BJ Penn vs Joe Stevenson

The return of the most controversial title is set for UFC 80, when Cobra Kai fighter Joe "Daddy" Stevenson (28-7-0) will take on Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu legend BJ "The Prodigy" Penn (11-4-1).

While the UFC 155 pound title has yet to see an actual passing of the torch, the fight between Penn, who has long been considered one of the best lightweights in the world and recently defeated the first champion Jens "Little Evil" Pulver. (Pulver left the UFC and vacated his title after a contract dispute.

Penn has held the UFC 170 pound title, which he (in a similar fashion to Pulver) vacated when he signed with K-1. Penn is a heavy favorite in this fight and his phenomenal combination of striking skills and prodigal Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu ability is the main reason for that, though he also has alot of experience with top fighters in the UFC welterweight division, having gone to war with two of the 170 divisions former champions, in addition to holding the title.

While it's no secret Penn knows how to fight at the top ranks of the UFC, Joe Stevenson may pull out a phenomenal, quick finish like he has been doing for a while now, particularly in his last fight when he stopped the explosive striker and wrestler Melvin Guillard with a guillotine choke in the first round.

The lightweight title, which was stripped from champion Sean Sherk after he tested positive for steroids, is a serious matter, as it's a title that hasn't really had a long standing or legitimate champion. As I said before, no one has held the title long enough to lose it (as the only defense ended in Sherk testing positive).

Penn and Stevenson have a lot of pressure going into this fight, but Penn has to be coming in with the competitive edge. After all, it's not his first title fight, and he just beat the man who once held it.

As far as the actual matchup of skill sets between Penn and Stevenson, it looks almost too good to be true for BJ. Joe Stevenson is a strong wrestler with good submission skills, but BJ is one of the best submission fighters in the 155 pound division, perhaps second only to Shinya Aoki.

Still, this will be an interesting fight. Stevenson may try to stay on top and use his wrestling ability to edge out a decision, which means we will get to see BJ's jiu-jitsu, and that's always fun to watch. Still, as good a wrestler as Stevenson is, the question remains: will he be able to keep the Prodigy from sinking in that submission?