Koscheck recovering from eye surgery, a late Summer meeting between these two welterweight contenders could make a lot of sense.

Both Penn and Koscheck are high profile fighters who can talk trash with the best of them. This fight would be an easy sell for a main event fight. Not to mention, the winner would be right in the mix for a title shot. If St. Pierre vacates his belt, these two fighters who have each lost twice to the current champion would be prime candidates to compete for the UFC Welterweight Championship.

Jon Fitch

The UFC has been overrun with rematches lately, but this could be one that makes sense. If St. Pierre defeats Jake Shields and vacates his welterweight title, a rematch between Fitch and Penn would make for a very interesting bout to determine the new champion.

At the post-fight press conference, Fitch was open to the idea when he said, "I think it'd be an epic fight. I'm for it." Penn was not as convinced and said that he didn't feel he was worthy of a title shot right now.

However, there really aren't many welterweights that are more deserving than Penn at this point in time. Nearly all of the division's contenders are coming off of losses. Alves, who is one fighter coming off of a victory, has already been defeated twice by Fitch. Another contender who won his last fight, Carlos Condit is injured and was probably a couple fights away from a title shot before he pulled out of his UFC 127 fight anyway.

UFC 127: Penn vs. Fitch Results, News and More

Sean Smith is a featured columnist for Bleacher Report MMA. For the latest insight and updates on everything MMA, you can follow Sean on Twitter @BR_Sean_Smith