Is BJ Penn overrated?

Though I originally picked Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu ace BJ Penn to win his rematch with Frankie Edgar last week, I changed my mind as soon as I saw BJ enter the Octagon.

“You can always tell if Penn will win just by looking at him before the fight,” I told my friends. “If he’s out of shape and has that vacant look in his eyes, he’ll lose.”

And he did. We hoped “Good BJ” would show up but instead watched “Bad BJ” get his tail kicked by the UFC lightweight champ Edgar. And we saw that increasingly familiar image of Penn holding the cage, head between his legs, gasping for air between rounds.

Does that sound like the greatest lightweight of all time to you?

I’m just as guilty of the chatter as any MMA pundit. But I’m starting to wonder if BJ Penn isn’t the best lightweight of all time – but instead the most overrated lightweight of all time.

Look at his record: 15-7-1. It doesn’t even compare those of the other legends in their weight classes such as Matt Hughes (45-7), Georges St-Pierre (20-2), Anderson Silva (27-4) or Fedor Emelianenko (32-2). And a look at his recent work in his prime has me even less convinced that BJ is a legend.

He’s 5-5 in his last 10 fights. Sure, he’s facing plenty of top competition, but it seems all his wins over that span are against the inferior guys (Diego Sanchez, Kenny Florian, Sean Sherk, Joe Stevenson, Jens Pulver) and the legends (Matt Hughes, Georges St-Pierre twice) have taken him down. And then there’s the two consecutive losses to Edgar.

To be a legend in mixed martial arts, you have to be a guy who brings his “A” game virtually every time he fights. Can we thus call Penn a legend? Would we ever worry about GSP “showing up out of shape” or “not winning if it’s one of those nights when he just doesn’t care”?

Perhaps the better label when Penn’s career is all said and done will be the most talented lightweight of all time. When he’s on, he’s amazing. But he’s not consistent enough or dedicated enough to go down as the best.

About Grant Brothers Boxing & BJJ Gym: Based in North York, Grant Brothers Boxing & BJJ Gym offers world-class Boxing, BJJ, Judo, Muay Thai, Sambo, Wrestling, MMA and UFC training at real-world prices.  Classes are taught by certified coaches with classes for men, women, children, adults, beginners and advanced.  Private lessons and boxercise classes are also available. Areas serviced include North York, Etobicoke, Toronto, Scarborough, Thornhill, Richmond Hill, Markham, Vaughan, Brampton and Mississauga.