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B.J. Penn
Jay Dee "B.J." Penn III (born December 13, 1978) is an American former professional mixed martial artist and 5th degree black belt Brazilian jiu-jitsu (BJJ) practitioner. A former UFC Lightweight Champion and UFC Welterweight Champion, he is the second of eleven fighters in UFC history to win titles in multiple weight classes. 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.
Penn is regarded as one of the best competitors in the UFC's history. 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 ran for governor of Hawaii in the 2022 Hawaii gubernatorial election but was eliminated in the Republican Party primary.
In 2025, Penn claimed in court and on social media that close relatives, including his mother, had been murdered and replaced by impostors. His mother, Lorraine Shin, was granted a restraining order and stated she believed Penn was experiencing Capgras syndrome, a psychiatric delusional disorder. The same year, Penn had been arrested for assault on at least six occasions.
Penn was born in Kailua, Hawaii to Lorraine (née Shin) and Jay Dee Penn. He is of Native Hawaiian and Korean descent through his mother, and of English and Irish descent through his father. 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 Penn's father had called Callos and said his sons were interested. Callos then taught Penn and his brothers what he knew. Shortly thereafter, Penn moved to San Jose, California, to begin training at the Ralph Gracie BJJ academy with Dave Camarillo, with whom he lived and became close friends. It was during his time in San Jose that he decided to pursue a martial arts career.
In 1997 Penn began training Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu under Ralph Gracie, eventually earning his purple belt from Gracie. At that point he moved to Nova União, where he was eventually awarded his black belt in 2000 by André Pederneiras. 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. Penn is thought to have earned the fastest legitimate black belt of all active Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu practitioners.
Penn's accomplishments in the World Jiu-Jitsu Championship caught the attention of the Ultimate Fighting Championship, which convinced him to switch to mixed martial arts. Penn made his mixed martial arts debut with the company on May 24, 2001, with a win over Joey Gilbert at UFC 31. 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.
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B.J. Penn
Jay Dee "B.J." Penn III (born December 13, 1978) is an American former professional mixed martial artist and 5th degree black belt Brazilian jiu-jitsu (BJJ) practitioner. A former UFC Lightweight Champion and UFC Welterweight Champion, he is the second of eleven fighters in UFC history to win titles in multiple weight classes. 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.
Penn is regarded as one of the best competitors in the UFC's history. 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 ran for governor of Hawaii in the 2022 Hawaii gubernatorial election but was eliminated in the Republican Party primary.
In 2025, Penn claimed in court and on social media that close relatives, including his mother, had been murdered and replaced by impostors. His mother, Lorraine Shin, was granted a restraining order and stated she believed Penn was experiencing Capgras syndrome, a psychiatric delusional disorder. The same year, Penn had been arrested for assault on at least six occasions.
Penn was born in Kailua, Hawaii to Lorraine (née Shin) and Jay Dee Penn. He is of Native Hawaiian and Korean descent through his mother, and of English and Irish descent through his father. 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 Penn's father had called Callos and said his sons were interested. Callos then taught Penn and his brothers what he knew. Shortly thereafter, Penn moved to San Jose, California, to begin training at the Ralph Gracie BJJ academy with Dave Camarillo, with whom he lived and became close friends. It was during his time in San Jose that he decided to pursue a martial arts career.
In 1997 Penn began training Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu under Ralph Gracie, eventually earning his purple belt from Gracie. At that point he moved to Nova União, where he was eventually awarded his black belt in 2000 by André Pederneiras. 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. Penn is thought to have earned the fastest legitimate black belt of all active Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu practitioners.
Penn's accomplishments in the World Jiu-Jitsu Championship caught the attention of the Ultimate Fighting Championship, which convinced him to switch to mixed martial arts. Penn made his mixed martial arts debut with the company on May 24, 2001, with a win over Joey Gilbert at UFC 31. 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.