The future Hall of Famer turns 35 today
The Prodigy is remarkably young considering what he has achieved in the sport. Penn and Randy Couture are the only two fighters in the history of the promotion to have held belts in two different divisions. BJ was champion of both the welterweight and lightweight divisions. To celebrate arguably the greatest UFC lightweight champion hitting the big 35, here are five of his greatest moments in MMA. (that we could find on YouTube)
K-1 Rumble on the Rock 4
BJ's won his first belt as a pro on home soil in Hawaii. Penn defeated the vastly more experienced Takanori Gomi, who had a 14-1 record at the time compared to Penn's 5-1-1. Penn submitted the future Pride legend in the third round with a beautifully executed rear naked choke.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oXb9plVvrJ4
UFC 123
Penn shocked the world when he ended the trilogy of bouts with fellow legend Matt Hughes with a bang in 2010. Fans were expecting a close back-and-forth chess match, but what transpired was truly spectacular. Penn landed flush with a perfectly-placed counter that sent the Hall of Famer crashing down to the canvas just 23 seconds into the bout.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jUEqOdeGopQ
UFC 107
This was the last time The Prodigy would successfully defend his lightweight belt, but what a way to end the run! Penn dominated The Nightmare in the late rounds, proving to the world that his cardio was second to none in the sport. He unloaded a monstrous head kick late in the bout that opened up a massive cut on Sanchez's forehead. The doctor awarded Penn the TKO victory in the fifth round after he deemed Sanchez unable to continue. Penn remains the only fighter to have stopped Sanchez inside the Octagon.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yNcyIrzCvlQ
UFC 80
Penn finally took home the UFC lightweight title when he submitted Joe Stevenson in the second round at UFC 80. He solidified his position as a future Hall of Famer when he won the title to become one of only two men to hold a title in two different weight classes. His beatdown on a clearly outmatched Stevenson is one of the most vicious in the UFC. Penn sent out a message to the other challengers with this dominant victory.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eJYyCc3orNE
UFC 46
Hughes was seen as unbeatable in the division at the time. He held a 35-3 record at the time and had successfully defended the belt five times before facing off against Penn. The Hawaiian was a rank outsider with a 6-1-1 record. Despite coming into this bout off a sublime submission victory over Gomi, pretty much everyone expected Hughes to win, and to do so convincingly. However, Penn didn't get the memo and he went on to submit Hughes to secure his first welterweight title in what is arguably to biggest upset in the history of the sport.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UzdclKzFCc4
