UFC 137 Fight Card: BJ Penn's 5 Most Dominant Performances

They call him “The Prodigy” for a reason.

Arguably no fighter in UFC history was blessed with more natural ability than BJ Penn.

Though he has had his fair share of ups and downs inside the Octagon, every once in a while he gives the fans a performance that can make even the most devoted Penn hater sit back in awe.

Penn has won titles in two separate weight classes, fought everyone from Takanori Gomi to Lyoto Machida and has been considered one of the best fighters in the world throughout his career.

However, the performances that he will be remembered for are the fights where he came out and literally destroyed the opposition.

Few fighters possess the highlight reel finishes that Penn does, and most of his fantastic wins have come inside the Octagon in high pressure situations.

This isn’t a list of Penn’s greatest achievements, or his best fights, but rather a collection of the times that Penn was so utterly brutal and dominant that fans started to wonder how anyone was ever able to survive against him.

Caol Uno: UFC 34

Penn had just two fights in his MMA career going into his UFC 34 bout with Caol Uno, but he was already considered the future of the lightweight division.

With the knowledge that a win would earn him a shot at Jens Pulver and the 155 lbs title, Penn looked incredibly focused coming into the fight, and made short work of his opponent.

Uno came flying out of the gate, looking for a flying kick of some sort. Penn dodged the attack and swarmed on the Japanese fighter—pounding on his face leaving him dazed and confused, earning the knockout win in just 11 seconds.

Joe Stevenson: UFC 80

Up to this point, Penn was considered the top 155 lb fighter in the world despite the fact that he had never held a major title in that weight class.

That all changed when he fought Joe Stevenson at UFC 80 for the interim lightweight belt.

Penn looked unstoppable during the bout, knocking Stevenson down just seconds into the first round and then opening a nasty cut on the former TUF winner’s forehead.

Stevenson showed a lot of heart by sticking around for another round after losing so much blood and being clearly outmatched.

However, Penn was able to secure a rear naked choke in the second to become only the second fighter in UFC history to hold titles in two separate weight divisions. 

Sean Sherk: UFC 84

Penn made his first UFC lightweight title defense against Sean Sherk at UFC 84, and while Penn was officially recognized as the true champion, Sherk had never actually been defeated before he was stripped of the same title six months prior.

Penn left little doubt as to who deserved the belt once the fight started, however, and he went out and beat down Sherk in three rounds.

The finish of the fight is a BJ Penn highlight reel staple, where BJ lands a huge flying knee and follows up with a nice combination of punches as the clock expires.

Diego Sanchez: UFC 107

After running through Stevenson, Sherk and Kenny Florian, many considered Penn’s only real threat at 155 to be Diego Sanchez—a former welterweight who was one of the few fighters in the world who could match Penn’s intensity.

However, Penn proved why he was the champion, knocking down Sanchez on several occasions and negating any sort of offense “Nightmare” attempted to throw at him.

Eventually Penn opened up a gigantic cut above Sanchez’s left eye, causing the doctor to stop the bout in the fifth and final round.

Matt Hughes: UFC 123

The third meeting between BJ Penn and Matt Hughes was meant to finally answer the question of who the superior fighter was—after the two split their first two bouts.

Penn decided to answer it quickly, and practically ran out throwing punches, connecting with a left hand early in the first and finishing it with some ground and pound, winning the fight in just 21 seconds.