UFC 137 Results: BJ Penn and the Top Fighters Who Could Retire but Should Not

There comes a point and time in every fighter’s career when he must decide to hang up the gloves.

It can often be a sad and shocking time for fans when they find out their favorite fighter will no longer be entertaining them in the cage or ring.

At UFC 137 we saw two MMA legends announce their retirements.

For Mirko Cro Cop, he found himself past his prime, losing three straight fights by knockout. 

BJ Penn, on the other hand, just suffered a disheartening loss and just is not motivated to fight anymore despite still being able to. 

Here’s a list of guys who could retire despite being able to continue their careers. 

Kenny Florian

The only fighter on this list who has not had UFC gold is Kenny Florian.

He’s had three opportunities to capture it though. Florian has done just about everything in the sport besides win a championship fight.

Florian may be 35 years old, but he still has some fight left in him. If and when he does decide to retire though, he will have a great career as a commentator waiting for him. 

Brock Lesnar

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When Brock Lesnar had to deal with a second battle with diverticulitis, some felt he might retire from MMA.

Instead, the former UFC champion has decided to it another go.

Lesnar is MMA’s biggest draw. Despite only having seven fights, he’s accomplished a lot more than most fighters in the sport.

If Lesnar ever called it quits though, it would be no surprise. He did leave the WWE despite being one of its biggest stars to pursue other ventures. 

Quinton "Rampage" Jackson

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Quinton “Rampage” Jackson is one of the best light heavyweights in MMA history.

He’s a former UFC light heavyweight champion and has beaten names like Dan Henderson, Wanderlei Silva and Chuck Liddell.

Rampage has fought in many wars, yet he has still been able to continue to fight at a high level.

While many may say Rampage is past his prime, his main problem could be the fact that he refuses to change his style. Since leaving the sport once for Hollywood, it would be no surprise if Jackson decided to call it quits before he needed to. 

Anderson Silva

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Anderson Silva is the best MMA fighter today and possibly in the history of the sport.

Although he has looked almost unstoppable, the one thing that is catching up with him is age. Silva is 36 years old.

Although he’s shown no signs of slowing down, he could very well be one of the few fighters that retires on top.

With the exception of shutting up Chael Sonnen one more time and having a super fight with Georges St-Pierre or Jon Jones, there’s nothing else for Silva to really do in the sport. 

BJ Penn

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BJ Penn’s retirement announcement last night is still unbelievable.

Penn is only 32 years old and, despite being battered by Nick Diaz, he can still go with some of the best.

Penn has nothing left to prove though. He’s only the second person in the UFC to hold belts in two different weight divisions, and he’s beaten some of MMA’s best.

With one daughter and another one on the way, it’s understandable why Penn is ready to hang the gloves up.