# Who is the greatest Lightweight of all-time?



## The Amarok (May 4, 2010)

Takanori Gomi or B.J Penn ?


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## Absed (Sep 21, 2010)

I assume this thread is a joke... My answer is neither. Though Penn would be top 3.


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## Toxic (Mar 1, 2007)

Anyone who doesn't answer Penn is just hating.


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## xeberus (Apr 23, 2007)

The penis mighty

of course it's Penn


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## Intermission (Oct 1, 2009)

BJ Penn... Gomi is second for sure.


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## kantowrestler (Jun 6, 2009)

I maybe partial but I say Gomi. Here are the reasons:
-PRIDE World Lightweight Champion (1 Time, Only)
-PRIDE 2005 Lightweight Grand Prix Champion
-Holds fastest knockout in Pride, at 6 seconds
-Contender for Sengoku Lightweight Championship
-2005 Sherdog Fighter of the Year
-Shooto Welterweight Championship (2 Times)
-UFC Knockout Of The Night (1 Time)
Then again that's just my opinion compared to BJ:
-UFC Lightweight Championship (One time)
-UFC Welterweight Championship (One time)
-Submission of the Night (Two times)
-Knockout of the Night (One time)
-Second fighter to win Championships in two weight classes
-Most successful Lightweight title defenses (three)
-Most Lightweight wins in UFC history (10)
-Sherdog 2008 Beatdown of the Year vs Joe Stevenson


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## M.C (Jul 5, 2008)

BJ Penn.


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## kantowrestler (Jun 6, 2009)

Reason being?


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## Intermission (Oct 1, 2009)

kantowrestler said:


> I maybe partial but I say Gomi. Here are the reasons:
> -PRIDE World Lightweight Champion (1 Time, Only)
> -PRIDE 2005 Lightweight Grand Prix Champion
> -Holds fastest knockout in Pride, at 6 seconds
> ...




I think you did a good job explaining why BJ is the best rather then Gomi.


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## M.C (Jul 5, 2008)

kantowrestler said:


> Reason being?


All the reasons you listed in your previous post, along with the fact that he has the best skills in the division and would be the favorite going to any LW fight, even by today's standards.


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## kantowrestler (Jun 6, 2009)

So basically I proved the opposite side of the argument I was arguing for?


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## UFC_OWNS (Jul 7, 2010)

Frank Edgar- beat the man bj penn twice once dominating him, overcame a maynard onslaught to retain his title, the main reason i say he is the best out of a short list of lw legends is because he is a very very small lightweight compared to all other lightweights, him also being very well rounded and fast and having a good chin and heart also helps. love bj penn but when he was champ all he beat was sherk who wanted to box, kenny the choker florian and the sole good win at lightweight was him destroying sanchez before losing to edgar twice


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## edlavis88 (Jul 12, 2009)

When questions like this come up you realise how young this sport is. ATM its probably BJ Penn but there are very few to choose from as the sport desn't have enough history. In a year the answer could well be Frankie Edgar thats how quickly it can change.

As i see it against legitimate top 50 LWs over their careers BJ is 11-3-1 at LW, Gomi is 12-6 (and BJs oposition have been better) therefore i can't see how anyone can argue Gomi has done better than BJ at LW.


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## kantowrestler (Jun 6, 2009)

Yeah, personally I still think that the first fight was close. But in my opinion BJ should've won that first fight. Unfortunately it doesn't matter now and Edgar is fighting Maynard again.


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## UFC_OWNS (Jul 7, 2010)

kantowrestler said:


> Yeah, personally I still think that the first fight was close. But in my opinion BJ should've won that first fight. Unfortunately it doesn't matter now and Edgar is fighting Maynard again.


either way edgar wouldnt look out of place if someone said he fights at bantamweight or featherweight, but he is beating up people much bigger than him and a legend in penn twice and beating sherk and griffin too and miller


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## The Amarok (May 4, 2010)

Gomi has beaten:
Sato
Mishima
Krazy Horse
Ishida
Kawajiri
Sakurai
Pulver (in a more dominating fashion)
Brenannan
Aurileo
Baron
Penn has beaten (at LW)
Gomi (before Pride)
Pulver
Sanchez
Sherk
Florian
Uno

When you look at it Gomi had more experienced opponents then Penn. Im sorry but winning the Shooto title at that time was slightly more sigificant at that time when Penn fought for the LW belt against Uno.
At that time the top 5 LW were Gomi, Penn, Uno, Hansen and Pulver.


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## St.Paul Guy (Mar 8, 2011)

I think too often in these who is the best X of all-time debates people get caught up in records and accomplishments. If there is little to no overlap in records it just isn't a very accurate way to determine who was/is better. With that logic an undefeated college hockey team is better than the worst NHL team (I'm exaggerating to make my point).

Look at the skills each man possessed. BJ is/was as good or a lot better at virtually every aspect of MMA. Therefore, the better fighter. It's not even that close. I don't know if Gomi is in my top 5.


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## Toxic (Mar 1, 2007)

UFC_OWNS said:


> either way edgar wouldnt look out of place if someone said he fights at bantamweight or featherweight, but he is beating up people much bigger than him and a legend in penn twice and beating sherk and griffin too and miller


Penn was no bigger than him. I hate when people talk about Frankie being a small LW and then don't acknowledge that Penn was just as small as him. 


BJ is easily the winner he has accomplished more than anyone at or above LW. If BJ hadn't stepped up and challenged himself against bigger guys he would likely be like 25-3 at LW since I see few now or at when BJ was fighting the likes of Machida, Huges, Gracie and GSP who could have been legit threats. That said if BJ was 25-3 and had never challenged himself against the likes of Hughes, Fitch and GSP would people think more of him as a fighter?


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## Soakked (Feb 5, 2007)

I would say BJ, for the simple fact that he has fought at higher weight classes and has had success. I mean he fought Machida back in the day and Machida was a hw, I mean the cojones on Penn is huge.


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## LL (Mar 12, 2011)

kantowrestler said:


> I maybe partial but I say Gomi. Here are the reasons:
> -PRIDE World Lightweight Champion (1 Time, Only)
> -PRIDE 2005 Lightweight Grand Prix Champion
> -Holds fastest knockout in Pride, at 6 seconds
> ...


You do know BJ's also got a victory over Gomi, right?

As of now it is BJ, he's beat some great fighters and finished Sherk, Florian, and Sanchez in his three defenses but we'll see how Edgar does, Lightweight isn't really a deep division when it comes to talking GOAT's.


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## kantowrestler (Jun 6, 2009)

The only hiccup to that win is that Gomi lost to BJ before Pride. Let's not forget that Gomi beat some good fighters as well. They may both be on the ritz right now but things could be worse.


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## METALLICA_RULES (Feb 12, 2011)

BJ Penn or Takanori Gomi when he was in Pride.


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## BobbyCooper (Oct 26, 2009)

It has to be Penn for me!


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## Ruckus (Oct 2, 2009)

All the points have been made and unfortunately opinions will still be opinions. Penn IMO.


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## LL (Mar 12, 2011)

kantowrestler said:


> The only hiccup to that win is that Gomi lost to BJ before Pride. Let's not forget that Gomi beat some good fighters as well. They may both be on the ritz right now but things could be worse.


I'm not sure how it's a hiccup, Gomi actually had more fights than BJ when they fought, so it's not like BJ came in with a huge advantage in experience. 

Gomi was 14-1, BJ was 5-1-1 when they fought.


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## ESPADA9 (Oct 13, 2006)

Penn.


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## kantowrestler (Jun 6, 2009)

Ok, it is true that BJ was still a rising star at the time, but then things went differently for both men. BJ went to the UFC and became a star and Gomi went back to Japan and for the most part dominated Pride for a while. The only time he fell was against Marcus Aurelius and in Sengoku.


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## khoveraki (Jun 28, 2009)

Probably it will end up being Maynard, Edgar, or Pettis who really holds this title. Penn only defended three times.


As it stands though you can't say it isn't Penn, historically.


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## kantowrestler (Jun 6, 2009)

Yeah, but just because Penn is the best historically doesn't mean he is right now. It's like saying Hughes is the best historically but isn't right now. Eventually someone else will arise.


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