B.J. Penn
Penn in 2019
Born	Jay Dee Penn III (1978-12-13)December 13, 1978 (age 47) Kailua,Hawaii,[1] U.S.
Other names	The Prodigy
Height	5 ft 9 in (175 cm)
Weight	145 lb (66 kg; 10 st 5 lb)
Division	Featherweight (2014–2017) Lightweight (2001–2003, 2007–2010, 2018-2019) Welterweight (2004, 2006, 2010–2012) Middleweight (2004–2005) Openweight (2005)
Reach	70 in (178 cm)
Style	Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu
Team	B.J. Penn's MMA
Trainer	Jason Parillo
Rank	5th degree black belt inBJJ[a]
Years active	2001–2014, 2017–2019
Mixed martial arts record
Total	32
Wins	16
By knockout	7
By submission	6
By decision	3
Losses	14
By knockout	4
By submission	1
By decision	9
Draws	2
Other information
Notable school	Hilo High School
Website	bjpenn.com
Mixed martial arts record fromSherdog
Medal record Representing United States Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu World Championship 2000Rio de Janeiro −70 kg

Jay Dee "B.J."Penn III (born December 13, 1978)^[2] is an American former professionalmixed martial artist and 5th degreeblack beltBrazilian jiu-jitsu (BJJ) practitioner.^[a] A formerUFC Lightweight Champion andUFC Welterweight Champion, he is the second of eleven fighters in UFC history towin titles in multiple weight classes.^[4] Prior to his MMA career, Penn was known as the first non-Brazilian to win theWorld Jiu-Jitsu Championship at black belt level. In mixed martial arts, Penn has competed in theUltimate Fighting Championship (UFC) and inK-1 in theFeatherweight,Lightweight,Welterweight,Middleweight, andHeavyweight/Openweight divisions. Penn fought to a draw againstCaol Uno in theUFC 41 Lightweight Tournament.^[5] Through his tenures as champion, Penn unofficiallyunified theUFC Lightweight Championship (againstSean Sherk)^[6][7] and broke theall-time lightweight title defense record. In 2015, Penn was made the inaugural inductee into theModern-era wing of theUFC Hall of Fame.^[8]

Penn was considered one of the toppound-for-pound mixed martial artists in the world early in his career and holds victories over opponents such asDin Thomas,Caol Uno,Paul Creighton, andMatt Serra. Penn won theRumble on the Rock Lightweight Championship inK-1. He submitted long-reigningthen-championMatt Hughes to capture theUFC Welterweight Championship.^[9] Following a period in which Penn competed exclusively forK-1, he returned to the UFC and won theUFC Lightweight Championship. He made a record three subsequent title defenses before losing his title toFrankie Edgar.^[10]

Penn is regarded as one of the best competitors in the UFC's history.^[11] UFC President,Dana White, credits Penn with bringing thelower weight divisions into the mainstream of mixed martial arts; he describes Penn as "the first crossoverpay-per-view star for theUltimate Fighting Championship's lighter weight divisions",^[12][13] as well as saying that "[through his] accomplishments, B.J. Penn built the 155-pound division".^[14]

Penn ran forgovernor of Hawaii in the2022 Hawaii gubernatorial election but was eliminated in the Republican Party primary.^[15]

In 2025, Penn claimed in court and on social media that close relatives, including his mother, had been murdered and replaced by impostors. His mother, Lorraine Shin, was granted a restraining order and stated she believed Penn was experiencingCapgras syndrome, a psychiatric delusional disorder.^[16][17] The same year, Penn had been arrested for assault on at least six occasions.^[18]

Penn was born inKailua, Hawaii to Lorraine (née Shin) and Jay Dee Penn. He is ofNative Hawaiian andKorean descent through his mother, and ofEnglish andIrish descent through his father.^[19][20] At the age of 17, Penn began training in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu after being introduced to it by his neighbor, Tom Callos.^[21] Callos had put up fliers in local gyms looking for people to train with,^[22] and Penn's father had called Callos and said his sons were interested.^[21] Callos then taught Penn and his brothers what he knew.^[22] Shortly thereafter, Penn moved toSan Jose, California, to begin training at theRalph Gracie BJJ academy with Dave Camarillo, with whom he lived and became close friends. It was during his time in San Jose that he decided to pursue a martial arts career.

In 1997 Penn began training Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu underRalph Gracie, eventually earning his purple belt from Gracie.^[23] At that point he moved toNova União, where he was eventually awarded hisblack belt in 2000 byAndré Pederneiras.^[23] A few weeks later, he became the first non-Brazilian to win in the black-belt division of theWorld Jiu-Jitsu Championship held inRio de Janeiro,Brazil.^[24] While Penn's most well-known and prestigious achievement was placing first in the black belt division in the 2000 world championships, he had success at the Mundials in previous years. In 1999, at the age of 20, Penn finished 3rd, earning himself a bronze medal in the brown belt division, losing only toFernando "Tererê" Augusto, and in 1998, earned a silver medal, placing 2nd in the blue belt division.^[25] Penn is thought to have earned the fastest legitimateblack belt of all active Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu practitioners.^[26]

Penn's accomplishments in theWorld Jiu-Jitsu Championship caught the attention of theUltimate Fighting Championship, which convinced him to switch tomixed martial arts.^[27] Penn made his mixed martial arts debut with the company on May 24, 2001, with a win overJoey Gilbert atUFC 31.^[27] He then demonstrated strongstriking skills,knocking out lightweightsDin Thomas andCaol Uno before suffering a decision loss in a championship fight againstUFC Lightweight Champion,Jens Pulver.^[25][28] In 2003, after Pulver left the UFC and relinquished his title, a tournament to crown a new champion flopped when Penn fought Uno to a draw in the finals atUFC 41, a failure which caused the UFC to later suspend its lightweight division.^[25] Penn bounced back later in the year with a victory over futurePRIDE Lightweight ChampionTakanori Gomi to earn his first MMA championship, theRumble on the Rock Lightweight Championship, inK-1 Fighting Network'sRumble on the Rock, an MMA organization promoted by Penn's brother, andFighting and Entertainment Group (FEG), the parent company of the largestkickboxing organization,K-1.^[25]

Penn received his firstUFC Championship in 2004 atUFC 46. Penn jumped up in weight classes to challenge the five-time defendingUFC Welterweight ChampionMatt Hughes to fill a title contention slot in a division where Hughes had already defeated all the available opposition.^[29] Heavily favored to win, Hughes lost the fight four minutes into the first round byrear naked choke after giving up his back with only 23 seconds left in the round, in a bout which remains as one of the biggest upsets,^[30] as well as one of the greatest submission victories in mixed martial arts history.^[31]

Penn signed to fight for the JapaneseFighting and Entertainment Group's (FEG)K-1 promotion citing a lack of challenging fights left for him in the UFC.^[25] The UFC promptly stripped him of the welterweight title, claiming Penn breached his contract and that the signing constituted as him refusing to defend his title. Penn filed a suit against the UFC and publicized his side of the conflict, claiming his UFC contract had already expired. Penn filed a motion to stop the UFC from awarding a new welterweight title, but that motion was denied.^[32]

In his second fight for FEG, Penn fought again atwelterweight and defeatedDuane Ludwig at the 2004K-1 MMA Romanex show in under five minutes byarm triangle choke.^[33] Following the Ludwig fight, Penn moved up in weight class to face the undefeatedRodrigo Gracie atmiddleweight.^[34] Penn won by decision, extending his winning streak to four fights.^[23] On March 26, 2005, at the inaugural event of FEG's new MMA promotionHero's, Penn faced futureUFC Light Heavyweight ChampionLyoto Machida, losing by unanimous decision atK-1 Hero's 1. The fight happened at an open weight class with Penn weighing in at 86.5 kilograms (191 lb) and Machida weighing in at 102 kilograms (225 lb).^[35] Later that year atK-1 World Grand Prix Hawaii, Penn returned to middleweight to facePride Fighting Championship veteranRenzo Gracie, which he won by unanimous decision.^[33]

In early 2006 atUFC 56, UFC presidentDana White announced that Penn and the UFC had agreed to a settlement and Penn was to return as a top welterweight contender. Penn re-debuted on March 4 atUFC 58, losing toGeorges St-Pierre by split decision in a fight that determined the number one welterweight contender. Although St. Pierre was declared the winner after a three-round decision, some believed that Penn had done enough to earn himself the victory, causing noticeably more damage throughout the fight, asJoe Rogan described St-Pierre's face being "a bloody mess" while B.J. Penn "barely having a scratch on him." Despite having lost the bout, Penn's performance against Georges St-Pierre, is considered to be one of the best put forth against the futureUFC Champion.^[36]

After new top contender St. Pierre injured himself during training, the UFC announced that Penn would replace St. Pierre in an upcoming title fight, setting up a highly anticipated rematch with Hughes atUFC 63 on September 23, 2006. In the bout, Penn controlled the first two rounds, but sustained a rib injury during the scramble to take Hughes' back in round two. He was visibly different in the third round, appearing exhausted and missing punches he was landing earlier. Hughes was able to take Penn to the mat, and inside controlcrucifix position rained punches on Penn's head until referee"Big" John McCarthy stopped the fight at 3:53 of the third round, making this the first time that Penn had been stopped in a fight. This fight earned him aFight of the Night award.^[37] In an interview found on Penn's personal website, Penn stated that by round three he could hardly breathe and had no "mobility in his core."^[38] Despite the injury, Penn congratulated Hughes, calling him a great fighter and saying he deserved the victory.

Penn was a coach forThe Ultimate Fighter 5, which debuted on April 5, 2007.^[39] Penn lead a team of eight lightweight fighters, and fought a rematch againstJens Pulver atThe Ultimate Fighter 5#The Ultimate Fighter 5 Finale on June 23, 2007.^[40] He won with arear naked choke in the second round after controlling Pulver from themount and then taking Pulver's back.^[41] Although he held the choke for a moment after Pulver tapped out,^[42] the two then embraced,^[42] with both later saying they no longer held any ill will against each other.^[40]

On July 7, 2007, during the post-fight press conference ofUFC 73, UFC presidentDana White announced that Penn would stay at lightweight to fight currentUFC Lightweight ChampionSean Sherk. However, Sean Sherk subsequently was suspended by theCalifornia State Athletic Commission, and the status of the possible title fight was left in limbo as he pursued his appeals.^[43] With Sherk's title status still in limbo after months of hearings, the UFC scheduled Penn to fightJoe Stevenson atUFC 80 on January 19, 2008, for an interim lightweight title.^[44] The subsequent final decision by the California State Athletic Commission, which did not overturn Sherk's suspension, led to the title being stripped from Sherk and the Penn-Stevenson fight being upgraded to a full title bout,^[45] with the winner facing Sherk in their first defense.

Penn knocked Stevenson down seconds into the first round with a right uppercut, then took Stevenson down, delivering a well placed elbow from the top position that inflicted a serious cut near Stevenson's hairline.^[46] In the second round, Stevenson fought more aggressively but was still unable to threaten Penn. Penn worked to back mount and defeated him byrear naked choke at 4:02 of the second round to win theLightweight Championship. He celebrated the win by licking Joe Stevenson's blood off of his gloves. The win for Penn was awarded Beatdown of the Year bySherdog for 2008.^[47] This fight also earned him a $35,000Submission of the Night award.^[48] With this win, Penn became the second man (afterRandy Couture) to win UFC titles in two different weight classes.^[49]

On May 24, 2008, atUFC 84 at theMGM Grand Garden Arena inLas Vegas, Nevada, Penn fought former championSean Sherk in his first title defense bout. The fight was billed by color commentatorMike Goldberg as the "biggest fight in the history of the UFC lightweight division". Sherk attempted to take Penn down only once (in the first round), instead the fighters traded punches and leg kicks for the remainder of the fight. Penn landed jabs several times, utilizing his reach advantage over Sherk. In the closing seconds of the third round, Penn threw a punch and a hook that backed Sherk into the cage. Sherk then ducked under another punch – possibly to shoot for a takedown – when he was hit in the head by a flush flying left knee from Penn. Sherk went down and Penn continued with strikes, but the round ended before the referee stopped the fight. However, Sherk was unable to continue and Penn was declared the victor by TKO (strikes). After the fight, in response a question byJoe Rogan about his future, Penn asked the crowd if they wanted to see him fight Georges St-Pierre and was answered with a loud ovation.^[50] Later, Penn told Fighters Club TV that he would face the winner of theUFC 87 Welterweight title fight betweenGeorges St-Pierre andJon Fitch, which St-Pierre ended up winning by unanimous decision. St-Pierre's victory led to the scheduling of B.J.'s next fight as aWelterweight Championship fight.

Penn challenged Georges St-Pierre for St-Pierre's welterweight title on January 31, 2009, the night before theSuper Bowl. The date ledUFC 94 to be billed as the "UFC Super Bowl Weekend," and it was anticipated to be the biggest UFC pay-per-view event ever.^[51] Before the fight with St-Pierre, Penn made a controversial comment that he was going to try to kill St-Pierre in the ring,^[52] but he later explained that he was speaking figuratively.^[53]

The first round of the fight was somewhat even, with Penn exercising elusive head movement, fast hands and good take-down defense, thwarting all of St-Pierre's take-down attempts while both exchanged punches. In the ensuing three rounds, however, Penn turned out a lackluster performance. St-Pierre scored his first take-down of the night midway through the second round, and by the end of the round Penn was visibly tired. At the start of round three, St-Pierre landed a "superman punch" that bloodied Penn's nose and shortly took Penn down again. From that point on, St-Pierre took Penn down almost at will, repeatedly passed Penn's renowned guard, and persistently punished the Hawaiian with aground-and-pound attack.^[54] Penn later admitted that he could not recall anything that happened during the 3rd and 4th rounds because "I was probably borderline knocked out or something."^[55] At the end of the fourth round, after more of St-Pierre's ground-and-pound onslaught, and upon B.J.'s command, Penn's brother requested that the referee stop the fight. After the fight, Penn failed to attend the post-fight press conference due to having stayed in the hospital.

A controversy arose during the fight as St-Pierre's corner-men were spotted rubbing St-Pierre's back immediately after applying Vaseline to his face. Members of theNevada State Athletic Commission (NSAC) came into the octagon and wiped St-Pierre's torso down. Penn later sent a formal request to the NSAC, asking them to investigate.^[56] Despite all of the complaints by the Penn camp, the NSAC ruled that there was no infraction.^[57] This incident was famously coined by Penn fans as the "Greasegate" and remains as one of the biggest controversial moments in UFC history^{[by whom?]}.^[58]

I think he absolutely, positively knew that he was rubbing grease on him. Do I think Georges was trying to cheat? Absolutely not at all. But that corner man was rubbing grease on him.

The rules of the UFC were modified so that only the official "cut men" would be allowed to have or apply Vaseline to the fighters. The procedures governing the transition from the fighters walk-in to the cage and while in the cage were also changed. Previously, fighters would walk up next to the cage, see the cut man who would apply Vaseline, be checked by the referee, and then have an opportunity to speak with or hug their coaches or cornermen before entering the cage. To prevent an opportunity for the fighters to have Vaseline applied illicitly, fighters now must first part from any company, have Vaseline applied by the cut man, be checked by the referee, and then go directly to the cage. Finally, no cornermen will be allowed to have Vaseline in the cage between rounds. In this way, the fighter's contact with Vaseline is fully controlled by the cut men and referee, who work independently of the UFC.^[60]

UFC President Dana White said that the incident had no effect on the outcome of the fight although he wished the incident had not happened. Penn did, after all, quit after the fourth round. In his first post-fight interview Penn spoke of his belief that if St-Pierre were found to have been "greased" he would lose all respect for him, while admitting that "[I] definitely got my butt kicked."^[61] Penn claims that before the match he warned the NSAC that St-Pierre might use grease intentionally.^[55] St-Pierre responded to the allegations by offering to fight a rematch against Penn.^[62] Penn went on record as accepting the offer for a re-match.^[63] Following his informal acceptance of a proposed second rematch, Penn filed a formal complaint with Nevada State Athletic Commission seeking to prevent St-Pierre from fighting by suspending St-Pierre's fighter's license. In addition, Penn unsuccessfully requested the suspension of St-Pierre's cornermen, Greg Jackson andPhil Nurse, a fine of $250,000, and overturning the result of the fight to a no-contest.^[64][65]

Penn began negotiations to fightKenny Florian in the summer of 2009.^[55] The Florian-Penn title fight was scheduled forUFC 99, but B.J. Penn requested more time off after his fight with GSP. He defended his title against Florian on August 8, 2009, atUFC 101. This fight earned him a $60,000Submission of the Night award.^[66] Penn looked noticeably in better physical shape than his previous outings at 155 lbs and negated any sort of takedown offense from Florian the entire match despite his opponent's persistence in grappling and engaging the clinch.

On his feet, Penn avoided virtually any damage, constantly stuffing or evading any attempts of a left high kick, punches, or elbows from Florian when the two departed from the clinch. In a measured performance, Penn preferred to pace himself in his standup, occasionally showing explosive bursts of striking up until the fourth round, where he executed a powerful takedown and quickly assumed thehalf guard position, punishing the contender with elbows until gaining thefull mount, where punches followed to continue theground and pound assault from theBJJ specialist.

A scramble ensued, where Florian gave up his back twice but was unable to escape Penn's mount, the second time Penn took his opponent's back, he looked to trap Florian's arm with one of his legs, but was unable to do so, instead striking the liver of Florian with his heel, which eventually led Penn to secure arear naked choke at 3:45 of the fourth round to defend his lightweight championship title.

Penn foughtDiego Sanchez for theUFC Lightweight Championship on December 12, 2009, atUFC 107.^[67] Penn negated virtually any offense from the contender, exercising good footwork and elusive head movement whilst remaining flawless in his takedown defense on 27 attempts from Sanchez. He stalked his opponent for large periods of the match and stunned Sanchez early, dropping him; following up with multiple clean shots, which Sanchez showed good durability in weathering. Penn, showing good conditioning for the duration of the bout, continued to stuff all takedowns, punches and left high kicks from Sanchez and dominated with aggressive bursts of striking throughout. He hurt Sanchez several times, until finally rocking him with a flurry in the final round, swarming to finish the combo with a right high kick. The kick opened up a huge cut on Sanchez's forehead above his left eye, causing the fight to be halted on doctor's advice at 2:47 of the fifth round with a TKO. The victory marked only the second fight in UFC history to end in the fifth round, and also earned Penn the distinction of being the only man to have stopped Sanchez.

That right there, ladies and gentlemen, is the greatest lightweight, in the history of the sport!

The performance marked the third time Penn had successfully finished a fight in defending his UFC Lightweight Championship, setting a new record of lightweight title defenses, by breaking the previous record of two defenses byJens Pulver.^[69] Later during the post-fight press conference UFC President Dana White told the media he was proud of Penn's willingness to take MMA more seriously in his training when earlier he felt Penn had coasted through the UFC solely on natural talent.^[70]

Penn's next defense was on April 10, 2010, atUFC 112 againstFrankie Edgar. Despite being an overwhelming favorite coming into the fight, Penn lost the closely contested bout by unanimous decision; breaking his eight-year undefeated streak in the lightweight division. 8 of 9 media outlets scored the bout in favor of Penn.^[71] After the fight, Penn congratulated Edgar on winning the belt. Despite this, the results garnered much criticism as many disagreed with the judges decision after the five round fight, having believed that Penn had done enough to earn himself the victory.^[72] Due to the controversy surrounding the outcome, an immediate rematch with Edgar was scheduled as his first title defense.

BJ is the greatest lightweight ever. I can just hope to be half the champion he was.

Penn fought Edgar in a rematch atUFC 118.^[74] Edgar was able to negate his ground offense and control the fight with good movement and striking combinations. All three judges scored the fight 50–45 for Edgar.^[75][76]

Penn foughtMatt Hughes atUFC 123 in a rubber match after their previous two fights at UFC 46 and UFC 63.^[77] Penn defeated Hughes in 21 seconds of the first round by knockout after flooring Hughes with a right hand and following with additional strikes on the mat.^[78][79] Penn earned knockout of the night honors for his performance. This fight earned him a $80,000Knockout of the Night award.^[80]

You're my idol -- Matt Hughes, you're my idol, you will always be my idol, thank you.

Following theUFC 123 post-fight press conference, UFC president Dana White said that Penn would fight top welterweight contender Jon Fitch atUFC 127 in Australia.^[82] Penn trained with Matt Hughes andFloyd Mayweather Sr. in preparation for the fight.^[83][84] Penn surprised Fitch by taking him to the ground instead of using his stand up skills. The fight ended in a draw, snapping Fitch's five fight UFC win streak, and Penn stated that he would gladly have a rematch in the future. UFC matchmaker Joe Silva stated that neither the fans nor the UFC are interested in a Penn-Fitch rematch.^[85]

Penn was expected to faceCarlos Condit on October 29, 2011, atUFC 137.^[86] B.J. Penn relocated his camp to Southern California in an effort to prepare for the bout. Penn was joined in California by former UFC middleweight and Ultimate Fighter winnerKendall Grove and B.J.'s brother Reagan Penn, as they both prepared for their August 27 fights on theProElite show in Hawaii.^[87] However, on September 7, Condit was pulled from the bout and replacedNick Diaz in the main event againstGeorges St-Pierre.^[88] Dana White stated that Penn will fight Nick Diaz in the main event at UFC 137 after GSP pulled out due to knee injury. Penn lost via unanimous decision after winning the first round by crisp boxing as well as mixing in a takedown against the formerStrikeforce Welterweight Champion, but was unable to mount any significant offense or defense against Diaz's stand-up attack in the remaining two rounds. This fight earned him a $75,000Fight of the Night award.^[89]

Immediately following the loss to Diaz, Penn announced his plans to retire, saying into the microphone, "Joe, this was probably the last time you'll see me in here. I can't keep performing at the top level. That's it Joe. I got a daughter and another daughter on the way, I don't want to go home looking like this. I'm done."^[90] On November 1, Penn posted a message to fans on his website indicating that he plans to take some time off, but the retirement decision is not yet official. He said, "I want to thank all the fans for their love and support. I have decided to take some time off to enjoy life, train and teach. I will keep you guys posted with what’s next."^[91] A few months afterwards, B.J. tweeted angrily at both Jon Fitch and Nick Diaz, causing many to believe that Penn would be returning from his retirement within the near future. His manager has stated that the old B.J. is back and could be returning to MMA.^[92] In April 2012 UFC president Dana White said B.J. Penn turned down a fight with the reigningStrikeforce Lightweight Champion,Gilbert Melendez, and that Penn wants to continue at 170 pounds "whenever he is ready". White also said he feels that B.J. Penn deserves to be in theUFC Hall of Fame, stating that he was a pioneer for the lightweight division, at a time when many believed that there couldn't be any stars at 155 pounds.^[93][94]

Several months after declaring his retirement from mixed martial arts, B.J. Penn announced that he would be returning to the octagon after repeated challenges made by welterweight prospectRory MacDonald; stating, "Rory, I accept your challenge!".^[95] Initially, Penn was expected to face Rory MacDonald on September 22, 2012, atUFC 152.^[96] However, MacDonald pulled out of the bout after sustaining a cut to the forehead while training.^[97] Penn vs. MacDonald eventually took place on December 8, 2012, atUFC on Fox 5.^[98] Penn lost the fight via unanimous decision. After the fightDana White stated that he'd like to see B.J. Penn retire from mixed martial arts, although Penn has hinted a desire to return to the UFC's lightweight division. Following months of silence regarding his future, Penn spoke withAriel Helwani in an interview forUFC on Fox, where he admitted that he was still undecided on his future, telling him that "at this moment, my guess is probably a little better than yours, but I don't know, I'm enjoying what I'm doing."^[99]

An announcement was made onUFC Tonight in September 2013 that Penn will return from his hiatus and move to theFeatherweight division to coach against rival,Frankie Edgar for the19th season ofThe Ultimate Fighter.^[100] This move marked Penn's second appearance serving as a head coach forThe Ultimate Fighter, his first beingThe Ultimate Fighter 5, oppositeJens Pulver. The season aired onFox Sports 1 and featured middleweight andlight heavyweight contestants. The two coaches faced each other for the third time on July 6, 2014, atThe Ultimate Fighter 19 Finale.^[101]

Penn returned to Nova União under coachAndré Pederneiras (who promoted Penn to black belt inBrazilian Jiu-Jitsu in 1999) in preparation for his fight camp against Edgar; training alongside formerUFC Bantamweight ChampionRenan Barão andUFC Featherweight ChampionJosé Aldo.^[102] Later in the camp, he also enlisted formerUFC Bantamweight ChampionDominick Cruz inHilo, Hawaii for his preparation.^[103] Penn lost the one sided bout by TKO in the third round.^[104] At the conclusion of the bout, Penn announced his intentions to retire again during the event's post-fightpress conference.^[105]

He’s one of the best 155-pounders of all time. He built that weight class and he was responsible for helping build the UFC. That’s his legacy.

In January 2016, after an 18-month hiatus, the 37 year old Penn announced his intentions to return to active competition with plans to continue in the UFC's featherweight division.^[107][108] He was briefly expected to return in April 2016 atUFC 197. However, Penn's return was delayed after an investigation into criminal allegations made against him was launched.^[109] In turn, Penn was expected to faceDennis Siver on June 4, 2016, atUFC 199.^[110] However, Siver was forced out of the bout in early May with an undisclosed injury.^[111] He was replaced byCole Miller.^[112] Subsequently, Penn himself was removed from the card on May 23 after he was flagged for the use of a medically administered IV during a non-fight period, when the use of IV had been recently banned 365 days a year.^[113]

Penn was expected to faceRicardo Lamas on October 15, 2016, atUFC Fight Night 97.^[114] However, on October 4, Penn pulled out of the fight citing an injury.^[115] In turn, the promotion announced on October 6 that they had cancelled the event entirely.^[116][117]

After three delays in getting his return fight scheduled, Penn returned to the UFC in early 2017. He facedYair Rodríguez in the main event on January 15, 2017, atUFC Fight Night 103.^[118] Penn lost the one-sided fight via TKO in the second round.^[119][120]

A rescheduled bout withDennis Siver took place on June 25, 2017, atUFC Fight Night 112.^[121] Penn lost the fight by majority decision.^[122]

For his next fight, Penn returned to lightweight to faceRyan Hall on December 29, 2018, atUFC 232; it was his third stint in the lightweight division.^[123] In preparation for the fight against Hall, Penn returned to train at Nova União.^[124] Penn lost the fight via a heel hook submission in the first round.^[125]

Penn facedClay Guida on May 11, 2019, atUFC 237.^[126] He lost the fight by unanimous decision.^[127]

On July 26, 2019, news surfaced that Penn was expected to faceNik Lentz in a grudge match, at a UFC event to be determined.^[128] However, Penn was released from the promotion in early September after video evidence surfaced showing Penn fighting patrons in a bar brawl inPahoa, Hawaii.^{[129][130][131]}

Penn's nickname "B.J." is a shortened version of another nickname "Baby Jay", which itself derives from the fact that he is the last of three brothers named "Jay Dee Penn".^[132] His father, also named Jay Dee, named 3 of his 4 children "Jay Dee", while the fourth is named Reagan. In order to avoid confusion each of the sons named "Jay Dee" goes by a nickname: "Jay" (Jay Dee Penn), "Jay Dee" (Jay Dee Penn II), and "Baby Jay" (Jay Dee Penn III).^[133]

Being born in Hawaii, Penn takes much pride in his Hawaiian upbringing. Penn often plays Hawaiian music during his walk-out entrances, a combination ofHawaii ’78 intoE Ala E, both performed by Hawaiian musicianIsrael Kamakawiwoʻole as a tribute to his Hawaiian heritage and respect for his opponents, fans and the fight game. Penn has also stated that he identifies strongly with hisKorean ancestry and has traveled toSouth Korea to hold seminars. He also said that he gets his hot temper from his Korean side which helps him use this energy in his fights.

Penn has two daughters with the same mother. He says that they have never married and "it doesn't matter that much in Hawaii."^[134][135]Penn is the co-author ofMixed Martial Arts: The Book of Knowledge, an instructional book on mixed martial arts fighting.^[136] Penn, along with Dave Weintraub, authored the autobiographyWhy I Fight: The Belt is Just an Accessory in 2010. The book debuted at #22 on theNew York Times bestseller list.^[137] Penn also appeared in the filmNever Surrender in 2009.^[138]

Penn was also the subject of a Paternity Lawsuit in relation to a daughter, approximately a year after the girl's birth.^[139] On the 5th of October, 2021, Penn also announced his intention to run for governor in the2022 Hawaii gubernatorial election.^[140] He lost the Republican primary, ending as the runner-up to winnerDuke Aiona. Following the election, he filed a complaint with the Hawaii Supreme Court contesting the results.^[141]

In 2024, Penn ran forHawaii County Council in District 1 (North and SouthHilo–Hamakua–Waimea).^[142]

Penn has an extended history of alcohol-induced violence. In January 2015, Penn was arrested inKihei, Hawaii and charged with assault after a brawl outside of a bar.^[143]

In 2019, Penn's estranged girlfriend, Shealen Uaiwa, filed a restraining order against him in October from her and Penn's children, alleging years of physical and sexual abuse. The order was granted in February 2019 and was in effect through October 2021.^[144][145]

In June 2019, an intoxicated Penn fought a bouncer outside of a Honolulustrip club.^[146]

On August 27, 2019, Penn was involved in a bar brawl on Hawaii's Big Island.^[147][129] Subsequently, Penn was released from the UFC in early September following the incident.^[130][131]

On February 7, 2020, Penn was involved in a single-car accident in his home town ofHilo, Hawaii. According to local media, Penn was allegedly speeding when he lost control of his pickup truck and his vehicle flipped in front of a Hilo shopping mall. Penn was the only occupant of the vehicle, and he was transported to a nearby hospital by ambulance. Penn was investigated by the Hilo Police Department forDUI and his blood was drawn at the scene, but no charges were filed.^[148]

On December 8, 2020, a paternity lawsuit was filed against Penn by the mother of his most recent child, Camila Amado.^[139]

On January 23, 2021, Penn was arrested inHonokaʻa, Hawaii, and was charged with DUI. Penn was later released from jail hours after his arrest pending an investigation. Video footage recorded from a bystander shows a handcuffed, drunk, and belligerent Penn yelling racial expletives at the police and the man recording while being assisted into an unmarked police vehicle.^[149][150]

Penn was arrested in his home on May 26, 2025 and charged withdomestic abuse. He later posted bail and was scheduled to appear in court.^[151] The arrest follows a months-long online campaign where Penn was posting onsocial media his belief that various family members had been replaced by imposters. Penn's 79-year-old mother subsequently had a restraining order filed against him after this incident.^[152] Abench warrant was issued for Penn's arrest after he failed to appear in court on May 27; Penn was briefly considered a fugitive and wanted by theHawaii Police Department.^[153][154] He was subsequently arrested again and blamed his failure to appear in court on contractingCOVID-19.^[155] On September 15, Penn was arrested for a fifth time for violating the restraining order from his mother.^[156] As of September 17, 2025^[update], Penn has been charged with five misdemeanor offenses since the 2025 Memorial Day weekend which are related to either the original alleged domestic abuse incident or the subsequent temporary restraining order, and is pending trial inCircuit Court.^[157][158]

Since his debut in theUltimate Fighting Championship, Penn emerged as one of the biggest stars in the history of the sport, headlining a total of elevenmain-events (ninepay-per-view main-events) for the UFC during the course of his career (in addition to five forK-1). Penn was regarded as one of the most controversial and outspoken players in the history of mixed martial arts whose influence was considered instrumental in popularizing the UFC around the world in the 2000s and 2010s. His impact on the sport went beyond his UFC titles and dominant performances inside the octagon. A longtime advocate for drug testing in the sport, Penn was also the first to introduce an independent foundation in MMA to promote, coordinate and monitor the fight againstperformance-enhancing drugs in sports with the inclusion ofVoluntary Anti-Doping Association (VADA) during his and his opponent's training camps.

Recognized for his role inthe resurgence of the lightweight division, Penn is considered to have been the division's most influential figure, turning the weight class around (in bouts withSean Sherk,Kenny Florian,Diego Sanchez,Jens Pulver, andJoe Stevenson) to become one of the UFC's most popular, at a time when they had considered disbanding the division altogether and many publications had questioned whether lighter-weights could be successful.^[159][160] His nickname,The Prodigy originates prior to him competing in mixed martial arts, from accomplishing his extraordinary feat in the sport ofBrazilian Jiu Jitsu (earning hisblack belt in just under three years and winning the black belt division in theWorld Jiu-Jitsu Championship only three weeks later).^[161][3] His biography on the UFC website expressed this accomplishment as "an astonishing achievement in a sport where it takes the average athlete ten years or more to reach black belt status.^[162]

TheUltimate Fighting Championship's inaugural signature gym located inHonolulu, Hawaii, 'UFC Gym BJ Penn' is named in Penn's honor.^[163] The gym has grown to become one of the largest and most successful in the state ofHawaii.^[164] Penn (in his knockout victory over formerUFC Lightweight ChampionSean Sherk) is featured in the UFC "Evolution" pay-per-view introduction.^[165]

He is widely considered one of the greatest lightweight (155 lbs) competitors in the sport's history,^{[159][166][167][168]} and as one of the greatestWelterweight (170 lbs) competitors as well due to his performances againstGeorges St-Pierre andMatt Hughes.^[169][170] Penn was also simultaneously ranked number one in both of these divisions following his back-to-back submission victories overTakanori Gomi andMatt Hughes, where he is the only fighter to hold such an honor.^[171][172]

Renowned boxing coachFreddie Roach has famously described Penn as the best boxer in all of mixed martial arts.^[173][174] FormerUFC Middleweight ChampionAnderson Silva, has said on numerous occasions that he believes Penn to be the greatest pound-for-pound fighter in the history of the sport.^{[175][176][177][178]}UFC Hall of Famer,UFC 10 andUFC 11 Tournament Champion and formerUFC Heavyweight ChampionMark Coleman acknowledges Penn as his idol in the sport of mixed martial arts.^[179] Penn was ranked within the top five in theFightersOnly! Magazine '100 Greatest Fighters in History'.^[180]

During the televised broadcast ofUFC 187 in May 2015, it was revealed onFox Sports that Penn would be inducted into the revampedUFC Hall of Fame under the Modern Category during International Fight week festivities prior toUFC 189.^[181]

1^ Penn unofficially unified theUFC Lightweight Championship when he defeatedSean Sherk atUFC 84.^[6][7][210]

^[212]

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