Dana White: BJ Penn should have been one of the best 'to ever live'

[Bewareofdawg]

what did bj do that was so great

He beat the #1 LW in the world and then the #1 WW in the world, both by submission, both within like 1 year of each other. So essentially, he was un-arguably, the best LW and WW in the world at that time. Which has never happened before or again...

Is that great enough for you?

 

[Kelman]

In an interview from Dana White with TMZ, he's still the first name that comes to mind for many when they think "guy who could have been better

"That's a loaded question. Listen, there's guys and girls that probably don't reach their potential, because they don't... BJ Penn. "BJ Penn probably should have been one of the best ever, to ever live, to ever do it. But, BJ was so talented, you know. I just... I don't know. I think BJ, in his own words, would go back and do things differently if he could."





http://www.bloodyelbow.com/2016/7/2...l-fighters-bj-penn-best-every-legacy-mma-news

He was one of the best to ever live.

 

[xentreos]

Marinovich BJ = GOAT without question

i agree. His performance against kenny was just surreal. It was like suddenly bj was just god tier

 

[Rod Farva]

He beat the #1 LW in the world and then the #1 WW in the world, both by submission, both within like 1 year of each other. So essentially, he was un-arguably, the best LW and WW in the world at that time. Which has never happened before or again...

Is that great enough for you?

I can't believe it took three pages for someone to call him out on that statement.

BJ achieved a lot in his career. He had a very enviable career. But you can't help but think he underachieved.

I often compare him to Mickey mantle. The guy was a hall of famer but he should have been so much more

 

[ilfirin]

He is one of the best of all time. But I do agree that he probably could've achieved even more, and that says quite a lot considering how much he already did accomplish.

 

[Filthymaggot]

yeah he's a legend either way but he was so talented the argument has become not if he was one of the best ever but how much more better could he have been

Agreed. If he had GSP's work ethic we would probably be having goat talks about him. He was that naturally talented.

 

[Jorge Luis Borges]

what did bj do that was so great

Won a belt in both of the most competitive divisions in MMA.

 

[PrinceOfPain]

The guy had amazing natural ability and talent, but unfortunately it was married to a rich and lazy slob.

Unfortunately that's pretty common. It's easy to get by being lazy, stupid, or both when you're ridiculously talented.
Look at Jones.

 

[UL]

BJ -

I'm going to say it


Most overrated fighter ever

 

[IIIIIIII]

nah dude, I sincerely believe that motherfucker had a hard on for GSP.

he even sent me a PM talking shit once out of the fucking blue when BJ lost one of his fights, like a really pathetic PM haha. am I allowed to post PMs or is that shit still against the law here?

also, I got an official warning from a mod to not post a 'shop I made about him - he was such a pussy he complained about it.

yeah, he sent me a few personal pm's as well. all you can do is laugh.

 

[neandertal]

"there's guys and girls that probably don't reach their potential, because they don't..."

Expert analysis there by Dana.

 

[neandertal]

Should have been the first..

 

[IIIIIIII]

BJ -

I'm going to say it


Most overrated fighter ever

i think bj was a great fighter, but i do agree with you to an extent. i think he is a bit overrated, mainly for going up to beat hughes and being a champion in two weight-classes. if he had gone through the ranks to earn that title-shot, that would be one thing. but any fighter can have a great night and/or fight a guy who they have a stylistic match-up against and win. look at conor vs. nate. someone with a lesser chin would have gone down.

 

[MCS]

The fight with Nick, like the fight with MacDonald, showed courage but nothing else; he was already in terminal decline by then. I don't believe it added to his greatness.

Well the willingness to do it adds to it, to me, and if you just want something tangible he did win the 1st round vs Nick.

 

[P0rkchop]

By being generally outworked the entire fight?

lalalala I can't hear you

 

[MuyThaiElbows]

Couture did it as well.

I forgot about Couture. Only two guys to ever do it when there's been guys like Silva, Gsp, Chuck, Aldo, Cruz, Shogun, Vitor, Machida, and Tito.

That's saying something. And it speaks volumes.