Prime BJ Penn fought killers and moved up, while Islam is fighting guys on days notice & from division below.

[Cooliox]

Get back to us when Islam quits on the stool in the fourth round then we can have a discussion.

Get back to us when Islam has the balls to fight at WW, let alone the GOAT WW.

In the mean time keep cutting massive weight to make LW, in order to fight Featherweights. Hah!

 

[HHJ]

BJ Penn beat a bunch of top LW then moved to WW and beat the #2 WW GoAT (#1 at the time). He was also a small LW. Basically a FW who had major wins at LW and WW plus a bunch of wins/good performances from MW - HW.

That's far more impressive than beating 2 or 3 good LW and a bunch of mediocre ones

The mark of a good LW champ is doing stuff outside of LW?

He doesnt have a "bunch of wins" from MW - HW

People need to pick what it is they are actually arguing about.

If you want to hold all LW's to the standard of moving up to WW, well Islam's career isnt over yet.

I like also how BJ is "basically a FW" now. Everyone is whatever weight that helps someone's argument lol

 

[Blayt7hh]

Islam took the title from Charles Olivera. That’s one of the scariest fights you could possibly take

 

[SuperAlly]

Oh yeah, winning a vacant title against Joe Stevenson, then defending against 35 year old Sherk, Florian and Diego Sanchez, with a failed attempt at the WW belt in the middle, is much better than taking the title from the #3 p4p, then beating the #1 p4p twice in a row, then Poirier.

People talk of recency bias, but it's the rose tinted glasses that are a problem in this thread

 

[orca]

Ohhh , his great accomplish is that he fought bigger guys!!!!! Let's going to forget that Frankie Edgar existed

lol bj penn huggers truly believe bj penn is the only fighter who is capable of fighting bigger guys
the dude lost like 50 percent of the time

frankie edgar should be higher than bj when beating bigger opponents .hes not even a real LW
he even beat bj penn who his nuthuggers call the giant slayer who lost most of the time lool

 

[BowserJr]

The mark of a good LW champ is doing stuff outside of LW?

He doesnt have a "bunch of wins" from MW - HW

People need to pick what it is they are actually arguing about.

If you want to hold all LW's to the standard of moving up to WW, well Islam's career isnt over yet.

I like also how BJ is "basically a FW" now. Everyone is whatever weight that helps someone's argument lol

Yeah people do need to pick what they're arguing about and OP did. I spoke along the same lines as OP which is moving up as an undersized fighter and doing very well. As opposed to being a size bully and beating smaller opponents.

Hendo is another great example. He was never a UGC division champ but he has top 10 wins at MW, LHW, HW. That is the mark of a p4p great.

This is more impressive than Izzy defending the belt a few times and losing at LHW.

BJ made his career at LW so he's considered a LW who fought many divisions up from that. Same with Hendo who made his career at MW and fought many divisions up.

BJ is p4p best lightweight and actually proved it. Hendo has a good argument for p4p best MW unfortunately Anderson also had huge wins at LHW. Plus Anderson was #1 WW at one point.

Point is even without winning the UFC belt Hendo is p4p far more impressive with his resume and strength of schedule than say Izzy. Likewise BJ has the most impressive strength of schedule and resume (pre decline) than any LW.... Yes pre decline. I know you'll get your pa ties in a twist with that one. But as any combat fan knows there is a huge difference. IE Muhammad Ali doesn't get a knock on how good he was just cuz he lost a bunch at the end either. Everyone knows fighters stick around too long. Only morlns hold that against them

 

[HHJ]

Yeah people do need to pick what they're arguing about and OP did. I spoke along the same lines as OP which is moving up as an undersized fighter and doing very well. As opposed to being a size bully and beating smaller opponents.

Hendo is another great example. He was never a UGC division champ but he has top 10 wins at MW, LHW, HW. That is the mark of a p4p great.

This is more impressive than Izzy defending the belt a few times and losing at LHW.

BJ made his career at LW so he's considered a LW who fought many divisions up from that. Same with Hendo who made his career at MW and fought many divisions up.

BJ is p4p best lightweight and actually proved it. Hendo has a good argument for p4p best MW unfortunately Anderson also had huge wins at LHW. Plus Anderson was #1 WW at one point.

Point is even without winning the UFC belt Hendo is p4p far more impressive with his resume and strength of schedule than say Izzy. Likewise BJ has the most impressive strength of schedule and resume (pre decline) than any LW.... Yes pre decline. I know you'll get your pa ties in a twist with that one. But as any combat fan knows there is a huge difference. IE Muhammad Ali doesn't get a knock on how good he was just cuz he lost a bunch at the end either. Everyone knows fighters stick around too long. Only morlns hold that against them

I dont have a problem with BJ Penn, i acknowledge him as an all time great.

1) These petty ass threads triggered by a last min opponent change appropiatley get dumped on

2) Islam's career aint over, he constantly says he wants to go to WW. We all know the situation w him and Belal. People should just be patient. BJ fucking straight up LEFT the UFC for years. Imagine if Islam did that? These fuckin impatient haters would go into cardiac arrest.

 

[BowserJr]

I dont have a problem with BJ Penn, i acknowledge him as an all time great.

1) These petty ass threads triggered by a last opponent change appropiatley get dumped on

2) Islam's career aint over, he constantly says he wants to go to WW. We all know the situation w him and Belal. People should just be patient. BJ fucking straight up LEFT the UFC for years. Imagine if Islam did that? These fuckin impatient haters would go into cardia arrest.

I agree. I think Islam could dobWW and successfully defend a few times depending on the matchups... heck I even think he could win MW if Strickland is champ

 

[HHJ]

I agree. I think Islam could dobWW and successfully defend a few times depending on the matchups... heck I even think he could win MW if Strickland is champ

I dunno, i think MW is "a stone too far"

 

[El Fernas]

So, remind me how getting a replacement fight on short notice its on him.

 

[VinceArch]

We know what the majority think about this particular poll.

 

[TimeToTrain]

I like BJ but Islam is light years ahead in terms of skill and title reign. It wasn’t Islam’s call to fight Volk. It’s what Volk requested and what the UFC granted. If BJ would’ve beat Frankie Edgar and defended it against Ben Henderson, Anthony Pettis and RDA then BJ would be cemented as the LW GOAT but that never happened. And the competition at LW for the past 5 years is superior to those 4 LWs mentioned, and no disrespect to RDA.

 

[The Judo Champ]

I’m a massive BJ Penn fan but Islam is a better fighter overall and currently has a better resume.

Bj fought up but ironically if he didn’t he’d more than likely have a better resume.

Islam fought a 145er twice but it was the best 145er ever. Some of the “way bigger”’ lightweights you credit him for all settled in as average fws once they had the option to do so.

Islam also isn’t picking his opposition.

 

[SuperAlly]

Yeah people do need to pick what they're arguing about and OP did. I spoke along the same lines as OP which is moving up as an undersized fighter and doing very well. As opposed to being a size bully and beating smaller opponents.

Hendo is another great example. He was never a UGC division champ but he has top 10 wins at MW, LHW, HW. That is the mark of a p4p great.

This is more impressive than Izzy defending the belt a few times and losing at LHW.

BJ made his career at LW so he's considered a LW who fought many divisions up from that. Same with Hendo who made his career at MW and fought many divisions up.

BJ is p4p best lightweight and actually proved it. Hendo has a good argument for p4p best MW unfortunately Anderson also had huge wins at LHW. Plus Anderson was #1 WW at one point.

Point is even without winning the UFC belt Hendo is p4p far more impressive with his resume and strength of schedule than say Izzy. Likewise BJ has the most impressive strength of schedule and resume (pre decline) than any LW.... Yes pre decline. I know you'll get your pa ties in a twist with that one. But as any combat fan knows there is a huge difference. IE Muhammad Ali doesn't get a knock on how good he was just cuz he lost a bunch at the end either. Everyone knows fighters stick around too long. Only morlns hold that against them

This post is conflating and confusing so many concepts

It's all over the place like a mad man's shite

 

[SuperAlly]

I’m a massive BJ Penn fan but Islam is a better fighter overall and currently has a better resume.

Bj fought up but ironically if he didn’t he’d more than likely have a better resume.

Islam fought a 145er twice but it was the best 145er ever. Some of the “way bigger”’ lightweights you credit him for all settled in as average fws once they had the option to do so.

Islam also isn’t picking his opposition.

Yeh, I don't really care for the 145 put down when it's fucking Volk who is cemented as an all time legend

It's a retarded and irrelevant gripe when the "little 45er" is a better win they maybe all the 55ers on both guys resumes

If it was just some average 45er. Fine. But it isn't. It's a GOAT 45er

 

[BEATDOWNS]

Get back to us when Islam has the balls to fight at WW, let alone the GOAT WW.

In the mean time keep cutting massive weight to make LW, in order to fight Featherweights. Hah!

or be a fat and spoiled like BJ

He's got lots of time to move up and dominate WW! You must have patience my young Padawan..

 

[Cooliox]

or be a fat and spoiled like BJ

He's got lots of time to move up and dominate WW! You must have patience my young Padawan..

Absolutely, time is still on Islam’s side.

I don’t know why people are crying that “it’s not Islam’s fault”

No one ever suggested it is.

I bet half the people didn’t read the OP. The issue is with the UFC commentators saying that this is the greatest LW Title reign ever.

Like, you’re going to let Islam surpass BJ’s legacy by way of fighting a guy who took the fight on 1 day notice?? Just nope.

But sure. Another solid defense or 2 from Islam then there’s no doubt left.

Time is indeed on Islam’s side.

 

[-Sideways-]

Islam has the greater run at LW, but I still have Penn higher on the GOAT list.

 

[AndersonSilva23]

Usman vs Islam would be cool, needs to fight a couple guys at WW.

 

[Gotosleepho]

Sure BJ took a lot of risks but he lost the majority of those fights. And he wasn't particularly dominant for a long period of time at LW. Islam takes this easy and Islam would destroy BJ Penn in a fight.