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UFC superstar Khabib Nurmagomedov believes BJ Penn to be the second best lightweight fighter in UFC history.
In a recently held press conference, 'The Eagle' explained his reasons for putting 'The Prodigy' in the second spot on the list of the best 155-pound fighters in the promotion's history:
"I think the impersonation of the lightweight division was BJ Penn for a long time. I can explain. Despite of many defeats, he won the lightweight title, defended it and move up to the welterweights and won the belt there. Then he had lost to one of the best fighters ever Georges St-Pierre. BJ Penn, I think we can put him there," said Khabib Nurmagomedov.
You can watch a clip of the press-conference below:
BJ Penn is considered a pioneer in the sport of MMA. 'The Prodigy' made his MMA debut all the way back in May 2001 at UFC 31. During his time in the UFC, the 42-year-old has fought many MMA legends like Georges St-Pierre, Matt Hughes, Frankie Edgar, Lyoto Machida, Nick Diaz and Diego Sanchez.
Penn is the only fighter in the history of the promotion to win both the lightweight and the welterweight championships. He has also been inducted into the UFC Hall of Fame in the Modern Era Wing. Penn is tied with Khabib Nurmagomedov, Frankie Edgar and Benson Henderson for the most consecutive lightweight title defenses in the promotion's history.
Despite collecting so many accolades throughout his MMA career, 'The Prodigy' ended his stint in the UFC on a disappointing note as the 42-year-old was unable to win a single one of his last seven fights.
Khabib Nurmagomedov is considered by many as the greatest lightweight of all time
There are few fighters with more dominant runs in the UFC than former 155-pound king Khabib Nurmagomedov. 'The Eagle' had the ability to overwhelm his opponents with his elite-level wrestling and grappling skills.
The 32-year-old ran through the promotion's lightweight division, beating high-skill fighters like Justin Gaethje, Conor McGregor, Dustin Poirier and Rafael dos Anjos. Khabib Nurmagomedov retired from the sport undefeated with a record of 29-0.
Due to his achievements as a professional fighter, 'The Eagle' will always be hailed as one of the best fighters to ever compete in the UFC, let alone the lightweight division.
