Going back over 30 years to when the UFC was first formed, the best and by far the most exciting divisions in the promotion were the heavier weight classes. Over the years, as MMA has grown and evolved, it is apparent that in the lighter weight classes, the fighters are much more skilled and compete at a higher level than the heavier fighters. The UFC’s lightweight division, in particular, has been incredibly stacked over the years, and it continues to be right now, with fighters such as Islam Makhachev, Charles Oliveira, Justin Gaethje, and now Ilia Topuria all residing at 155lbs.
To many, when discussing who the GOAT of the UFC’s lightweight division is, it is a simple argument. Most people will argue and claim that it is Khabib Nurmagomedov who is the greatest fighter to ever compete at 155 pounds, however, UFC commentator Joe Rogan, in a recent episode of his podcast, The Joe Rogan Experience, disputed the argument of the Russian being the lightweight GOAT, and instead, named a different UFC Hall of Famer.
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Joe Rogan Names BJ Penn as the Greatest Lightweight Ever
‘The Prodigy’ is a two-time UFC lightweight champion
To many, Khabib Nurmagomedov is the greatest lightweight in the history of the UFC, however, according to Joe Rogan, the dominant Russian is not the lightweight GOAT, but BJ Penn. Speaking on The Joe Rogan Experience, the UFC commentator said “it is very possible” that Khabib is the greatest lightweight ever but the version of Penn who submitted Joe Stevenson at UFC 80 is even better.
Check out the clip of Rogan raving about Penn below:
“People talk about Khabib being the greatest lightweight of all time, and maybe he is, it’s very possible he is. But I would put the BJ Penn that fought Joe ‘Daddy’ Stevenson, the BJ Penn that fought Sean Sherk, the BJ Penn that was in that peak when he was training, I would put him against anybody.”
Although the likes of Khabib and his good friend and teammate Islam Makhachev are considered to be the two greatest lightweights of all time, people often forget just how good ‘The Prodigy’ was in his prime. Penn is a two-time UFC lightweight champion, and in his second reign at the very top of the division, he managed to defend the belt successfully on three separate occasions.
Despite pinpointing the version of Penn who fought Stevenson at UFC 80, Rogan also went on to praise Penn’s performance against Diego ‘The Nightmare’ Sanchez, raving about his submission ability and kickboxing skills.
“When he fought Diego Sanchez, he couldn’t be stopped. And if you got him to the ground, his f****** submission game was insane. He was insane off his back, he would take your back, you were dead. He would knock you out standing up, his kickboxing was elite.”
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BJ Penn’s professional MMA record |
||
|---|---|---|
|
32 Fights |
16 Wins |
14 Losses |
|
By Knockout |
7 |
4 |
|
By Submission |
6 |
1 |
|
By Decision |
3 |
9 |
|
Draws |
2 |
|
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