Which former UFC champions could have beaten the current division champions?

One name springs to mind as a popular opinion but its not mine, and thats BJ Penn.

I dont think any of the former UFC champions could have or would have beaten any of the current champions.

And its a silly comparison, the sport has changed, its gone through 3 clear definitive changes in the way fighters apply themselves and train since the early days, and by early I'm talking UFC 30, around that time.

Its a different sport now, more professional, more structure, tougher, what ever you want to call it, its a different sport.

 

Henderson would outwork Penn from the first exchange to the last, he's a far superior athlete to BJ Penn, now, then, when ever you want to compare!

He could wrestle, kick or punch Penn around the cage with little to no problems IMHO. Trust me, that pains me to say, BJ Penn is my Ricky Hatton in MMA, my inspiration for this sport began with Penn. Henderson would man handle him in any era.