B.J. Penn: Dave Mandel
Roy Arriola: Penn by third-round knockout. He will own Hughes on the ground and pick him apart standing up. Awesome fight.
Fabricio Werdum: B.J. comes in thirstier. The height of Hughes’ power has passed. I think B.J. wins by decision.
Billy MacDonald: It’s going to be a close fight, but my money is on Hughes. I see it going all three rounds and Matt taking it, 29-28.
Stephane Vigneault: That’s one of the worst fights booked by [UFC matchmaker] Joe Silva. Seriously, who wants to see Penn vs. Hughes 3? And B.J. at 170, too. Hughes over B.J. by boring decision.
Matt Hamilton: I will pick B.J. Penn because he’s B.J. Penn. I think submission in the second round. I don’t think B.J.’s recent performances are indicative of any deteriorating skills. I think it’s just been horrid matchups. I’m hoping to see the “old” Penn on Saturday. If he comes in lethargic for this one, then it’s probably all over.
Thiago Tavares: Hard fight. Hughes never performs badly. When he loses, it’s usually because the other guy is better. B.J. on a good day doesn’t lose to anyone. I think B.J. wins with his boxing and by working his takedown defense.
Benji Radach: Depends on who shows up to battle. Both fighters have impressed me in certain fights and have had down days as expected, as well. I gotta go with B.J. using good boxing to frustrate Matt and open up a bad shot that could work into many openings and a possible a rear-naked choke.
Elvis Sinosic: I guess this is the rubber match that had to happen. Matt is coming off a great submission victory in dominating fashion, and Penn is coming off two lackluster losses. Both guys are 1-1 versus each other. This also is only a three-round fight. The way that Matt beat [Ricardo] Almeida is unlikely to happen, as I expect B.J. to stay up and box. The way B.J. got beaten by [Frankie] Edgar is unlikely to happen, either. Matt does not box or move like Frankie. B.J. also looks to have solved his cardio problems, which have made some of his previous fights look lackluster. An important question is will B.J. come in as a 170-pounder or a 155-pounder who hasn’t cut weight. If he stays at the lighter weight, he will definitely have the needed cardio and movement but will lose the battle of strength and weight. If he comes in at a higher weight, he’ll most likely lose his fitness and movement advantage. I think Matt will look to use his much-improved stand-up to get B.J. to commit to fighting on the feet and the shoot and clinch to get the takedown and work the ground-and-pound. I think if B.J. comes in lighter, he will get muscled around, but if he comes in heavier, he’ll lose the benefit of his movement. I think either way gives Matt an advantage. I think Matt will most likely look to smother B.J. for a victory. I would like to say that B.J. will come in revitalized and change up his game and use his grappling, which has given him so much success, but I’ve fallen for that before. Saying that, I’m picking Matt via decision.
Pedro Rizzo: I think B.J. wins by decision.
Robin Black: Hughes is a wrestling farm boy. Penn is boxer/jiu-jitsu dude from Hawaii. Hughes is bigger. B.J. is faster. Hughes has a quiet arrogance. Penn thinks he’s God’s gift. Peanut butter is delicious. So is chocolate. I don’t care who wins, but I’m really excited for Hughes-Penn 3. Two Great pioneers fighting it out for our entertainment -- big fun.
Eddy Millis: The Penn vs. Hughes fight is a tough one to call. It really comes down to who wants it more. I think B.J. needs to press the stand-up fighting a little more than he did in the [Frankie] Edgar fights; get right there in the pocket and counter Hughes with big punches, knees and kicks. I have B.J. by KO.
Jason Lambert: Penn by TKO or submission.
Vitor Ribeiro: I heard that B.J. is in great shape and has not gained as much weight as he did at other times to fight in this division. Despite being lighter, I think B.J. wins with his speed and boxing skill, which are superior to Hughes.
Adam Singer: All right, folks, I am on a roll. I almost got one right last week. I have to go with Hughes by decision. I think Matt might be too strong for B.J., and he will work this fight from the top.
Pros who picked Penn: 25
Pros who picked Hughes: 8
Pros who couldn’t decide: 3
You can also contact Mike Sloan at www.facebook.com/mikesloan19. Gleidson Venga and Brian Knapp contributed to this report.