B.J. Penn`s peak fighting days are well in the past, yet his remarkable talent remains a topic of discussion.
Speaking recently on his podcast, Joe Rogan weighed in on Penn. He initially highlighted how advancements in fitness training brought out the best in the former two-division UFC champion. Rogan then went further, suggesting that a prime version of Penn could realistically compete with any lightweight fighter today, including the highly acclaimed Khabib Nurmagomedov.
“When B.J. Penn was in his prime, he was training with Marv Marinovich, and Marv Marinovich had very unorthodox training methods where it was all plyometrics, explosive drills, sprints, box jumps, all this crazy stuff,” Rogan recalled. “And he believed—I hope I’m not quoting him incorrectly—but he believed fight training was of secondary importance when you’re in camp and really what was important is to just have a f*cking insane gas tank. B.J. Penn knows how to fight, he’s a world champion, he’s not going to forget how to fight. But you could get him training this way where you have this gas tank that’s just insane and when B.J. Penn was training with him, he was unstoppable.”
Rogan continued, “I always say this—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 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 [with Marinovich], I would put him against anybody. When he fought Diego Sanchez, he couldn’t be stopped, and if you got him to the ground, his f*cking submission game was insane. 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.”
Nurmagomedov is frequently mentioned when discussing the greatest 155-pound fighter ever, and his resume supports this claim. He concluded his career in 2020 with an unblemished 29-0 record, three lightweight title defenses, and victories over numerous prominent fighters, including future UFC Hall of Fame inductees. His overwhelming wrestling prowess consistently led to dominant performances, and his decision to retire several years ago left many fans wanting to see more of him challenging the sport`s top contenders.
Penn`s official fighting record of 16-14-2 doesn`t accurately represent the incredible force he was during his prime. In the 2000s, as the UFC gained popularity, he delivered memorable performances in both the welterweight and lightweight divisions, becoming a major fan favorite. His rivalries with Georges St-Pierre and Matt Hughes are considered iconic in MMA history. While he captured titles in two weight classes, it was arguably at lightweight where he was most formidable and feared.
So, how does Rogan envision a hypothetical matchup between Nurmagomedov and a prime Penn playing out?
“Take him down, for sure,” Rogan predicted. “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 is really a 155-pound guy, who actually later in his career fought 145… 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. … There was also accusations of greasing because Georges was very slippery in that fight. If you were a grappler and the other person can’t get a hold of him, especially if you’re a guy like B.J. who fights so well off of his back.”
He added, “B.J.’s legs were like arms where he could be sitting there without using his hands and he could put his feet in the lotus position, so completely crossed and lock his legs in the lotus position without using his hands at all. Crazy flexibility and dexterity. So if you were trapped in his guard, you were f*cked.”
As a confessed admirer of B.J. Penn, I`ve certainly wondered whether he could have genuinely challenged the formidable Khabib. Then again, I also once thought Khabib might lose to Tony Ferguson. So, take that perspective for what it`s worth.
