Jorge Masvidal recently expressed his opinion about an MMA analyst refuting the narrative that Islam Makhachev had surpassed BJ Penn’s legacy at lightweight.
Masvidal declared his retirement from the octagon at UFC 287 after a loss against Gilbert Burns. But he has been into the fight game before he took up professional MMA. Masvidal started fighting in unsanctioned street fights across Florida in the early 2000s, which eventually led him to take up pro-MMA.
A recent Instagram post from MMA Junkie showcased their analyst, Dan Tom, disapproving of the popular opinion of counting Islam Makhachev as the lightweight GOAT over BJ Penn.
🗣️ Islam Makhachev: “I couldn’t leave these people without a fight. This is all for you guys… [I’m gonna] smash my opponent, that’s it. Doesn’t matter who’s gonna be in front of me.” 🔥🔥#UFC311 #UFC #MMApic.twitter.com/kNcBgFOrkz
— Championship Rounds (@ChampRDS) January 18, 2025
Tom stressed the fact that Penn was one of the pioneers who prevented the lightweight division from getting dissolved. He also implied that without Penn neither Khabib Nurmagomedov nor Makhachev could have made their name.
‘Gamebred’s’ words showcased that he was in good agreement with Tom’s view. Jorge Masvidal wrote:
“Very true. BJ all-time great”.
![Jorge Masvidal's comment on @mmajunkie's Instagram post. [Screenshot Courtesy: @mmajunkie on Instagram]](https://staticg.sportskeeda.com/editor/2025/01/5e063-17371480772345-1920.jpg "https://sportsandworld.com/jorge-masvidal-responds-in-six-words-to-the-analysts-claim-that-islam-makhachev-has-surpassed-bj-penns-legacy-at-lightweight.html")