Sherdog’s Top 10: American Mixed Martial Artists

Brian KnappOct 19, 2016

4. B.J. Penn

The first American to ever capture Mundials gold in the black belt division, Penn accomplished the feat in 2000 after just three years of formal training. Roughly a year later, Penn brought his otherworldly talents to the Ultimate Fighting Championship and forever altered the mixed martial arts landscape.

Penn christened his MMA career with three straight first-round finishes, as he bested Joey Gilbert, Din Thomas and Caol Uno in a six-month span and proved he was far more than a one-dimensional grappler. A majority decision loss to Jens Pulver in his fourth professional appearance cost him the UFC lightweight championship and cooled some of the hype around him. His work ethic, motives and drive were all questioned. However, even in defeat, the sense of awe that always seemed to accompany Penn never fully dissipated.

The proud Hawaiian remains one of only two men to win Ultimate Fighting Championship titles in two divisions: He won the welterweight championship with a stunning upset submission against Matt Hughes at UFC 46 in January 2004 and claimed the vacant lightweight crown with a blood-soaked tapout against Joe Stevenson at UFC 80 four years later. Penn has competed in five different weight classes, from 145 pounds to heavyweight. While his 16-10-2 career record is be regarded by some as a disappointment, eight of those 10 defeats were to former UFC champions: Hughes, Pulver, Frankie Edgar (three) Georges St. Pierre (two) and Lyoto Machida.

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