Why It's Time for BJ Penn To Retire

After viewing the farce of a main event that was Georges St. Pierre vs. BJ Penn at UFC 94, I came up with a verdict beyond any reasonable doubt, or submissions, or blows left and right by "Rush."

BJ Penn, it's time for you to retire.

Be honest. Why should this guy keep fighting if he will be taking a licking of this magnitude?

The commentators calling the action, Joe Rogan and Mike Goldberg, called both St. Pierre and Penn "Hall of Fame" fighters.

That can only mean one thing—this has to be Penn's last fight. It must be.

The last thing I want to see is Penn decide to go the way of Chuck Liddell, and get his okole sent to the meat grinder by some more up-and-coming fighters in the Octagon in future UFC events.

Now, this isn't to take anything away from St. Pierre. Let's give credit where it is due. In between the big shows, he trains with the best in the different disciplines that make up mixed martial arts, while sneaking in a trip to Brazil or two.

It takes commitment and time management of the highest order for St. Pierre to pull it off, have the epithet of "The Complete Fighter," and send Penn into retirement on the Big Island.

This fight was so one-sided, I crossed my arms in disgust by Round Two. I acknowledged  that all the hype surrounding "The Prodigy" was just as effective as Oscar De La Hoya's against Manny Pacquiao last year.

And by "effective," I mean, ineffective.

Penn couldn't land the jabs. Penn couldn't throw St. Pierre into submission, nor did Penn show that he had a tough chin as advertised.

But the latter would might as well be the only positive I could see from this fight, aside from being able to last four rounds against an improving "Rush."

And while this analogy can be tenuous, if you put him in the boxing ring against Manny Pacquiao, the Pac-Man would eat him up.

The Canadian faithful who made the trip down from Montreal got their loonies worth. The Hawaiian counterparts, well, let's just say that at least they enjoyed visiting the Strip.

As "Rush" continues his rush to greatness in the Octagon, Penn continues his walk down the mountain after reaching the top.

You can only be great for so long. It's an inescapable truth.

It's through this truth that for all the battles he has faced in his career-the tragedies and triumphs, the highs and lows, the victories and defeats-it is time for BJ Penn to acknowledge that a complete fighter sent him into retirement.

A complete fighter making his climb up the mountain.

A complete fighter who dominates with style and authority in the UFC Octagon.

A complete fighter who has made his country proud, just like Penn made Hawaii and America proud.

And that complete fighter is Georges St. Pierre.