BJ Penn vs. Carlos Condit: Is It the Right Fight to Make?

It has recently been announced that a matchup between former UFC lightweight and welterweight champion B.J. Penn and former WEC welterweight champion Carlos Condit is in the works.

For the past few months, fans have been expecting Penn's next fight to be a rematch with the consensus No. 2 welterweight in the world, Jon Fitch.

Penn and Fitch met for the first time at UFC 127 and fought to a draw. The match was intended to determine the No. 1 contender in the welterweight division.

The rematch was expected to occur so a decisive contender could be determined.

However, many fans have expressed disinterest in seeing the two fight again, so it looks as if Joe Silva is looking to match Penn up with Condit instead.

Condit is riding a four-fight win streak, with his last three finishes coming by knockout.

The question running through my mind is: Is B.J. Penn vs. Carlos Condit the right fight to make?

There is no doubt that Condit vs. Penn is a much more marketable fight and likely will be much more exciting fight than Penn vs. Fitch 2.

Marketability isn't the most important thing in the world, though.

Mixed martial arts is a legitimate sport and just because a fighter is considered by many to be unexciting doesn't mean that they shouldn't get their dues.

Jon Fitch is undefeated since losing to Georges St-Pierre in 2008. He was supposed to have earned a title shot for beating Thiago Alves at UFC 117, but the UFC matched him up with Penn instead. As I already mentioned, that fight went to a draw.

Penn vs. Condit would definitely be a title eliminator fight and if anyone at welterweight deserves to be in a title eliminator fight right now, it's Fitch.

Penn and Condit is the right fight to make in terms of marketability, but in terms of actual fairness, it's not.

I think it would sit better with me if there was a plausible opponent for Jon to take on, besides Condit or Penn.

The only other opponents that Fitch could fight that actually help his position are Jake Shields and Josh Koscheck. Shields is already scheduled scheduled to take on Jake Ellenberger and Fitch won't fight Koscheck because they are teammates.

There are a lot of other tough fighters at welterweight that Jon could fight, but none of them are high-profile enough to really do anything for him.

Condit vs. Penn would sure be a hell of a fight and I'd love to see it, but it would leave Fitch in no man's land and I think that would be a bad move on the UFC's part.