Third Time’s The Charm as Penn Beats Stevenson to Win Lightweight Crown

It took BJ Penn more than 11 rounds – 59 minutes and two seconds to be exact. But finally, in his third try, BJ Penn made history, submitting Joe Stevenson in the second round tonight at the Metro Radio Arena to become the UFC Lightweight Champion and join Randy Couture as the only two men in UFC history to win titles in two different weight classes.“Joe is a great guy,” said Penn, who fought Stevenson for the title vacated by the suspension of Sean Sherk. “I knew he was gonna be tough, but I put everything into this. I wanted to make sure it was three times the charm and not three strikes you're out."Penn had fallen short in two previous 155-pound title tries, losing to Jens Pulver 2002 and drawing with Caol Uno in 2003. He held the UFC welterweight title briefly in 2004, submitting Matt Hughes to win the belt. Not surprisingly, Penn’s next opponent, Sherk - who was stripped of his title after a positive test for nandrolone after a win over Hermes Franca last July – took issue with Penn’s claim to the belt.“That belt belongs to me,” said Sherk. “(Addressing Penn) You’ve got one more fight before you can be called UFC lightweight champ.”The packed house of 8,412, which set a box office record of $1.25 million, beating the previous record held by Luciano Pavarotti, roared.And while that bout will obviously be one that will have its day in front of the world, tonight was all about the world-class effort by Penn and the grit and determination of the 25-year old Stevenson, who gamely battled through a nasty cut suffered in the first round to still give Penn a fight.