BJ Penn – Seven Defining Moments
On December 12th, UFC lightweight champion BJ Penn steps back into the Octagon to defend his crown for the third…
On December 12th, UFC lightweight champion BJ Penn steps back into the Octagon to defend his crown for the third time against Diego Sanchez in the main event of UFC 107. It’s the latest big fight for ‘The Prodigy’ and one which may very well join the seven fights below as a defining moment in his career.
Caol Uno – November 2, 2001 – UFC 34
Result – Penn KO1
Penn burst on the UFC scene in May of 2001, when he made his pro debut with a first round stoppage of Joey Gilbert at UFC 31. After following that win up with a stoppage of legitimate contender Din Thomas in the first round at UFC 32, he was pitted against Japanese star Caol Uno in what was seen as yet another test. Penn – who admitted staying up nights with a nervous energy while waiting for the fight to come – tore out of his corner at the opening bell, and 11 seconds later, he was victorious after a vicious striking demonstration. What most may remember from the fight though is Penn sprinting out of the Octagon and back to his locker room after the fight, showing that there is no one in the fight game quite like him.
Jens Pulver I – January 11, 2002 – UFC 35
Result – Pulver W5
To most observers, this fight should have been over before it started. No one gave reigning lightweight champ Pulver a chance of beating Penn in this one, yet after one of the grittiest performances in UFC history, Lil’ Evil’ successfully defended his crown by beating Penn via a five round decision. The loss crushed the heavily favored Hawaiian. I didn’t know what I was gonna do with my life or my career, he remembered. Everything was in shambles. I didn’t know what to think, I didn’t know where to go. The only thing I was sure about was that it was a great learning experience. But I didn’t know where to go. I didn’t know what was up, what was down, what was left, what was right, or what was going on.
Matt Hughes I – January 31, 2004 – UFC 46
Result – Penn Wsub1
Penn returned four months after the Pulver fight and stopped Paul Creighton in two less than compelling rounds. He then won a close decision over Matt Serra in a bout some believed the New Yorker won, and then fought Uno again for the title Pulver vacated, but this time, the two went to an unsatisfying five round draw. A win over Takanori Gomi in a non-UFC bout in Hawaii was a more positive result, but it wasn’t until his return at UFC 46 that people got a glimpse of the ‘real’ BJ Penn again, as he moved up 15 pounds to the welterweight division and shocked the world with a first round submission of the seemingly unbeatable Matt Hughes. Finally, BJ Penn was a champion…
Lyoto Machida – March 26, 2005 – K-1 Hero’s 1
Result – Machida W3