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Charles Oliveira has paid his respects to B.J. Penn for his UFC lightweight title-winning performance against Joe Stevenson.
‘The Prodigy’ faced Joe ‘Daddy’ Stevenson in a fight for the vacant UFC lightweight title at UFC 80 on January 19th, 2008. The fight saw Penn secure a spectacular victory, stopping Stevenson via second round submission and winning the UFC 155lb championship.
On that note, current UFC lightweight champion Charles Oliveira on Twitter suggested that B.J. Penn is indeed one of the GOATs (Greatest Fighters Of All Time).
In response to a tweet regarding Penn’s iconic title win at UFC 80, Oliveira posted a tweet that reads:
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“GOAT”
Penn responded with the following tweet:
Furthermore, Oliveira recently asserted that Penn is one of the best lightweight fighters ever. Penn, a former UFC lightweight and welterweight champion, replied by praising ‘Do Bronx’ and noting that he loves watching the reigning 155lb kingpin compete. Meanwhile, Oliveira thanked ‘The Prodigy’ for his kind words.
Penn holds the distinction of being the inaugural inductee into the UFC Hall of Fame’s Modern-Era Wing. His most recent MMA fight was a unanimous decision loss against Clay Guida at UFC 237 in May 2019. He was released from the UFC in September 2019 and hasn’t competed in the cage since.
Charles Oliveira on potentially becoming a two-division UFC champion
The legendary BJ Penn happens to be one of the rare fighters who’ve managed to win UFC world titles in two separate weight classes. Similarly, Charles Oliveira, who currently holds the UFC lightweight title, has expressed a desire to win UFC gold in another weight class as well.
In an edition of MMA Fighting's Trocacao Franca podcast, Oliveira explained that he could return to 145lbs and win the UFC featherweight title, or he’d perhaps move up to 170lbs and win the welterweight championship.
He stated:
"If I had the opportunity to go straight for the 145-pound belt, I'd move down to fight. Also, if I had the opportunity to go straight for the 170-pound belt, I'd also move up to fight... Becoming a two-division champion, a Brazilian man, would be awesome."
Presently, the consensus in the MMA community is that Charles Oliveira’s next fight won’t be contested at featherweight or welterweight. He’s expected to defend his UFC lightweight title in his upcoming fight against former interim UFC lightweight champion Justin ‘The Highlight’ Gaethje.
However, the fight hasn’t been officially announced yet. Furthermore, Oliveira recently hinted at potentially facing Conor McGregor next, rather than Gaethje, when the MMA megastar returns from his injury hiatus later this year.
