Joe Rogan believes B.J. Penn could have beaten any UFC lightweight in his prime.
Rogan’s opinion was so strong that he declared ‘it’s very possible’ Penn could be the greatest lightweight of all time, ahead of names like Khabib Nurmagomedov.
B.J. Penn could be classed as the greatest lightweight of all time, according to RoganGetty Images - GettyPenn made his UFC debut in 2001 and fought an incredible 27 times in the Octagon, winning titles in two different weight classes and creating some of the greatest rivalries in the promotion’s history.
He went through wars with legends like Nick Diaz, Georges St-Pierre and Frankie Edgar, and was inducted into the UFC Hall of Fame in July 2015 as a pioneer of MMA.
Khabib, meanwhile, went 13 bouts undefeated in his eight-year UFC career, retiring as the promotion’s lightweight champion after defeating Justin Gaethje in October 2020 after the death of his father.
“People talk about Khabib being the greatest lightweight of all time, and maybe he is,” Rogan explained on his podcast this week.
“It’s very possible he is, but I would put the B.J. Penn that fought Joe ‘Daddy’ Stevenson, the B.J. Penn that fought Sean Sherk, the B.J. Penn that was in that peak when he was training.
“I would put him against anybody – against anybody.”
After already winning welterweight gold in the promotion four years prior, Penn defeated Stevenson in January 2008 to become the new UFC lightweight champion.
Four months later, he defended the strap against Sherk at UFC 84 during a period many viewed him as one of the greatest pound-for-pound fighters on the planet.
Penn then lost a welterweight title fight to St-Pierre, but moved back up to lightweight and secured back-to-back championship bout victories over Kenny Florian and Diego Sanchez.
“When he fought Diego Sanchez, he couldn’t be stopped,” Rogan added. “And if you got him to the ground, his f***ing submission game was insane.
B.J 'The Prodigy' Penn
Stats
Age: 46
Height: 5’9″
Nationality: Hilo, Hawaii, United States
Wins: 16 (KO/TKO: 7 Submissions: 6 Decisions: 3)
Defeats: 14 (KO/TKO: 4 Submissions 1 Decisions 9)
Draws: 2
Rogan said fighters ‘were dead’ when Penn took their back on the groundGetty“He was insane off of his back. He would take your back, you were dead. He would knock you out standing up. His kickboxing was elite.”
Rogan was then asked by guest Cameron Hanes how Khabib would approach a fight with someone like Penn.
“Take him down for sure,” he said. “He’d probably fight him the same way Georges St-Pierre did, but the difference in size between B.J. Penn and Georges St-Pierre is pretty significant.
“B.J. Penn was really a 155-pound guy who actually later in his career fought 145, when he was kind of at the end of his career.
“But, Georges is way bigger. Georges was a big 170, big muscular 170 with great wrestling, nasty ground-and-pound, and a black belt in jiu-jitsu himself, and also a really good striker.”
Rogan is definitely not in the minority with his view on Penn being the greatest lightweight of all time.
Khabib retired undefeated as the UFC lightweight champion in 2020Getty But many believe Penn trumps him as the greatest 155-pounder of all timeGetty Images - GettySpeaking to talkSPORT in 2022, UFC veteran Joe Lauzon, who has been with the promotion for over 18 years, agreed with Rogan’s comments.
“B.J. Penn. Always, always, always. I think B.J. is the best,” he said, speaking on the best 155lb fighter ever
“I understand Khabib did great and he was undefeated, but to me, it’s just BJ. He was the first guy with amazing jiu-jitsu, good offensive and defensive wrestling.
“[He had] great striking, could crack with both hands…I think BJ is the GOAT (greatest of all time).
“Khabib was a huge lightweight. He cut down and he pulled out of a lot of fights because he couldn’t make weight and things like that.
“So I understand it’s a perfect record, but there’s also some things where he didn’t show up when he was planning to show up.
“BJ on the other hand, he fought Lyoto Machida at heavyweight. How insane is that? He beat Matt Hughes and won the welterweight title. He fought GSP a couple of times.
“He definitely has had his fair share of bad stuff that has happened after the fact, but as far as we’re talking lightweight GOATs, I think it’s B.J. Penn and no one else,” he concluded
Penn lost seven fights in a row before leaving the UFC after his final defeat to Clay Guida at UFC 237 in May 2019.
The former two-division champion finished with an average 16-14-2 record, but what he did for the sport transcends wins and losses.
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