Prime BJ Penn or Prime Khabib, a better fighter and career?

[JustOnce]

I think BJ Penn's fall probably was the worst that I've ever seen in the history of MMA. He looked incredibly bad for a long time, and then he ended up getting ktfo by some half naked hobo in the street.

Khabib retired at 32 with his pretty record intact, while not having faced more than half the top UFC lightweights at that time, acting like he cleaned out the division.

At age 32, BJ Penn was 16-7-1, with losses to Pulver, MACHIDA at heavyweight, GSP and Hughes at welterweight, and a complete robbery to Edgar in the first fight which in my opinion was what started BJ's downfall really, then a loss in a rematch.

MMAJunkie.com 48-47 Edgar
Greg Savage
Sherdog.com 47-48 Penn
Josh Gross
SI.com 47-48 Penn
MMAMania.com 47-48 Penn
Brent Brookhouse
BloodyElbow.com 47-48 Penn
Jordan Breen
Sherdog.com 47-49 Penn
FightMetric.com 47-49 Penn
Mike Fridley
Sherdog.com 46-49 Penn
Jack Bratcher
ProMMANow.com 46-49 Penn

Edgar would have NEVER been close to a rematch if that roberry didn't occur. Sal D'Amato was obviously one of the judges, no one's shocked. Douglas Crosby gave Edgar 50-45 in that fight too. One of the worst robberies of all time.

Well, I mean Khabib over Tibau was pretty bad too, I guess.

MEDIA SCORES
MMAJunkie.com 29-28 Nurmagomedov
Jordan Breen
Sherdog.com 28-30 Tibau
Tristen Critchfield
Sherdog.com 27-30 Tibau
Chris Nelson
Sherdog.com 27-30 Tibau
Shaun Al-Shatti
MMAFighting.com 27-30 Tibau
MMAWeekly.com 27-30 Tibau

Khabib would have to cut TWO of his legs, not just one, to make featherweight, but he didn't have guts to move up a weight class, at which he had a lot of fights in his career. You think Khabib would be undefeated if he went up and fought guys like Machida, GSP and Hughes? LOL

I mean the guy didn't have the guts to move up to face 40+ year old inactive GSP, that probably says it all.

I think it's hard to debate Khabib isn't GOAT lightweight given he packed his bag before he lost, not having faced more that half the top lightweights, with many killer prospects coming up. Fedor also started losing at age 32, but I guess Khabib was very smart. 29-0 looks surely amazing and is hard to argue against, though obviously he robbed Tibau blind.

I'm not sure if Khabib is all time GOAT, because I do think he ran to protect his legacy, and his resume is paper thin in my opinion. When Al Laquinta and Johnson is one of your best wins, and Conor lol, it says it all.

Anyways, who's a better fighter in your opinion? BJ or Khabib prime for prime? I think that, as bad as BJ's downfall was, I think BJ was a better FIGHTER and MUCH better career.

 

[rear naked ankle pick]

BJ just cause he wasn't afraid to test himself

 

[BooBoyMan]

BJ's fights at other weight classes has no bearing on who the greatest LW of all time is.

It's also fucking hilarious you think BJ had a better career than Khabib. If you want to say he's more legendary or whatever, go for it, but he absolutely did not have a better career than Khabib.

 

[JustOnce]

BJ's fights at other weight classes has no bearing on who the greatest LW of all time is.

I never said that. I said a better FIGHTER and career. Hard to argue against 29-0. Should be 28-1 but oh well.

 

[Boxingfan998]

Prime BJ Penn would lose against Khabib.
Khabib is too big and powerful.
It's unquestionable that Khabib is the superior fighter, despite BJ having a good run.

 

[infokuss]

Comparing fighters of different era's is the most futile thing in the world to do cause the sport has evolved, and continues to evolve -

Khabib destroys BJ. There is no Khabib without BJ.

 

[MrFeeny]

Khabib is a much better fighter

 

[Kinku]

BJ Penn was fun to watch his career, but khabib is far better than BJ Penn.

And I really dont like comparing fighter from different era because mma has involved so much in short time. Give Bj penn credit willing to fight whenever and who.

 

[Reach4theSky]

Before passing judgement people need to realize before the second Frankie fight BJ was 15 - 6 - 1. His losses were as follows..

Jens Pulver - Could of went either way..

Machida - Heavyweight..

GSP 1 - Razor close split decision. Could of went either way

Matt Hughes 2 - Legit loss

GSP 2 - Legit loss

Edgar 1 - BJ should of got the decision imo..

So had it not been for controversial or coin flip decisions BJ could have easily been 18 - 3 - 1 with his only loses being to two WW's (Prime GSP and Prime Hughes) and a HW Machida. In hindsight he probably should've retiried after the 2nd Frankie fight..

 

[Dirty Frank]

Khabib dominates any version of BJ.
BJ, however, is definitely one of the greats.
Goes to show good the Russian is

 

[DesiredUserName]

BJ took on all comers... and lost to lots and lots of them.

 

[Portland8242]

I am a big BJ Penn fan and he was my favorite fighter for many years. Loved the TUF season between him and Jens Pulver - the world got to see just what a crazy bastard BJ is.

Pains me to say but Khabib was definitely better prime for prime. However, there's always going to be idiots on both extremes.

 

[gono btw]

BJ's fights at other weight classes has no bearing on who the greatest LW of all time is.
.

Depends on how you look at it legacy-wise, tho.... Best [Natural LW Fightin´ @ OW] or best [@ LW]...

 

[Gabriel201]

The one who didn't lost 3 times to a much smaller fighter

 

[COBRA03]

BJ defiantly took more chances by fighting at many different weight classes, but he lost many of those. His longest winning streak was 4 fights. Khabib stayed at one weight class, but he won 29 in a row with zero defeats. Khabib is the better fighter to me, but BJ was the ballsier fighter.

 

[NotRussianGuy]

Khabib destroys prime BJ penn any day. The modern LW division has twice the skill compared to back then.

 

[Chomsky Honk]

I think Khabib would have beat BJ after some back and forth in a fantasy fight but BJ has a better resume imo

B.J. Penn
(Hughes x2, Gomi, Uno, Sherk, Florian, Ludwig, Pulver, Sanchez, Stevenson, Din, Rodrigo, Renzo, Creighton)
• Uno II, Edgar I - BJ won
• Serra, Fitch - Close fights

Khabib Nurmagomedov
(Poirier, Gaethje, Conor, Barboza, MJ, RDA, Iaquinta, Horcher, Healy, Tavares, Shalorus)
Tibau - Close fight

 

[Chosen]

Is this a joke? Khabib beat more well rounded and championship level fighters outside of gomi (pre pride and coming off a lose to hellboy) bj’s best LW win is washed up pulver and Sean sherk. It’s not even about the record either khabib has dominated everyone in title fights only losing 2 rounds at the most. Penn could’ve retired after the Sanchez win and still wouldn’t of had a better resume.

 

[Local Plata]

Lmao at calling BJ/Frankie 1 a robbery. It was definitely close, but most people that aren't fangirls saw Frankie win. I remember that fight well, and when it ended I said it will be a split decision, and probably go to BJ because of his popularity but Frankie won. Glad the judges got it right. The 50-45 rematch showed who the better fighter was anyway.

 

[LEWIS540]

The idea that BJ cleaned out the LW division in his time, isn't really true. A lot of the best LWs weren't in the UFC at the time.