Penn wins lightweight title; Sherk is next
B.J. Penn captured the vacant UFC lightweight title with a win over Joe Stevenson at UFC 80: Rapid Fire in Newcastle, England.
Penn clobbered Stevenson early, almost winning the bout in the opening seconds. Penn opened up Stevenson’s forehead before putting him away with a rear naked choke late in the first round.
Penn, a former welterweight champion, became the second man to win UFC titles in different weight divisions. Randy Couture was the first (light heavyweight and heavyweight).
Sean Sherk did commentary at ringside. He lost the lightweight title after testing positive for a banned substance. Sherk will battle Penn at a future pay-per-view to determine the undisputed king of the lightweight (155-pound) division.
In the heavyweight division, Fabricio Werdum upset fellow Brazilian Gabriel Gonzaga by TKO with a flurry of punches late in Round 2.
In other bouts:
– Marcus Davis beat Jess Liaudin with a very quick knockout.
– Jorge Rivera upset Kendall Grove with a first-round knockout.
– Wilson Gouveia took an early beating but came back to knock out Jason Lambert in Round 2.
– Paul Kelly and Paul Taylor, a pair of British fighters, opened their fight with a wild slugfest. The bout went the distance with Kelly winning a unanimous decision.
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