Кіріспе
Америкалық аралас жекпе-жек шебері, Әскери-теңіз күштерінің көмекші хатшысы.
American mixed martial arts fighter
the Assistant Secretary of the Navy
[[World Jiu Jitsu Championship
2000 Rio de Janeiro −70 kg
Jay Dee "B. J." Penn III (born December 13, 1978) is an American former professional mixed martial art fighter and 5th degree black belt Brazilian jiu jitsu (BJJ) practitioner. efn|name=belt|under André Pederneiras
Prior to his MMA career, Penn was known as the first non Brazilian to win the World Jiu Jitsu Championship at black belt level. In mixed martial arts, Penn has competed in the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) and in K 1 in the Featherweight, Lightweight, Welterweight, Middleweight, and Heavyweight/Openweight divisions. Penn fought to a draw against Caol Uno in the UFC 41 Lightweight Tournament. Through his tenures as champion, Penn unofficially unified the UFC Lightweight Championship (against Sean Sherk) and broke the all time lightweight title defense record. In 2015, Penn was made the inaugural inductee into the Modern era wing of the UFC Hall of Fame. Penn was considered one of the top pound for pound mixed martial artists in the world early in his career and holds victories over opponents such as Din Thomas, Caol Uno, Paul Creighton, and Matt Serra. Penn won the Rumble on the Rock Lightweight Championship in K 1. He submitted long reigning then champion Matt Hughes to capture the UFC Welterweight Championship. Following a period in which Penn competed exclusively for K 1, he returned to the UFC and won the UFC Lightweight Championship. He made a record three subsequent title defenses before losing his title to Frankie Edgar. UFC President, Dana White, credits Penn with bringing the lower weight divisions into the mainstream of mixed martial arts; he describes Penn as "the first crossover pay per view star for the Ultimate Fighting Championship's lighter weight divisions", as well as saying that "[through his] accomplishments, B. J. Penn built the 155 pound division". Penn hoped to run for governor of Hawaii in the 2022 Hawaii gubernatorial election but was eliminated in the Republican Party primary. Penn is regarded as one of the best competitors in the UFC's history. However, he has been criticized for continuing to fight past his prime, including an eight fight winless streak from 2011 to 2019. Early life and education
Penn was born in Hawaii to Jay Dee Penn, who is of Irish American descent, and Lorraine Shin, who is of Korean and Hawaiian descent. At the age of 17, Penn began training in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu after being introduced to it by his neighbor, Tom Callos. Callos had put up fliers in local gyms looking for people to train with, and B. J. 's father Jay Dee Penn had called Callos and said his boys were interested. A few weeks later, he became the first non Brazilian to win in the black belt division of the World Jiu Jitsu Championship held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. 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 to Fernando "Tererê" Augusto, and in 1998, earned a silver medal, placing 2nd in the blue belt division. Ultimate Fighting Championship
His accomplishments in the World Jiu Jitsu Championship caught the attention of the Ultimate Fighting Championship, which convinced him to switch to mixed martial arts. He then demonstrated strong striking skills, knocking out lightweights Din Thomas and Caol Uno before suffering a decision loss in a championship fight against UFC Lightweight Champion, Jens Pulver. 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 at UFC 41, a failure which caused the UFC to later suspend its lightweight division. Penn bounced back later in the year with a victory over future PRIDE Lightweight Champion Takanori Gomi to earn his first MMA championship, the Rumble on the Rock Lightweight Championship, in K 1 Fighting Network's Rumble on the Rock, an MMA organization promoted by Penn's brother, and Fighting and Entertainment Group (FEG), the parent company of the largest kickboxing organization, K 1. Heavily favored to win, Hughes lost the fight four minutes into the first round by rear 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, as well as one of the greatest submission victories in mixed martial arts history. Fighting and Entertainment Group
Penn signed to fight for the Japanese Fighting and Entertainment Group's (FEG) K 1 promotion citing a lack of challenging fights left for him in the UFC. In his second fight for FEG, Penn fought again at welterweight and defeated Duane Ludwig at the 2004 K 1 MMA Romanex show in under five minutes by arm triangle choke. Following the Ludwig fight, Penn moved up in weight class to face the undefeated Rodrigo Gracie at middleweight. Penn won by decision, extending his winning streak to four fights. Later that year at K 1 World Grand Prix Hawaii, Penn returned to middleweight to face Pride Fighting Championship veteran Renzo Gracie, which he won by unanimous decision. 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 at UFC 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 in side control crucifix 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. 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." Despite the injury, Penn congratulated Hughes, calling him a great fighter and saying he deserved the victory. Penn was a coach for The Ultimate Fighter 5, which debuted on April 5, 2007. Penn lead a team of eight lightweight fighters, and fought a rematch against Jens Pulver at The Ultimate Fighter 5#The Ultimate Fighter 5 Finale on June 23, 2007. He won with a rear naked choke in the second round after controlling Pulver from the mount and then taking Pulver's back. Although he held the choke for a moment after Pulver tapped out, the two then embraced, With Sherk's title status still in limbo after months of hearings, the UFC scheduled Penn to fight Joe Stevenson at UFC 80 on January 19, 2008, for an interim lightweight title. 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, with the winner facing Sherk in their first defense. Lightweight Championship
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. In the second round, Stevenson fought more aggressively but was still unable to threaten Penn. Penn worked to back mount and defeated him by rear naked choke at 4:02 of the second round to win the Lightweight 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 by Sherdog for 2008. With this win, Penn became the second man (after Randy Couture) to win UFC titles in two different weight classes. On May 24, 2008, at UFC 84 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada, Penn fought former champion Sean Sherk in his first title defense bout. The fight was billed by color commentator Mike 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 by Joe 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. Later, Penn told Fighters Club TV that he would face the winner of the UFC 87 Welterweight title fight between Georges St Pierre and Jon 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 a Welterweight Championship fight. Welterweight title shot
Penn challenged Georges St Pierre for St Pierre's welterweight title on January 31, 2009, the night before the Super Bowl. The date led UFC 94 to be billed as the "UFC Super Bowl Weekend," and it was anticipated to be the biggest UFC pay per view event ever. Before the fight with St Pierre, Penn made a controversial comment that he was going to try to kill St Pierre in the ring, but he later explained that he was speaking figuratively. 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 a ground and pound attack. 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." 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 the Nevada 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. Despite all of the complaints by the Penn camp, the NSAC ruled that there was no infraction. This incident was famously coined by Penn fans as the "Greasegate" and remains as one of the biggest controversial moments in UFC history. 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.|Dana White, post fight at UFC 94. 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. 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." Penn claims that before the match he warned the NSAC that St Pierre might use grease intentionally. Penn went on record as accepting the offer for a re match. 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 and Phil Nurse, a fine of $250,000, and overturning the result of the fight to a no contest. Return as Lightweight Champion
Penn began negotiations to fight Kenny Florian in the summer of 2009. 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!|Joe Rogan, post fight at UFC 107. 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 by Jens Pulver. 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. Losing the title
Penn's next defense was on April 10, 2010, at UFC 112 against Frankie 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. 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. 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.|Frankie Edgar, post fight at UFC 112. Penn fought Edgar in a rematch at UFC 118. 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. Return to welterweight and hiatus
Penn fought Matt Hughes at UFC 123 in a rubber match after their previous two fights at UFC 46 and UFC 63. 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. Penn earned knockout of the night honors for his performance. You're my idol Matt Hughes, you're my idol, you will always be my idol, thank you.|B. J. Penn, post fight at UFC 123. Following the UFC 123 post fight press conference, UFC president Dana White said that Penn would fight top welterweight contender Jon Fitch at UFC 127 in Australia. Penn trained with Matt Hughes and Floyd Mayweather Sr. in preparation for the fight. 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. Penn was expected to face Carlos Condit on October 29, 2011, at UFC 137. 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 winner Kendall Grove and B. J. 's brother Reagan Penn, as they both prepared for their August 27 fights on the ProElite show in Hawaii. However, on September 7, Condit was pulled from the bout and replaced Nick Diaz in the main event against Georges St Pierre. 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 former Strikeforce Welterweight Champion, but was unable to mount any significant offense or defense against Diaz's stand up attack in the remaining two rounds. 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." 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." 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. In April 2012 UFC president Dana White said B. J. Penn turned down a fight with the reigning Strikeforce 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 the UFC 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. 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 prospect Rory MacDonald; stating, "Rory, I accept your challenge!". Initially, Penn was expected to face Rory MacDonald on September 22, 2012, at UFC 152. However, MacDonald pulled out of the bout after sustaining a cut to the forehead while training. Penn vs. MacDonald eventually took place on December 8, 2012, at UFC on Fox 5. Penn lost the fight via unanimous decision. After the fight Dana 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 with Ariel Helwani in an interview for UFC 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." Move to featherweight and losing streak
An announcement was made on UFC Tonight in September 2013 that Penn will return from his hiatus and move to the Featherweight division to coach against rival, Frankie Edgar for the 19th season of The Ultimate Fighter. This move marked Penn's second appearance serving as a head coach for The Ultimate Fighter, his first being The Ultimate Fighter 5, opposite Jens Pulver. The season aired on Fox Sports 1 and featured middleweight and light heavyweight contestants. The two coaches faced each other for the third time on July 6, 2014, at The Ultimate Fighter 19 Finale. Penn returned to Nova União under coach André Pederneiras (who promoted Penn to black belt in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu in 1999) in preparation for his fight camp against Edgar; training alongside former UFC Bantamweight Champion Renan Barão and UFC Featherweight Champion José Aldo. Later in the camp, he also enlisted former UFC Bantamweight Champion Dominick Cruz in Hilo, Hawaii for his preparation. Penn lost the one sided bout by TKO in the third round. At the conclusion of the bout, Penn announced his intentions to retire again during the event's post fight press conference. 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.|Dana White, during the post fight press conference at The Ultimate Fighter 19 Finale. 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. He was briefly expected to return in April 2016 at UFC 197. However, Penn's return was delayed after an investigation into criminal allegations made against him was launched. In turn, Penn was expected to face Dennis Siver on June 4, 2016, at UFC 199. However, Siver was forced out of the bout in early May with an undisclosed injury. He was replaced by Cole Miller. 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. Penn was expected to face Ricardo Lamas on October 15, 2016, at UFC Fight Night 97. However, on October 4, Penn pulled out of the fight citing an injury. In turn, the promotion announced on October 6 that they had cancelled the event entirely. After three delays in getting his return fight scheduled, Penn returned to the UFC in early 2017. He faced Yair Rodríguez in the main event on January 15, 2017, at UFC Fight Night 103. Penn lost the one sided fight via TKO in the second round. A rescheduled bout with Dennis Siver took place on June 25, 2017, at UFC Fight Night 112. Penn lost the fight by majority decision. For his next fight, Penn returned to lightweight to face Ryan Hall on December 29, 2018, at UFC 232; it was his third stint in the lightweight division. In preparation for the fight against Hall, Penn returned to train at Nova União. Penn lost the fight via a heel hook submission in the first round. Penn faced Clay Guida on May 11, 2019, at UFC 237. He lost the fight by unanimous decision. On July 26, 2019, news surfaced that Penn was expected to face Nik Lentz in a grudge match, at a UFC event to be determined. However, Penn was released from the promotion in early September after video evidence surfaced showing Penn fighting patrons in a bar brawl in Pahoa, Hawaii. Personal life
His nickname "B. J." is a shortened version of another nickname "Baby Jay", which itself derives from the fact that Penn is the last of three brothers named "Jay Dee Penn". B. J. 's father, who is Irish and English, named 3 of his 4 children "Jay Dee", while the fourth is 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). Penn's mother, Lorraine Shin, is of Hawaiian and Korean descent. Being born in Hawaii, Penn takes much pride in his Hawaiian upbringing. Penn often plays Hawaiian music during his walk out entrances, a combination of Hawaii ’78 into E Ala E, both performed by Hawaiian musician Israel 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 his Korean roots and has traveled to South 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." Penn is the co author of Mixed Martial Arts: The Book of Knowledge, an instructional book on mixed martial arts fighting. Penn, along with Dave Weintraub, authored the autobiography Why I Fight: The Belt is Just an Accessory in 2010. The book debuted at #22 on the New York Times bestseller list. Penn also appeared in the film Never Surrender in 2009. Penn was also the subject of a Paternity Lawsuit in relation to a daughter, approximately a year after the girl's birth. On the 5th of October, 2021, Penn also announced his intention to run for governor in the 2022 Hawaii gubernatorial election. He lost the Republican primary, ending as the runner up to winner Duke Aiona. Following the election, he filed a complaint with the Hawaii Supreme Court contesting the results. Legal controversies
Penn has an extended history of alcohol induced violence. In January 2015, Penn was arrested in Kihei, Hawaii and charged with assault after a brawl outside of a bar. 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 order through October 2021. In June 2019, an intoxicated Penn fought a bouncer outside of a Honolulu strip club. On August 27, 2019, Penn was involved in a bar brawl on Hawaii's Big Island. On December 8, 2020, a paternity lawsuit was filed against Penn by the mother of his most recent child, Camila Amado. Legacy and influence
Since his debut in the Ultimate Fighting Championship, Penn emerged as one of the biggest stars in the history of the sport, headlining a total of eleven main events (nine pay per view main events) for the UFC during the course of his career (in addition to five for K 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 against performance enhancing drugs in sports with the inclusion of Voluntary Anti Doping Association (VADA) during his and his opponent's training camps. Recognized for his role in the resurgence of the lightweight division, Penn is considered to have been the division's most influential figure, turning the weight class around (in bouts with Sean Sherk, Kenny Florian, Diego Sanchez, Jens Pulver, and Joe 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. His nickname, The Prodigy originates prior to him competing in mixed martial arts, from accomplishing his extraordinary feat in the sport of Brazilian Jiu Jitsu (earning his black belt in just under three years and winning the black belt division in the World Jiu Jitsu Championship only three weeks later). 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. The Ultimate Fighting Championship's inaugural signature gym located in Honolulu, Hawaii, 'UFC Gym BJ Penn' is named in Penn's honor. The gym has grown to become one of the largest and most successful in the state of Hawaii. Penn (in his knockout victory over former UFC Lightweight Champion Sean Sherk) is featured in the UFC "Evolution" pay per view introduction. Ranking in mixed martial arts history
He is widely considered one of the greatest lightweight (155 lbs) competitors in the sport's history, and as one of the greatest Welterweight (170 lbs) competitors as well due to his performances against Georges St Pierre and Matt Hughes. Penn was also simultaneously ranked number one in both of these divisions following his back to back submission victories over Takanori Gomi and Matt Hughes, where he is the only fighter to hold such an honor. Renowned boxing coach Freddie Roach has famously described Penn as the best boxer in all of mixed martial arts. Former UFC Middleweight Champion Anderson Silva, has said on numerous occasions that he believes Penn to be the greatest pound for pound fighter in the history of the sport. UFC Hall of Famer, UFC 10 and UFC 11 Tournament Champion and former UFC Heavyweight Champion Mark Coleman acknowledges Penn as his idol in the sport of mixed martial arts. Penn was ranked within the top five in the FightersOnly! Magazine '100 Greatest Fighters in History'.''
the Assistant Secretary of the Navy
[[World Jiu Jitsu Championship
2000 Rio de Janeiro −70 kg
Jay Dee "B. J." Penn III (born December 13, 1978) is an American former professional mixed martial art fighter and 5th degree black belt Brazilian jiu jitsu (BJJ) practitioner. efn|name=belt|under André Pederneiras
Prior to his MMA career, Penn was known as the first non Brazilian to win the World Jiu Jitsu Championship at black belt level. In mixed martial arts, Penn has competed in the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) and in K 1 in the Featherweight, Lightweight, Welterweight, Middleweight, and Heavyweight/Openweight divisions. Penn fought to a draw against Caol Uno in the UFC 41 Lightweight Tournament. Through his tenures as champion, Penn unofficially unified the UFC Lightweight Championship (against Sean Sherk) and broke the all time lightweight title defense record. In 2015, Penn was made the inaugural inductee into the Modern era wing of the UFC Hall of Fame. Penn was considered one of the top pound for pound mixed martial artists in the world early in his career and holds victories over opponents such as Din Thomas, Caol Uno, Paul Creighton, and Matt Serra. Penn won the Rumble on the Rock Lightweight Championship in K 1. He submitted long reigning then champion Matt Hughes to capture the UFC Welterweight Championship. Following a period in which Penn competed exclusively for K 1, he returned to the UFC and won the UFC Lightweight Championship. He made a record three subsequent title defenses before losing his title to Frankie Edgar. UFC President, Dana White, credits Penn with bringing the lower weight divisions into the mainstream of mixed martial arts; he describes Penn as "the first crossover pay per view star for the Ultimate Fighting Championship's lighter weight divisions", as well as saying that "[through his] accomplishments, B. J. Penn built the 155 pound division". Penn hoped to run for governor of Hawaii in the 2022 Hawaii gubernatorial election but was eliminated in the Republican Party primary. Penn is regarded as one of the best competitors in the UFC's history. However, he has been criticized for continuing to fight past his prime, including an eight fight winless streak from 2011 to 2019. Early life and education
Penn was born in Hawaii to Jay Dee Penn, who is of Irish American descent, and Lorraine Shin, who is of Korean and Hawaiian descent. At the age of 17, Penn began training in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu after being introduced to it by his neighbor, Tom Callos. Callos had put up fliers in local gyms looking for people to train with, and B. J. 's father Jay Dee Penn had called Callos and said his boys were interested. A few weeks later, he became the first non Brazilian to win in the black belt division of the World Jiu Jitsu Championship held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. 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 to Fernando "Tererê" Augusto, and in 1998, earned a silver medal, placing 2nd in the blue belt division. Ultimate Fighting Championship
His accomplishments in the World Jiu Jitsu Championship caught the attention of the Ultimate Fighting Championship, which convinced him to switch to mixed martial arts. He then demonstrated strong striking skills, knocking out lightweights Din Thomas and Caol Uno before suffering a decision loss in a championship fight against UFC Lightweight Champion, Jens Pulver. 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 at UFC 41, a failure which caused the UFC to later suspend its lightweight division. Penn bounced back later in the year with a victory over future PRIDE Lightweight Champion Takanori Gomi to earn his first MMA championship, the Rumble on the Rock Lightweight Championship, in K 1 Fighting Network's Rumble on the Rock, an MMA organization promoted by Penn's brother, and Fighting and Entertainment Group (FEG), the parent company of the largest kickboxing organization, K 1. Heavily favored to win, Hughes lost the fight four minutes into the first round by rear 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, as well as one of the greatest submission victories in mixed martial arts history. Fighting and Entertainment Group
Penn signed to fight for the Japanese Fighting and Entertainment Group's (FEG) K 1 promotion citing a lack of challenging fights left for him in the UFC. In his second fight for FEG, Penn fought again at welterweight and defeated Duane Ludwig at the 2004 K 1 MMA Romanex show in under five minutes by arm triangle choke. Following the Ludwig fight, Penn moved up in weight class to face the undefeated Rodrigo Gracie at middleweight. Penn won by decision, extending his winning streak to four fights. Later that year at K 1 World Grand Prix Hawaii, Penn returned to middleweight to face Pride Fighting Championship veteran Renzo Gracie, which he won by unanimous decision. 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 at UFC 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 in side control crucifix 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. 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." Despite the injury, Penn congratulated Hughes, calling him a great fighter and saying he deserved the victory. Penn was a coach for The Ultimate Fighter 5, which debuted on April 5, 2007. Penn lead a team of eight lightweight fighters, and fought a rematch against Jens Pulver at The Ultimate Fighter 5#The Ultimate Fighter 5 Finale on June 23, 2007. He won with a rear naked choke in the second round after controlling Pulver from the mount and then taking Pulver's back. Although he held the choke for a moment after Pulver tapped out, the two then embraced, With Sherk's title status still in limbo after months of hearings, the UFC scheduled Penn to fight Joe Stevenson at UFC 80 on January 19, 2008, for an interim lightweight title. 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, with the winner facing Sherk in their first defense. Lightweight Championship
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. In the second round, Stevenson fought more aggressively but was still unable to threaten Penn. Penn worked to back mount and defeated him by rear naked choke at 4:02 of the second round to win the Lightweight 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 by Sherdog for 2008. With this win, Penn became the second man (after Randy Couture) to win UFC titles in two different weight classes. On May 24, 2008, at UFC 84 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada, Penn fought former champion Sean Sherk in his first title defense bout. The fight was billed by color commentator Mike 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 by Joe 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. Later, Penn told Fighters Club TV that he would face the winner of the UFC 87 Welterweight title fight between Georges St Pierre and Jon 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 a Welterweight Championship fight. Welterweight title shot
Penn challenged Georges St Pierre for St Pierre's welterweight title on January 31, 2009, the night before the Super Bowl. The date led UFC 94 to be billed as the "UFC Super Bowl Weekend," and it was anticipated to be the biggest UFC pay per view event ever. Before the fight with St Pierre, Penn made a controversial comment that he was going to try to kill St Pierre in the ring, but he later explained that he was speaking figuratively. 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 a ground and pound attack. 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." 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 the Nevada 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. Despite all of the complaints by the Penn camp, the NSAC ruled that there was no infraction. This incident was famously coined by Penn fans as the "Greasegate" and remains as one of the biggest controversial moments in UFC history. 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.|Dana White, post fight at UFC 94. 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. 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." Penn claims that before the match he warned the NSAC that St Pierre might use grease intentionally. Penn went on record as accepting the offer for a re match. 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 and Phil Nurse, a fine of $250,000, and overturning the result of the fight to a no contest. Return as Lightweight Champion
Penn began negotiations to fight Kenny Florian in the summer of 2009. 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!|Joe Rogan, post fight at UFC 107. 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 by Jens Pulver. 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. Losing the title
Penn's next defense was on April 10, 2010, at UFC 112 against Frankie 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. 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. 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.|Frankie Edgar, post fight at UFC 112. Penn fought Edgar in a rematch at UFC 118. 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. Return to welterweight and hiatus
Penn fought Matt Hughes at UFC 123 in a rubber match after their previous two fights at UFC 46 and UFC 63. 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. Penn earned knockout of the night honors for his performance. You're my idol Matt Hughes, you're my idol, you will always be my idol, thank you.|B. J. Penn, post fight at UFC 123. Following the UFC 123 post fight press conference, UFC president Dana White said that Penn would fight top welterweight contender Jon Fitch at UFC 127 in Australia. Penn trained with Matt Hughes and Floyd Mayweather Sr. in preparation for the fight. 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. Penn was expected to face Carlos Condit on October 29, 2011, at UFC 137. 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 winner Kendall Grove and B. J. 's brother Reagan Penn, as they both prepared for their August 27 fights on the ProElite show in Hawaii. However, on September 7, Condit was pulled from the bout and replaced Nick Diaz in the main event against Georges St Pierre. 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 former Strikeforce Welterweight Champion, but was unable to mount any significant offense or defense against Diaz's stand up attack in the remaining two rounds. 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." 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." 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. In April 2012 UFC president Dana White said B. J. Penn turned down a fight with the reigning Strikeforce 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 the UFC 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. 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 prospect Rory MacDonald; stating, "Rory, I accept your challenge!". Initially, Penn was expected to face Rory MacDonald on September 22, 2012, at UFC 152. However, MacDonald pulled out of the bout after sustaining a cut to the forehead while training. Penn vs. MacDonald eventually took place on December 8, 2012, at UFC on Fox 5. Penn lost the fight via unanimous decision. After the fight Dana 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 with Ariel Helwani in an interview for UFC 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." Move to featherweight and losing streak
An announcement was made on UFC Tonight in September 2013 that Penn will return from his hiatus and move to the Featherweight division to coach against rival, Frankie Edgar for the 19th season of The Ultimate Fighter. This move marked Penn's second appearance serving as a head coach for The Ultimate Fighter, his first being The Ultimate Fighter 5, opposite Jens Pulver. The season aired on Fox Sports 1 and featured middleweight and light heavyweight contestants. The two coaches faced each other for the third time on July 6, 2014, at The Ultimate Fighter 19 Finale. Penn returned to Nova União under coach André Pederneiras (who promoted Penn to black belt in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu in 1999) in preparation for his fight camp against Edgar; training alongside former UFC Bantamweight Champion Renan Barão and UFC Featherweight Champion José Aldo. Later in the camp, he also enlisted former UFC Bantamweight Champion Dominick Cruz in Hilo, Hawaii for his preparation. Penn lost the one sided bout by TKO in the third round. At the conclusion of the bout, Penn announced his intentions to retire again during the event's post fight press conference. 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.|Dana White, during the post fight press conference at The Ultimate Fighter 19 Finale. 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. He was briefly expected to return in April 2016 at UFC 197. However, Penn's return was delayed after an investigation into criminal allegations made against him was launched. In turn, Penn was expected to face Dennis Siver on June 4, 2016, at UFC 199. However, Siver was forced out of the bout in early May with an undisclosed injury. He was replaced by Cole Miller. 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. Penn was expected to face Ricardo Lamas on October 15, 2016, at UFC Fight Night 97. However, on October 4, Penn pulled out of the fight citing an injury. In turn, the promotion announced on October 6 that they had cancelled the event entirely. After three delays in getting his return fight scheduled, Penn returned to the UFC in early 2017. He faced Yair Rodríguez in the main event on January 15, 2017, at UFC Fight Night 103. Penn lost the one sided fight via TKO in the second round. A rescheduled bout with Dennis Siver took place on June 25, 2017, at UFC Fight Night 112. Penn lost the fight by majority decision. For his next fight, Penn returned to lightweight to face Ryan Hall on December 29, 2018, at UFC 232; it was his third stint in the lightweight division. In preparation for the fight against Hall, Penn returned to train at Nova União. Penn lost the fight via a heel hook submission in the first round. Penn faced Clay Guida on May 11, 2019, at UFC 237. He lost the fight by unanimous decision. On July 26, 2019, news surfaced that Penn was expected to face Nik Lentz in a grudge match, at a UFC event to be determined. However, Penn was released from the promotion in early September after video evidence surfaced showing Penn fighting patrons in a bar brawl in Pahoa, Hawaii. Personal life
His nickname "B. J." is a shortened version of another nickname "Baby Jay", which itself derives from the fact that Penn is the last of three brothers named "Jay Dee Penn". B. J. 's father, who is Irish and English, named 3 of his 4 children "Jay Dee", while the fourth is 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). Penn's mother, Lorraine Shin, is of Hawaiian and Korean descent. Being born in Hawaii, Penn takes much pride in his Hawaiian upbringing. Penn often plays Hawaiian music during his walk out entrances, a combination of Hawaii ’78 into E Ala E, both performed by Hawaiian musician Israel 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 his Korean roots and has traveled to South 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." Penn is the co author of Mixed Martial Arts: The Book of Knowledge, an instructional book on mixed martial arts fighting. Penn, along with Dave Weintraub, authored the autobiography Why I Fight: The Belt is Just an Accessory in 2010. The book debuted at #22 on the New York Times bestseller list. Penn also appeared in the film Never Surrender in 2009. Penn was also the subject of a Paternity Lawsuit in relation to a daughter, approximately a year after the girl's birth. On the 5th of October, 2021, Penn also announced his intention to run for governor in the 2022 Hawaii gubernatorial election. He lost the Republican primary, ending as the runner up to winner Duke Aiona. Following the election, he filed a complaint with the Hawaii Supreme Court contesting the results. Legal controversies
Penn has an extended history of alcohol induced violence. In January 2015, Penn was arrested in Kihei, Hawaii and charged with assault after a brawl outside of a bar. 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 order through October 2021. In June 2019, an intoxicated Penn fought a bouncer outside of a Honolulu strip club. On August 27, 2019, Penn was involved in a bar brawl on Hawaii's Big Island. On December 8, 2020, a paternity lawsuit was filed against Penn by the mother of his most recent child, Camila Amado. Legacy and influence
Since his debut in the Ultimate Fighting Championship, Penn emerged as one of the biggest stars in the history of the sport, headlining a total of eleven main events (nine pay per view main events) for the UFC during the course of his career (in addition to five for K 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 against performance enhancing drugs in sports with the inclusion of Voluntary Anti Doping Association (VADA) during his and his opponent's training camps. Recognized for his role in the resurgence of the lightweight division, Penn is considered to have been the division's most influential figure, turning the weight class around (in bouts with Sean Sherk, Kenny Florian, Diego Sanchez, Jens Pulver, and Joe 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. His nickname, The Prodigy originates prior to him competing in mixed martial arts, from accomplishing his extraordinary feat in the sport of Brazilian Jiu Jitsu (earning his black belt in just under three years and winning the black belt division in the World Jiu Jitsu Championship only three weeks later). 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. The Ultimate Fighting Championship's inaugural signature gym located in Honolulu, Hawaii, 'UFC Gym BJ Penn' is named in Penn's honor. The gym has grown to become one of the largest and most successful in the state of Hawaii. Penn (in his knockout victory over former UFC Lightweight Champion Sean Sherk) is featured in the UFC "Evolution" pay per view introduction. Ranking in mixed martial arts history
He is widely considered one of the greatest lightweight (155 lbs) competitors in the sport's history, and as one of the greatest Welterweight (170 lbs) competitors as well due to his performances against Georges St Pierre and Matt Hughes. Penn was also simultaneously ranked number one in both of these divisions following his back to back submission victories over Takanori Gomi and Matt Hughes, where he is the only fighter to hold such an honor. Renowned boxing coach Freddie Roach has famously described Penn as the best boxer in all of mixed martial arts. Former UFC Middleweight Champion Anderson Silva, has said on numerous occasions that he believes Penn to be the greatest pound for pound fighter in the history of the sport. UFC Hall of Famer, UFC 10 and UFC 11 Tournament Champion and former UFC Heavyweight Champion Mark Coleman acknowledges Penn as his idol in the sport of mixed martial arts. Penn was ranked within the top five in the FightersOnly! Magazine '100 Greatest Fighters in History'.''
[[Джиу-джитсу әлем чемпионаты
2000 Рио-де-Жанейро −70 кг
American mixed martial arts fighter
the Assistant Secretary of the Navy
[[World Jiu Jitsu Championship
2000 Rio de Janeiro −70 kg
Jay Dee "B. J." Penn III (born December 13, 1978) is an American former professional mixed martial art fighter and 5th degree black belt Brazilian jiu jitsu (BJJ) practitioner. efn|name=belt|under André Pederneiras
Prior to his MMA career, Penn was known as the first non Brazilian to win the World Jiu Jitsu Championship at black belt level. In mixed martial arts, Penn has competed in the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) and in K 1 in the Featherweight, Lightweight, Welterweight, Middleweight, and Heavyweight/Openweight divisions. Penn fought to a draw against Caol Uno in the UFC 41 Lightweight Tournament. Through his tenures as champion, Penn unofficially unified the UFC Lightweight Championship (against Sean Sherk) and broke the all time lightweight title defense record. In 2015, Penn was made the inaugural inductee into the Modern era wing of the UFC Hall of Fame. Penn was considered one of the top pound for pound mixed martial artists in the world early in his career and holds victories over opponents such as Din Thomas, Caol Uno, Paul Creighton, and Matt Serra. Penn won the Rumble on the Rock Lightweight Championship in K 1. He submitted long reigning then champion Matt Hughes to capture the UFC Welterweight Championship. Following a period in which Penn competed exclusively for K 1, he returned to the UFC and won the UFC Lightweight Championship. He made a record three subsequent title defenses before losing his title to Frankie Edgar. UFC President, Dana White, credits Penn with bringing the lower weight divisions into the mainstream of mixed martial arts; he describes Penn as "the first crossover pay per view star for the Ultimate Fighting Championship's lighter weight divisions", as well as saying that "[through his] accomplishments, B. J. Penn built the 155 pound division". Penn hoped to run for governor of Hawaii in the 2022 Hawaii gubernatorial election but was eliminated in the Republican Party primary. Penn is regarded as one of the best competitors in the UFC's history. However, he has been criticized for continuing to fight past his prime, including an eight fight winless streak from 2011 to 2019. Early life and education
Penn was born in Hawaii to Jay Dee Penn, who is of Irish American descent, and Lorraine Shin, who is of Korean and Hawaiian descent. At the age of 17, Penn began training in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu after being introduced to it by his neighbor, Tom Callos. Callos had put up fliers in local gyms looking for people to train with, and B. J. 's father Jay Dee Penn had called Callos and said his boys were interested. A few weeks later, he became the first non Brazilian to win in the black belt division of the World Jiu Jitsu Championship held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. 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 to Fernando "Tererê" Augusto, and in 1998, earned a silver medal, placing 2nd in the blue belt division. Ultimate Fighting Championship
His accomplishments in the World Jiu Jitsu Championship caught the attention of the Ultimate Fighting Championship, which convinced him to switch to mixed martial arts. He then demonstrated strong striking skills, knocking out lightweights Din Thomas and Caol Uno before suffering a decision loss in a championship fight against UFC Lightweight Champion, Jens Pulver. 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 at UFC 41, a failure which caused the UFC to later suspend its lightweight division. Penn bounced back later in the year with a victory over future PRIDE Lightweight Champion Takanori Gomi to earn his first MMA championship, the Rumble on the Rock Lightweight Championship, in K 1 Fighting Network's Rumble on the Rock, an MMA organization promoted by Penn's brother, and Fighting and Entertainment Group (FEG), the parent company of the largest kickboxing organization, K 1. Heavily favored to win, Hughes lost the fight four minutes into the first round by rear 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, as well as one of the greatest submission victories in mixed martial arts history. Fighting and Entertainment Group
Penn signed to fight for the Japanese Fighting and Entertainment Group's (FEG) K 1 promotion citing a lack of challenging fights left for him in the UFC. In his second fight for FEG, Penn fought again at welterweight and defeated Duane Ludwig at the 2004 K 1 MMA Romanex show in under five minutes by arm triangle choke. Following the Ludwig fight, Penn moved up in weight class to face the undefeated Rodrigo Gracie at middleweight. Penn won by decision, extending his winning streak to four fights. Later that year at K 1 World Grand Prix Hawaii, Penn returned to middleweight to face Pride Fighting Championship veteran Renzo Gracie, which he won by unanimous decision. 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 at UFC 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 in side control crucifix 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. 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." Despite the injury, Penn congratulated Hughes, calling him a great fighter and saying he deserved the victory. Penn was a coach for The Ultimate Fighter 5, which debuted on April 5, 2007. Penn lead a team of eight lightweight fighters, and fought a rematch against Jens Pulver at The Ultimate Fighter 5#The Ultimate Fighter 5 Finale on June 23, 2007. He won with a rear naked choke in the second round after controlling Pulver from the mount and then taking Pulver's back. Although he held the choke for a moment after Pulver tapped out, the two then embraced, With Sherk's title status still in limbo after months of hearings, the UFC scheduled Penn to fight Joe Stevenson at UFC 80 on January 19, 2008, for an interim lightweight title. 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, with the winner facing Sherk in their first defense. Lightweight Championship
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. In the second round, Stevenson fought more aggressively but was still unable to threaten Penn. Penn worked to back mount and defeated him by rear naked choke at 4:02 of the second round to win the Lightweight 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 by Sherdog for 2008. With this win, Penn became the second man (after Randy Couture) to win UFC titles in two different weight classes. On May 24, 2008, at UFC 84 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada, Penn fought former champion Sean Sherk in his first title defense bout. The fight was billed by color commentator Mike 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 by Joe 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. Later, Penn told Fighters Club TV that he would face the winner of the UFC 87 Welterweight title fight between Georges St Pierre and Jon 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 a Welterweight Championship fight. Welterweight title shot
Penn challenged Georges St Pierre for St Pierre's welterweight title on January 31, 2009, the night before the Super Bowl. The date led UFC 94 to be billed as the "UFC Super Bowl Weekend," and it was anticipated to be the biggest UFC pay per view event ever. Before the fight with St Pierre, Penn made a controversial comment that he was going to try to kill St Pierre in the ring, but he later explained that he was speaking figuratively. 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 a ground and pound attack. 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." 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 the Nevada 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. Despite all of the complaints by the Penn camp, the NSAC ruled that there was no infraction. This incident was famously coined by Penn fans as the "Greasegate" and remains as one of the biggest controversial moments in UFC history. 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.|Dana White, post fight at UFC 94. 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. 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." Penn claims that before the match he warned the NSAC that St Pierre might use grease intentionally. Penn went on record as accepting the offer for a re match. 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 and Phil Nurse, a fine of $250,000, and overturning the result of the fight to a no contest. Return as Lightweight Champion
Penn began negotiations to fight Kenny Florian in the summer of 2009. 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!|Joe Rogan, post fight at UFC 107. 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 by Jens Pulver. 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. Losing the title
Penn's next defense was on April 10, 2010, at UFC 112 against Frankie 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. 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. 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.|Frankie Edgar, post fight at UFC 112. Penn fought Edgar in a rematch at UFC 118. 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. Return to welterweight and hiatus
Penn fought Matt Hughes at UFC 123 in a rubber match after their previous two fights at UFC 46 and UFC 63. 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. Penn earned knockout of the night honors for his performance. You're my idol Matt Hughes, you're my idol, you will always be my idol, thank you.|B. J. Penn, post fight at UFC 123. Following the UFC 123 post fight press conference, UFC president Dana White said that Penn would fight top welterweight contender Jon Fitch at UFC 127 in Australia. Penn trained with Matt Hughes and Floyd Mayweather Sr. in preparation for the fight. 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. Penn was expected to face Carlos Condit on October 29, 2011, at UFC 137. 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 winner Kendall Grove and B. J. 's brother Reagan Penn, as they both prepared for their August 27 fights on the ProElite show in Hawaii. However, on September 7, Condit was pulled from the bout and replaced Nick Diaz in the main event against Georges St Pierre. 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 former Strikeforce Welterweight Champion, but was unable to mount any significant offense or defense against Diaz's stand up attack in the remaining two rounds. 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." 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." 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. In April 2012 UFC president Dana White said B. J. Penn turned down a fight with the reigning Strikeforce 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 the UFC 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. 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 prospect Rory MacDonald; stating, "Rory, I accept your challenge!". Initially, Penn was expected to face Rory MacDonald on September 22, 2012, at UFC 152. However, MacDonald pulled out of the bout after sustaining a cut to the forehead while training. Penn vs. MacDonald eventually took place on December 8, 2012, at UFC on Fox 5. Penn lost the fight via unanimous decision. After the fight Dana 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 with Ariel Helwani in an interview for UFC 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." Move to featherweight and losing streak
An announcement was made on UFC Tonight in September 2013 that Penn will return from his hiatus and move to the Featherweight division to coach against rival, Frankie Edgar for the 19th season of The Ultimate Fighter. This move marked Penn's second appearance serving as a head coach for The Ultimate Fighter, his first being The Ultimate Fighter 5, opposite Jens Pulver. The season aired on Fox Sports 1 and featured middleweight and light heavyweight contestants. The two coaches faced each other for the third time on July 6, 2014, at The Ultimate Fighter 19 Finale. Penn returned to Nova União under coach André Pederneiras (who promoted Penn to black belt in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu in 1999) in preparation for his fight camp against Edgar; training alongside former UFC Bantamweight Champion Renan Barão and UFC Featherweight Champion José Aldo. Later in the camp, he also enlisted former UFC Bantamweight Champion Dominick Cruz in Hilo, Hawaii for his preparation. Penn lost the one sided bout by TKO in the third round. At the conclusion of the bout, Penn announced his intentions to retire again during the event's post fight press conference. 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.|Dana White, during the post fight press conference at The Ultimate Fighter 19 Finale. 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. He was briefly expected to return in April 2016 at UFC 197. However, Penn's return was delayed after an investigation into criminal allegations made against him was launched. In turn, Penn was expected to face Dennis Siver on June 4, 2016, at UFC 199. However, Siver was forced out of the bout in early May with an undisclosed injury. He was replaced by Cole Miller. 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. Penn was expected to face Ricardo Lamas on October 15, 2016, at UFC Fight Night 97. However, on October 4, Penn pulled out of the fight citing an injury. In turn, the promotion announced on October 6 that they had cancelled the event entirely. After three delays in getting his return fight scheduled, Penn returned to the UFC in early 2017. He faced Yair Rodríguez in the main event on January 15, 2017, at UFC Fight Night 103. Penn lost the one sided fight via TKO in the second round. A rescheduled bout with Dennis Siver took place on June 25, 2017, at UFC Fight Night 112. Penn lost the fight by majority decision. For his next fight, Penn returned to lightweight to face Ryan Hall on December 29, 2018, at UFC 232; it was his third stint in the lightweight division. In preparation for the fight against Hall, Penn returned to train at Nova União. Penn lost the fight via a heel hook submission in the first round. Penn faced Clay Guida on May 11, 2019, at UFC 237. He lost the fight by unanimous decision. On July 26, 2019, news surfaced that Penn was expected to face Nik Lentz in a grudge match, at a UFC event to be determined. However, Penn was released from the promotion in early September after video evidence surfaced showing Penn fighting patrons in a bar brawl in Pahoa, Hawaii. Personal life
His nickname "B. J." is a shortened version of another nickname "Baby Jay", which itself derives from the fact that Penn is the last of three brothers named "Jay Dee Penn". B. J. 's father, who is Irish and English, named 3 of his 4 children "Jay Dee", while the fourth is 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). Penn's mother, Lorraine Shin, is of Hawaiian and Korean descent. Being born in Hawaii, Penn takes much pride in his Hawaiian upbringing. Penn often plays Hawaiian music during his walk out entrances, a combination of Hawaii ’78 into E Ala E, both performed by Hawaiian musician Israel 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 his Korean roots and has traveled to South 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." Penn is the co author of Mixed Martial Arts: The Book of Knowledge, an instructional book on mixed martial arts fighting. Penn, along with Dave Weintraub, authored the autobiography Why I Fight: The Belt is Just an Accessory in 2010. The book debuted at #22 on the New York Times bestseller list. Penn also appeared in the film Never Surrender in 2009. Penn was also the subject of a Paternity Lawsuit in relation to a daughter, approximately a year after the girl's birth. On the 5th of October, 2021, Penn also announced his intention to run for governor in the 2022 Hawaii gubernatorial election. He lost the Republican primary, ending as the runner up to winner Duke Aiona. Following the election, he filed a complaint with the Hawaii Supreme Court contesting the results. Legal controversies
Penn has an extended history of alcohol induced violence. In January 2015, Penn was arrested in Kihei, Hawaii and charged with assault after a brawl outside of a bar. 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 order through October 2021. In June 2019, an intoxicated Penn fought a bouncer outside of a Honolulu strip club. On August 27, 2019, Penn was involved in a bar brawl on Hawaii's Big Island. On December 8, 2020, a paternity lawsuit was filed against Penn by the mother of his most recent child, Camila Amado. Legacy and influence
Since his debut in the Ultimate Fighting Championship, Penn emerged as one of the biggest stars in the history of the sport, headlining a total of eleven main events (nine pay per view main events) for the UFC during the course of his career (in addition to five for K 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 against performance enhancing drugs in sports with the inclusion of Voluntary Anti Doping Association (VADA) during his and his opponent's training camps. Recognized for his role in the resurgence of the lightweight division, Penn is considered to have been the division's most influential figure, turning the weight class around (in bouts with Sean Sherk, Kenny Florian, Diego Sanchez, Jens Pulver, and Joe 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. His nickname, The Prodigy originates prior to him competing in mixed martial arts, from accomplishing his extraordinary feat in the sport of Brazilian Jiu Jitsu (earning his black belt in just under three years and winning the black belt division in the World Jiu Jitsu Championship only three weeks later). 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. The Ultimate Fighting Championship's inaugural signature gym located in Honolulu, Hawaii, 'UFC Gym BJ Penn' is named in Penn's honor. The gym has grown to become one of the largest and most successful in the state of Hawaii. Penn (in his knockout victory over former UFC Lightweight Champion Sean Sherk) is featured in the UFC "Evolution" pay per view introduction. Ranking in mixed martial arts history
He is widely considered one of the greatest lightweight (155 lbs) competitors in the sport's history, and as one of the greatest Welterweight (170 lbs) competitors as well due to his performances against Georges St Pierre and Matt Hughes. Penn was also simultaneously ranked number one in both of these divisions following his back to back submission victories over Takanori Gomi and Matt Hughes, where he is the only fighter to hold such an honor. Renowned boxing coach Freddie Roach has famously described Penn as the best boxer in all of mixed martial arts. Former UFC Middleweight Champion Anderson Silva, has said on numerous occasions that he believes Penn to be the greatest pound for pound fighter in the history of the sport. UFC Hall of Famer, UFC 10 and UFC 11 Tournament Champion and former UFC Heavyweight Champion Mark Coleman acknowledges Penn as his idol in the sport of mixed martial arts. Penn was ranked within the top five in the FightersOnly! Magazine '100 Greatest Fighters in History'.''
the Assistant Secretary of the Navy
[[World Jiu Jitsu Championship
2000 Rio de Janeiro −70 kg
Jay Dee "B. J." Penn III (born December 13, 1978) is an American former professional mixed martial art fighter and 5th degree black belt Brazilian jiu jitsu (BJJ) practitioner. efn|name=belt|under André Pederneiras
Prior to his MMA career, Penn was known as the first non Brazilian to win the World Jiu Jitsu Championship at black belt level. In mixed martial arts, Penn has competed in the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) and in K 1 in the Featherweight, Lightweight, Welterweight, Middleweight, and Heavyweight/Openweight divisions. Penn fought to a draw against Caol Uno in the UFC 41 Lightweight Tournament. Through his tenures as champion, Penn unofficially unified the UFC Lightweight Championship (against Sean Sherk) and broke the all time lightweight title defense record. In 2015, Penn was made the inaugural inductee into the Modern era wing of the UFC Hall of Fame. Penn was considered one of the top pound for pound mixed martial artists in the world early in his career and holds victories over opponents such as Din Thomas, Caol Uno, Paul Creighton, and Matt Serra. Penn won the Rumble on the Rock Lightweight Championship in K 1. He submitted long reigning then champion Matt Hughes to capture the UFC Welterweight Championship. Following a period in which Penn competed exclusively for K 1, he returned to the UFC and won the UFC Lightweight Championship. He made a record three subsequent title defenses before losing his title to Frankie Edgar. UFC President, Dana White, credits Penn with bringing the lower weight divisions into the mainstream of mixed martial arts; he describes Penn as "the first crossover pay per view star for the Ultimate Fighting Championship's lighter weight divisions", as well as saying that "[through his] accomplishments, B. J. Penn built the 155 pound division". Penn hoped to run for governor of Hawaii in the 2022 Hawaii gubernatorial election but was eliminated in the Republican Party primary. Penn is regarded as one of the best competitors in the UFC's history. However, he has been criticized for continuing to fight past his prime, including an eight fight winless streak from 2011 to 2019. Early life and education
Penn was born in Hawaii to Jay Dee Penn, who is of Irish American descent, and Lorraine Shin, who is of Korean and Hawaiian descent. At the age of 17, Penn began training in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu after being introduced to it by his neighbor, Tom Callos. Callos had put up fliers in local gyms looking for people to train with, and B. J. 's father Jay Dee Penn had called Callos and said his boys were interested. A few weeks later, he became the first non Brazilian to win in the black belt division of the World Jiu Jitsu Championship held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. 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 to Fernando "Tererê" Augusto, and in 1998, earned a silver medal, placing 2nd in the blue belt division. Ultimate Fighting Championship
His accomplishments in the World Jiu Jitsu Championship caught the attention of the Ultimate Fighting Championship, which convinced him to switch to mixed martial arts. He then demonstrated strong striking skills, knocking out lightweights Din Thomas and Caol Uno before suffering a decision loss in a championship fight against UFC Lightweight Champion, Jens Pulver. 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 at UFC 41, a failure which caused the UFC to later suspend its lightweight division. Penn bounced back later in the year with a victory over future PRIDE Lightweight Champion Takanori Gomi to earn his first MMA championship, the Rumble on the Rock Lightweight Championship, in K 1 Fighting Network's Rumble on the Rock, an MMA organization promoted by Penn's brother, and Fighting and Entertainment Group (FEG), the parent company of the largest kickboxing organization, K 1. Heavily favored to win, Hughes lost the fight four minutes into the first round by rear 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, as well as one of the greatest submission victories in mixed martial arts history. Fighting and Entertainment Group
Penn signed to fight for the Japanese Fighting and Entertainment Group's (FEG) K 1 promotion citing a lack of challenging fights left for him in the UFC. In his second fight for FEG, Penn fought again at welterweight and defeated Duane Ludwig at the 2004 K 1 MMA Romanex show in under five minutes by arm triangle choke. Following the Ludwig fight, Penn moved up in weight class to face the undefeated Rodrigo Gracie at middleweight. Penn won by decision, extending his winning streak to four fights. Later that year at K 1 World Grand Prix Hawaii, Penn returned to middleweight to face Pride Fighting Championship veteran Renzo Gracie, which he won by unanimous decision. 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 at UFC 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 in side control crucifix 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. 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." Despite the injury, Penn congratulated Hughes, calling him a great fighter and saying he deserved the victory. Penn was a coach for The Ultimate Fighter 5, which debuted on April 5, 2007. Penn lead a team of eight lightweight fighters, and fought a rematch against Jens Pulver at The Ultimate Fighter 5#The Ultimate Fighter 5 Finale on June 23, 2007. He won with a rear naked choke in the second round after controlling Pulver from the mount and then taking Pulver's back. Although he held the choke for a moment after Pulver tapped out, the two then embraced, With Sherk's title status still in limbo after months of hearings, the UFC scheduled Penn to fight Joe Stevenson at UFC 80 on January 19, 2008, for an interim lightweight title. 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, with the winner facing Sherk in their first defense. Lightweight Championship
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. In the second round, Stevenson fought more aggressively but was still unable to threaten Penn. Penn worked to back mount and defeated him by rear naked choke at 4:02 of the second round to win the Lightweight 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 by Sherdog for 2008. With this win, Penn became the second man (after Randy Couture) to win UFC titles in two different weight classes. On May 24, 2008, at UFC 84 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada, Penn fought former champion Sean Sherk in his first title defense bout. The fight was billed by color commentator Mike 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 by Joe 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. Later, Penn told Fighters Club TV that he would face the winner of the UFC 87 Welterweight title fight between Georges St Pierre and Jon 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 a Welterweight Championship fight. Welterweight title shot
Penn challenged Georges St Pierre for St Pierre's welterweight title on January 31, 2009, the night before the Super Bowl. The date led UFC 94 to be billed as the "UFC Super Bowl Weekend," and it was anticipated to be the biggest UFC pay per view event ever. Before the fight with St Pierre, Penn made a controversial comment that he was going to try to kill St Pierre in the ring, but he later explained that he was speaking figuratively. 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 a ground and pound attack. 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." 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 the Nevada 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. Despite all of the complaints by the Penn camp, the NSAC ruled that there was no infraction. This incident was famously coined by Penn fans as the "Greasegate" and remains as one of the biggest controversial moments in UFC history. 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.|Dana White, post fight at UFC 94. 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. 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." Penn claims that before the match he warned the NSAC that St Pierre might use grease intentionally. Penn went on record as accepting the offer for a re match. 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 and Phil Nurse, a fine of $250,000, and overturning the result of the fight to a no contest. Return as Lightweight Champion
Penn began negotiations to fight Kenny Florian in the summer of 2009. 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!|Joe Rogan, post fight at UFC 107. 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 by Jens Pulver. 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. Losing the title
Penn's next defense was on April 10, 2010, at UFC 112 against Frankie 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. 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. 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.|Frankie Edgar, post fight at UFC 112. Penn fought Edgar in a rematch at UFC 118. 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. Return to welterweight and hiatus
Penn fought Matt Hughes at UFC 123 in a rubber match after their previous two fights at UFC 46 and UFC 63. 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. Penn earned knockout of the night honors for his performance. You're my idol Matt Hughes, you're my idol, you will always be my idol, thank you.|B. J. Penn, post fight at UFC 123. Following the UFC 123 post fight press conference, UFC president Dana White said that Penn would fight top welterweight contender Jon Fitch at UFC 127 in Australia. Penn trained with Matt Hughes and Floyd Mayweather Sr. in preparation for the fight. 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. Penn was expected to face Carlos Condit on October 29, 2011, at UFC 137. 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 winner Kendall Grove and B. J. 's brother Reagan Penn, as they both prepared for their August 27 fights on the ProElite show in Hawaii. However, on September 7, Condit was pulled from the bout and replaced Nick Diaz in the main event against Georges St Pierre. 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 former Strikeforce Welterweight Champion, but was unable to mount any significant offense or defense against Diaz's stand up attack in the remaining two rounds. 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." 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." 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. In April 2012 UFC president Dana White said B. J. Penn turned down a fight with the reigning Strikeforce 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 the UFC 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. 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 prospect Rory MacDonald; stating, "Rory, I accept your challenge!". Initially, Penn was expected to face Rory MacDonald on September 22, 2012, at UFC 152. However, MacDonald pulled out of the bout after sustaining a cut to the forehead while training. Penn vs. MacDonald eventually took place on December 8, 2012, at UFC on Fox 5. Penn lost the fight via unanimous decision. After the fight Dana 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 with Ariel Helwani in an interview for UFC 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." Move to featherweight and losing streak
An announcement was made on UFC Tonight in September 2013 that Penn will return from his hiatus and move to the Featherweight division to coach against rival, Frankie Edgar for the 19th season of The Ultimate Fighter. This move marked Penn's second appearance serving as a head coach for The Ultimate Fighter, his first being The Ultimate Fighter 5, opposite Jens Pulver. The season aired on Fox Sports 1 and featured middleweight and light heavyweight contestants. The two coaches faced each other for the third time on July 6, 2014, at The Ultimate Fighter 19 Finale. Penn returned to Nova União under coach André Pederneiras (who promoted Penn to black belt in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu in 1999) in preparation for his fight camp against Edgar; training alongside former UFC Bantamweight Champion Renan Barão and UFC Featherweight Champion José Aldo. Later in the camp, he also enlisted former UFC Bantamweight Champion Dominick Cruz in Hilo, Hawaii for his preparation. Penn lost the one sided bout by TKO in the third round. At the conclusion of the bout, Penn announced his intentions to retire again during the event's post fight press conference. 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.|Dana White, during the post fight press conference at The Ultimate Fighter 19 Finale. 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. He was briefly expected to return in April 2016 at UFC 197. However, Penn's return was delayed after an investigation into criminal allegations made against him was launched. In turn, Penn was expected to face Dennis Siver on June 4, 2016, at UFC 199. However, Siver was forced out of the bout in early May with an undisclosed injury. He was replaced by Cole Miller. 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. Penn was expected to face Ricardo Lamas on October 15, 2016, at UFC Fight Night 97. However, on October 4, Penn pulled out of the fight citing an injury. In turn, the promotion announced on October 6 that they had cancelled the event entirely. After three delays in getting his return fight scheduled, Penn returned to the UFC in early 2017. He faced Yair Rodríguez in the main event on January 15, 2017, at UFC Fight Night 103. Penn lost the one sided fight via TKO in the second round. A rescheduled bout with Dennis Siver took place on June 25, 2017, at UFC Fight Night 112. Penn lost the fight by majority decision. For his next fight, Penn returned to lightweight to face Ryan Hall on December 29, 2018, at UFC 232; it was his third stint in the lightweight division. In preparation for the fight against Hall, Penn returned to train at Nova União. Penn lost the fight via a heel hook submission in the first round. Penn faced Clay Guida on May 11, 2019, at UFC 237. He lost the fight by unanimous decision. On July 26, 2019, news surfaced that Penn was expected to face Nik Lentz in a grudge match, at a UFC event to be determined. However, Penn was released from the promotion in early September after video evidence surfaced showing Penn fighting patrons in a bar brawl in Pahoa, Hawaii. Personal life
His nickname "B. J." is a shortened version of another nickname "Baby Jay", which itself derives from the fact that Penn is the last of three brothers named "Jay Dee Penn". B. J. 's father, who is Irish and English, named 3 of his 4 children "Jay Dee", while the fourth is 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). Penn's mother, Lorraine Shin, is of Hawaiian and Korean descent. Being born in Hawaii, Penn takes much pride in his Hawaiian upbringing. Penn often plays Hawaiian music during his walk out entrances, a combination of Hawaii ’78 into E Ala E, both performed by Hawaiian musician Israel 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 his Korean roots and has traveled to South 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." Penn is the co author of Mixed Martial Arts: The Book of Knowledge, an instructional book on mixed martial arts fighting. Penn, along with Dave Weintraub, authored the autobiography Why I Fight: The Belt is Just an Accessory in 2010. The book debuted at #22 on the New York Times bestseller list. Penn also appeared in the film Never Surrender in 2009. Penn was also the subject of a Paternity Lawsuit in relation to a daughter, approximately a year after the girl's birth. On the 5th of October, 2021, Penn also announced his intention to run for governor in the 2022 Hawaii gubernatorial election. He lost the Republican primary, ending as the runner up to winner Duke Aiona. Following the election, he filed a complaint with the Hawaii Supreme Court contesting the results. Legal controversies
Penn has an extended history of alcohol induced violence. In January 2015, Penn was arrested in Kihei, Hawaii and charged with assault after a brawl outside of a bar. 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 order through October 2021. In June 2019, an intoxicated Penn fought a bouncer outside of a Honolulu strip club. On August 27, 2019, Penn was involved in a bar brawl on Hawaii's Big Island. On December 8, 2020, a paternity lawsuit was filed against Penn by the mother of his most recent child, Camila Amado. Legacy and influence
Since his debut in the Ultimate Fighting Championship, Penn emerged as one of the biggest stars in the history of the sport, headlining a total of eleven main events (nine pay per view main events) for the UFC during the course of his career (in addition to five for K 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 against performance enhancing drugs in sports with the inclusion of Voluntary Anti Doping Association (VADA) during his and his opponent's training camps. Recognized for his role in the resurgence of the lightweight division, Penn is considered to have been the division's most influential figure, turning the weight class around (in bouts with Sean Sherk, Kenny Florian, Diego Sanchez, Jens Pulver, and Joe 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. His nickname, The Prodigy originates prior to him competing in mixed martial arts, from accomplishing his extraordinary feat in the sport of Brazilian Jiu Jitsu (earning his black belt in just under three years and winning the black belt division in the World Jiu Jitsu Championship only three weeks later). 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. The Ultimate Fighting Championship's inaugural signature gym located in Honolulu, Hawaii, 'UFC Gym BJ Penn' is named in Penn's honor. The gym has grown to become one of the largest and most successful in the state of Hawaii. Penn (in his knockout victory over former UFC Lightweight Champion Sean Sherk) is featured in the UFC "Evolution" pay per view introduction. Ranking in mixed martial arts history
He is widely considered one of the greatest lightweight (155 lbs) competitors in the sport's history, and as one of the greatest Welterweight (170 lbs) competitors as well due to his performances against Georges St Pierre and Matt Hughes. Penn was also simultaneously ranked number one in both of these divisions following his back to back submission victories over Takanori Gomi and Matt Hughes, where he is the only fighter to hold such an honor. Renowned boxing coach Freddie Roach has famously described Penn as the best boxer in all of mixed martial arts. Former UFC Middleweight Champion Anderson Silva, has said on numerous occasions that he believes Penn to be the greatest pound for pound fighter in the history of the sport. UFC Hall of Famer, UFC 10 and UFC 11 Tournament Champion and former UFC Heavyweight Champion Mark Coleman acknowledges Penn as his idol in the sport of mixed martial arts. Penn was ranked within the top five in the FightersOnly! Magazine '100 Greatest Fighters in History'.''
Джей Ди "Б. Дж." Пенн III (1978 жылдың 13 желтоқсанында туған) – американдық бұрынғы кәсіби аралас жекпе-жекші және 5-дәрежелі қара белбеулі бразилиялық джиу-джитсу (BJJ) шебері. Андре Педернейраспен бірге, Пенн ММА мансабынан бұрын қара белбеу деңгейінде Джиу-джитсу әлем чемпионатында жеңіске жеткен алғашқы бразилиялық емес спортшы ретінде танымал болды. Аралас жекпе-жек өнерінде Пенн Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) және K 1 ұйымдарында қауырсын, жеңіл, орта және ауыр салмақ/ашық салмақ дивизиондарында өнер көрсетті. Пенн UFC 41 жеңіл салмақтағы турнирінде Каол Уномен тең түсті. Чемпиондық мансабында Пенн UFC жеңіл салмақтағы чемпионатын (Шон Шеркке қарсы) ресми емес түрде біріктірді және жеңіл салмақтағы титул қорғау бойынша барлық уақыттық рекордты жаңартты. 2015 жылы Пенн UFC Даңқ залының заманауи кезеңіне енгізілді. Пенн мансабының басында әлемдегі ең үздік аралас жекпе-жекшілердің бірі саналды және Дин Томас, Каол Уно, Пол Крейтон және Мэтт Серра сияқты қарсыластардан жеңіске жетті. Пенн K 1 ұйымында өткен Rumble on the Rock жеңіл салмақтағы чемпионатында жеңіске жетті. Ол ұзақ жылдар бойы чемпиондық атақты сақтап келген Мэтт Хьюсті жеңіп, UFC Welterweight Championship белбеуін иеленді. K 1 үшін ғана өнер көрсеткеннен кейін, Пенн UFC-ге оралып, UFC жеңіл салмақтағы чемпионы атанды. Ол титулын үш рет сәтті қорғады, бірақ Фрэнки Эдгарға жол берді. UFC президенті Дана Уайт Пенннің төмен салмақ дивизиондарын аралас жекпе-жек өнерінің негізгі ағынына енгізгенін айтады; ол Пеннді "Ultimate Fighting Championship жеңіл салмақ дивизиондарының алғашқы кроссовер жұлдызы" деп сипаттап, сондай-ақ "[оның] жетістіктері арқасында Б. Дж. Пенн 155 фунт дивизионын құрды" деді. Пенн 2022 жылы Гавайи губернаторы сайлауында қатысуға ниеттенді, бірақ Республикалық партиясының алғашқы сайлауында жеңіліп қалды. Пенн UFC тарихындағы ең үздік бәсекелестердің бірі саналады. Дегенмен, ол 2011 жылдан 2019 жылға дейін жеңіске жете алмаған сегіз жекпе-жегі үшін сынға ұшырады.
American mixed martial arts fighter
the Assistant Secretary of the Navy
[[World Jiu Jitsu Championship
2000 Rio de Janeiro −70 kg
Jay Dee "B. J." Penn III (born December 13, 1978) is an American former professional mixed martial art fighter and 5th degree black belt Brazilian jiu jitsu (BJJ) practitioner. efn|name=belt|under André Pederneiras
Prior to his MMA career, Penn was known as the first non Brazilian to win the World Jiu Jitsu Championship at black belt level. In mixed martial arts, Penn has competed in the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) and in K 1 in the Featherweight, Lightweight, Welterweight, Middleweight, and Heavyweight/Openweight divisions. Penn fought to a draw against Caol Uno in the UFC 41 Lightweight Tournament. Through his tenures as champion, Penn unofficially unified the UFC Lightweight Championship (against Sean Sherk) and broke the all time lightweight title defense record. In 2015, Penn was made the inaugural inductee into the Modern era wing of the UFC Hall of Fame. Penn was considered one of the top pound for pound mixed martial artists in the world early in his career and holds victories over opponents such as Din Thomas, Caol Uno, Paul Creighton, and Matt Serra. Penn won the Rumble on the Rock Lightweight Championship in K 1. He submitted long reigning then champion Matt Hughes to capture the UFC Welterweight Championship. Following a period in which Penn competed exclusively for K 1, he returned to the UFC and won the UFC Lightweight Championship. He made a record three subsequent title defenses before losing his title to Frankie Edgar. UFC President, Dana White, credits Penn with bringing the lower weight divisions into the mainstream of mixed martial arts; he describes Penn as "the first crossover pay per view star for the Ultimate Fighting Championship's lighter weight divisions", as well as saying that "[through his] accomplishments, B. J. Penn built the 155 pound division". Penn hoped to run for governor of Hawaii in the 2022 Hawaii gubernatorial election but was eliminated in the Republican Party primary. Penn is regarded as one of the best competitors in the UFC's history. However, he has been criticized for continuing to fight past his prime, including an eight fight winless streak from 2011 to 2019. Early life and education
Penn was born in Hawaii to Jay Dee Penn, who is of Irish American descent, and Lorraine Shin, who is of Korean and Hawaiian descent. At the age of 17, Penn began training in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu after being introduced to it by his neighbor, Tom Callos. Callos had put up fliers in local gyms looking for people to train with, and B. J. 's father Jay Dee Penn had called Callos and said his boys were interested. A few weeks later, he became the first non Brazilian to win in the black belt division of the World Jiu Jitsu Championship held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. 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 to Fernando "Tererê" Augusto, and in 1998, earned a silver medal, placing 2nd in the blue belt division. Ultimate Fighting Championship
His accomplishments in the World Jiu Jitsu Championship caught the attention of the Ultimate Fighting Championship, which convinced him to switch to mixed martial arts. He then demonstrated strong striking skills, knocking out lightweights Din Thomas and Caol Uno before suffering a decision loss in a championship fight against UFC Lightweight Champion, Jens Pulver. 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 at UFC 41, a failure which caused the UFC to later suspend its lightweight division. Penn bounced back later in the year with a victory over future PRIDE Lightweight Champion Takanori Gomi to earn his first MMA championship, the Rumble on the Rock Lightweight Championship, in K 1 Fighting Network's Rumble on the Rock, an MMA organization promoted by Penn's brother, and Fighting and Entertainment Group (FEG), the parent company of the largest kickboxing organization, K 1. Heavily favored to win, Hughes lost the fight four minutes into the first round by rear 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, as well as one of the greatest submission victories in mixed martial arts history. Fighting and Entertainment Group
Penn signed to fight for the Japanese Fighting and Entertainment Group's (FEG) K 1 promotion citing a lack of challenging fights left for him in the UFC. In his second fight for FEG, Penn fought again at welterweight and defeated Duane Ludwig at the 2004 K 1 MMA Romanex show in under five minutes by arm triangle choke. Following the Ludwig fight, Penn moved up in weight class to face the undefeated Rodrigo Gracie at middleweight. Penn won by decision, extending his winning streak to four fights. Later that year at K 1 World Grand Prix Hawaii, Penn returned to middleweight to face Pride Fighting Championship veteran Renzo Gracie, which he won by unanimous decision. 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 at UFC 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 in side control crucifix 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. 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." Despite the injury, Penn congratulated Hughes, calling him a great fighter and saying he deserved the victory. Penn was a coach for The Ultimate Fighter 5, which debuted on April 5, 2007. Penn lead a team of eight lightweight fighters, and fought a rematch against Jens Pulver at The Ultimate Fighter 5#The Ultimate Fighter 5 Finale on June 23, 2007. He won with a rear naked choke in the second round after controlling Pulver from the mount and then taking Pulver's back. Although he held the choke for a moment after Pulver tapped out, the two then embraced, With Sherk's title status still in limbo after months of hearings, the UFC scheduled Penn to fight Joe Stevenson at UFC 80 on January 19, 2008, for an interim lightweight title. 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, with the winner facing Sherk in their first defense. Lightweight Championship
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. In the second round, Stevenson fought more aggressively but was still unable to threaten Penn. Penn worked to back mount and defeated him by rear naked choke at 4:02 of the second round to win the Lightweight 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 by Sherdog for 2008. With this win, Penn became the second man (after Randy Couture) to win UFC titles in two different weight classes. On May 24, 2008, at UFC 84 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada, Penn fought former champion Sean Sherk in his first title defense bout. The fight was billed by color commentator Mike 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 by Joe 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. Later, Penn told Fighters Club TV that he would face the winner of the UFC 87 Welterweight title fight between Georges St Pierre and Jon 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 a Welterweight Championship fight. Welterweight title shot
Penn challenged Georges St Pierre for St Pierre's welterweight title on January 31, 2009, the night before the Super Bowl. The date led UFC 94 to be billed as the "UFC Super Bowl Weekend," and it was anticipated to be the biggest UFC pay per view event ever. Before the fight with St Pierre, Penn made a controversial comment that he was going to try to kill St Pierre in the ring, but he later explained that he was speaking figuratively. 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 a ground and pound attack. 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." 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 the Nevada 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. Despite all of the complaints by the Penn camp, the NSAC ruled that there was no infraction. This incident was famously coined by Penn fans as the "Greasegate" and remains as one of the biggest controversial moments in UFC history. 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.|Dana White, post fight at UFC 94. 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. 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." Penn claims that before the match he warned the NSAC that St Pierre might use grease intentionally. Penn went on record as accepting the offer for a re match. 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 and Phil Nurse, a fine of $250,000, and overturning the result of the fight to a no contest. Return as Lightweight Champion
Penn began negotiations to fight Kenny Florian in the summer of 2009. 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!|Joe Rogan, post fight at UFC 107. 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 by Jens Pulver. 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. Losing the title
Penn's next defense was on April 10, 2010, at UFC 112 against Frankie 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. 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. 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.|Frankie Edgar, post fight at UFC 112. Penn fought Edgar in a rematch at UFC 118. 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. Return to welterweight and hiatus
Penn fought Matt Hughes at UFC 123 in a rubber match after their previous two fights at UFC 46 and UFC 63. 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. Penn earned knockout of the night honors for his performance. You're my idol Matt Hughes, you're my idol, you will always be my idol, thank you.|B. J. Penn, post fight at UFC 123. Following the UFC 123 post fight press conference, UFC president Dana White said that Penn would fight top welterweight contender Jon Fitch at UFC 127 in Australia. Penn trained with Matt Hughes and Floyd Mayweather Sr. in preparation for the fight. 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. Penn was expected to face Carlos Condit on October 29, 2011, at UFC 137. 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 winner Kendall Grove and B. J. 's brother Reagan Penn, as they both prepared for their August 27 fights on the ProElite show in Hawaii. However, on September 7, Condit was pulled from the bout and replaced Nick Diaz in the main event against Georges St Pierre. 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 former Strikeforce Welterweight Champion, but was unable to mount any significant offense or defense against Diaz's stand up attack in the remaining two rounds. 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." 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." 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. In April 2012 UFC president Dana White said B. J. Penn turned down a fight with the reigning Strikeforce 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 the UFC 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. 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 prospect Rory MacDonald; stating, "Rory, I accept your challenge!". Initially, Penn was expected to face Rory MacDonald on September 22, 2012, at UFC 152. However, MacDonald pulled out of the bout after sustaining a cut to the forehead while training. Penn vs. MacDonald eventually took place on December 8, 2012, at UFC on Fox 5. Penn lost the fight via unanimous decision. After the fight Dana 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 with Ariel Helwani in an interview for UFC 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." Move to featherweight and losing streak
An announcement was made on UFC Tonight in September 2013 that Penn will return from his hiatus and move to the Featherweight division to coach against rival, Frankie Edgar for the 19th season of The Ultimate Fighter. This move marked Penn's second appearance serving as a head coach for The Ultimate Fighter, his first being The Ultimate Fighter 5, opposite Jens Pulver. The season aired on Fox Sports 1 and featured middleweight and light heavyweight contestants. The two coaches faced each other for the third time on July 6, 2014, at The Ultimate Fighter 19 Finale. Penn returned to Nova União under coach André Pederneiras (who promoted Penn to black belt in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu in 1999) in preparation for his fight camp against Edgar; training alongside former UFC Bantamweight Champion Renan Barão and UFC Featherweight Champion José Aldo. Later in the camp, he also enlisted former UFC Bantamweight Champion Dominick Cruz in Hilo, Hawaii for his preparation. Penn lost the one sided bout by TKO in the third round. At the conclusion of the bout, Penn announced his intentions to retire again during the event's post fight press conference. 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.|Dana White, during the post fight press conference at The Ultimate Fighter 19 Finale. 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. He was briefly expected to return in April 2016 at UFC 197. However, Penn's return was delayed after an investigation into criminal allegations made against him was launched. In turn, Penn was expected to face Dennis Siver on June 4, 2016, at UFC 199. However, Siver was forced out of the bout in early May with an undisclosed injury. He was replaced by Cole Miller. 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. Penn was expected to face Ricardo Lamas on October 15, 2016, at UFC Fight Night 97. However, on October 4, Penn pulled out of the fight citing an injury. In turn, the promotion announced on October 6 that they had cancelled the event entirely. After three delays in getting his return fight scheduled, Penn returned to the UFC in early 2017. He faced Yair Rodríguez in the main event on January 15, 2017, at UFC Fight Night 103. Penn lost the one sided fight via TKO in the second round. A rescheduled bout with Dennis Siver took place on June 25, 2017, at UFC Fight Night 112. Penn lost the fight by majority decision. For his next fight, Penn returned to lightweight to face Ryan Hall on December 29, 2018, at UFC 232; it was his third stint in the lightweight division. In preparation for the fight against Hall, Penn returned to train at Nova União. Penn lost the fight via a heel hook submission in the first round. Penn faced Clay Guida on May 11, 2019, at UFC 237. He lost the fight by unanimous decision. On July 26, 2019, news surfaced that Penn was expected to face Nik Lentz in a grudge match, at a UFC event to be determined. However, Penn was released from the promotion in early September after video evidence surfaced showing Penn fighting patrons in a bar brawl in Pahoa, Hawaii. Personal life
His nickname "B. J." is a shortened version of another nickname "Baby Jay", which itself derives from the fact that Penn is the last of three brothers named "Jay Dee Penn". B. J. 's father, who is Irish and English, named 3 of his 4 children "Jay Dee", while the fourth is 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). Penn's mother, Lorraine Shin, is of Hawaiian and Korean descent. Being born in Hawaii, Penn takes much pride in his Hawaiian upbringing. Penn often plays Hawaiian music during his walk out entrances, a combination of Hawaii ’78 into E Ala E, both performed by Hawaiian musician Israel 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 his Korean roots and has traveled to South 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." Penn is the co author of Mixed Martial Arts: The Book of Knowledge, an instructional book on mixed martial arts fighting. Penn, along with Dave Weintraub, authored the autobiography Why I Fight: The Belt is Just an Accessory in 2010. The book debuted at #22 on the New York Times bestseller list. Penn also appeared in the film Never Surrender in 2009. Penn was also the subject of a Paternity Lawsuit in relation to a daughter, approximately a year after the girl's birth. On the 5th of October, 2021, Penn also announced his intention to run for governor in the 2022 Hawaii gubernatorial election. He lost the Republican primary, ending as the runner up to winner Duke Aiona. Following the election, he filed a complaint with the Hawaii Supreme Court contesting the results. Legal controversies
Penn has an extended history of alcohol induced violence. In January 2015, Penn was arrested in Kihei, Hawaii and charged with assault after a brawl outside of a bar. 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 order through October 2021. In June 2019, an intoxicated Penn fought a bouncer outside of a Honolulu strip club. On August 27, 2019, Penn was involved in a bar brawl on Hawaii's Big Island. On December 8, 2020, a paternity lawsuit was filed against Penn by the mother of his most recent child, Camila Amado. Legacy and influence
Since his debut in the Ultimate Fighting Championship, Penn emerged as one of the biggest stars in the history of the sport, headlining a total of eleven main events (nine pay per view main events) for the UFC during the course of his career (in addition to five for K 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 against performance enhancing drugs in sports with the inclusion of Voluntary Anti Doping Association (VADA) during his and his opponent's training camps. Recognized for his role in the resurgence of the lightweight division, Penn is considered to have been the division's most influential figure, turning the weight class around (in bouts with Sean Sherk, Kenny Florian, Diego Sanchez, Jens Pulver, and Joe 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. His nickname, The Prodigy originates prior to him competing in mixed martial arts, from accomplishing his extraordinary feat in the sport of Brazilian Jiu Jitsu (earning his black belt in just under three years and winning the black belt division in the World Jiu Jitsu Championship only three weeks later). 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. The Ultimate Fighting Championship's inaugural signature gym located in Honolulu, Hawaii, 'UFC Gym BJ Penn' is named in Penn's honor. The gym has grown to become one of the largest and most successful in the state of Hawaii. Penn (in his knockout victory over former UFC Lightweight Champion Sean Sherk) is featured in the UFC "Evolution" pay per view introduction. Ranking in mixed martial arts history
He is widely considered one of the greatest lightweight (155 lbs) competitors in the sport's history, and as one of the greatest Welterweight (170 lbs) competitors as well due to his performances against Georges St Pierre and Matt Hughes. Penn was also simultaneously ranked number one in both of these divisions following his back to back submission victories over Takanori Gomi and Matt Hughes, where he is the only fighter to hold such an honor. Renowned boxing coach Freddie Roach has famously described Penn as the best boxer in all of mixed martial arts. Former UFC Middleweight Champion Anderson Silva, has said on numerous occasions that he believes Penn to be the greatest pound for pound fighter in the history of the sport. UFC Hall of Famer, UFC 10 and UFC 11 Tournament Champion and former UFC Heavyweight Champion Mark Coleman acknowledges Penn as his idol in the sport of mixed martial arts. Penn was ranked within the top five in the FightersOnly! Magazine '100 Greatest Fighters in History'.''
the Assistant Secretary of the Navy
[[World Jiu Jitsu Championship
2000 Rio de Janeiro −70 kg
Jay Dee "B. J." Penn III (born December 13, 1978) is an American former professional mixed martial art fighter and 5th degree black belt Brazilian jiu jitsu (BJJ) practitioner. efn|name=belt|under André Pederneiras
Prior to his MMA career, Penn was known as the first non Brazilian to win the World Jiu Jitsu Championship at black belt level. In mixed martial arts, Penn has competed in the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) and in K 1 in the Featherweight, Lightweight, Welterweight, Middleweight, and Heavyweight/Openweight divisions. Penn fought to a draw against Caol Uno in the UFC 41 Lightweight Tournament. Through his tenures as champion, Penn unofficially unified the UFC Lightweight Championship (against Sean Sherk) and broke the all time lightweight title defense record. In 2015, Penn was made the inaugural inductee into the Modern era wing of the UFC Hall of Fame. Penn was considered one of the top pound for pound mixed martial artists in the world early in his career and holds victories over opponents such as Din Thomas, Caol Uno, Paul Creighton, and Matt Serra. Penn won the Rumble on the Rock Lightweight Championship in K 1. He submitted long reigning then champion Matt Hughes to capture the UFC Welterweight Championship. Following a period in which Penn competed exclusively for K 1, he returned to the UFC and won the UFC Lightweight Championship. He made a record three subsequent title defenses before losing his title to Frankie Edgar. UFC President, Dana White, credits Penn with bringing the lower weight divisions into the mainstream of mixed martial arts; he describes Penn as "the first crossover pay per view star for the Ultimate Fighting Championship's lighter weight divisions", as well as saying that "[through his] accomplishments, B. J. Penn built the 155 pound division". Penn hoped to run for governor of Hawaii in the 2022 Hawaii gubernatorial election but was eliminated in the Republican Party primary. Penn is regarded as one of the best competitors in the UFC's history. However, he has been criticized for continuing to fight past his prime, including an eight fight winless streak from 2011 to 2019. Early life and education
Penn was born in Hawaii to Jay Dee Penn, who is of Irish American descent, and Lorraine Shin, who is of Korean and Hawaiian descent. At the age of 17, Penn began training in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu after being introduced to it by his neighbor, Tom Callos. Callos had put up fliers in local gyms looking for people to train with, and B. J. 's father Jay Dee Penn had called Callos and said his boys were interested. A few weeks later, he became the first non Brazilian to win in the black belt division of the World Jiu Jitsu Championship held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. 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 to Fernando "Tererê" Augusto, and in 1998, earned a silver medal, placing 2nd in the blue belt division. Ultimate Fighting Championship
His accomplishments in the World Jiu Jitsu Championship caught the attention of the Ultimate Fighting Championship, which convinced him to switch to mixed martial arts. He then demonstrated strong striking skills, knocking out lightweights Din Thomas and Caol Uno before suffering a decision loss in a championship fight against UFC Lightweight Champion, Jens Pulver. 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 at UFC 41, a failure which caused the UFC to later suspend its lightweight division. Penn bounced back later in the year with a victory over future PRIDE Lightweight Champion Takanori Gomi to earn his first MMA championship, the Rumble on the Rock Lightweight Championship, in K 1 Fighting Network's Rumble on the Rock, an MMA organization promoted by Penn's brother, and Fighting and Entertainment Group (FEG), the parent company of the largest kickboxing organization, K 1. Heavily favored to win, Hughes lost the fight four minutes into the first round by rear 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, as well as one of the greatest submission victories in mixed martial arts history. Fighting and Entertainment Group
Penn signed to fight for the Japanese Fighting and Entertainment Group's (FEG) K 1 promotion citing a lack of challenging fights left for him in the UFC. In his second fight for FEG, Penn fought again at welterweight and defeated Duane Ludwig at the 2004 K 1 MMA Romanex show in under five minutes by arm triangle choke. Following the Ludwig fight, Penn moved up in weight class to face the undefeated Rodrigo Gracie at middleweight. Penn won by decision, extending his winning streak to four fights. Later that year at K 1 World Grand Prix Hawaii, Penn returned to middleweight to face Pride Fighting Championship veteran Renzo Gracie, which he won by unanimous decision. 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 at UFC 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 in side control crucifix 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. 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." Despite the injury, Penn congratulated Hughes, calling him a great fighter and saying he deserved the victory. Penn was a coach for The Ultimate Fighter 5, which debuted on April 5, 2007. Penn lead a team of eight lightweight fighters, and fought a rematch against Jens Pulver at The Ultimate Fighter 5#The Ultimate Fighter 5 Finale on June 23, 2007. He won with a rear naked choke in the second round after controlling Pulver from the mount and then taking Pulver's back. Although he held the choke for a moment after Pulver tapped out, the two then embraced, With Sherk's title status still in limbo after months of hearings, the UFC scheduled Penn to fight Joe Stevenson at UFC 80 on January 19, 2008, for an interim lightweight title. 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, with the winner facing Sherk in their first defense. Lightweight Championship
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. In the second round, Stevenson fought more aggressively but was still unable to threaten Penn. Penn worked to back mount and defeated him by rear naked choke at 4:02 of the second round to win the Lightweight 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 by Sherdog for 2008. With this win, Penn became the second man (after Randy Couture) to win UFC titles in two different weight classes. On May 24, 2008, at UFC 84 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada, Penn fought former champion Sean Sherk in his first title defense bout. The fight was billed by color commentator Mike 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 by Joe 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. Later, Penn told Fighters Club TV that he would face the winner of the UFC 87 Welterweight title fight between Georges St Pierre and Jon 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 a Welterweight Championship fight. Welterweight title shot
Penn challenged Georges St Pierre for St Pierre's welterweight title on January 31, 2009, the night before the Super Bowl. The date led UFC 94 to be billed as the "UFC Super Bowl Weekend," and it was anticipated to be the biggest UFC pay per view event ever. Before the fight with St Pierre, Penn made a controversial comment that he was going to try to kill St Pierre in the ring, but he later explained that he was speaking figuratively. 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 a ground and pound attack. 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." 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 the Nevada 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. Despite all of the complaints by the Penn camp, the NSAC ruled that there was no infraction. This incident was famously coined by Penn fans as the "Greasegate" and remains as one of the biggest controversial moments in UFC history. 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.|Dana White, post fight at UFC 94. 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. 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." Penn claims that before the match he warned the NSAC that St Pierre might use grease intentionally. Penn went on record as accepting the offer for a re match. 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 and Phil Nurse, a fine of $250,000, and overturning the result of the fight to a no contest. Return as Lightweight Champion
Penn began negotiations to fight Kenny Florian in the summer of 2009. 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!|Joe Rogan, post fight at UFC 107. 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 by Jens Pulver. 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. Losing the title
Penn's next defense was on April 10, 2010, at UFC 112 against Frankie 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. 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. 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.|Frankie Edgar, post fight at UFC 112. Penn fought Edgar in a rematch at UFC 118. 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. Return to welterweight and hiatus
Penn fought Matt Hughes at UFC 123 in a rubber match after their previous two fights at UFC 46 and UFC 63. 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. Penn earned knockout of the night honors for his performance. You're my idol Matt Hughes, you're my idol, you will always be my idol, thank you.|B. J. Penn, post fight at UFC 123. Following the UFC 123 post fight press conference, UFC president Dana White said that Penn would fight top welterweight contender Jon Fitch at UFC 127 in Australia. Penn trained with Matt Hughes and Floyd Mayweather Sr. in preparation for the fight. 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. Penn was expected to face Carlos Condit on October 29, 2011, at UFC 137. 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 winner Kendall Grove and B. J. 's brother Reagan Penn, as they both prepared for their August 27 fights on the ProElite show in Hawaii. However, on September 7, Condit was pulled from the bout and replaced Nick Diaz in the main event against Georges St Pierre. 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 former Strikeforce Welterweight Champion, but was unable to mount any significant offense or defense against Diaz's stand up attack in the remaining two rounds. 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." 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." 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. In April 2012 UFC president Dana White said B. J. Penn turned down a fight with the reigning Strikeforce 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 the UFC 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. 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 prospect Rory MacDonald; stating, "Rory, I accept your challenge!". Initially, Penn was expected to face Rory MacDonald on September 22, 2012, at UFC 152. However, MacDonald pulled out of the bout after sustaining a cut to the forehead while training. Penn vs. MacDonald eventually took place on December 8, 2012, at UFC on Fox 5. Penn lost the fight via unanimous decision. After the fight Dana 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 with Ariel Helwani in an interview for UFC 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." Move to featherweight and losing streak
An announcement was made on UFC Tonight in September 2013 that Penn will return from his hiatus and move to the Featherweight division to coach against rival, Frankie Edgar for the 19th season of The Ultimate Fighter. This move marked Penn's second appearance serving as a head coach for The Ultimate Fighter, his first being The Ultimate Fighter 5, opposite Jens Pulver. The season aired on Fox Sports 1 and featured middleweight and light heavyweight contestants. The two coaches faced each other for the third time on July 6, 2014, at The Ultimate Fighter 19 Finale. Penn returned to Nova União under coach André Pederneiras (who promoted Penn to black belt in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu in 1999) in preparation for his fight camp against Edgar; training alongside former UFC Bantamweight Champion Renan Barão and UFC Featherweight Champion José Aldo. Later in the camp, he also enlisted former UFC Bantamweight Champion Dominick Cruz in Hilo, Hawaii for his preparation. Penn lost the one sided bout by TKO in the third round. At the conclusion of the bout, Penn announced his intentions to retire again during the event's post fight press conference. 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.|Dana White, during the post fight press conference at The Ultimate Fighter 19 Finale. 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. He was briefly expected to return in April 2016 at UFC 197. However, Penn's return was delayed after an investigation into criminal allegations made against him was launched. In turn, Penn was expected to face Dennis Siver on June 4, 2016, at UFC 199. However, Siver was forced out of the bout in early May with an undisclosed injury. He was replaced by Cole Miller. 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. Penn was expected to face Ricardo Lamas on October 15, 2016, at UFC Fight Night 97. However, on October 4, Penn pulled out of the fight citing an injury. In turn, the promotion announced on October 6 that they had cancelled the event entirely. After three delays in getting his return fight scheduled, Penn returned to the UFC in early 2017. He faced Yair Rodríguez in the main event on January 15, 2017, at UFC Fight Night 103. Penn lost the one sided fight via TKO in the second round. A rescheduled bout with Dennis Siver took place on June 25, 2017, at UFC Fight Night 112. Penn lost the fight by majority decision. For his next fight, Penn returned to lightweight to face Ryan Hall on December 29, 2018, at UFC 232; it was his third stint in the lightweight division. In preparation for the fight against Hall, Penn returned to train at Nova União. Penn lost the fight via a heel hook submission in the first round. Penn faced Clay Guida on May 11, 2019, at UFC 237. He lost the fight by unanimous decision. On July 26, 2019, news surfaced that Penn was expected to face Nik Lentz in a grudge match, at a UFC event to be determined. However, Penn was released from the promotion in early September after video evidence surfaced showing Penn fighting patrons in a bar brawl in Pahoa, Hawaii. Personal life
His nickname "B. J." is a shortened version of another nickname "Baby Jay", which itself derives from the fact that Penn is the last of three brothers named "Jay Dee Penn". B. J. 's father, who is Irish and English, named 3 of his 4 children "Jay Dee", while the fourth is 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). Penn's mother, Lorraine Shin, is of Hawaiian and Korean descent. Being born in Hawaii, Penn takes much pride in his Hawaiian upbringing. Penn often plays Hawaiian music during his walk out entrances, a combination of Hawaii ’78 into E Ala E, both performed by Hawaiian musician Israel 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 his Korean roots and has traveled to South 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." Penn is the co author of Mixed Martial Arts: The Book of Knowledge, an instructional book on mixed martial arts fighting. Penn, along with Dave Weintraub, authored the autobiography Why I Fight: The Belt is Just an Accessory in 2010. The book debuted at #22 on the New York Times bestseller list. Penn also appeared in the film Never Surrender in 2009. Penn was also the subject of a Paternity Lawsuit in relation to a daughter, approximately a year after the girl's birth. On the 5th of October, 2021, Penn also announced his intention to run for governor in the 2022 Hawaii gubernatorial election. He lost the Republican primary, ending as the runner up to winner Duke Aiona. Following the election, he filed a complaint with the Hawaii Supreme Court contesting the results. Legal controversies
Penn has an extended history of alcohol induced violence. In January 2015, Penn was arrested in Kihei, Hawaii and charged with assault after a brawl outside of a bar. 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 order through October 2021. In June 2019, an intoxicated Penn fought a bouncer outside of a Honolulu strip club. On August 27, 2019, Penn was involved in a bar brawl on Hawaii's Big Island. On December 8, 2020, a paternity lawsuit was filed against Penn by the mother of his most recent child, Camila Amado. Legacy and influence
Since his debut in the Ultimate Fighting Championship, Penn emerged as one of the biggest stars in the history of the sport, headlining a total of eleven main events (nine pay per view main events) for the UFC during the course of his career (in addition to five for K 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 against performance enhancing drugs in sports with the inclusion of Voluntary Anti Doping Association (VADA) during his and his opponent's training camps. Recognized for his role in the resurgence of the lightweight division, Penn is considered to have been the division's most influential figure, turning the weight class around (in bouts with Sean Sherk, Kenny Florian, Diego Sanchez, Jens Pulver, and Joe 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. His nickname, The Prodigy originates prior to him competing in mixed martial arts, from accomplishing his extraordinary feat in the sport of Brazilian Jiu Jitsu (earning his black belt in just under three years and winning the black belt division in the World Jiu Jitsu Championship only three weeks later). 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. The Ultimate Fighting Championship's inaugural signature gym located in Honolulu, Hawaii, 'UFC Gym BJ Penn' is named in Penn's honor. The gym has grown to become one of the largest and most successful in the state of Hawaii. Penn (in his knockout victory over former UFC Lightweight Champion Sean Sherk) is featured in the UFC "Evolution" pay per view introduction. Ranking in mixed martial arts history
He is widely considered one of the greatest lightweight (155 lbs) competitors in the sport's history, and as one of the greatest Welterweight (170 lbs) competitors as well due to his performances against Georges St Pierre and Matt Hughes. Penn was also simultaneously ranked number one in both of these divisions following his back to back submission victories over Takanori Gomi and Matt Hughes, where he is the only fighter to hold such an honor. Renowned boxing coach Freddie Roach has famously described Penn as the best boxer in all of mixed martial arts. Former UFC Middleweight Champion Anderson Silva, has said on numerous occasions that he believes Penn to be the greatest pound for pound fighter in the history of the sport. UFC Hall of Famer, UFC 10 and UFC 11 Tournament Champion and former UFC Heavyweight Champion Mark Coleman acknowledges Penn as his idol in the sport of mixed martial arts. Penn was ranked within the top five in the FightersOnly! Magazine '100 Greatest Fighters in History'.''
Өмірбаяны және білімі
Пенн Гавайиде Джей Ди Пенннің (ирланд-американдық тегінен) және Лорейн Шиннің (корей және гавайилік тегінен) отбасында дүниеге келді. 17 жасында Пенн көршісі Том Каллостың таныстыруы арқылы бразилиялық джиу-джитсумен айналыса бастады. Каллостың жергілікті спорт залдарында жаттығуға ниетті адамдарды іздеп, листовкалар таратқанын, ал Б. Дж. Пенннің әкесі Джей Ди Каллосқа телефон соққанда ұлдарының қызығушылығын білдіргенін айтады. Бірнеше аптадан кейін ол Бразилияның Рио-де-Жанейро қаласында өткен Джиу-джитсу әлем чемпионатының қара белбеулік дивизионында жеңіске жеткен алғашқы бразилиялық емес спортшы болды. Пенннің ең танымал және беделді жетістігі 2000 жылғы әлем чемпионатында қара белбеу дивизионында бірінші орынға ие болған болса, ол бұрынғы жылдары Мундиалда да сәттілікке қол жеткізді. 1999 жылы 20 жасында Пенн қоңыр белбеу дивизионында қола медальді иеленіп, үшінші орынды алды, тек Фернандо "Терере" Аугустоға ұтылып, ал 1998 жылы күміс медальді иеленді, көк белбеу дивизионында екінші орын алды.
American mixed martial arts fighter
the Assistant Secretary of the Navy
[[World Jiu Jitsu Championship
2000 Rio de Janeiro −70 kg
Jay Dee "B. J." Penn III (born December 13, 1978) is an American former professional mixed martial art fighter and 5th degree black belt Brazilian jiu jitsu (BJJ) practitioner. efn|name=belt|under André Pederneiras
Prior to his MMA career, Penn was known as the first non Brazilian to win the World Jiu Jitsu Championship at black belt level. In mixed martial arts, Penn has competed in the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) and in K 1 in the Featherweight, Lightweight, Welterweight, Middleweight, and Heavyweight/Openweight divisions. Penn fought to a draw against Caol Uno in the UFC 41 Lightweight Tournament. Through his tenures as champion, Penn unofficially unified the UFC Lightweight Championship (against Sean Sherk) and broke the all time lightweight title defense record. In 2015, Penn was made the inaugural inductee into the Modern era wing of the UFC Hall of Fame. Penn was considered one of the top pound for pound mixed martial artists in the world early in his career and holds victories over opponents such as Din Thomas, Caol Uno, Paul Creighton, and Matt Serra. Penn won the Rumble on the Rock Lightweight Championship in K 1. He submitted long reigning then champion Matt Hughes to capture the UFC Welterweight Championship. Following a period in which Penn competed exclusively for K 1, he returned to the UFC and won the UFC Lightweight Championship. He made a record three subsequent title defenses before losing his title to Frankie Edgar. UFC President, Dana White, credits Penn with bringing the lower weight divisions into the mainstream of mixed martial arts; he describes Penn as "the first crossover pay per view star for the Ultimate Fighting Championship's lighter weight divisions", as well as saying that "[through his] accomplishments, B. J. Penn built the 155 pound division". Penn hoped to run for governor of Hawaii in the 2022 Hawaii gubernatorial election but was eliminated in the Republican Party primary. Penn is regarded as one of the best competitors in the UFC's history. However, he has been criticized for continuing to fight past his prime, including an eight fight winless streak from 2011 to 2019. Early life and education
Penn was born in Hawaii to Jay Dee Penn, who is of Irish American descent, and Lorraine Shin, who is of Korean and Hawaiian descent. At the age of 17, Penn began training in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu after being introduced to it by his neighbor, Tom Callos. Callos had put up fliers in local gyms looking for people to train with, and B. J. 's father Jay Dee Penn had called Callos and said his boys were interested. A few weeks later, he became the first non Brazilian to win in the black belt division of the World Jiu Jitsu Championship held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. 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 to Fernando "Tererê" Augusto, and in 1998, earned a silver medal, placing 2nd in the blue belt division. Ultimate Fighting Championship
His accomplishments in the World Jiu Jitsu Championship caught the attention of the Ultimate Fighting Championship, which convinced him to switch to mixed martial arts. He then demonstrated strong striking skills, knocking out lightweights Din Thomas and Caol Uno before suffering a decision loss in a championship fight against UFC Lightweight Champion, Jens Pulver. 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 at UFC 41, a failure which caused the UFC to later suspend its lightweight division. Penn bounced back later in the year with a victory over future PRIDE Lightweight Champion Takanori Gomi to earn his first MMA championship, the Rumble on the Rock Lightweight Championship, in K 1 Fighting Network's Rumble on the Rock, an MMA organization promoted by Penn's brother, and Fighting and Entertainment Group (FEG), the parent company of the largest kickboxing organization, K 1. Heavily favored to win, Hughes lost the fight four minutes into the first round by rear 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, as well as one of the greatest submission victories in mixed martial arts history. Fighting and Entertainment Group
Penn signed to fight for the Japanese Fighting and Entertainment Group's (FEG) K 1 promotion citing a lack of challenging fights left for him in the UFC. In his second fight for FEG, Penn fought again at welterweight and defeated Duane Ludwig at the 2004 K 1 MMA Romanex show in under five minutes by arm triangle choke. Following the Ludwig fight, Penn moved up in weight class to face the undefeated Rodrigo Gracie at middleweight. Penn won by decision, extending his winning streak to four fights. Later that year at K 1 World Grand Prix Hawaii, Penn returned to middleweight to face Pride Fighting Championship veteran Renzo Gracie, which he won by unanimous decision. 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 at UFC 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 in side control crucifix 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. 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." Despite the injury, Penn congratulated Hughes, calling him a great fighter and saying he deserved the victory. Penn was a coach for The Ultimate Fighter 5, which debuted on April 5, 2007. Penn lead a team of eight lightweight fighters, and fought a rematch against Jens Pulver at The Ultimate Fighter 5#The Ultimate Fighter 5 Finale on June 23, 2007. He won with a rear naked choke in the second round after controlling Pulver from the mount and then taking Pulver's back. Although he held the choke for a moment after Pulver tapped out, the two then embraced, With Sherk's title status still in limbo after months of hearings, the UFC scheduled Penn to fight Joe Stevenson at UFC 80 on January 19, 2008, for an interim lightweight title. 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, with the winner facing Sherk in their first defense. Lightweight Championship
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. In the second round, Stevenson fought more aggressively but was still unable to threaten Penn. Penn worked to back mount and defeated him by rear naked choke at 4:02 of the second round to win the Lightweight 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 by Sherdog for 2008. With this win, Penn became the second man (after Randy Couture) to win UFC titles in two different weight classes. On May 24, 2008, at UFC 84 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada, Penn fought former champion Sean Sherk in his first title defense bout. The fight was billed by color commentator Mike 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 by Joe 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. Later, Penn told Fighters Club TV that he would face the winner of the UFC 87 Welterweight title fight between Georges St Pierre and Jon 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 a Welterweight Championship fight. Welterweight title shot
Penn challenged Georges St Pierre for St Pierre's welterweight title on January 31, 2009, the night before the Super Bowl. The date led UFC 94 to be billed as the "UFC Super Bowl Weekend," and it was anticipated to be the biggest UFC pay per view event ever. Before the fight with St Pierre, Penn made a controversial comment that he was going to try to kill St Pierre in the ring, but he later explained that he was speaking figuratively. 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 a ground and pound attack. 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." 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 the Nevada 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. Despite all of the complaints by the Penn camp, the NSAC ruled that there was no infraction. This incident was famously coined by Penn fans as the "Greasegate" and remains as one of the biggest controversial moments in UFC history. 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.|Dana White, post fight at UFC 94. 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. 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." Penn claims that before the match he warned the NSAC that St Pierre might use grease intentionally. Penn went on record as accepting the offer for a re match. 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 and Phil Nurse, a fine of $250,000, and overturning the result of the fight to a no contest. Return as Lightweight Champion
Penn began negotiations to fight Kenny Florian in the summer of 2009. 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!|Joe Rogan, post fight at UFC 107. 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 by Jens Pulver. 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. Losing the title
Penn's next defense was on April 10, 2010, at UFC 112 against Frankie 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. 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. 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.|Frankie Edgar, post fight at UFC 112. Penn fought Edgar in a rematch at UFC 118. 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. Return to welterweight and hiatus
Penn fought Matt Hughes at UFC 123 in a rubber match after their previous two fights at UFC 46 and UFC 63. 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. Penn earned knockout of the night honors for his performance. You're my idol Matt Hughes, you're my idol, you will always be my idol, thank you.|B. J. Penn, post fight at UFC 123. Following the UFC 123 post fight press conference, UFC president Dana White said that Penn would fight top welterweight contender Jon Fitch at UFC 127 in Australia. Penn trained with Matt Hughes and Floyd Mayweather Sr. in preparation for the fight. 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. Penn was expected to face Carlos Condit on October 29, 2011, at UFC 137. 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 winner Kendall Grove and B. J. 's brother Reagan Penn, as they both prepared for their August 27 fights on the ProElite show in Hawaii. However, on September 7, Condit was pulled from the bout and replaced Nick Diaz in the main event against Georges St Pierre. 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 former Strikeforce Welterweight Champion, but was unable to mount any significant offense or defense against Diaz's stand up attack in the remaining two rounds. 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." 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." 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. In April 2012 UFC president Dana White said B. J. Penn turned down a fight with the reigning Strikeforce 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 the UFC 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. 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 prospect Rory MacDonald; stating, "Rory, I accept your challenge!". Initially, Penn was expected to face Rory MacDonald on September 22, 2012, at UFC 152. However, MacDonald pulled out of the bout after sustaining a cut to the forehead while training. Penn vs. MacDonald eventually took place on December 8, 2012, at UFC on Fox 5. Penn lost the fight via unanimous decision. After the fight Dana 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 with Ariel Helwani in an interview for UFC 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." Move to featherweight and losing streak
An announcement was made on UFC Tonight in September 2013 that Penn will return from his hiatus and move to the Featherweight division to coach against rival, Frankie Edgar for the 19th season of The Ultimate Fighter. This move marked Penn's second appearance serving as a head coach for The Ultimate Fighter, his first being The Ultimate Fighter 5, opposite Jens Pulver. The season aired on Fox Sports 1 and featured middleweight and light heavyweight contestants. The two coaches faced each other for the third time on July 6, 2014, at The Ultimate Fighter 19 Finale. Penn returned to Nova União under coach André Pederneiras (who promoted Penn to black belt in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu in 1999) in preparation for his fight camp against Edgar; training alongside former UFC Bantamweight Champion Renan Barão and UFC Featherweight Champion José Aldo. Later in the camp, he also enlisted former UFC Bantamweight Champion Dominick Cruz in Hilo, Hawaii for his preparation. Penn lost the one sided bout by TKO in the third round. At the conclusion of the bout, Penn announced his intentions to retire again during the event's post fight press conference. 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.|Dana White, during the post fight press conference at The Ultimate Fighter 19 Finale. 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. He was briefly expected to return in April 2016 at UFC 197. However, Penn's return was delayed after an investigation into criminal allegations made against him was launched. In turn, Penn was expected to face Dennis Siver on June 4, 2016, at UFC 199. However, Siver was forced out of the bout in early May with an undisclosed injury. He was replaced by Cole Miller. 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. Penn was expected to face Ricardo Lamas on October 15, 2016, at UFC Fight Night 97. However, on October 4, Penn pulled out of the fight citing an injury. In turn, the promotion announced on October 6 that they had cancelled the event entirely. After three delays in getting his return fight scheduled, Penn returned to the UFC in early 2017. He faced Yair Rodríguez in the main event on January 15, 2017, at UFC Fight Night 103. Penn lost the one sided fight via TKO in the second round. A rescheduled bout with Dennis Siver took place on June 25, 2017, at UFC Fight Night 112. Penn lost the fight by majority decision. For his next fight, Penn returned to lightweight to face Ryan Hall on December 29, 2018, at UFC 232; it was his third stint in the lightweight division. In preparation for the fight against Hall, Penn returned to train at Nova União. Penn lost the fight via a heel hook submission in the first round. Penn faced Clay Guida on May 11, 2019, at UFC 237. He lost the fight by unanimous decision. On July 26, 2019, news surfaced that Penn was expected to face Nik Lentz in a grudge match, at a UFC event to be determined. However, Penn was released from the promotion in early September after video evidence surfaced showing Penn fighting patrons in a bar brawl in Pahoa, Hawaii. Personal life
His nickname "B. J." is a shortened version of another nickname "Baby Jay", which itself derives from the fact that Penn is the last of three brothers named "Jay Dee Penn". B. J. 's father, who is Irish and English, named 3 of his 4 children "Jay Dee", while the fourth is 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). Penn's mother, Lorraine Shin, is of Hawaiian and Korean descent. Being born in Hawaii, Penn takes much pride in his Hawaiian upbringing. Penn often plays Hawaiian music during his walk out entrances, a combination of Hawaii ’78 into E Ala E, both performed by Hawaiian musician Israel 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 his Korean roots and has traveled to South 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." Penn is the co author of Mixed Martial Arts: The Book of Knowledge, an instructional book on mixed martial arts fighting. Penn, along with Dave Weintraub, authored the autobiography Why I Fight: The Belt is Just an Accessory in 2010. The book debuted at #22 on the New York Times bestseller list. Penn also appeared in the film Never Surrender in 2009. Penn was also the subject of a Paternity Lawsuit in relation to a daughter, approximately a year after the girl's birth. On the 5th of October, 2021, Penn also announced his intention to run for governor in the 2022 Hawaii gubernatorial election. He lost the Republican primary, ending as the runner up to winner Duke Aiona. Following the election, he filed a complaint with the Hawaii Supreme Court contesting the results. Legal controversies
Penn has an extended history of alcohol induced violence. In January 2015, Penn was arrested in Kihei, Hawaii and charged with assault after a brawl outside of a bar. 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 order through October 2021. In June 2019, an intoxicated Penn fought a bouncer outside of a Honolulu strip club. On August 27, 2019, Penn was involved in a bar brawl on Hawaii's Big Island. On December 8, 2020, a paternity lawsuit was filed against Penn by the mother of his most recent child, Camila Amado. Legacy and influence
Since his debut in the Ultimate Fighting Championship, Penn emerged as one of the biggest stars in the history of the sport, headlining a total of eleven main events (nine pay per view main events) for the UFC during the course of his career (in addition to five for K 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 against performance enhancing drugs in sports with the inclusion of Voluntary Anti Doping Association (VADA) during his and his opponent's training camps. Recognized for his role in the resurgence of the lightweight division, Penn is considered to have been the division's most influential figure, turning the weight class around (in bouts with Sean Sherk, Kenny Florian, Diego Sanchez, Jens Pulver, and Joe 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. His nickname, The Prodigy originates prior to him competing in mixed martial arts, from accomplishing his extraordinary feat in the sport of Brazilian Jiu Jitsu (earning his black belt in just under three years and winning the black belt division in the World Jiu Jitsu Championship only three weeks later). 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. The Ultimate Fighting Championship's inaugural signature gym located in Honolulu, Hawaii, 'UFC Gym BJ Penn' is named in Penn's honor. The gym has grown to become one of the largest and most successful in the state of Hawaii. Penn (in his knockout victory over former UFC Lightweight Champion Sean Sherk) is featured in the UFC "Evolution" pay per view introduction. Ranking in mixed martial arts history
He is widely considered one of the greatest lightweight (155 lbs) competitors in the sport's history, and as one of the greatest Welterweight (170 lbs) competitors as well due to his performances against Georges St Pierre and Matt Hughes. Penn was also simultaneously ranked number one in both of these divisions following his back to back submission victories over Takanori Gomi and Matt Hughes, where he is the only fighter to hold such an honor. Renowned boxing coach Freddie Roach has famously described Penn as the best boxer in all of mixed martial arts. Former UFC Middleweight Champion Anderson Silva, has said on numerous occasions that he believes Penn to be the greatest pound for pound fighter in the history of the sport. UFC Hall of Famer, UFC 10 and UFC 11 Tournament Champion and former UFC Heavyweight Champion Mark Coleman acknowledges Penn as his idol in the sport of mixed martial arts. Penn was ranked within the top five in the FightersOnly! Magazine '100 Greatest Fighters in History'.''
the Assistant Secretary of the Navy
[[World Jiu Jitsu Championship
2000 Rio de Janeiro −70 kg
Jay Dee "B. J." Penn III (born December 13, 1978) is an American former professional mixed martial art fighter and 5th degree black belt Brazilian jiu jitsu (BJJ) practitioner. efn|name=belt|under André Pederneiras
Prior to his MMA career, Penn was known as the first non Brazilian to win the World Jiu Jitsu Championship at black belt level. In mixed martial arts, Penn has competed in the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) and in K 1 in the Featherweight, Lightweight, Welterweight, Middleweight, and Heavyweight/Openweight divisions. Penn fought to a draw against Caol Uno in the UFC 41 Lightweight Tournament. Through his tenures as champion, Penn unofficially unified the UFC Lightweight Championship (against Sean Sherk) and broke the all time lightweight title defense record. In 2015, Penn was made the inaugural inductee into the Modern era wing of the UFC Hall of Fame. Penn was considered one of the top pound for pound mixed martial artists in the world early in his career and holds victories over opponents such as Din Thomas, Caol Uno, Paul Creighton, and Matt Serra. Penn won the Rumble on the Rock Lightweight Championship in K 1. He submitted long reigning then champion Matt Hughes to capture the UFC Welterweight Championship. Following a period in which Penn competed exclusively for K 1, he returned to the UFC and won the UFC Lightweight Championship. He made a record three subsequent title defenses before losing his title to Frankie Edgar. UFC President, Dana White, credits Penn with bringing the lower weight divisions into the mainstream of mixed martial arts; he describes Penn as "the first crossover pay per view star for the Ultimate Fighting Championship's lighter weight divisions", as well as saying that "[through his] accomplishments, B. J. Penn built the 155 pound division". Penn hoped to run for governor of Hawaii in the 2022 Hawaii gubernatorial election but was eliminated in the Republican Party primary. Penn is regarded as one of the best competitors in the UFC's history. However, he has been criticized for continuing to fight past his prime, including an eight fight winless streak from 2011 to 2019. Early life and education
Penn was born in Hawaii to Jay Dee Penn, who is of Irish American descent, and Lorraine Shin, who is of Korean and Hawaiian descent. At the age of 17, Penn began training in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu after being introduced to it by his neighbor, Tom Callos. Callos had put up fliers in local gyms looking for people to train with, and B. J. 's father Jay Dee Penn had called Callos and said his boys were interested. A few weeks later, he became the first non Brazilian to win in the black belt division of the World Jiu Jitsu Championship held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. 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 to Fernando "Tererê" Augusto, and in 1998, earned a silver medal, placing 2nd in the blue belt division. Ultimate Fighting Championship
His accomplishments in the World Jiu Jitsu Championship caught the attention of the Ultimate Fighting Championship, which convinced him to switch to mixed martial arts. He then demonstrated strong striking skills, knocking out lightweights Din Thomas and Caol Uno before suffering a decision loss in a championship fight against UFC Lightweight Champion, Jens Pulver. 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 at UFC 41, a failure which caused the UFC to later suspend its lightweight division. Penn bounced back later in the year with a victory over future PRIDE Lightweight Champion Takanori Gomi to earn his first MMA championship, the Rumble on the Rock Lightweight Championship, in K 1 Fighting Network's Rumble on the Rock, an MMA organization promoted by Penn's brother, and Fighting and Entertainment Group (FEG), the parent company of the largest kickboxing organization, K 1. Heavily favored to win, Hughes lost the fight four minutes into the first round by rear 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, as well as one of the greatest submission victories in mixed martial arts history. Fighting and Entertainment Group
Penn signed to fight for the Japanese Fighting and Entertainment Group's (FEG) K 1 promotion citing a lack of challenging fights left for him in the UFC. In his second fight for FEG, Penn fought again at welterweight and defeated Duane Ludwig at the 2004 K 1 MMA Romanex show in under five minutes by arm triangle choke. Following the Ludwig fight, Penn moved up in weight class to face the undefeated Rodrigo Gracie at middleweight. Penn won by decision, extending his winning streak to four fights. Later that year at K 1 World Grand Prix Hawaii, Penn returned to middleweight to face Pride Fighting Championship veteran Renzo Gracie, which he won by unanimous decision. 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 at UFC 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 in side control crucifix 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. 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." Despite the injury, Penn congratulated Hughes, calling him a great fighter and saying he deserved the victory. Penn was a coach for The Ultimate Fighter 5, which debuted on April 5, 2007. Penn lead a team of eight lightweight fighters, and fought a rematch against Jens Pulver at The Ultimate Fighter 5#The Ultimate Fighter 5 Finale on June 23, 2007. He won with a rear naked choke in the second round after controlling Pulver from the mount and then taking Pulver's back. Although he held the choke for a moment after Pulver tapped out, the two then embraced, With Sherk's title status still in limbo after months of hearings, the UFC scheduled Penn to fight Joe Stevenson at UFC 80 on January 19, 2008, for an interim lightweight title. 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, with the winner facing Sherk in their first defense. Lightweight Championship
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. In the second round, Stevenson fought more aggressively but was still unable to threaten Penn. Penn worked to back mount and defeated him by rear naked choke at 4:02 of the second round to win the Lightweight 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 by Sherdog for 2008. With this win, Penn became the second man (after Randy Couture) to win UFC titles in two different weight classes. On May 24, 2008, at UFC 84 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada, Penn fought former champion Sean Sherk in his first title defense bout. The fight was billed by color commentator Mike 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 by Joe 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. Later, Penn told Fighters Club TV that he would face the winner of the UFC 87 Welterweight title fight between Georges St Pierre and Jon 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 a Welterweight Championship fight. Welterweight title shot
Penn challenged Georges St Pierre for St Pierre's welterweight title on January 31, 2009, the night before the Super Bowl. The date led UFC 94 to be billed as the "UFC Super Bowl Weekend," and it was anticipated to be the biggest UFC pay per view event ever. Before the fight with St Pierre, Penn made a controversial comment that he was going to try to kill St Pierre in the ring, but he later explained that he was speaking figuratively. 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 a ground and pound attack. 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." 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 the Nevada 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. Despite all of the complaints by the Penn camp, the NSAC ruled that there was no infraction. This incident was famously coined by Penn fans as the "Greasegate" and remains as one of the biggest controversial moments in UFC history. 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.|Dana White, post fight at UFC 94. 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. 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." Penn claims that before the match he warned the NSAC that St Pierre might use grease intentionally. Penn went on record as accepting the offer for a re match. 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 and Phil Nurse, a fine of $250,000, and overturning the result of the fight to a no contest. Return as Lightweight Champion
Penn began negotiations to fight Kenny Florian in the summer of 2009. 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!|Joe Rogan, post fight at UFC 107. 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 by Jens Pulver. 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. Losing the title
Penn's next defense was on April 10, 2010, at UFC 112 against Frankie 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. 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. 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.|Frankie Edgar, post fight at UFC 112. Penn fought Edgar in a rematch at UFC 118. 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. Return to welterweight and hiatus
Penn fought Matt Hughes at UFC 123 in a rubber match after their previous two fights at UFC 46 and UFC 63. 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. Penn earned knockout of the night honors for his performance. You're my idol Matt Hughes, you're my idol, you will always be my idol, thank you.|B. J. Penn, post fight at UFC 123. Following the UFC 123 post fight press conference, UFC president Dana White said that Penn would fight top welterweight contender Jon Fitch at UFC 127 in Australia. Penn trained with Matt Hughes and Floyd Mayweather Sr. in preparation for the fight. 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. Penn was expected to face Carlos Condit on October 29, 2011, at UFC 137. 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 winner Kendall Grove and B. J. 's brother Reagan Penn, as they both prepared for their August 27 fights on the ProElite show in Hawaii. However, on September 7, Condit was pulled from the bout and replaced Nick Diaz in the main event against Georges St Pierre. 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 former Strikeforce Welterweight Champion, but was unable to mount any significant offense or defense against Diaz's stand up attack in the remaining two rounds. 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." 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." 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. In April 2012 UFC president Dana White said B. J. Penn turned down a fight with the reigning Strikeforce 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 the UFC 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. 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 prospect Rory MacDonald; stating, "Rory, I accept your challenge!". Initially, Penn was expected to face Rory MacDonald on September 22, 2012, at UFC 152. However, MacDonald pulled out of the bout after sustaining a cut to the forehead while training. Penn vs. MacDonald eventually took place on December 8, 2012, at UFC on Fox 5. Penn lost the fight via unanimous decision. After the fight Dana 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 with Ariel Helwani in an interview for UFC 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." Move to featherweight and losing streak
An announcement was made on UFC Tonight in September 2013 that Penn will return from his hiatus and move to the Featherweight division to coach against rival, Frankie Edgar for the 19th season of The Ultimate Fighter. This move marked Penn's second appearance serving as a head coach for The Ultimate Fighter, his first being The Ultimate Fighter 5, opposite Jens Pulver. The season aired on Fox Sports 1 and featured middleweight and light heavyweight contestants. The two coaches faced each other for the third time on July 6, 2014, at The Ultimate Fighter 19 Finale. Penn returned to Nova União under coach André Pederneiras (who promoted Penn to black belt in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu in 1999) in preparation for his fight camp against Edgar; training alongside former UFC Bantamweight Champion Renan Barão and UFC Featherweight Champion José Aldo. Later in the camp, he also enlisted former UFC Bantamweight Champion Dominick Cruz in Hilo, Hawaii for his preparation. Penn lost the one sided bout by TKO in the third round. At the conclusion of the bout, Penn announced his intentions to retire again during the event's post fight press conference. 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.|Dana White, during the post fight press conference at The Ultimate Fighter 19 Finale. 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. He was briefly expected to return in April 2016 at UFC 197. However, Penn's return was delayed after an investigation into criminal allegations made against him was launched. In turn, Penn was expected to face Dennis Siver on June 4, 2016, at UFC 199. However, Siver was forced out of the bout in early May with an undisclosed injury. He was replaced by Cole Miller. 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. Penn was expected to face Ricardo Lamas on October 15, 2016, at UFC Fight Night 97. However, on October 4, Penn pulled out of the fight citing an injury. In turn, the promotion announced on October 6 that they had cancelled the event entirely. After three delays in getting his return fight scheduled, Penn returned to the UFC in early 2017. He faced Yair Rodríguez in the main event on January 15, 2017, at UFC Fight Night 103. Penn lost the one sided fight via TKO in the second round. A rescheduled bout with Dennis Siver took place on June 25, 2017, at UFC Fight Night 112. Penn lost the fight by majority decision. For his next fight, Penn returned to lightweight to face Ryan Hall on December 29, 2018, at UFC 232; it was his third stint in the lightweight division. In preparation for the fight against Hall, Penn returned to train at Nova União. Penn lost the fight via a heel hook submission in the first round. Penn faced Clay Guida on May 11, 2019, at UFC 237. He lost the fight by unanimous decision. On July 26, 2019, news surfaced that Penn was expected to face Nik Lentz in a grudge match, at a UFC event to be determined. However, Penn was released from the promotion in early September after video evidence surfaced showing Penn fighting patrons in a bar brawl in Pahoa, Hawaii. Personal life
His nickname "B. J." is a shortened version of another nickname "Baby Jay", which itself derives from the fact that Penn is the last of three brothers named "Jay Dee Penn". B. J. 's father, who is Irish and English, named 3 of his 4 children "Jay Dee", while the fourth is 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). Penn's mother, Lorraine Shin, is of Hawaiian and Korean descent. Being born in Hawaii, Penn takes much pride in his Hawaiian upbringing. Penn often plays Hawaiian music during his walk out entrances, a combination of Hawaii ’78 into E Ala E, both performed by Hawaiian musician Israel 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 his Korean roots and has traveled to South 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." Penn is the co author of Mixed Martial Arts: The Book of Knowledge, an instructional book on mixed martial arts fighting. Penn, along with Dave Weintraub, authored the autobiography Why I Fight: The Belt is Just an Accessory in 2010. The book debuted at #22 on the New York Times bestseller list. Penn also appeared in the film Never Surrender in 2009. Penn was also the subject of a Paternity Lawsuit in relation to a daughter, approximately a year after the girl's birth. On the 5th of October, 2021, Penn also announced his intention to run for governor in the 2022 Hawaii gubernatorial election. He lost the Republican primary, ending as the runner up to winner Duke Aiona. Following the election, he filed a complaint with the Hawaii Supreme Court contesting the results. Legal controversies
Penn has an extended history of alcohol induced violence. In January 2015, Penn was arrested in Kihei, Hawaii and charged with assault after a brawl outside of a bar. 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 order through October 2021. In June 2019, an intoxicated Penn fought a bouncer outside of a Honolulu strip club. On August 27, 2019, Penn was involved in a bar brawl on Hawaii's Big Island. On December 8, 2020, a paternity lawsuit was filed against Penn by the mother of his most recent child, Camila Amado. Legacy and influence
Since his debut in the Ultimate Fighting Championship, Penn emerged as one of the biggest stars in the history of the sport, headlining a total of eleven main events (nine pay per view main events) for the UFC during the course of his career (in addition to five for K 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 against performance enhancing drugs in sports with the inclusion of Voluntary Anti Doping Association (VADA) during his and his opponent's training camps. Recognized for his role in the resurgence of the lightweight division, Penn is considered to have been the division's most influential figure, turning the weight class around (in bouts with Sean Sherk, Kenny Florian, Diego Sanchez, Jens Pulver, and Joe 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. His nickname, The Prodigy originates prior to him competing in mixed martial arts, from accomplishing his extraordinary feat in the sport of Brazilian Jiu Jitsu (earning his black belt in just under three years and winning the black belt division in the World Jiu Jitsu Championship only three weeks later). 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. The Ultimate Fighting Championship's inaugural signature gym located in Honolulu, Hawaii, 'UFC Gym BJ Penn' is named in Penn's honor. The gym has grown to become one of the largest and most successful in the state of Hawaii. Penn (in his knockout victory over former UFC Lightweight Champion Sean Sherk) is featured in the UFC "Evolution" pay per view introduction. Ranking in mixed martial arts history
He is widely considered one of the greatest lightweight (155 lbs) competitors in the sport's history, and as one of the greatest Welterweight (170 lbs) competitors as well due to his performances against Georges St Pierre and Matt Hughes. Penn was also simultaneously ranked number one in both of these divisions following his back to back submission victories over Takanori Gomi and Matt Hughes, where he is the only fighter to hold such an honor. Renowned boxing coach Freddie Roach has famously described Penn as the best boxer in all of mixed martial arts. Former UFC Middleweight Champion Anderson Silva, has said on numerous occasions that he believes Penn to be the greatest pound for pound fighter in the history of the sport. UFC Hall of Famer, UFC 10 and UFC 11 Tournament Champion and former UFC Heavyweight Champion Mark Coleman acknowledges Penn as his idol in the sport of mixed martial arts. Penn was ranked within the top five in the FightersOnly! Magazine '100 Greatest Fighters in History'.''
Ultimate Fighting Championship
Джиу-джитсу бойынша әлем чемпионатындағы жетістіктері Ultimate Fighting Championship ұйымының назарын аударды, бұл оны аралас жекпе-жекке ауысуға көндірді. Содан кейін ол күшті соққы дағдыларын көрсетіп, жеңіл салмақтағы Дин Томас пен Каол Уноны нокаутқа ұшыратып, UFC жеңіл салмақтағы чемпионы Дженс Пулверге қарсы чемпионат жекпе-жегінде жеңіліске ұшырады. 2003 жылы Пулвер UFC-ден кетіп, титулын тапсырғаннан кейін, жаңа чемпионды анықтауға арналған турнир Penn UFC 41 финалында Уномен тең түскен кезде сәтсіз аяқталды, бұл UFC-нің кейіннен жеңіл салмақ дивизионын тоқтатуына себеп болды. Пенн сол жылы PRIDE жеңімпазы Таканори Гомиді жеңіп, өзінің алғашқы MMA чемпионаты - Rumble on the Rock жеңіл салмақтағы белбеуін K 1 Fighting Network-тің Rumble on the Rock турнирінде жеңіп алды, бұл MMA ұйымын Пенннің ағасы және ең ірі кикбоксинг ұйымының бас компаниясы Fighting and Entertainment Group (FEG) ілгерілетті. Жеңіске үміткер Хьюз бірінші раундтың төрт минутында артқа жылаңаш тығылып, раундқа 23 секунд қалғанда арқасын беріп жеңіліске ұшырады, бұл жекпе-жек аралас жекпе-жек тарихындағы ең үлкен сенсациялардың бірі саналды.
American mixed martial arts fighter
the Assistant Secretary of the Navy
[[World Jiu Jitsu Championship
2000 Rio de Janeiro −70 kg
Jay Dee "B. J." Penn III (born December 13, 1978) is an American former professional mixed martial art fighter and 5th degree black belt Brazilian jiu jitsu (BJJ) practitioner. efn|name=belt|under André Pederneiras
Prior to his MMA career, Penn was known as the first non Brazilian to win the World Jiu Jitsu Championship at black belt level. In mixed martial arts, Penn has competed in the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) and in K 1 in the Featherweight, Lightweight, Welterweight, Middleweight, and Heavyweight/Openweight divisions. Penn fought to a draw against Caol Uno in the UFC 41 Lightweight Tournament. Through his tenures as champion, Penn unofficially unified the UFC Lightweight Championship (against Sean Sherk) and broke the all time lightweight title defense record. In 2015, Penn was made the inaugural inductee into the Modern era wing of the UFC Hall of Fame. Penn was considered one of the top pound for pound mixed martial artists in the world early in his career and holds victories over opponents such as Din Thomas, Caol Uno, Paul Creighton, and Matt Serra. Penn won the Rumble on the Rock Lightweight Championship in K 1. He submitted long reigning then champion Matt Hughes to capture the UFC Welterweight Championship. Following a period in which Penn competed exclusively for K 1, he returned to the UFC and won the UFC Lightweight Championship. He made a record three subsequent title defenses before losing his title to Frankie Edgar. UFC President, Dana White, credits Penn with bringing the lower weight divisions into the mainstream of mixed martial arts; he describes Penn as "the first crossover pay per view star for the Ultimate Fighting Championship's lighter weight divisions", as well as saying that "[through his] accomplishments, B. J. Penn built the 155 pound division". Penn hoped to run for governor of Hawaii in the 2022 Hawaii gubernatorial election but was eliminated in the Republican Party primary. Penn is regarded as one of the best competitors in the UFC's history. However, he has been criticized for continuing to fight past his prime, including an eight fight winless streak from 2011 to 2019. Early life and education
Penn was born in Hawaii to Jay Dee Penn, who is of Irish American descent, and Lorraine Shin, who is of Korean and Hawaiian descent. At the age of 17, Penn began training in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu after being introduced to it by his neighbor, Tom Callos. Callos had put up fliers in local gyms looking for people to train with, and B. J. 's father Jay Dee Penn had called Callos and said his boys were interested. A few weeks later, he became the first non Brazilian to win in the black belt division of the World Jiu Jitsu Championship held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. 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 to Fernando "Tererê" Augusto, and in 1998, earned a silver medal, placing 2nd in the blue belt division. Ultimate Fighting Championship
His accomplishments in the World Jiu Jitsu Championship caught the attention of the Ultimate Fighting Championship, which convinced him to switch to mixed martial arts. He then demonstrated strong striking skills, knocking out lightweights Din Thomas and Caol Uno before suffering a decision loss in a championship fight against UFC Lightweight Champion, Jens Pulver. 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 at UFC 41, a failure which caused the UFC to later suspend its lightweight division. Penn bounced back later in the year with a victory over future PRIDE Lightweight Champion Takanori Gomi to earn his first MMA championship, the Rumble on the Rock Lightweight Championship, in K 1 Fighting Network's Rumble on the Rock, an MMA organization promoted by Penn's brother, and Fighting and Entertainment Group (FEG), the parent company of the largest kickboxing organization, K 1. Heavily favored to win, Hughes lost the fight four minutes into the first round by rear 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, as well as one of the greatest submission victories in mixed martial arts history. Fighting and Entertainment Group
Penn signed to fight for the Japanese Fighting and Entertainment Group's (FEG) K 1 promotion citing a lack of challenging fights left for him in the UFC. In his second fight for FEG, Penn fought again at welterweight and defeated Duane Ludwig at the 2004 K 1 MMA Romanex show in under five minutes by arm triangle choke. Following the Ludwig fight, Penn moved up in weight class to face the undefeated Rodrigo Gracie at middleweight. Penn won by decision, extending his winning streak to four fights. Later that year at K 1 World Grand Prix Hawaii, Penn returned to middleweight to face Pride Fighting Championship veteran Renzo Gracie, which he won by unanimous decision. 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 at UFC 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 in side control crucifix 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. 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." Despite the injury, Penn congratulated Hughes, calling him a great fighter and saying he deserved the victory. Penn was a coach for The Ultimate Fighter 5, which debuted on April 5, 2007. Penn lead a team of eight lightweight fighters, and fought a rematch against Jens Pulver at The Ultimate Fighter 5#The Ultimate Fighter 5 Finale on June 23, 2007. He won with a rear naked choke in the second round after controlling Pulver from the mount and then taking Pulver's back. Although he held the choke for a moment after Pulver tapped out, the two then embraced, With Sherk's title status still in limbo after months of hearings, the UFC scheduled Penn to fight Joe Stevenson at UFC 80 on January 19, 2008, for an interim lightweight title. 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, with the winner facing Sherk in their first defense. Lightweight Championship
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. In the second round, Stevenson fought more aggressively but was still unable to threaten Penn. Penn worked to back mount and defeated him by rear naked choke at 4:02 of the second round to win the Lightweight 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 by Sherdog for 2008. With this win, Penn became the second man (after Randy Couture) to win UFC titles in two different weight classes. On May 24, 2008, at UFC 84 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada, Penn fought former champion Sean Sherk in his first title defense bout. The fight was billed by color commentator Mike 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 by Joe 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. Later, Penn told Fighters Club TV that he would face the winner of the UFC 87 Welterweight title fight between Georges St Pierre and Jon 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 a Welterweight Championship fight. Welterweight title shot
Penn challenged Georges St Pierre for St Pierre's welterweight title on January 31, 2009, the night before the Super Bowl. The date led UFC 94 to be billed as the "UFC Super Bowl Weekend," and it was anticipated to be the biggest UFC pay per view event ever. Before the fight with St Pierre, Penn made a controversial comment that he was going to try to kill St Pierre in the ring, but he later explained that he was speaking figuratively. 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 a ground and pound attack. 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." 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 the Nevada 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. Despite all of the complaints by the Penn camp, the NSAC ruled that there was no infraction. This incident was famously coined by Penn fans as the "Greasegate" and remains as one of the biggest controversial moments in UFC history. 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.|Dana White, post fight at UFC 94. 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. 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." Penn claims that before the match he warned the NSAC that St Pierre might use grease intentionally. Penn went on record as accepting the offer for a re match. 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 and Phil Nurse, a fine of $250,000, and overturning the result of the fight to a no contest. Return as Lightweight Champion
Penn began negotiations to fight Kenny Florian in the summer of 2009. 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!|Joe Rogan, post fight at UFC 107. 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 by Jens Pulver. 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. Losing the title
Penn's next defense was on April 10, 2010, at UFC 112 against Frankie 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. 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. 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.|Frankie Edgar, post fight at UFC 112. Penn fought Edgar in a rematch at UFC 118. 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. Return to welterweight and hiatus
Penn fought Matt Hughes at UFC 123 in a rubber match after their previous two fights at UFC 46 and UFC 63. 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. Penn earned knockout of the night honors for his performance. You're my idol Matt Hughes, you're my idol, you will always be my idol, thank you.|B. J. Penn, post fight at UFC 123. Following the UFC 123 post fight press conference, UFC president Dana White said that Penn would fight top welterweight contender Jon Fitch at UFC 127 in Australia. Penn trained with Matt Hughes and Floyd Mayweather Sr. in preparation for the fight. 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. Penn was expected to face Carlos Condit on October 29, 2011, at UFC 137. 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 winner Kendall Grove and B. J. 's brother Reagan Penn, as they both prepared for their August 27 fights on the ProElite show in Hawaii. However, on September 7, Condit was pulled from the bout and replaced Nick Diaz in the main event against Georges St Pierre. 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 former Strikeforce Welterweight Champion, but was unable to mount any significant offense or defense against Diaz's stand up attack in the remaining two rounds. 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." 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." 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. In April 2012 UFC president Dana White said B. J. Penn turned down a fight with the reigning Strikeforce 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 the UFC 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. 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 prospect Rory MacDonald; stating, "Rory, I accept your challenge!". Initially, Penn was expected to face Rory MacDonald on September 22, 2012, at UFC 152. However, MacDonald pulled out of the bout after sustaining a cut to the forehead while training. Penn vs. MacDonald eventually took place on December 8, 2012, at UFC on Fox 5. Penn lost the fight via unanimous decision. After the fight Dana 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 with Ariel Helwani in an interview for UFC 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." Move to featherweight and losing streak
An announcement was made on UFC Tonight in September 2013 that Penn will return from his hiatus and move to the Featherweight division to coach against rival, Frankie Edgar for the 19th season of The Ultimate Fighter. This move marked Penn's second appearance serving as a head coach for The Ultimate Fighter, his first being The Ultimate Fighter 5, opposite Jens Pulver. The season aired on Fox Sports 1 and featured middleweight and light heavyweight contestants. The two coaches faced each other for the third time on July 6, 2014, at The Ultimate Fighter 19 Finale. Penn returned to Nova União under coach André Pederneiras (who promoted Penn to black belt in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu in 1999) in preparation for his fight camp against Edgar; training alongside former UFC Bantamweight Champion Renan Barão and UFC Featherweight Champion José Aldo. Later in the camp, he also enlisted former UFC Bantamweight Champion Dominick Cruz in Hilo, Hawaii for his preparation. Penn lost the one sided bout by TKO in the third round. At the conclusion of the bout, Penn announced his intentions to retire again during the event's post fight press conference. 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.|Dana White, during the post fight press conference at The Ultimate Fighter 19 Finale. 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. He was briefly expected to return in April 2016 at UFC 197. However, Penn's return was delayed after an investigation into criminal allegations made against him was launched. In turn, Penn was expected to face Dennis Siver on June 4, 2016, at UFC 199. However, Siver was forced out of the bout in early May with an undisclosed injury. He was replaced by Cole Miller. 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. Penn was expected to face Ricardo Lamas on October 15, 2016, at UFC Fight Night 97. However, on October 4, Penn pulled out of the fight citing an injury. In turn, the promotion announced on October 6 that they had cancelled the event entirely. After three delays in getting his return fight scheduled, Penn returned to the UFC in early 2017. He faced Yair Rodríguez in the main event on January 15, 2017, at UFC Fight Night 103. Penn lost the one sided fight via TKO in the second round. A rescheduled bout with Dennis Siver took place on June 25, 2017, at UFC Fight Night 112. Penn lost the fight by majority decision. For his next fight, Penn returned to lightweight to face Ryan Hall on December 29, 2018, at UFC 232; it was his third stint in the lightweight division. In preparation for the fight against Hall, Penn returned to train at Nova União. Penn lost the fight via a heel hook submission in the first round. Penn faced Clay Guida on May 11, 2019, at UFC 237. He lost the fight by unanimous decision. On July 26, 2019, news surfaced that Penn was expected to face Nik Lentz in a grudge match, at a UFC event to be determined. However, Penn was released from the promotion in early September after video evidence surfaced showing Penn fighting patrons in a bar brawl in Pahoa, Hawaii. Personal life
His nickname "B. J." is a shortened version of another nickname "Baby Jay", which itself derives from the fact that Penn is the last of three brothers named "Jay Dee Penn". B. J. 's father, who is Irish and English, named 3 of his 4 children "Jay Dee", while the fourth is 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). Penn's mother, Lorraine Shin, is of Hawaiian and Korean descent. Being born in Hawaii, Penn takes much pride in his Hawaiian upbringing. Penn often plays Hawaiian music during his walk out entrances, a combination of Hawaii ’78 into E Ala E, both performed by Hawaiian musician Israel 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 his Korean roots and has traveled to South 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." Penn is the co author of Mixed Martial Arts: The Book of Knowledge, an instructional book on mixed martial arts fighting. Penn, along with Dave Weintraub, authored the autobiography Why I Fight: The Belt is Just an Accessory in 2010. The book debuted at #22 on the New York Times bestseller list. Penn also appeared in the film Never Surrender in 2009. Penn was also the subject of a Paternity Lawsuit in relation to a daughter, approximately a year after the girl's birth. On the 5th of October, 2021, Penn also announced his intention to run for governor in the 2022 Hawaii gubernatorial election. He lost the Republican primary, ending as the runner up to winner Duke Aiona. Following the election, he filed a complaint with the Hawaii Supreme Court contesting the results. Legal controversies
Penn has an extended history of alcohol induced violence. In January 2015, Penn was arrested in Kihei, Hawaii and charged with assault after a brawl outside of a bar. 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 order through October 2021. In June 2019, an intoxicated Penn fought a bouncer outside of a Honolulu strip club. On August 27, 2019, Penn was involved in a bar brawl on Hawaii's Big Island. On December 8, 2020, a paternity lawsuit was filed against Penn by the mother of his most recent child, Camila Amado. Legacy and influence
Since his debut in the Ultimate Fighting Championship, Penn emerged as one of the biggest stars in the history of the sport, headlining a total of eleven main events (nine pay per view main events) for the UFC during the course of his career (in addition to five for K 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 against performance enhancing drugs in sports with the inclusion of Voluntary Anti Doping Association (VADA) during his and his opponent's training camps. Recognized for his role in the resurgence of the lightweight division, Penn is considered to have been the division's most influential figure, turning the weight class around (in bouts with Sean Sherk, Kenny Florian, Diego Sanchez, Jens Pulver, and Joe 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. His nickname, The Prodigy originates prior to him competing in mixed martial arts, from accomplishing his extraordinary feat in the sport of Brazilian Jiu Jitsu (earning his black belt in just under three years and winning the black belt division in the World Jiu Jitsu Championship only three weeks later). 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. The Ultimate Fighting Championship's inaugural signature gym located in Honolulu, Hawaii, 'UFC Gym BJ Penn' is named in Penn's honor. The gym has grown to become one of the largest and most successful in the state of Hawaii. Penn (in his knockout victory over former UFC Lightweight Champion Sean Sherk) is featured in the UFC "Evolution" pay per view introduction. Ranking in mixed martial arts history
He is widely considered one of the greatest lightweight (155 lbs) competitors in the sport's history, and as one of the greatest Welterweight (170 lbs) competitors as well due to his performances against Georges St Pierre and Matt Hughes. Penn was also simultaneously ranked number one in both of these divisions following his back to back submission victories over Takanori Gomi and Matt Hughes, where he is the only fighter to hold such an honor. Renowned boxing coach Freddie Roach has famously described Penn as the best boxer in all of mixed martial arts. Former UFC Middleweight Champion Anderson Silva, has said on numerous occasions that he believes Penn to be the greatest pound for pound fighter in the history of the sport. UFC Hall of Famer, UFC 10 and UFC 11 Tournament Champion and former UFC Heavyweight Champion Mark Coleman acknowledges Penn as his idol in the sport of mixed martial arts. Penn was ranked within the top five in the FightersOnly! Magazine '100 Greatest Fighters in History'.''
the Assistant Secretary of the Navy
[[World Jiu Jitsu Championship
2000 Rio de Janeiro −70 kg
Jay Dee "B. J." Penn III (born December 13, 1978) is an American former professional mixed martial art fighter and 5th degree black belt Brazilian jiu jitsu (BJJ) practitioner. efn|name=belt|under André Pederneiras
Prior to his MMA career, Penn was known as the first non Brazilian to win the World Jiu Jitsu Championship at black belt level. In mixed martial arts, Penn has competed in the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) and in K 1 in the Featherweight, Lightweight, Welterweight, Middleweight, and Heavyweight/Openweight divisions. Penn fought to a draw against Caol Uno in the UFC 41 Lightweight Tournament. Through his tenures as champion, Penn unofficially unified the UFC Lightweight Championship (against Sean Sherk) and broke the all time lightweight title defense record. In 2015, Penn was made the inaugural inductee into the Modern era wing of the UFC Hall of Fame. Penn was considered one of the top pound for pound mixed martial artists in the world early in his career and holds victories over opponents such as Din Thomas, Caol Uno, Paul Creighton, and Matt Serra. Penn won the Rumble on the Rock Lightweight Championship in K 1. He submitted long reigning then champion Matt Hughes to capture the UFC Welterweight Championship. Following a period in which Penn competed exclusively for K 1, he returned to the UFC and won the UFC Lightweight Championship. He made a record three subsequent title defenses before losing his title to Frankie Edgar. UFC President, Dana White, credits Penn with bringing the lower weight divisions into the mainstream of mixed martial arts; he describes Penn as "the first crossover pay per view star for the Ultimate Fighting Championship's lighter weight divisions", as well as saying that "[through his] accomplishments, B. J. Penn built the 155 pound division". Penn hoped to run for governor of Hawaii in the 2022 Hawaii gubernatorial election but was eliminated in the Republican Party primary. Penn is regarded as one of the best competitors in the UFC's history. However, he has been criticized for continuing to fight past his prime, including an eight fight winless streak from 2011 to 2019. Early life and education
Penn was born in Hawaii to Jay Dee Penn, who is of Irish American descent, and Lorraine Shin, who is of Korean and Hawaiian descent. At the age of 17, Penn began training in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu after being introduced to it by his neighbor, Tom Callos. Callos had put up fliers in local gyms looking for people to train with, and B. J. 's father Jay Dee Penn had called Callos and said his boys were interested. A few weeks later, he became the first non Brazilian to win in the black belt division of the World Jiu Jitsu Championship held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. 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 to Fernando "Tererê" Augusto, and in 1998, earned a silver medal, placing 2nd in the blue belt division. Ultimate Fighting Championship
His accomplishments in the World Jiu Jitsu Championship caught the attention of the Ultimate Fighting Championship, which convinced him to switch to mixed martial arts. He then demonstrated strong striking skills, knocking out lightweights Din Thomas and Caol Uno before suffering a decision loss in a championship fight against UFC Lightweight Champion, Jens Pulver. 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 at UFC 41, a failure which caused the UFC to later suspend its lightweight division. Penn bounced back later in the year with a victory over future PRIDE Lightweight Champion Takanori Gomi to earn his first MMA championship, the Rumble on the Rock Lightweight Championship, in K 1 Fighting Network's Rumble on the Rock, an MMA organization promoted by Penn's brother, and Fighting and Entertainment Group (FEG), the parent company of the largest kickboxing organization, K 1. Heavily favored to win, Hughes lost the fight four minutes into the first round by rear 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, as well as one of the greatest submission victories in mixed martial arts history. Fighting and Entertainment Group
Penn signed to fight for the Japanese Fighting and Entertainment Group's (FEG) K 1 promotion citing a lack of challenging fights left for him in the UFC. In his second fight for FEG, Penn fought again at welterweight and defeated Duane Ludwig at the 2004 K 1 MMA Romanex show in under five minutes by arm triangle choke. Following the Ludwig fight, Penn moved up in weight class to face the undefeated Rodrigo Gracie at middleweight. Penn won by decision, extending his winning streak to four fights. Later that year at K 1 World Grand Prix Hawaii, Penn returned to middleweight to face Pride Fighting Championship veteran Renzo Gracie, which he won by unanimous decision. 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 at UFC 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 in side control crucifix 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. 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." Despite the injury, Penn congratulated Hughes, calling him a great fighter and saying he deserved the victory. Penn was a coach for The Ultimate Fighter 5, which debuted on April 5, 2007. Penn lead a team of eight lightweight fighters, and fought a rematch against Jens Pulver at The Ultimate Fighter 5#The Ultimate Fighter 5 Finale on June 23, 2007. He won with a rear naked choke in the second round after controlling Pulver from the mount and then taking Pulver's back. Although he held the choke for a moment after Pulver tapped out, the two then embraced, With Sherk's title status still in limbo after months of hearings, the UFC scheduled Penn to fight Joe Stevenson at UFC 80 on January 19, 2008, for an interim lightweight title. 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, with the winner facing Sherk in their first defense. Lightweight Championship
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. In the second round, Stevenson fought more aggressively but was still unable to threaten Penn. Penn worked to back mount and defeated him by rear naked choke at 4:02 of the second round to win the Lightweight 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 by Sherdog for 2008. With this win, Penn became the second man (after Randy Couture) to win UFC titles in two different weight classes. On May 24, 2008, at UFC 84 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada, Penn fought former champion Sean Sherk in his first title defense bout. The fight was billed by color commentator Mike 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 by Joe 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. Later, Penn told Fighters Club TV that he would face the winner of the UFC 87 Welterweight title fight between Georges St Pierre and Jon 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 a Welterweight Championship fight. Welterweight title shot
Penn challenged Georges St Pierre for St Pierre's welterweight title on January 31, 2009, the night before the Super Bowl. The date led UFC 94 to be billed as the "UFC Super Bowl Weekend," and it was anticipated to be the biggest UFC pay per view event ever. Before the fight with St Pierre, Penn made a controversial comment that he was going to try to kill St Pierre in the ring, but he later explained that he was speaking figuratively. 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 a ground and pound attack. 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." 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 the Nevada 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. Despite all of the complaints by the Penn camp, the NSAC ruled that there was no infraction. This incident was famously coined by Penn fans as the "Greasegate" and remains as one of the biggest controversial moments in UFC history. 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.|Dana White, post fight at UFC 94. 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. 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." Penn claims that before the match he warned the NSAC that St Pierre might use grease intentionally. Penn went on record as accepting the offer for a re match. 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 and Phil Nurse, a fine of $250,000, and overturning the result of the fight to a no contest. Return as Lightweight Champion
Penn began negotiations to fight Kenny Florian in the summer of 2009. 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!|Joe Rogan, post fight at UFC 107. 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 by Jens Pulver. 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. Losing the title
Penn's next defense was on April 10, 2010, at UFC 112 against Frankie 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. 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. 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.|Frankie Edgar, post fight at UFC 112. Penn fought Edgar in a rematch at UFC 118. 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. Return to welterweight and hiatus
Penn fought Matt Hughes at UFC 123 in a rubber match after their previous two fights at UFC 46 and UFC 63. 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. Penn earned knockout of the night honors for his performance. You're my idol Matt Hughes, you're my idol, you will always be my idol, thank you.|B. J. Penn, post fight at UFC 123. Following the UFC 123 post fight press conference, UFC president Dana White said that Penn would fight top welterweight contender Jon Fitch at UFC 127 in Australia. Penn trained with Matt Hughes and Floyd Mayweather Sr. in preparation for the fight. 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. Penn was expected to face Carlos Condit on October 29, 2011, at UFC 137. 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 winner Kendall Grove and B. J. 's brother Reagan Penn, as they both prepared for their August 27 fights on the ProElite show in Hawaii. However, on September 7, Condit was pulled from the bout and replaced Nick Diaz in the main event against Georges St Pierre. 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 former Strikeforce Welterweight Champion, but was unable to mount any significant offense or defense against Diaz's stand up attack in the remaining two rounds. 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." 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." 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. In April 2012 UFC president Dana White said B. J. Penn turned down a fight with the reigning Strikeforce 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 the UFC 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. 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 prospect Rory MacDonald; stating, "Rory, I accept your challenge!". Initially, Penn was expected to face Rory MacDonald on September 22, 2012, at UFC 152. However, MacDonald pulled out of the bout after sustaining a cut to the forehead while training. Penn vs. MacDonald eventually took place on December 8, 2012, at UFC on Fox 5. Penn lost the fight via unanimous decision. After the fight Dana 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 with Ariel Helwani in an interview for UFC 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." Move to featherweight and losing streak
An announcement was made on UFC Tonight in September 2013 that Penn will return from his hiatus and move to the Featherweight division to coach against rival, Frankie Edgar for the 19th season of The Ultimate Fighter. This move marked Penn's second appearance serving as a head coach for The Ultimate Fighter, his first being The Ultimate Fighter 5, opposite Jens Pulver. The season aired on Fox Sports 1 and featured middleweight and light heavyweight contestants. The two coaches faced each other for the third time on July 6, 2014, at The Ultimate Fighter 19 Finale. Penn returned to Nova União under coach André Pederneiras (who promoted Penn to black belt in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu in 1999) in preparation for his fight camp against Edgar; training alongside former UFC Bantamweight Champion Renan Barão and UFC Featherweight Champion José Aldo. Later in the camp, he also enlisted former UFC Bantamweight Champion Dominick Cruz in Hilo, Hawaii for his preparation. Penn lost the one sided bout by TKO in the third round. At the conclusion of the bout, Penn announced his intentions to retire again during the event's post fight press conference. 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.|Dana White, during the post fight press conference at The Ultimate Fighter 19 Finale. 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. He was briefly expected to return in April 2016 at UFC 197. However, Penn's return was delayed after an investigation into criminal allegations made against him was launched. In turn, Penn was expected to face Dennis Siver on June 4, 2016, at UFC 199. However, Siver was forced out of the bout in early May with an undisclosed injury. He was replaced by Cole Miller. 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. Penn was expected to face Ricardo Lamas on October 15, 2016, at UFC Fight Night 97. However, on October 4, Penn pulled out of the fight citing an injury. In turn, the promotion announced on October 6 that they had cancelled the event entirely. After three delays in getting his return fight scheduled, Penn returned to the UFC in early 2017. He faced Yair Rodríguez in the main event on January 15, 2017, at UFC Fight Night 103. Penn lost the one sided fight via TKO in the second round. A rescheduled bout with Dennis Siver took place on June 25, 2017, at UFC Fight Night 112. Penn lost the fight by majority decision. For his next fight, Penn returned to lightweight to face Ryan Hall on December 29, 2018, at UFC 232; it was his third stint in the lightweight division. In preparation for the fight against Hall, Penn returned to train at Nova União. Penn lost the fight via a heel hook submission in the first round. Penn faced Clay Guida on May 11, 2019, at UFC 237. He lost the fight by unanimous decision. On July 26, 2019, news surfaced that Penn was expected to face Nik Lentz in a grudge match, at a UFC event to be determined. However, Penn was released from the promotion in early September after video evidence surfaced showing Penn fighting patrons in a bar brawl in Pahoa, Hawaii. Personal life
His nickname "B. J." is a shortened version of another nickname "Baby Jay", which itself derives from the fact that Penn is the last of three brothers named "Jay Dee Penn". B. J. 's father, who is Irish and English, named 3 of his 4 children "Jay Dee", while the fourth is 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). Penn's mother, Lorraine Shin, is of Hawaiian and Korean descent. Being born in Hawaii, Penn takes much pride in his Hawaiian upbringing. Penn often plays Hawaiian music during his walk out entrances, a combination of Hawaii ’78 into E Ala E, both performed by Hawaiian musician Israel 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 his Korean roots and has traveled to South 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." Penn is the co author of Mixed Martial Arts: The Book of Knowledge, an instructional book on mixed martial arts fighting. Penn, along with Dave Weintraub, authored the autobiography Why I Fight: The Belt is Just an Accessory in 2010. The book debuted at #22 on the New York Times bestseller list. Penn also appeared in the film Never Surrender in 2009. Penn was also the subject of a Paternity Lawsuit in relation to a daughter, approximately a year after the girl's birth. On the 5th of October, 2021, Penn also announced his intention to run for governor in the 2022 Hawaii gubernatorial election. He lost the Republican primary, ending as the runner up to winner Duke Aiona. Following the election, he filed a complaint with the Hawaii Supreme Court contesting the results. Legal controversies
Penn has an extended history of alcohol induced violence. In January 2015, Penn was arrested in Kihei, Hawaii and charged with assault after a brawl outside of a bar. 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 order through October 2021. In June 2019, an intoxicated Penn fought a bouncer outside of a Honolulu strip club. On August 27, 2019, Penn was involved in a bar brawl on Hawaii's Big Island. On December 8, 2020, a paternity lawsuit was filed against Penn by the mother of his most recent child, Camila Amado. Legacy and influence
Since his debut in the Ultimate Fighting Championship, Penn emerged as one of the biggest stars in the history of the sport, headlining a total of eleven main events (nine pay per view main events) for the UFC during the course of his career (in addition to five for K 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 against performance enhancing drugs in sports with the inclusion of Voluntary Anti Doping Association (VADA) during his and his opponent's training camps. Recognized for his role in the resurgence of the lightweight division, Penn is considered to have been the division's most influential figure, turning the weight class around (in bouts with Sean Sherk, Kenny Florian, Diego Sanchez, Jens Pulver, and Joe 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. His nickname, The Prodigy originates prior to him competing in mixed martial arts, from accomplishing his extraordinary feat in the sport of Brazilian Jiu Jitsu (earning his black belt in just under three years and winning the black belt division in the World Jiu Jitsu Championship only three weeks later). 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. The Ultimate Fighting Championship's inaugural signature gym located in Honolulu, Hawaii, 'UFC Gym BJ Penn' is named in Penn's honor. The gym has grown to become one of the largest and most successful in the state of Hawaii. Penn (in his knockout victory over former UFC Lightweight Champion Sean Sherk) is featured in the UFC "Evolution" pay per view introduction. Ranking in mixed martial arts history
He is widely considered one of the greatest lightweight (155 lbs) competitors in the sport's history, and as one of the greatest Welterweight (170 lbs) competitors as well due to his performances against Georges St Pierre and Matt Hughes. Penn was also simultaneously ranked number one in both of these divisions following his back to back submission victories over Takanori Gomi and Matt Hughes, where he is the only fighter to hold such an honor. Renowned boxing coach Freddie Roach has famously described Penn as the best boxer in all of mixed martial arts. Former UFC Middleweight Champion Anderson Silva, has said on numerous occasions that he believes Penn to be the greatest pound for pound fighter in the history of the sport. UFC Hall of Famer, UFC 10 and UFC 11 Tournament Champion and former UFC Heavyweight Champion Mark Coleman acknowledges Penn as his idol in the sport of mixed martial arts. Penn was ranked within the top five in the FightersOnly! Magazine '100 Greatest Fighters in History'.''
Fighting and Entertainment Group
Пенн жапондық Fighting and Entertainment Group (FEG) ұйымының K 1 промоушені үшін күресуге келісім берді, себебі UFC-де оған қиын қарсыластар қалмады. FEG үшін өткізген екінші жекпе-жегінде Пенн орта салмақтағы Дуэйн Людвигті бес минуттан кем уақытта қолмен басып жеңді. Людвигпен өткен жекпе-жекке дейін Пенн салмақ класын көтеріп, жеңілмеген Родриго Грейсиге қарсы орта салмақта өнер көрсетті. Пенн шешіммен жеңіске жетіп, жеңіс тізімін төртке дейін ұзартты. Кейін сол жылы K 1 World Grand Prix Hawaii турнирінде Пенн орта салмаққа оралып, Pride Fighting Championship ветераны Ренцо Грейсиге қарсы өнер көрсетті, бұл жекпе-жекті бірауыздан жеңіске жетті. Жаңа үміткер Сент-Пьер жаттығу кезінде жарақат алғаннан кейін, UFC Пеннның Сент-Пьерді UFC 63 турнирінде 23 қыркүйекте өтетін титулдық жекпе-жекте алмастыратынын хабарлады, бұл Хьюзбен қайта кездесуді күткен жанкүйерлер үшін қуаныш болды. Жекпе-жекте Пенн алғашқы екі раундты бақылады, бірақ екінші раундта Хьюстің арқасын ұстауға тырысқанда қабырғасына жарақат алды. Үшінші раундта ол өте шаршаған және алдыңғы раундтарда орындаған соққыларын орындауға қиналды. Хьюз Пеннді төменге түсіріп, жанындағы крест позициясында Пенннің басына соққылар жасады, содан кейін төреші "Big" John McCarthy үшінші минуттың 53-ші секундында жекпе-жекті тоқтатты, бұл Пенннің жекпе-жегінде алғаш рет жеңіліске ұшырауы болды. Пенннің жеке сайтында жарияланған сұхбатта, Пенн үшінші раундта тыныс алуға қиналғанын және "денесінде қозғалыс болмағанын" айтты. Жарақатқа қарамастан, Пенн Хьюсті құттықтап, оны ұлы спортшы деп атады және жеңіске лайық екенін айтты. Пенн The Ultimate Fighter 5 бағдарламасының жаттықтырушысы болды, ол 2007 жылдың 5 сәуірінде эфирге шықты. Пенн сегіз жеңіл салмақтағы спортшыдан тұратын командаға жетекшілік етті және 2007 жылдың 23 маусымында The Ultimate Fighter 5 Finale турнирінде Дженс Пулвермен қайта жекпе-жек өткізді. Ол екінші раундта Пулверді артқа басып жеңіске жетті, бірақ Пулвердің тапсырғаннан кейін екеуі құшақтасты. Шерктің титулдық мәртебесіне қатысты бірнеше айлық тыңдаулардан кейін, UFC Пенннің Джо Стивенсонмен UFC 80 турнирінде 2008 жылдың 19 қаңтарында өткізілетін жеңіл салмақтағы уақытша титул үшін күресетінін хабарлады. Калифорния штатының спорттық комиссиясының соңғы шешімі Шерктің дисквалификациясын күшінде қалдырды, бұл Пенн-Стивенсон жекпе-жегін толыққанды титулдық жекпе-жекке жаңартты, жеңімпаз Шеркпен алғашқы қорғау үшін күреседі.
American mixed martial arts fighter
the Assistant Secretary of the Navy
[[World Jiu Jitsu Championship
2000 Rio de Janeiro −70 kg
Jay Dee "B. J." Penn III (born December 13, 1978) is an American former professional mixed martial art fighter and 5th degree black belt Brazilian jiu jitsu (BJJ) practitioner. efn|name=belt|under André Pederneiras
Prior to his MMA career, Penn was known as the first non Brazilian to win the World Jiu Jitsu Championship at black belt level. In mixed martial arts, Penn has competed in the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) and in K 1 in the Featherweight, Lightweight, Welterweight, Middleweight, and Heavyweight/Openweight divisions. Penn fought to a draw against Caol Uno in the UFC 41 Lightweight Tournament. Through his tenures as champion, Penn unofficially unified the UFC Lightweight Championship (against Sean Sherk) and broke the all time lightweight title defense record. In 2015, Penn was made the inaugural inductee into the Modern era wing of the UFC Hall of Fame. Penn was considered one of the top pound for pound mixed martial artists in the world early in his career and holds victories over opponents such as Din Thomas, Caol Uno, Paul Creighton, and Matt Serra. Penn won the Rumble on the Rock Lightweight Championship in K 1. He submitted long reigning then champion Matt Hughes to capture the UFC Welterweight Championship. Following a period in which Penn competed exclusively for K 1, he returned to the UFC and won the UFC Lightweight Championship. He made a record three subsequent title defenses before losing his title to Frankie Edgar. UFC President, Dana White, credits Penn with bringing the lower weight divisions into the mainstream of mixed martial arts; he describes Penn as "the first crossover pay per view star for the Ultimate Fighting Championship's lighter weight divisions", as well as saying that "[through his] accomplishments, B. J. Penn built the 155 pound division". Penn hoped to run for governor of Hawaii in the 2022 Hawaii gubernatorial election but was eliminated in the Republican Party primary. Penn is regarded as one of the best competitors in the UFC's history. However, he has been criticized for continuing to fight past his prime, including an eight fight winless streak from 2011 to 2019. Early life and education
Penn was born in Hawaii to Jay Dee Penn, who is of Irish American descent, and Lorraine Shin, who is of Korean and Hawaiian descent. At the age of 17, Penn began training in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu after being introduced to it by his neighbor, Tom Callos. Callos had put up fliers in local gyms looking for people to train with, and B. J. 's father Jay Dee Penn had called Callos and said his boys were interested. A few weeks later, he became the first non Brazilian to win in the black belt division of the World Jiu Jitsu Championship held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. 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 to Fernando "Tererê" Augusto, and in 1998, earned a silver medal, placing 2nd in the blue belt division. Ultimate Fighting Championship
His accomplishments in the World Jiu Jitsu Championship caught the attention of the Ultimate Fighting Championship, which convinced him to switch to mixed martial arts. He then demonstrated strong striking skills, knocking out lightweights Din Thomas and Caol Uno before suffering a decision loss in a championship fight against UFC Lightweight Champion, Jens Pulver. 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 at UFC 41, a failure which caused the UFC to later suspend its lightweight division. Penn bounced back later in the year with a victory over future PRIDE Lightweight Champion Takanori Gomi to earn his first MMA championship, the Rumble on the Rock Lightweight Championship, in K 1 Fighting Network's Rumble on the Rock, an MMA organization promoted by Penn's brother, and Fighting and Entertainment Group (FEG), the parent company of the largest kickboxing organization, K 1. Heavily favored to win, Hughes lost the fight four minutes into the first round by rear 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, as well as one of the greatest submission victories in mixed martial arts history. Fighting and Entertainment Group
Penn signed to fight for the Japanese Fighting and Entertainment Group's (FEG) K 1 promotion citing a lack of challenging fights left for him in the UFC. In his second fight for FEG, Penn fought again at welterweight and defeated Duane Ludwig at the 2004 K 1 MMA Romanex show in under five minutes by arm triangle choke. Following the Ludwig fight, Penn moved up in weight class to face the undefeated Rodrigo Gracie at middleweight. Penn won by decision, extending his winning streak to four fights. Later that year at K 1 World Grand Prix Hawaii, Penn returned to middleweight to face Pride Fighting Championship veteran Renzo Gracie, which he won by unanimous decision. 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 at UFC 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 in side control crucifix 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. 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." Despite the injury, Penn congratulated Hughes, calling him a great fighter and saying he deserved the victory. Penn was a coach for The Ultimate Fighter 5, which debuted on April 5, 2007. Penn lead a team of eight lightweight fighters, and fought a rematch against Jens Pulver at The Ultimate Fighter 5#The Ultimate Fighter 5 Finale on June 23, 2007. He won with a rear naked choke in the second round after controlling Pulver from the mount and then taking Pulver's back. Although he held the choke for a moment after Pulver tapped out, the two then embraced, With Sherk's title status still in limbo after months of hearings, the UFC scheduled Penn to fight Joe Stevenson at UFC 80 on January 19, 2008, for an interim lightweight title. 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, with the winner facing Sherk in their first defense. Lightweight Championship
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. In the second round, Stevenson fought more aggressively but was still unable to threaten Penn. Penn worked to back mount and defeated him by rear naked choke at 4:02 of the second round to win the Lightweight 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 by Sherdog for 2008. With this win, Penn became the second man (after Randy Couture) to win UFC titles in two different weight classes. On May 24, 2008, at UFC 84 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada, Penn fought former champion Sean Sherk in his first title defense bout. The fight was billed by color commentator Mike 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 by Joe 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. Later, Penn told Fighters Club TV that he would face the winner of the UFC 87 Welterweight title fight between Georges St Pierre and Jon 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 a Welterweight Championship fight. Welterweight title shot
Penn challenged Georges St Pierre for St Pierre's welterweight title on January 31, 2009, the night before the Super Bowl. The date led UFC 94 to be billed as the "UFC Super Bowl Weekend," and it was anticipated to be the biggest UFC pay per view event ever. Before the fight with St Pierre, Penn made a controversial comment that he was going to try to kill St Pierre in the ring, but he later explained that he was speaking figuratively. 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 a ground and pound attack. 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." 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 the Nevada 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. Despite all of the complaints by the Penn camp, the NSAC ruled that there was no infraction. This incident was famously coined by Penn fans as the "Greasegate" and remains as one of the biggest controversial moments in UFC history. 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.|Dana White, post fight at UFC 94. 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. 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." Penn claims that before the match he warned the NSAC that St Pierre might use grease intentionally. Penn went on record as accepting the offer for a re match. 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 and Phil Nurse, a fine of $250,000, and overturning the result of the fight to a no contest. Return as Lightweight Champion
Penn began negotiations to fight Kenny Florian in the summer of 2009. 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!|Joe Rogan, post fight at UFC 107. 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 by Jens Pulver. 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. Losing the title
Penn's next defense was on April 10, 2010, at UFC 112 against Frankie 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. 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. 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.|Frankie Edgar, post fight at UFC 112. Penn fought Edgar in a rematch at UFC 118. 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. Return to welterweight and hiatus
Penn fought Matt Hughes at UFC 123 in a rubber match after their previous two fights at UFC 46 and UFC 63. 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. Penn earned knockout of the night honors for his performance. You're my idol Matt Hughes, you're my idol, you will always be my idol, thank you.|B. J. Penn, post fight at UFC 123. Following the UFC 123 post fight press conference, UFC president Dana White said that Penn would fight top welterweight contender Jon Fitch at UFC 127 in Australia. Penn trained with Matt Hughes and Floyd Mayweather Sr. in preparation for the fight. 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. Penn was expected to face Carlos Condit on October 29, 2011, at UFC 137. 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 winner Kendall Grove and B. J. 's brother Reagan Penn, as they both prepared for their August 27 fights on the ProElite show in Hawaii. However, on September 7, Condit was pulled from the bout and replaced Nick Diaz in the main event against Georges St Pierre. 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 former Strikeforce Welterweight Champion, but was unable to mount any significant offense or defense against Diaz's stand up attack in the remaining two rounds. 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." 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." 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. In April 2012 UFC president Dana White said B. J. Penn turned down a fight with the reigning Strikeforce 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 the UFC 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. 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 prospect Rory MacDonald; stating, "Rory, I accept your challenge!". Initially, Penn was expected to face Rory MacDonald on September 22, 2012, at UFC 152. However, MacDonald pulled out of the bout after sustaining a cut to the forehead while training. Penn vs. MacDonald eventually took place on December 8, 2012, at UFC on Fox 5. Penn lost the fight via unanimous decision. After the fight Dana 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 with Ariel Helwani in an interview for UFC 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." Move to featherweight and losing streak
An announcement was made on UFC Tonight in September 2013 that Penn will return from his hiatus and move to the Featherweight division to coach against rival, Frankie Edgar for the 19th season of The Ultimate Fighter. This move marked Penn's second appearance serving as a head coach for The Ultimate Fighter, his first being The Ultimate Fighter 5, opposite Jens Pulver. The season aired on Fox Sports 1 and featured middleweight and light heavyweight contestants. The two coaches faced each other for the third time on July 6, 2014, at The Ultimate Fighter 19 Finale. Penn returned to Nova União under coach André Pederneiras (who promoted Penn to black belt in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu in 1999) in preparation for his fight camp against Edgar; training alongside former UFC Bantamweight Champion Renan Barão and UFC Featherweight Champion José Aldo. Later in the camp, he also enlisted former UFC Bantamweight Champion Dominick Cruz in Hilo, Hawaii for his preparation. Penn lost the one sided bout by TKO in the third round. At the conclusion of the bout, Penn announced his intentions to retire again during the event's post fight press conference. 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.|Dana White, during the post fight press conference at The Ultimate Fighter 19 Finale. 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. He was briefly expected to return in April 2016 at UFC 197. However, Penn's return was delayed after an investigation into criminal allegations made against him was launched. In turn, Penn was expected to face Dennis Siver on June 4, 2016, at UFC 199. However, Siver was forced out of the bout in early May with an undisclosed injury. He was replaced by Cole Miller. 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. Penn was expected to face Ricardo Lamas on October 15, 2016, at UFC Fight Night 97. However, on October 4, Penn pulled out of the fight citing an injury. In turn, the promotion announced on October 6 that they had cancelled the event entirely. After three delays in getting his return fight scheduled, Penn returned to the UFC in early 2017. He faced Yair Rodríguez in the main event on January 15, 2017, at UFC Fight Night 103. Penn lost the one sided fight via TKO in the second round. A rescheduled bout with Dennis Siver took place on June 25, 2017, at UFC Fight Night 112. Penn lost the fight by majority decision. For his next fight, Penn returned to lightweight to face Ryan Hall on December 29, 2018, at UFC 232; it was his third stint in the lightweight division. In preparation for the fight against Hall, Penn returned to train at Nova União. Penn lost the fight via a heel hook submission in the first round. Penn faced Clay Guida on May 11, 2019, at UFC 237. He lost the fight by unanimous decision. On July 26, 2019, news surfaced that Penn was expected to face Nik Lentz in a grudge match, at a UFC event to be determined. However, Penn was released from the promotion in early September after video evidence surfaced showing Penn fighting patrons in a bar brawl in Pahoa, Hawaii. Personal life
His nickname "B. J." is a shortened version of another nickname "Baby Jay", which itself derives from the fact that Penn is the last of three brothers named "Jay Dee Penn". B. J. 's father, who is Irish and English, named 3 of his 4 children "Jay Dee", while the fourth is 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). Penn's mother, Lorraine Shin, is of Hawaiian and Korean descent. Being born in Hawaii, Penn takes much pride in his Hawaiian upbringing. Penn often plays Hawaiian music during his walk out entrances, a combination of Hawaii ’78 into E Ala E, both performed by Hawaiian musician Israel 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 his Korean roots and has traveled to South 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." Penn is the co author of Mixed Martial Arts: The Book of Knowledge, an instructional book on mixed martial arts fighting. Penn, along with Dave Weintraub, authored the autobiography Why I Fight: The Belt is Just an Accessory in 2010. The book debuted at #22 on the New York Times bestseller list. Penn also appeared in the film Never Surrender in 2009. Penn was also the subject of a Paternity Lawsuit in relation to a daughter, approximately a year after the girl's birth. On the 5th of October, 2021, Penn also announced his intention to run for governor in the 2022 Hawaii gubernatorial election. He lost the Republican primary, ending as the runner up to winner Duke Aiona. Following the election, he filed a complaint with the Hawaii Supreme Court contesting the results. Legal controversies
Penn has an extended history of alcohol induced violence. In January 2015, Penn was arrested in Kihei, Hawaii and charged with assault after a brawl outside of a bar. 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 order through October 2021. In June 2019, an intoxicated Penn fought a bouncer outside of a Honolulu strip club. On August 27, 2019, Penn was involved in a bar brawl on Hawaii's Big Island. On December 8, 2020, a paternity lawsuit was filed against Penn by the mother of his most recent child, Camila Amado. Legacy and influence
Since his debut in the Ultimate Fighting Championship, Penn emerged as one of the biggest stars in the history of the sport, headlining a total of eleven main events (nine pay per view main events) for the UFC during the course of his career (in addition to five for K 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 against performance enhancing drugs in sports with the inclusion of Voluntary Anti Doping Association (VADA) during his and his opponent's training camps. Recognized for his role in the resurgence of the lightweight division, Penn is considered to have been the division's most influential figure, turning the weight class around (in bouts with Sean Sherk, Kenny Florian, Diego Sanchez, Jens Pulver, and Joe 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. His nickname, The Prodigy originates prior to him competing in mixed martial arts, from accomplishing his extraordinary feat in the sport of Brazilian Jiu Jitsu (earning his black belt in just under three years and winning the black belt division in the World Jiu Jitsu Championship only three weeks later). 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. The Ultimate Fighting Championship's inaugural signature gym located in Honolulu, Hawaii, 'UFC Gym BJ Penn' is named in Penn's honor. The gym has grown to become one of the largest and most successful in the state of Hawaii. Penn (in his knockout victory over former UFC Lightweight Champion Sean Sherk) is featured in the UFC "Evolution" pay per view introduction. Ranking in mixed martial arts history
He is widely considered one of the greatest lightweight (155 lbs) competitors in the sport's history, and as one of the greatest Welterweight (170 lbs) competitors as well due to his performances against Georges St Pierre and Matt Hughes. Penn was also simultaneously ranked number one in both of these divisions following his back to back submission victories over Takanori Gomi and Matt Hughes, where he is the only fighter to hold such an honor. Renowned boxing coach Freddie Roach has famously described Penn as the best boxer in all of mixed martial arts. Former UFC Middleweight Champion Anderson Silva, has said on numerous occasions that he believes Penn to be the greatest pound for pound fighter in the history of the sport. UFC Hall of Famer, UFC 10 and UFC 11 Tournament Champion and former UFC Heavyweight Champion Mark Coleman acknowledges Penn as his idol in the sport of mixed martial arts. Penn was ranked within the top five in the FightersOnly! Magazine '100 Greatest Fighters in History'.''
the Assistant Secretary of the Navy
[[World Jiu Jitsu Championship
2000 Rio de Janeiro −70 kg
Jay Dee "B. J." Penn III (born December 13, 1978) is an American former professional mixed martial art fighter and 5th degree black belt Brazilian jiu jitsu (BJJ) practitioner. efn|name=belt|under André Pederneiras
Prior to his MMA career, Penn was known as the first non Brazilian to win the World Jiu Jitsu Championship at black belt level. In mixed martial arts, Penn has competed in the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) and in K 1 in the Featherweight, Lightweight, Welterweight, Middleweight, and Heavyweight/Openweight divisions. Penn fought to a draw against Caol Uno in the UFC 41 Lightweight Tournament. Through his tenures as champion, Penn unofficially unified the UFC Lightweight Championship (against Sean Sherk) and broke the all time lightweight title defense record. In 2015, Penn was made the inaugural inductee into the Modern era wing of the UFC Hall of Fame. Penn was considered one of the top pound for pound mixed martial artists in the world early in his career and holds victories over opponents such as Din Thomas, Caol Uno, Paul Creighton, and Matt Serra. Penn won the Rumble on the Rock Lightweight Championship in K 1. He submitted long reigning then champion Matt Hughes to capture the UFC Welterweight Championship. Following a period in which Penn competed exclusively for K 1, he returned to the UFC and won the UFC Lightweight Championship. He made a record three subsequent title defenses before losing his title to Frankie Edgar. UFC President, Dana White, credits Penn with bringing the lower weight divisions into the mainstream of mixed martial arts; he describes Penn as "the first crossover pay per view star for the Ultimate Fighting Championship's lighter weight divisions", as well as saying that "[through his] accomplishments, B. J. Penn built the 155 pound division". Penn hoped to run for governor of Hawaii in the 2022 Hawaii gubernatorial election but was eliminated in the Republican Party primary. Penn is regarded as one of the best competitors in the UFC's history. However, he has been criticized for continuing to fight past his prime, including an eight fight winless streak from 2011 to 2019. Early life and education
Penn was born in Hawaii to Jay Dee Penn, who is of Irish American descent, and Lorraine Shin, who is of Korean and Hawaiian descent. At the age of 17, Penn began training in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu after being introduced to it by his neighbor, Tom Callos. Callos had put up fliers in local gyms looking for people to train with, and B. J. 's father Jay Dee Penn had called Callos and said his boys were interested. A few weeks later, he became the first non Brazilian to win in the black belt division of the World Jiu Jitsu Championship held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. 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 to Fernando "Tererê" Augusto, and in 1998, earned a silver medal, placing 2nd in the blue belt division. Ultimate Fighting Championship
His accomplishments in the World Jiu Jitsu Championship caught the attention of the Ultimate Fighting Championship, which convinced him to switch to mixed martial arts. He then demonstrated strong striking skills, knocking out lightweights Din Thomas and Caol Uno before suffering a decision loss in a championship fight against UFC Lightweight Champion, Jens Pulver. 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 at UFC 41, a failure which caused the UFC to later suspend its lightweight division. Penn bounced back later in the year with a victory over future PRIDE Lightweight Champion Takanori Gomi to earn his first MMA championship, the Rumble on the Rock Lightweight Championship, in K 1 Fighting Network's Rumble on the Rock, an MMA organization promoted by Penn's brother, and Fighting and Entertainment Group (FEG), the parent company of the largest kickboxing organization, K 1. Heavily favored to win, Hughes lost the fight four minutes into the first round by rear 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, as well as one of the greatest submission victories in mixed martial arts history. Fighting and Entertainment Group
Penn signed to fight for the Japanese Fighting and Entertainment Group's (FEG) K 1 promotion citing a lack of challenging fights left for him in the UFC. In his second fight for FEG, Penn fought again at welterweight and defeated Duane Ludwig at the 2004 K 1 MMA Romanex show in under five minutes by arm triangle choke. Following the Ludwig fight, Penn moved up in weight class to face the undefeated Rodrigo Gracie at middleweight. Penn won by decision, extending his winning streak to four fights. Later that year at K 1 World Grand Prix Hawaii, Penn returned to middleweight to face Pride Fighting Championship veteran Renzo Gracie, which he won by unanimous decision. 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 at UFC 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 in side control crucifix 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. 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." Despite the injury, Penn congratulated Hughes, calling him a great fighter and saying he deserved the victory. Penn was a coach for The Ultimate Fighter 5, which debuted on April 5, 2007. Penn lead a team of eight lightweight fighters, and fought a rematch against Jens Pulver at The Ultimate Fighter 5#The Ultimate Fighter 5 Finale on June 23, 2007. He won with a rear naked choke in the second round after controlling Pulver from the mount and then taking Pulver's back. Although he held the choke for a moment after Pulver tapped out, the two then embraced, With Sherk's title status still in limbo after months of hearings, the UFC scheduled Penn to fight Joe Stevenson at UFC 80 on January 19, 2008, for an interim lightweight title. 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, with the winner facing Sherk in their first defense. Lightweight Championship
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. In the second round, Stevenson fought more aggressively but was still unable to threaten Penn. Penn worked to back mount and defeated him by rear naked choke at 4:02 of the second round to win the Lightweight 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 by Sherdog for 2008. With this win, Penn became the second man (after Randy Couture) to win UFC titles in two different weight classes. On May 24, 2008, at UFC 84 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada, Penn fought former champion Sean Sherk in his first title defense bout. The fight was billed by color commentator Mike 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 by Joe 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. Later, Penn told Fighters Club TV that he would face the winner of the UFC 87 Welterweight title fight between Georges St Pierre and Jon 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 a Welterweight Championship fight. Welterweight title shot
Penn challenged Georges St Pierre for St Pierre's welterweight title on January 31, 2009, the night before the Super Bowl. The date led UFC 94 to be billed as the "UFC Super Bowl Weekend," and it was anticipated to be the biggest UFC pay per view event ever. Before the fight with St Pierre, Penn made a controversial comment that he was going to try to kill St Pierre in the ring, but he later explained that he was speaking figuratively. 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 a ground and pound attack. 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." 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 the Nevada 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. Despite all of the complaints by the Penn camp, the NSAC ruled that there was no infraction. This incident was famously coined by Penn fans as the "Greasegate" and remains as one of the biggest controversial moments in UFC history. 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.|Dana White, post fight at UFC 94. 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. 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." Penn claims that before the match he warned the NSAC that St Pierre might use grease intentionally. Penn went on record as accepting the offer for a re match. 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 and Phil Nurse, a fine of $250,000, and overturning the result of the fight to a no contest. Return as Lightweight Champion
Penn began negotiations to fight Kenny Florian in the summer of 2009. 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!|Joe Rogan, post fight at UFC 107. 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 by Jens Pulver. 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. Losing the title
Penn's next defense was on April 10, 2010, at UFC 112 against Frankie 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. 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. 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.|Frankie Edgar, post fight at UFC 112. Penn fought Edgar in a rematch at UFC 118. 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. Return to welterweight and hiatus
Penn fought Matt Hughes at UFC 123 in a rubber match after their previous two fights at UFC 46 and UFC 63. 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. Penn earned knockout of the night honors for his performance. You're my idol Matt Hughes, you're my idol, you will always be my idol, thank you.|B. J. Penn, post fight at UFC 123. Following the UFC 123 post fight press conference, UFC president Dana White said that Penn would fight top welterweight contender Jon Fitch at UFC 127 in Australia. Penn trained with Matt Hughes and Floyd Mayweather Sr. in preparation for the fight. 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. Penn was expected to face Carlos Condit on October 29, 2011, at UFC 137. 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 winner Kendall Grove and B. J. 's brother Reagan Penn, as they both prepared for their August 27 fights on the ProElite show in Hawaii. However, on September 7, Condit was pulled from the bout and replaced Nick Diaz in the main event against Georges St Pierre. 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 former Strikeforce Welterweight Champion, but was unable to mount any significant offense or defense against Diaz's stand up attack in the remaining two rounds. 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." 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." 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. In April 2012 UFC president Dana White said B. J. Penn turned down a fight with the reigning Strikeforce 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 the UFC 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. 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 prospect Rory MacDonald; stating, "Rory, I accept your challenge!". Initially, Penn was expected to face Rory MacDonald on September 22, 2012, at UFC 152. However, MacDonald pulled out of the bout after sustaining a cut to the forehead while training. Penn vs. MacDonald eventually took place on December 8, 2012, at UFC on Fox 5. Penn lost the fight via unanimous decision. After the fight Dana 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 with Ariel Helwani in an interview for UFC 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." Move to featherweight and losing streak
An announcement was made on UFC Tonight in September 2013 that Penn will return from his hiatus and move to the Featherweight division to coach against rival, Frankie Edgar for the 19th season of The Ultimate Fighter. This move marked Penn's second appearance serving as a head coach for The Ultimate Fighter, his first being The Ultimate Fighter 5, opposite Jens Pulver. The season aired on Fox Sports 1 and featured middleweight and light heavyweight contestants. The two coaches faced each other for the third time on July 6, 2014, at The Ultimate Fighter 19 Finale. Penn returned to Nova União under coach André Pederneiras (who promoted Penn to black belt in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu in 1999) in preparation for his fight camp against Edgar; training alongside former UFC Bantamweight Champion Renan Barão and UFC Featherweight Champion José Aldo. Later in the camp, he also enlisted former UFC Bantamweight Champion Dominick Cruz in Hilo, Hawaii for his preparation. Penn lost the one sided bout by TKO in the third round. At the conclusion of the bout, Penn announced his intentions to retire again during the event's post fight press conference. 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.|Dana White, during the post fight press conference at The Ultimate Fighter 19 Finale. 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. He was briefly expected to return in April 2016 at UFC 197. However, Penn's return was delayed after an investigation into criminal allegations made against him was launched. In turn, Penn was expected to face Dennis Siver on June 4, 2016, at UFC 199. However, Siver was forced out of the bout in early May with an undisclosed injury. He was replaced by Cole Miller. 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. Penn was expected to face Ricardo Lamas on October 15, 2016, at UFC Fight Night 97. However, on October 4, Penn pulled out of the fight citing an injury. In turn, the promotion announced on October 6 that they had cancelled the event entirely. After three delays in getting his return fight scheduled, Penn returned to the UFC in early 2017. He faced Yair Rodríguez in the main event on January 15, 2017, at UFC Fight Night 103. Penn lost the one sided fight via TKO in the second round. A rescheduled bout with Dennis Siver took place on June 25, 2017, at UFC Fight Night 112. Penn lost the fight by majority decision. For his next fight, Penn returned to lightweight to face Ryan Hall on December 29, 2018, at UFC 232; it was his third stint in the lightweight division. In preparation for the fight against Hall, Penn returned to train at Nova União. Penn lost the fight via a heel hook submission in the first round. Penn faced Clay Guida on May 11, 2019, at UFC 237. He lost the fight by unanimous decision. On July 26, 2019, news surfaced that Penn was expected to face Nik Lentz in a grudge match, at a UFC event to be determined. However, Penn was released from the promotion in early September after video evidence surfaced showing Penn fighting patrons in a bar brawl in Pahoa, Hawaii. Personal life
His nickname "B. J." is a shortened version of another nickname "Baby Jay", which itself derives from the fact that Penn is the last of three brothers named "Jay Dee Penn". B. J. 's father, who is Irish and English, named 3 of his 4 children "Jay Dee", while the fourth is 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). Penn's mother, Lorraine Shin, is of Hawaiian and Korean descent. Being born in Hawaii, Penn takes much pride in his Hawaiian upbringing. Penn often plays Hawaiian music during his walk out entrances, a combination of Hawaii ’78 into E Ala E, both performed by Hawaiian musician Israel 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 his Korean roots and has traveled to South 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." Penn is the co author of Mixed Martial Arts: The Book of Knowledge, an instructional book on mixed martial arts fighting. Penn, along with Dave Weintraub, authored the autobiography Why I Fight: The Belt is Just an Accessory in 2010. The book debuted at #22 on the New York Times bestseller list. Penn also appeared in the film Never Surrender in 2009. Penn was also the subject of a Paternity Lawsuit in relation to a daughter, approximately a year after the girl's birth. On the 5th of October, 2021, Penn also announced his intention to run for governor in the 2022 Hawaii gubernatorial election. He lost the Republican primary, ending as the runner up to winner Duke Aiona. Following the election, he filed a complaint with the Hawaii Supreme Court contesting the results. Legal controversies
Penn has an extended history of alcohol induced violence. In January 2015, Penn was arrested in Kihei, Hawaii and charged with assault after a brawl outside of a bar. 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 order through October 2021. In June 2019, an intoxicated Penn fought a bouncer outside of a Honolulu strip club. On August 27, 2019, Penn was involved in a bar brawl on Hawaii's Big Island. On December 8, 2020, a paternity lawsuit was filed against Penn by the mother of his most recent child, Camila Amado. Legacy and influence
Since his debut in the Ultimate Fighting Championship, Penn emerged as one of the biggest stars in the history of the sport, headlining a total of eleven main events (nine pay per view main events) for the UFC during the course of his career (in addition to five for K 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 against performance enhancing drugs in sports with the inclusion of Voluntary Anti Doping Association (VADA) during his and his opponent's training camps. Recognized for his role in the resurgence of the lightweight division, Penn is considered to have been the division's most influential figure, turning the weight class around (in bouts with Sean Sherk, Kenny Florian, Diego Sanchez, Jens Pulver, and Joe 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. His nickname, The Prodigy originates prior to him competing in mixed martial arts, from accomplishing his extraordinary feat in the sport of Brazilian Jiu Jitsu (earning his black belt in just under three years and winning the black belt division in the World Jiu Jitsu Championship only three weeks later). 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. The Ultimate Fighting Championship's inaugural signature gym located in Honolulu, Hawaii, 'UFC Gym BJ Penn' is named in Penn's honor. The gym has grown to become one of the largest and most successful in the state of Hawaii. Penn (in his knockout victory over former UFC Lightweight Champion Sean Sherk) is featured in the UFC "Evolution" pay per view introduction. Ranking in mixed martial arts history
He is widely considered one of the greatest lightweight (155 lbs) competitors in the sport's history, and as one of the greatest Welterweight (170 lbs) competitors as well due to his performances against Georges St Pierre and Matt Hughes. Penn was also simultaneously ranked number one in both of these divisions following his back to back submission victories over Takanori Gomi and Matt Hughes, where he is the only fighter to hold such an honor. Renowned boxing coach Freddie Roach has famously described Penn as the best boxer in all of mixed martial arts. Former UFC Middleweight Champion Anderson Silva, has said on numerous occasions that he believes Penn to be the greatest pound for pound fighter in the history of the sport. UFC Hall of Famer, UFC 10 and UFC 11 Tournament Champion and former UFC Heavyweight Champion Mark Coleman acknowledges Penn as his idol in the sport of mixed martial arts. Penn was ranked within the top five in the FightersOnly! Magazine '100 Greatest Fighters in History'.''
Жеңіл салмақ чемпионаты
Пенн Стивенсонды жекпе-жектің басында оң қолмен соққымен құлатты, содан кейін Стивенсонды төменге түсіріп, Стивенсоннің шашының сызығына жақын жердегі жарақатты тудырған дұрыс орналасқан шынтақпен соқты. Екінші раундта Стивенсон көбірек агрессивті күресті, бірақ Пеннге қауіп төндіре алмады. Пенн артқа басып, екінші минуттың 4:02-сінде жеңіске жетіп, жеңіл салмақ белбеуін иеленді. Жеңісін Стивенсоннің қолдарынан қанды леккеледі. Пенннің бұл жеңісі Sherdog ұйымынан 2008 жылдың үздік жекпе-жегі сыйлығына ие болды. Осы жеңіспен Пенн (Рэнди Кутюрден кейін) UFC тарихында екі салмақ класында жеңіске жеткен екінші спортшы атанды. 2008 жылдың 24 мамырында UFC 84 турнирінде MGM Grand Garden Arena-да...
American mixed martial arts fighter
the Assistant Secretary of the Navy
[[World Jiu Jitsu Championship
2000 Rio de Janeiro −70 kg
Jay Dee "B. J." Penn III (born December 13, 1978) is an American former professional mixed martial art fighter and 5th degree black belt Brazilian jiu jitsu (BJJ) practitioner. efn|name=belt|under André Pederneiras
Prior to his MMA career, Penn was known as the first non Brazilian to win the World Jiu Jitsu Championship at black belt level. In mixed martial arts, Penn has competed in the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) and in K 1 in the Featherweight, Lightweight, Welterweight, Middleweight, and Heavyweight/Openweight divisions. Penn fought to a draw against Caol Uno in the UFC 41 Lightweight Tournament. Through his tenures as champion, Penn unofficially unified the UFC Lightweight Championship (against Sean Sherk) and broke the all time lightweight title defense record. In 2015, Penn was made the inaugural inductee into the Modern era wing of the UFC Hall of Fame. Penn was considered one of the top pound for pound mixed martial artists in the world early in his career and holds victories over opponents such as Din Thomas, Caol Uno, Paul Creighton, and Matt Serra. Penn won the Rumble on the Rock Lightweight Championship in K 1. He submitted long reigning then champion Matt Hughes to capture the UFC Welterweight Championship. Following a period in which Penn competed exclusively for K 1, he returned to the UFC and won the UFC Lightweight Championship. He made a record three subsequent title defenses before losing his title to Frankie Edgar. UFC President, Dana White, credits Penn with bringing the lower weight divisions into the mainstream of mixed martial arts; he describes Penn as "the first crossover pay per view star for the Ultimate Fighting Championship's lighter weight divisions", as well as saying that "[through his] accomplishments, B. J. Penn built the 155 pound division". Penn hoped to run for governor of Hawaii in the 2022 Hawaii gubernatorial election but was eliminated in the Republican Party primary. Penn is regarded as one of the best competitors in the UFC's history. However, he has been criticized for continuing to fight past his prime, including an eight fight winless streak from 2011 to 2019. Early life and education
Penn was born in Hawaii to Jay Dee Penn, who is of Irish American descent, and Lorraine Shin, who is of Korean and Hawaiian descent. At the age of 17, Penn began training in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu after being introduced to it by his neighbor, Tom Callos. Callos had put up fliers in local gyms looking for people to train with, and B. J. 's father Jay Dee Penn had called Callos and said his boys were interested. A few weeks later, he became the first non Brazilian to win in the black belt division of the World Jiu Jitsu Championship held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. 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 to Fernando "Tererê" Augusto, and in 1998, earned a silver medal, placing 2nd in the blue belt division. Ultimate Fighting Championship
His accomplishments in the World Jiu Jitsu Championship caught the attention of the Ultimate Fighting Championship, which convinced him to switch to mixed martial arts. He then demonstrated strong striking skills, knocking out lightweights Din Thomas and Caol Uno before suffering a decision loss in a championship fight against UFC Lightweight Champion, Jens Pulver. 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 at UFC 41, a failure which caused the UFC to later suspend its lightweight division. Penn bounced back later in the year with a victory over future PRIDE Lightweight Champion Takanori Gomi to earn his first MMA championship, the Rumble on the Rock Lightweight Championship, in K 1 Fighting Network's Rumble on the Rock, an MMA organization promoted by Penn's brother, and Fighting and Entertainment Group (FEG), the parent company of the largest kickboxing organization, K 1. Heavily favored to win, Hughes lost the fight four minutes into the first round by rear 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, as well as one of the greatest submission victories in mixed martial arts history. Fighting and Entertainment Group
Penn signed to fight for the Japanese Fighting and Entertainment Group's (FEG) K 1 promotion citing a lack of challenging fights left for him in the UFC. In his second fight for FEG, Penn fought again at welterweight and defeated Duane Ludwig at the 2004 K 1 MMA Romanex show in under five minutes by arm triangle choke. Following the Ludwig fight, Penn moved up in weight class to face the undefeated Rodrigo Gracie at middleweight. Penn won by decision, extending his winning streak to four fights. Later that year at K 1 World Grand Prix Hawaii, Penn returned to middleweight to face Pride Fighting Championship veteran Renzo Gracie, which he won by unanimous decision. 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 at UFC 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 in side control crucifix 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. 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." Despite the injury, Penn congratulated Hughes, calling him a great fighter and saying he deserved the victory. Penn was a coach for The Ultimate Fighter 5, which debuted on April 5, 2007. Penn lead a team of eight lightweight fighters, and fought a rematch against Jens Pulver at The Ultimate Fighter 5#The Ultimate Fighter 5 Finale on June 23, 2007. He won with a rear naked choke in the second round after controlling Pulver from the mount and then taking Pulver's back. Although he held the choke for a moment after Pulver tapped out, the two then embraced, With Sherk's title status still in limbo after months of hearings, the UFC scheduled Penn to fight Joe Stevenson at UFC 80 on January 19, 2008, for an interim lightweight title. 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, with the winner facing Sherk in their first defense. Lightweight Championship
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. In the second round, Stevenson fought more aggressively but was still unable to threaten Penn. Penn worked to back mount and defeated him by rear naked choke at 4:02 of the second round to win the Lightweight 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 by Sherdog for 2008. With this win, Penn became the second man (after Randy Couture) to win UFC titles in two different weight classes. On May 24, 2008, at UFC 84 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada, Penn fought former champion Sean Sherk in his first title defense bout. The fight was billed by color commentator Mike 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 by Joe 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. Later, Penn told Fighters Club TV that he would face the winner of the UFC 87 Welterweight title fight between Georges St Pierre and Jon 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 a Welterweight Championship fight. Welterweight title shot
Penn challenged Georges St Pierre for St Pierre's welterweight title on January 31, 2009, the night before the Super Bowl. The date led UFC 94 to be billed as the "UFC Super Bowl Weekend," and it was anticipated to be the biggest UFC pay per view event ever. Before the fight with St Pierre, Penn made a controversial comment that he was going to try to kill St Pierre in the ring, but he later explained that he was speaking figuratively. 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 a ground and pound attack. 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." 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 the Nevada 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. Despite all of the complaints by the Penn camp, the NSAC ruled that there was no infraction. This incident was famously coined by Penn fans as the "Greasegate" and remains as one of the biggest controversial moments in UFC history. 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.|Dana White, post fight at UFC 94. 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. 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." Penn claims that before the match he warned the NSAC that St Pierre might use grease intentionally. Penn went on record as accepting the offer for a re match. 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 and Phil Nurse, a fine of $250,000, and overturning the result of the fight to a no contest. Return as Lightweight Champion
Penn began negotiations to fight Kenny Florian in the summer of 2009. 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!|Joe Rogan, post fight at UFC 107. 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 by Jens Pulver. 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. Losing the title
Penn's next defense was on April 10, 2010, at UFC 112 against Frankie 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. 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. 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.|Frankie Edgar, post fight at UFC 112. Penn fought Edgar in a rematch at UFC 118. 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. Return to welterweight and hiatus
Penn fought Matt Hughes at UFC 123 in a rubber match after their previous two fights at UFC 46 and UFC 63. 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. Penn earned knockout of the night honors for his performance. You're my idol Matt Hughes, you're my idol, you will always be my idol, thank you.|B. J. Penn, post fight at UFC 123. Following the UFC 123 post fight press conference, UFC president Dana White said that Penn would fight top welterweight contender Jon Fitch at UFC 127 in Australia. Penn trained with Matt Hughes and Floyd Mayweather Sr. in preparation for the fight. 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. Penn was expected to face Carlos Condit on October 29, 2011, at UFC 137. 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 winner Kendall Grove and B. J. 's brother Reagan Penn, as they both prepared for their August 27 fights on the ProElite show in Hawaii. However, on September 7, Condit was pulled from the bout and replaced Nick Diaz in the main event against Georges St Pierre. 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 former Strikeforce Welterweight Champion, but was unable to mount any significant offense or defense against Diaz's stand up attack in the remaining two rounds. 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." 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." 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. In April 2012 UFC president Dana White said B. J. Penn turned down a fight with the reigning Strikeforce 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 the UFC 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. 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 prospect Rory MacDonald; stating, "Rory, I accept your challenge!". Initially, Penn was expected to face Rory MacDonald on September 22, 2012, at UFC 152. However, MacDonald pulled out of the bout after sustaining a cut to the forehead while training. Penn vs. MacDonald eventually took place on December 8, 2012, at UFC on Fox 5. Penn lost the fight via unanimous decision. After the fight Dana 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 with Ariel Helwani in an interview for UFC 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." Move to featherweight and losing streak
An announcement was made on UFC Tonight in September 2013 that Penn will return from his hiatus and move to the Featherweight division to coach against rival, Frankie Edgar for the 19th season of The Ultimate Fighter. This move marked Penn's second appearance serving as a head coach for The Ultimate Fighter, his first being The Ultimate Fighter 5, opposite Jens Pulver. The season aired on Fox Sports 1 and featured middleweight and light heavyweight contestants. The two coaches faced each other for the third time on July 6, 2014, at The Ultimate Fighter 19 Finale. Penn returned to Nova União under coach André Pederneiras (who promoted Penn to black belt in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu in 1999) in preparation for his fight camp against Edgar; training alongside former UFC Bantamweight Champion Renan Barão and UFC Featherweight Champion José Aldo. Later in the camp, he also enlisted former UFC Bantamweight Champion Dominick Cruz in Hilo, Hawaii for his preparation. Penn lost the one sided bout by TKO in the third round. At the conclusion of the bout, Penn announced his intentions to retire again during the event's post fight press conference. 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.|Dana White, during the post fight press conference at The Ultimate Fighter 19 Finale. 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. He was briefly expected to return in April 2016 at UFC 197. However, Penn's return was delayed after an investigation into criminal allegations made against him was launched. In turn, Penn was expected to face Dennis Siver on June 4, 2016, at UFC 199. However, Siver was forced out of the bout in early May with an undisclosed injury. He was replaced by Cole Miller. 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. Penn was expected to face Ricardo Lamas on October 15, 2016, at UFC Fight Night 97. However, on October 4, Penn pulled out of the fight citing an injury. In turn, the promotion announced on October 6 that they had cancelled the event entirely. After three delays in getting his return fight scheduled, Penn returned to the UFC in early 2017. He faced Yair Rodríguez in the main event on January 15, 2017, at UFC Fight Night 103. Penn lost the one sided fight via TKO in the second round. A rescheduled bout with Dennis Siver took place on June 25, 2017, at UFC Fight Night 112. Penn lost the fight by majority decision. For his next fight, Penn returned to lightweight to face Ryan Hall on December 29, 2018, at UFC 232; it was his third stint in the lightweight division. In preparation for the fight against Hall, Penn returned to train at Nova União. Penn lost the fight via a heel hook submission in the first round. Penn faced Clay Guida on May 11, 2019, at UFC 237. He lost the fight by unanimous decision. On July 26, 2019, news surfaced that Penn was expected to face Nik Lentz in a grudge match, at a UFC event to be determined. However, Penn was released from the promotion in early September after video evidence surfaced showing Penn fighting patrons in a bar brawl in Pahoa, Hawaii. Personal life
His nickname "B. J." is a shortened version of another nickname "Baby Jay", which itself derives from the fact that Penn is the last of three brothers named "Jay Dee Penn". B. J. 's father, who is Irish and English, named 3 of his 4 children "Jay Dee", while the fourth is 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). Penn's mother, Lorraine Shin, is of Hawaiian and Korean descent. Being born in Hawaii, Penn takes much pride in his Hawaiian upbringing. Penn often plays Hawaiian music during his walk out entrances, a combination of Hawaii ’78 into E Ala E, both performed by Hawaiian musician Israel 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 his Korean roots and has traveled to South 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." Penn is the co author of Mixed Martial Arts: The Book of Knowledge, an instructional book on mixed martial arts fighting. Penn, along with Dave Weintraub, authored the autobiography Why I Fight: The Belt is Just an Accessory in 2010. The book debuted at #22 on the New York Times bestseller list. Penn also appeared in the film Never Surrender in 2009. Penn was also the subject of a Paternity Lawsuit in relation to a daughter, approximately a year after the girl's birth. On the 5th of October, 2021, Penn also announced his intention to run for governor in the 2022 Hawaii gubernatorial election. He lost the Republican primary, ending as the runner up to winner Duke Aiona. Following the election, he filed a complaint with the Hawaii Supreme Court contesting the results. Legal controversies
Penn has an extended history of alcohol induced violence. In January 2015, Penn was arrested in Kihei, Hawaii and charged with assault after a brawl outside of a bar. 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 order through October 2021. In June 2019, an intoxicated Penn fought a bouncer outside of a Honolulu strip club. On August 27, 2019, Penn was involved in a bar brawl on Hawaii's Big Island. On December 8, 2020, a paternity lawsuit was filed against Penn by the mother of his most recent child, Camila Amado. Legacy and influence
Since his debut in the Ultimate Fighting Championship, Penn emerged as one of the biggest stars in the history of the sport, headlining a total of eleven main events (nine pay per view main events) for the UFC during the course of his career (in addition to five for K 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 against performance enhancing drugs in sports with the inclusion of Voluntary Anti Doping Association (VADA) during his and his opponent's training camps. Recognized for his role in the resurgence of the lightweight division, Penn is considered to have been the division's most influential figure, turning the weight class around (in bouts with Sean Sherk, Kenny Florian, Diego Sanchez, Jens Pulver, and Joe 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. His nickname, The Prodigy originates prior to him competing in mixed martial arts, from accomplishing his extraordinary feat in the sport of Brazilian Jiu Jitsu (earning his black belt in just under three years and winning the black belt division in the World Jiu Jitsu Championship only three weeks later). 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. The Ultimate Fighting Championship's inaugural signature gym located in Honolulu, Hawaii, 'UFC Gym BJ Penn' is named in Penn's honor. The gym has grown to become one of the largest and most successful in the state of Hawaii. Penn (in his knockout victory over former UFC Lightweight Champion Sean Sherk) is featured in the UFC "Evolution" pay per view introduction. Ranking in mixed martial arts history
He is widely considered one of the greatest lightweight (155 lbs) competitors in the sport's history, and as one of the greatest Welterweight (170 lbs) competitors as well due to his performances against Georges St Pierre and Matt Hughes. Penn was also simultaneously ranked number one in both of these divisions following his back to back submission victories over Takanori Gomi and Matt Hughes, where he is the only fighter to hold such an honor. Renowned boxing coach Freddie Roach has famously described Penn as the best boxer in all of mixed martial arts. Former UFC Middleweight Champion Anderson Silva, has said on numerous occasions that he believes Penn to be the greatest pound for pound fighter in the history of the sport. UFC Hall of Famer, UFC 10 and UFC 11 Tournament Champion and former UFC Heavyweight Champion Mark Coleman acknowledges Penn as his idol in the sport of mixed martial arts. Penn was ranked within the top five in the FightersOnly! Magazine '100 Greatest Fighters in History'.''
the Assistant Secretary of the Navy
[[World Jiu Jitsu Championship
2000 Rio de Janeiro −70 kg
Jay Dee "B. J." Penn III (born December 13, 1978) is an American former professional mixed martial art fighter and 5th degree black belt Brazilian jiu jitsu (BJJ) practitioner. efn|name=belt|under André Pederneiras
Prior to his MMA career, Penn was known as the first non Brazilian to win the World Jiu Jitsu Championship at black belt level. In mixed martial arts, Penn has competed in the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) and in K 1 in the Featherweight, Lightweight, Welterweight, Middleweight, and Heavyweight/Openweight divisions. Penn fought to a draw against Caol Uno in the UFC 41 Lightweight Tournament. Through his tenures as champion, Penn unofficially unified the UFC Lightweight Championship (against Sean Sherk) and broke the all time lightweight title defense record. In 2015, Penn was made the inaugural inductee into the Modern era wing of the UFC Hall of Fame. Penn was considered one of the top pound for pound mixed martial artists in the world early in his career and holds victories over opponents such as Din Thomas, Caol Uno, Paul Creighton, and Matt Serra. Penn won the Rumble on the Rock Lightweight Championship in K 1. He submitted long reigning then champion Matt Hughes to capture the UFC Welterweight Championship. Following a period in which Penn competed exclusively for K 1, he returned to the UFC and won the UFC Lightweight Championship. He made a record three subsequent title defenses before losing his title to Frankie Edgar. UFC President, Dana White, credits Penn with bringing the lower weight divisions into the mainstream of mixed martial arts; he describes Penn as "the first crossover pay per view star for the Ultimate Fighting Championship's lighter weight divisions", as well as saying that "[through his] accomplishments, B. J. Penn built the 155 pound division". Penn hoped to run for governor of Hawaii in the 2022 Hawaii gubernatorial election but was eliminated in the Republican Party primary. Penn is regarded as one of the best competitors in the UFC's history. However, he has been criticized for continuing to fight past his prime, including an eight fight winless streak from 2011 to 2019. Early life and education
Penn was born in Hawaii to Jay Dee Penn, who is of Irish American descent, and Lorraine Shin, who is of Korean and Hawaiian descent. At the age of 17, Penn began training in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu after being introduced to it by his neighbor, Tom Callos. Callos had put up fliers in local gyms looking for people to train with, and B. J. 's father Jay Dee Penn had called Callos and said his boys were interested. A few weeks later, he became the first non Brazilian to win in the black belt division of the World Jiu Jitsu Championship held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. 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 to Fernando "Tererê" Augusto, and in 1998, earned a silver medal, placing 2nd in the blue belt division. Ultimate Fighting Championship
His accomplishments in the World Jiu Jitsu Championship caught the attention of the Ultimate Fighting Championship, which convinced him to switch to mixed martial arts. He then demonstrated strong striking skills, knocking out lightweights Din Thomas and Caol Uno before suffering a decision loss in a championship fight against UFC Lightweight Champion, Jens Pulver. 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 at UFC 41, a failure which caused the UFC to later suspend its lightweight division. Penn bounced back later in the year with a victory over future PRIDE Lightweight Champion Takanori Gomi to earn his first MMA championship, the Rumble on the Rock Lightweight Championship, in K 1 Fighting Network's Rumble on the Rock, an MMA organization promoted by Penn's brother, and Fighting and Entertainment Group (FEG), the parent company of the largest kickboxing organization, K 1. Heavily favored to win, Hughes lost the fight four minutes into the first round by rear 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, as well as one of the greatest submission victories in mixed martial arts history. Fighting and Entertainment Group
Penn signed to fight for the Japanese Fighting and Entertainment Group's (FEG) K 1 promotion citing a lack of challenging fights left for him in the UFC. In his second fight for FEG, Penn fought again at welterweight and defeated Duane Ludwig at the 2004 K 1 MMA Romanex show in under five minutes by arm triangle choke. Following the Ludwig fight, Penn moved up in weight class to face the undefeated Rodrigo Gracie at middleweight. Penn won by decision, extending his winning streak to four fights. Later that year at K 1 World Grand Prix Hawaii, Penn returned to middleweight to face Pride Fighting Championship veteran Renzo Gracie, which he won by unanimous decision. 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 at UFC 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 in side control crucifix 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. 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." Despite the injury, Penn congratulated Hughes, calling him a great fighter and saying he deserved the victory. Penn was a coach for The Ultimate Fighter 5, which debuted on April 5, 2007. Penn lead a team of eight lightweight fighters, and fought a rematch against Jens Pulver at The Ultimate Fighter 5#The Ultimate Fighter 5 Finale on June 23, 2007. He won with a rear naked choke in the second round after controlling Pulver from the mount and then taking Pulver's back. Although he held the choke for a moment after Pulver tapped out, the two then embraced, With Sherk's title status still in limbo after months of hearings, the UFC scheduled Penn to fight Joe Stevenson at UFC 80 on January 19, 2008, for an interim lightweight title. 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, with the winner facing Sherk in their first defense. Lightweight Championship
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. In the second round, Stevenson fought more aggressively but was still unable to threaten Penn. Penn worked to back mount and defeated him by rear naked choke at 4:02 of the second round to win the Lightweight 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 by Sherdog for 2008. With this win, Penn became the second man (after Randy Couture) to win UFC titles in two different weight classes. On May 24, 2008, at UFC 84 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada, Penn fought former champion Sean Sherk in his first title defense bout. The fight was billed by color commentator Mike 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 by Joe 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. Later, Penn told Fighters Club TV that he would face the winner of the UFC 87 Welterweight title fight between Georges St Pierre and Jon 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 a Welterweight Championship fight. Welterweight title shot
Penn challenged Georges St Pierre for St Pierre's welterweight title on January 31, 2009, the night before the Super Bowl. The date led UFC 94 to be billed as the "UFC Super Bowl Weekend," and it was anticipated to be the biggest UFC pay per view event ever. Before the fight with St Pierre, Penn made a controversial comment that he was going to try to kill St Pierre in the ring, but he later explained that he was speaking figuratively. 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 a ground and pound attack. 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." 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 the Nevada 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. Despite all of the complaints by the Penn camp, the NSAC ruled that there was no infraction. This incident was famously coined by Penn fans as the "Greasegate" and remains as one of the biggest controversial moments in UFC history. 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.|Dana White, post fight at UFC 94. 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. 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." Penn claims that before the match he warned the NSAC that St Pierre might use grease intentionally. Penn went on record as accepting the offer for a re match. 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 and Phil Nurse, a fine of $250,000, and overturning the result of the fight to a no contest. Return as Lightweight Champion
Penn began negotiations to fight Kenny Florian in the summer of 2009. 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!|Joe Rogan, post fight at UFC 107. 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 by Jens Pulver. 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. Losing the title
Penn's next defense was on April 10, 2010, at UFC 112 against Frankie 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. 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. 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.|Frankie Edgar, post fight at UFC 112. Penn fought Edgar in a rematch at UFC 118. 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. Return to welterweight and hiatus
Penn fought Matt Hughes at UFC 123 in a rubber match after their previous two fights at UFC 46 and UFC 63. 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. Penn earned knockout of the night honors for his performance. You're my idol Matt Hughes, you're my idol, you will always be my idol, thank you.|B. J. Penn, post fight at UFC 123. Following the UFC 123 post fight press conference, UFC president Dana White said that Penn would fight top welterweight contender Jon Fitch at UFC 127 in Australia. Penn trained with Matt Hughes and Floyd Mayweather Sr. in preparation for the fight. 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. Penn was expected to face Carlos Condit on October 29, 2011, at UFC 137. 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 winner Kendall Grove and B. J. 's brother Reagan Penn, as they both prepared for their August 27 fights on the ProElite show in Hawaii. However, on September 7, Condit was pulled from the bout and replaced Nick Diaz in the main event against Georges St Pierre. 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 former Strikeforce Welterweight Champion, but was unable to mount any significant offense or defense against Diaz's stand up attack in the remaining two rounds. 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." 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." 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. In April 2012 UFC president Dana White said B. J. Penn turned down a fight with the reigning Strikeforce 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 the UFC 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. 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 prospect Rory MacDonald; stating, "Rory, I accept your challenge!". Initially, Penn was expected to face Rory MacDonald on September 22, 2012, at UFC 152. However, MacDonald pulled out of the bout after sustaining a cut to the forehead while training. Penn vs. MacDonald eventually took place on December 8, 2012, at UFC on Fox 5. Penn lost the fight via unanimous decision. After the fight Dana 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 with Ariel Helwani in an interview for UFC 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." Move to featherweight and losing streak
An announcement was made on UFC Tonight in September 2013 that Penn will return from his hiatus and move to the Featherweight division to coach against rival, Frankie Edgar for the 19th season of The Ultimate Fighter. This move marked Penn's second appearance serving as a head coach for The Ultimate Fighter, his first being The Ultimate Fighter 5, opposite Jens Pulver. The season aired on Fox Sports 1 and featured middleweight and light heavyweight contestants. The two coaches faced each other for the third time on July 6, 2014, at The Ultimate Fighter 19 Finale. Penn returned to Nova União under coach André Pederneiras (who promoted Penn to black belt in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu in 1999) in preparation for his fight camp against Edgar; training alongside former UFC Bantamweight Champion Renan Barão and UFC Featherweight Champion José Aldo. Later in the camp, he also enlisted former UFC Bantamweight Champion Dominick Cruz in Hilo, Hawaii for his preparation. Penn lost the one sided bout by TKO in the third round. At the conclusion of the bout, Penn announced his intentions to retire again during the event's post fight press conference. 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.|Dana White, during the post fight press conference at The Ultimate Fighter 19 Finale. 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. He was briefly expected to return in April 2016 at UFC 197. However, Penn's return was delayed after an investigation into criminal allegations made against him was launched. In turn, Penn was expected to face Dennis Siver on June 4, 2016, at UFC 199. However, Siver was forced out of the bout in early May with an undisclosed injury. He was replaced by Cole Miller. 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. Penn was expected to face Ricardo Lamas on October 15, 2016, at UFC Fight Night 97. However, on October 4, Penn pulled out of the fight citing an injury. In turn, the promotion announced on October 6 that they had cancelled the event entirely. After three delays in getting his return fight scheduled, Penn returned to the UFC in early 2017. He faced Yair Rodríguez in the main event on January 15, 2017, at UFC Fight Night 103. Penn lost the one sided fight via TKO in the second round. A rescheduled bout with Dennis Siver took place on June 25, 2017, at UFC Fight Night 112. Penn lost the fight by majority decision. For his next fight, Penn returned to lightweight to face Ryan Hall on December 29, 2018, at UFC 232; it was his third stint in the lightweight division. In preparation for the fight against Hall, Penn returned to train at Nova União. Penn lost the fight via a heel hook submission in the first round. Penn faced Clay Guida on May 11, 2019, at UFC 237. He lost the fight by unanimous decision. On July 26, 2019, news surfaced that Penn was expected to face Nik Lentz in a grudge match, at a UFC event to be determined. However, Penn was released from the promotion in early September after video evidence surfaced showing Penn fighting patrons in a bar brawl in Pahoa, Hawaii. Personal life
His nickname "B. J." is a shortened version of another nickname "Baby Jay", which itself derives from the fact that Penn is the last of three brothers named "Jay Dee Penn". B. J. 's father, who is Irish and English, named 3 of his 4 children "Jay Dee", while the fourth is 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). Penn's mother, Lorraine Shin, is of Hawaiian and Korean descent. Being born in Hawaii, Penn takes much pride in his Hawaiian upbringing. Penn often plays Hawaiian music during his walk out entrances, a combination of Hawaii ’78 into E Ala E, both performed by Hawaiian musician Israel 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 his Korean roots and has traveled to South 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." Penn is the co author of Mixed Martial Arts: The Book of Knowledge, an instructional book on mixed martial arts fighting. Penn, along with Dave Weintraub, authored the autobiography Why I Fight: The Belt is Just an Accessory in 2010. The book debuted at #22 on the New York Times bestseller list. Penn also appeared in the film Never Surrender in 2009. Penn was also the subject of a Paternity Lawsuit in relation to a daughter, approximately a year after the girl's birth. On the 5th of October, 2021, Penn also announced his intention to run for governor in the 2022 Hawaii gubernatorial election. He lost the Republican primary, ending as the runner up to winner Duke Aiona. Following the election, he filed a complaint with the Hawaii Supreme Court contesting the results. Legal controversies
Penn has an extended history of alcohol induced violence. In January 2015, Penn was arrested in Kihei, Hawaii and charged with assault after a brawl outside of a bar. 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 order through October 2021. In June 2019, an intoxicated Penn fought a bouncer outside of a Honolulu strip club. On August 27, 2019, Penn was involved in a bar brawl on Hawaii's Big Island. On December 8, 2020, a paternity lawsuit was filed against Penn by the mother of his most recent child, Camila Amado. Legacy and influence
Since his debut in the Ultimate Fighting Championship, Penn emerged as one of the biggest stars in the history of the sport, headlining a total of eleven main events (nine pay per view main events) for the UFC during the course of his career (in addition to five for K 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 against performance enhancing drugs in sports with the inclusion of Voluntary Anti Doping Association (VADA) during his and his opponent's training camps. Recognized for his role in the resurgence of the lightweight division, Penn is considered to have been the division's most influential figure, turning the weight class around (in bouts with Sean Sherk, Kenny Florian, Diego Sanchez, Jens Pulver, and Joe 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. His nickname, The Prodigy originates prior to him competing in mixed martial arts, from accomplishing his extraordinary feat in the sport of Brazilian Jiu Jitsu (earning his black belt in just under three years and winning the black belt division in the World Jiu Jitsu Championship only three weeks later). 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. The Ultimate Fighting Championship's inaugural signature gym located in Honolulu, Hawaii, 'UFC Gym BJ Penn' is named in Penn's honor. The gym has grown to become one of the largest and most successful in the state of Hawaii. Penn (in his knockout victory over former UFC Lightweight Champion Sean Sherk) is featured in the UFC "Evolution" pay per view introduction. Ranking in mixed martial arts history
He is widely considered one of the greatest lightweight (155 lbs) competitors in the sport's history, and as one of the greatest Welterweight (170 lbs) competitors as well due to his performances against Georges St Pierre and Matt Hughes. Penn was also simultaneously ranked number one in both of these divisions following his back to back submission victories over Takanori Gomi and Matt Hughes, where he is the only fighter to hold such an honor. Renowned boxing coach Freddie Roach has famously described Penn as the best boxer in all of mixed martial arts. Former UFC Middleweight Champion Anderson Silva, has said on numerous occasions that he believes Penn to be the greatest pound for pound fighter in the history of the sport. UFC Hall of Famer, UFC 10 and UFC 11 Tournament Champion and former UFC Heavyweight Champion Mark Coleman acknowledges Penn as his idol in the sport of mixed martial arts. Penn was ranked within the top five in the FightersOnly! Magazine '100 Greatest Fighters in History'.''
UFC атақ залы
2015 жылдың мамыр айында UFC 187 телехабарында Fox Sports арнасы Пенннің UFC 189 турнирінен бұрын Халықаралық жекпе-жек апталығында жаңартылған UFC Даңқ залының «Заманауи» санатына енгізілетінін мәлімдеді.
During the televised broadcast of UFC 187 in May 2015, it was revealed on Fox Sports that Penn would be inducted into the revamped UFC Hall of Fame under the Modern Category during International Fight week festivities prior to UFC 189.
Көрініс үшін ақы төлеу
Жоқ. Іс-шара: UFC 63 Хьюз vs Пенн 2 23 қыркүйек, 2006 400,0001. UFC 80 Пенн vs Стивенсон 19 қаңтар, 2008 225,0002. UFC 84 Пенн vs Шерк 24 мамыр, 2008 475,0003. UFC 94 Сент-Пьер vs Пенн 2 31 қаңтар, 2009 920,0004. UFC 101 Пенн vs Флориан 8 тамыз, 2009 850,0005. UFC 107 Пенн vs Санчес 12 желтоқсан, 2009 620,0006. UFC 112 Пенн vs Эдгар (қосымша) 10 сәуір, 2010 500,0007. UFC 118 Эдгар vs Пенн 2 28 тамыз, 2010 570,0008. UFC 123 Хьюз vs Пенн 3 (қосымша) 20 қараша, 2010 500,0009. UFC 127 Пенн vs Фитч 27 ақпан, 2011 260,00010. UFC 137 Пенн vs Диаз 29 қазан, 2011 280,00011. Барлық сатылым 5,600,000
No. EventFightDatePPV Buys1. UFC 63Hughes vs. Penn 2September 23, 2006400,0002. UFC 80Penn vs. StevensonJanuary 19, 2008225,0003. UFC 84Penn vs. SherkMay 24, 2008475,0004. UFC 94St Pierre vs. Penn 2January 31, 2009920,0005. UFC 101Penn vs. FlorianAugust 8, 2009850,0006. UFC 107Penn vs. SanchezDecember 12, 2009620,0007. UFC 112Penn vs. Edgar (co)April 10, 2010500,0008. UFC 118Edgar vs. Penn 2August 28, 2010570,0009. UFC 123Hughes vs. Penn 3 (co)November 20, 2010500,00010. UFC 127Penn vs. FitchFebruary 27, 2011260,00011. UFC 137Penn vs. DiazOctober 29, 2011280,000Total sales5,600,000
Кино және теледидар
Жыл Атауы Рөл Ескертулер2007The Ultimate Fighter 5Өзі Бас жаттықтырушы2008Renzo Gracie: LegacyӨзі2009BJ Penn: 90 DaysӨзі2009Never SurrenderBJ2010Carson Dalyмен соңғы қоңырауӨзі2010ESPN: Sport ScienceӨзі2011Fighting FearӨзі2011Hawaii Five 0Капу мүшесі2012MMA цензурасыз тікелей эфирӨзі2012The FightersӨзі2014The Ultimate Fighter: Team Edgar vs. Team PennӨзі Бас жаттықтырушы2014UFC Мананы таныстырады: BJ PennӨзі
Year Title Role Notes2007The Ultimate Fighter 5HimselfHead coach2008Renzo Gracie: LegacyHimself2009BJ Penn: 90 DaysHimself2009Never SurrenderBJ2010Last Call with Carson DalyHimself2010ESPN: Sport ScienceHimself2011Fighting FearHimself2011Hawaii Five 0Kapu Member2012MMA Uncensored LiveHimself2012The FightersHimself2014The Ultimate Fighter: Team Edgar vs. Team PennHimselfHead coach2014UFC Presents Mana: BJ PennHimself