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SEATTLE » A year off didn’t make much of a difference.
B.J. Penn’s first UFC fight in 14 months ended like most of his bouts at welterweight have, as "The Prodigy" was on the wrong end of a unanimous decision to Rory MacDonald at the UFC on FOX 5 event at Key Arena.
MacDonald (14-1) made the victory look easy, winning every round decisively.
One judge scored the contest 30-27 while the other two had it 30-26, giving MacDonald a 10-8 advantage in the second round when he badly hurt Penn with a kick to the ribs.
UFC ON FOX 5 RESULTS
» Ben Henderson (17-2) def. Nate Diaz (16-8) by decision (50-43, 50-45, 50-45)
» Alexander Gustafsson (15-1) def. Mauricio "Shogun" Rua (21-7) by decision (30-26, 30-26, 30-27)
» Rory MacDonald (14-1) def. B.J. Penn (16-9-2) by decision (30-26, 30-26, 30-27)
» Matt Brown (18-11) def. Mike Swick (15-5) by KO (punches) at 2:31 of round 2
» Yves Edwards (42-18-1) def. Jeremy Stephens (20-9) by TKO (strikes) at 1:55 of round 1
» Raphael Assuncao (18-4) def. Mike Easton (13-2) by decision (29-28, 30-27, 30-27)
» Ramsey Nijem (8-2) def. Joe Proctor (8-2) by decision (30-27, 29-28, 29-28)
» Daron Cruickshank (12-2) def. Henry Martinez (9-3) by KO (head kick) at 2:57 of round 2
» Abel Trujillo (10-4) def. Marcus LeVesseur (22-7) by TKO (knees) at 3:56 of round 2
» Dennis Siver (21-8) def. Nam Phan (18-12) by decision (30-24, 30-25, 30-26)
» Scott Jorgensen (14-6) def. John Albert (7-4) by submission (rear naked choke) at 4:59 of round 1
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"I’m pissed that I didn’t finish him," MacDonald said.
Penn was taken to a hospital after the fight and wasn’t available for comment.
A former two-division champion, Penn lost for the fourth time in his last six fights and is now 16-9-2.
He’s just 1-5-1 in seven fights at 170 pounds since he beat Matt Hughes for the championship in 2004.
After returning to the UFC in 2006, Penn lost twice at 170 pounds before reeling off five consecutive victories in the lightweight division that included a run as world champion.
Penn lost his title and subsequent rematch to Frankie Edgar before moving back up to 170, where his only win was a knockout of Hughes two years ago.
He fought to a draw with Jon Fitch before consecutive fights against Nick Diaz and MacDonald in which he not only lost, but was badly hurt both times.
Against MacDonald, the beginning of the third round was delayed a few seconds as a ringside doctor looked over Penn’s badly swollen left eye.
Penn managed to get MacDonald to one knee, but could never quite secure a takedown.
Penn landed a few jabs early before MacDonald took control of the rest of the fight, using a wide array of kicks to frustrate Penn.
MacDonald even mocked Penn in the fight’s final moments, doing the Muhammad Ali shuffle as he stood in front of his opponent.
The fighters engaged in a war of words prior to the fight, but MacDonald acknowledged his respect for Penn once it was over.
"Like I said to B.J. after the fight, (he’s) the one guy I really, really looked up to growing up," MacDonald said. "He was a huge role model for me and how I train. He’s a hero to me, but any man I step into this octagon (with) I have to put that aside."
MacDonald called out Carlos Condit after the fight. Condit handed MacDonald his only loss two years ago.
"There is a guy who humiliated me a couple of years ago and I want my revenge," MacDonald said.
The three headlining fights shown live on KHON were all one-sided, as lightweight champion Ben Henderson dominated Nate Diaz to retain his title.
Henderson, the hometown favorite from Federal Way, Wash., scored multiple knockdowns and did heavy damage to Diaz’s face, winning 50-43, 50-45, 50-45.
Alexander Gustafsson improved to 15-1 with a dominant decision over former light heavyweight champion Mauricio "Shogun" Rua (21-7), winning 30-26, 30-26, 30-27 on the judges’ scorecards.
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