Is BJ Penn challenging GSP the biggest step up in competition ever?

[Strijfy]

It's definitely up there. Conor going up a weight class to face Alvarez and then going up even further to face Cowboy is also noteworthy.

yes just amazing , a guy moving to his natural weight class... just unheard of

 

[Franklin U.]

No

 

[louiscyphere]

He was fighting the champion in a bigger weight class, and a very dominant and dangerous champion at that.

People tend to forget that.

TO THE DEATH GEORGES!!!

 

[kevinramsdell]

Cormier challenging Stipe is the closest thing.

There is a reason why Jones is finally talking about stepping up. He knows Stipe is aging, fighting less, and has been dealing with medical issues. We've been pushing for a Jones to HW takeover for years now but he's ducked it. Cormier bless!!!

 

[RockyLockridge]

but then youd realise that youd be wrong as that was just a money grab colluded by both of them
not that Im cynical or anything

I think both of our statements are true.

 

[Cooliox]

Saku fighting from WW to HW is the biggest step up ever

This includes fighting the Gracies at a time where they were unstoppable.

 

[TheJohnnyWalkerEra]

BJ fighting Ryoto at HW was a bigger challenge

 

[Mga223]

Connor challenging cowboy at 170


Nah but seriously Connor fighting Khabib should atleast get a mention, I get it technically he didn’t go up in weight and he was the last LW champ, but Connor only had one fight in the UFC at LW and after a lengthy hiatus he went to challenge who many considers the GOAT lightweight

other honorable mentions
Nunes VS Cyborg
Anthony Smith/Santos VS Jones
Chael VS Jones

Nunes vs cyborg is great.

Chael and smith/santos had fought at those weights Before?

 

[fzoid4454]

Can’t say I’ve seen anyone recently go up and take on the goat of a higher weight class at THEIR weight.

Mira the equivalent of GSP fighting Silva at 185 or Anderson taking on Jones at 205.

just not something that we see people do ever.

Didn't he previously fight Machida at HW?

 

[BForrester]

I'll go with Saku, who walked around 183-187, fighting the number 1 HW in the world (Igor) after a 90 minute fight in the same night. If that's not considered stepping up b/c it was a tourney, then Saku also saying "fuck it" and just staying above his weight to fight Wand x2, Rampage, and Cro Cop in succession, before fighting Wand again along with Randleman and Arona.

Yeah, Sakuraba had brass balls, that's for sure. Unfortunately he paid the price for it.

 

[Dbreiden83080]

He was fighting at WW before.

 

[Megatronlee]

Conor

 

[chinarice]

Yes, thats what made BJ great.

Did something that Bore St. Pierre never had the balls to do.

Something Anderson Silva never had the balls to do, Jon Jones never had the balls to do., Aldo never had the balls to do.

Legit no one does it outside of maybe 2 mixed martial artists in the entire history of MMA.

GSP has clearly your life and it's pretty funny.

 

[PalmStrike]

Sure, if we pretend that Wand didnt fight prime Cro Cop 2X or throw down with prime Hunto, I guess.

 

[PalmStrike]

The guy who knocked BJ out in the parking lot was the biggest step up in weight class - guy had 40 lbs on BJ.

Cerrone esque defense from BJ !

 

[VinceArch]

Only a sucker truly believed a fighter was going to fight to the death.

Only guy I believe would fight to the death is Fabio Maldonado after he fought Glover and said he kind of enjoyed the beating. That's a sadist through and through.

 

[Just Creed]

BJ Penn quit on the stool.

Plenty fighters quit.

 

[Garnet_StrongerThanYou]

Only guy I believe would fight to the death is Fabio Maldonado after he fought Glover and said he kind of enjoyed the beating. That's a sadist through and through.

you mean masochist.

 

[Shoguns Prodigy**]

No. That would be hughes vs bj. That fight was like if khabib defended the belt like 5 times and became the #1 p4p and then volk moved up and dispatched him like he was a can.

 

[MRDOG]

Nitpick: in 2006, Hughes was universally considered the 170 GOAT. And GSP was 0-1 against Hughes at the time.

GSP surpassed him a few years later. Some thing before the BJ fight, some think after.

So the real question is, in 2004 was BJ taking on Hughes the biggest step up in competition ever? (by TS's defintion, not mine)?

I was going to say the same.

Hughes was much more accomplished at the time of fighting B.J. then GSP was at the time of fighting B.J. People forget how much a force Hughes was. He without a doubt would be considered the WW goat if GSP wasn't around.