4. BJ Penn
For those of you who may get their book recommendations solely from Joe Rogan’s podcast, you might be familiar with a book titled “The Art of Learning”. The book explains that that there are two types of athletes: those who rely on the natural skill they were born with, and those that work hard and advance their skills to be the best they can be. BJ Penn is the epitome of the former.
Penn’s natural skill for the sport might be greater than any other fighter in history. It is at least certainly the case for his jiu-jitsu skills. BJ Penn was a black belt and a world champion in the sport after only 3 years of competing. Then he came into the UFC, without a single pro-MMA bout, and was instantly a top fighter.
Like many fighters who had relied on natural skill however, Penn faltered in the face of adversity. Once Penn hit his 30s his skills never advanced and his natural tools got slower. The result has been that since his 30th birthday, BJ Penn’s career record is 3W-6L-1D.
