B.J. Penn and Carlos Condit agree to fight at UFC event in October

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That didn't take long.
Literally hours after B.J. Penn and Jon Fitch attempted to schedule their rematch in a Twitter exchange earlier today, which UFC matchmaker Joe Silva apparently shot down because he, and the fans, "don't want it," it appears that "The Prodigy" has a new opponent, Carlos Condit.
The welterweight showdown, which both fighters have verbally accepted, is tentatively scheduled to take place in October. No specific date and/or venue is known at this time; however, Penn is pushing for UFC 137, which is scheduled to take place at the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas, Nevada, on Oct. 29, 2011.
That's the same card that features the highly anticipated 170-pound showdown between UFC Welterweight Champion Georges St. Pierre and former Strikeforce champion Nick Diaz in the main event of the evening.
Number one division contender eliminator match, anyone?

That would appear to be the case, considering Penn and Fitch -- who fought to an unceremonious draw in their hotly contested bout at UFC 127 earlier this year in Australia -- were told the winner would earn a championship berth. And since their immediate rematch fizzled because of injuries, and Fitch is still on the mend from major shoulder surgery, the promotion may be looking to switch gears with a fresh booking. Condit is coming off a sensational first round flying knee knockout of the previously undefeated Dong Hyun Kim at UFC 132, raising his stock remarkably in the crowded division. The fact that it was the fourth straight win inside the Octagon for the former WEC champion might help a little, too.
Perhaps a win over Penn would put the "Natural Born Killer" over the top once and for all.
Penn, who noted in the immediate aftermath of his fight with Fitch that if all involved wanted a rematch he would oblige, exhibited a tone and overall demeanor that suggested otherwise. In fact, the proud Hawaiian even hinted at possibly retiring from the sport altogether.
Clearly, a far from eye-popping record (1-2-1) for Penn in his most recent performances is not championship caliber. But with a win over Condit, a draw with Fitch (the number two-ranked welterweight fighter in the world today) and a blistering knockout over Matt Hughes, Penn, as well as the promotion, can make a case that he deserves it.
Whether or not that scenario plays out, and if it does that the fans actually buy it, remains to be seen. Nonetheless, it's an exciting match up that should spark fireworks in "Sin City" this fall.

by Thomas Myers