Wednesday, May 19, 2010
By Dayton Morinaga

BJ Penn


In a city rich with history, BJ Penn will try to rewrite history in August.

Penn will get a chance to regain his UFC lightweight world championship against Frankie Edgar at UFC 118 in Boston. The mixed martial arts bout is scheduled for Aug. 28 at the TD Garden, home arena of the Boston Celtics.

Penn's brother and manager, JD Penn, said that a contract agreement for the bout has been signed.
Last month, Edgar took the lightweight world title from Penn with an upset victory at UFC 112 at Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. Edgar won the five-round bout via unanimous decision.

The Aug. 28 bout will be the first fight for both fighters since UFC 112.

Penn, who is from Hilo, is not only seeking revenge, he is attempting to become the first fighter to win the UFC lightweight championship twice. He has a professional record of 15-6-1, with only two of the losses in the lightweight (155 pounds) division.

Penn had won six consecutive lightweight bouts before the loss to Edgar.

Edgar, who is from New Jersey, is 12-1. He was considered a significant underdog in last month's bout with Penn, but won it with an effective stick-and-move striking attack.

Another UFC fighter from Hawai'i — Maui's Kendall Grove — is scheduled to fight again on July 3 at UFC 117 at Las Vegas.

Grove (13-7) is scheduled to face Croatia's Goran Reljic (8-1) in a middleweight bout (185 pounds).

Grove is also coming off a loss at the UFC event in Abu Dhabi.