Is Charles Oliveira a better grappler than prime BJ?

[joy2day]

BJ’s didn’t really adhere to the common sense of weight classes, thus half of his losses were fighting up at up at WW. Regardless of being undersized BJ would go to the death. He only lost once by submission, add that a majority of his KO loses were past his best. That being said… BJ Penn’s kryptonite was his inconsistencies in his conditioning, also he often changed trainers between fights. BJ goes to the death unless his opponent is an axle grease loaded French-Canucks or a Bantamweight.

Charles always knows when to live to fight another day, hence why he has 4 submission L’s on his resume, Charles is kill or be killed fighter, best whenever he’s the hammer, as the nail he would give up on himself….

Comparing them is like differentiating between the hamburgler and grimace.

In a nutshell, they are both great in their own way, but BJ wasn't always motivated.

This might merit two different comparisons:
1) Chuck vs Penn
2) Chuck vs Motivated Penn

 

[HHJ]

People underrate BJ so much here because he loss after he got old. It's not a fair comparison really, Olivera would be a MW compared to BJ. BJ probably would be a BW or FW at most in modern UFC. BJ is so much more creative and fluid, where Olivera is more explosive. Would love to see them roll, but Olivera just has size. If BJ was same size he'd take it no problem.

Honestly people dont understand how impressive it was how well he did against both Hughes and GSP when he came back to the UFC, despite being a LW.

It's like even though he lost those fights he LOOKED like he was better than both of them in those fights, and those were the two top guys there, and those fights were back to back.

 

[SuperNerd]

Yes

 

[pick999]

bj in his prime was likely better

 

[NoSmilez]

Olives is a better grappler because BJ’s style is a bit old. Olives never had a signature pass and BJ has one. I will admit some of the stuff BJ does is just him. He has crazy dexterity that helps him take the back of people in odd positions.

 

[Pious Augustus]

I think Charles maybe have a dangerous ground but BJ had a better wrestling by far. Was pretty tough put him on his back when he was in shape

Edgar outwrestled him

 

[BigOlJeet]

BJ is the most overrated fighter in the history of MMA.

 

[GreatSaintGuillotine]

Respectfully to Prime BJ, his grappling isn't on the level of many of the championship level fighters that came after him. He was ahead of the curve during his era but the real grappling studs started coming in during the middle of his decline

 

[chinarice]

Is Charles a BJJ world champion? BJ is.

I still think without the grease BJ would grapple fucked GSP. Instead GSP cheated and we have greasegate.

BJ did nothing but get his brain pulverized. The skill gap along with everything else was huge by that point.

Was a fan of BJ before I even knew who GSP was but after their first fight, GSP got wayyyyyyyyyyy better. BJ only maybe got better cardio and that's probably it.

 

[xXxGhost89xXx]

Is Charles a BJJ world champion? BJ is.

I still think without the grease BJ would grapple fucked GSP. Instead GSP cheated and we have greasegate.

All these years and you’re still salty the goat shut out Penn. love them tears . . .

 

[ryun253]

BJ Penn was a great grappler in a time where BJJ wasn't the level it is now.

 

[mister piscadinha]

bj penn was better than charles everywhere, except maybe takedowns

as a grappler, bj was more fluid, more explosive and much harder to take or keep down

 

[mister piscadinha]

BJ Penn was a great grappler in a time where BJJ wasn't the level it is now.

lol

fighters with no bjj at all are holding world titles today, if anything bjj at that time was way better in mma

 

[DanDragon Machi]

bj penn was better than charles everywhere, except maybe takedowns

as a grappler, bj was more fluid, more explosive and much harder to take or keep down

Charles has a better punch and more explosive striking. I think BJ was better in every single aspect of wrestling

 

[ryun253]

lol

fighters with no bjj at all are holding world titles today, if anything bjj at that time was way better in mma

nostalgia

 

[mister piscadinha]

Penn's backtake and reverse triangle, off his back, on Hughes was, and still is, a thing of beauty. Too bad he got injured in that 2nd fight with Hughes.

very nice display of K1-hughes in the third round

he was a better striker then i remembered

 

[mister piscadinha]

nostalgia

recency bias

 

[Cowboy Kurt Angle]

In MMA maybe but in pure grappling I don’t think so BJ Penn was I believe the first American to earn a black belt within just 3 years

 

[Shane-O-Mac]

BJ was a better grappler but his gas tank is always in question, I know Charles is going 5 rounds no matter what