B.J. Penn - wikipedia B.J. Penn For the Assistant Secretary of the Navy, see B.J. Penn ( United States Navy ). B.J. Penn Jay Dee Penn ( 1978 - 12 - 13 ) December 13, 1978 ( age 39 ) Kailua, Hawaii, United States Other names The Prodigy, Baby Jay Residence Hilo, Hawaii, United States Nationality American Height 5 ft 9 in ( 175 cm ) Weight 145 lb ( 66 kg ; 10 st 5 lb ) Division Featherweight ( 2014 - present ) Lightweight ( 2001 - 2003, 2007 - 2010 ) Welterweight ( 2004 - 2006, 2010 - 2012 ) Middleweight ( 2004 - 2005 ) Openweight ( 2005 ) Reach 70 in ( 178 cm ) Style Brazilian Jiu - Jitsu, Kickboxing, Boxing, Wrestling, Judo Team B.J. Penn 's MMA Nova União ( formerly ) Jackson 's MMA RVCA Training Centre Trainer Jason Parillo Rank 5th Degree Black Belt in Brazilian Jiu - Jitsu Years active 2001 -- 2014, 2017 -- present Mixed martial arts record Total 30 Wins 16 By knockout 7 By submission 6 By decision Losses 12 By knockout By decision 8 Draws Other information Children Notable school ( s ) Hilo High School Website http://www.bjpenn.com/ Mixed martial arts record from Sherdog last updated on : September 23, 2014 B.J. Penn Medal record Representing United States Brazilian Jiu - Jitsu World Jiu - Jitsu Championship 2000 Rio de Janeiro - 67kg 1999 Rio de Janeiro - 73kg 1998 Rio de Janeiro - 67kg Jay Dee `` B.J. '' Penn ( born December 13, 1978 ) is an American professional mixed martial artist and Brazilian Jiu - Jitsu practitioner. Penn debuted and competed in the Ultimate Fighting Championship ( UFC ), and later in K - 1. Prior to fighting for the UFC, he became the first American Gold medalist of the World Jiu - Jitsu Championship. In mixed martial arts, Penn has competed in the Featherweight, Lightweight, Welterweight, and Middleweight divisions. As a former UFC Lightweight Champion and UFC Welterweight Champion, he is one of only four fighters in UFC history to win titles in multiple weight classes. Penn was also a Co-champion in the UFC 41 Lightweight Tournament, due to an eventual draw opposite Caol Uno in the tournament finale. Through his tenures as champion, Penn unofficially unified the UFC Lightweight Championship ( against Sean Sherk ) and broke the all - time lightweight title defense record. Penn was inducted into the UFC Hall of Fame, as the inaugural inductee in the Modern - Era Wing by career - long rival Matt Hughes, during International Fight Week in July 2015. During his reign, Penn holds the distinction of being undefeated as a Lightweight for over eight years, spanning a nine - fight unbeaten streak in the division. He emerged as one of the top pound - for - pound mixed martial artists in the world early in his career ( a recognition he would hold until his initial retirement from the sport ), defeating opponents that included Din Thomas, Caol Uno, Paul Creighton, and Matt Serra. Penn soon - after secured his initial world title with K - 1, submitting Takanori Gomi for the Rumble on the Rock Lightweight Championship. He immediately ascended into the Welterweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship, submitting long - reigning then - champion Matt Hughes to capture the UFC Welterweight Championship, which was eventually relinquished due to contract disputes. Penn therefore departed from the promotion to compete exclusively for K - 1. He submitted Duane Ludwig and defeated Rodrigo Gracie and Renzo Gracie before eventually re-signing with the Ultimate Fighting Championship. Following contentious losses to Georges St - Pierre and Matt Hughes, Penn returned to the Lightweight division to submit both Jens Pulver and Joe Stevenson en route to claiming the vacant UFC Lightweight Championship. He made a record three subsequent title defenses ; defeating uncrowned champion Sean Sherk and challengers Kenny Florian and Diego Sanchez before losing his title to Frankie Edgar in a disputed decision. In the sunset of his career, Penn returned as a Welterweight to successfully complete his trilogy with Matt Hughes, before retiring between two losses and a draw in attempts to regain the UFC Welterweight Championship. In pursuit of a career resurgence with a descent into the Featherweight division, Penn conclusively announced his retirement following another loss to Frankie Edgar. UFC President, Dana White credits Penn as the man who brought the lower weight divisions into the mainstream of mixed martial arts ; claiming Penn to be `` the first crossover pay - per - view star for the Ultimate Fighting Championship 's lighter weight divisions '', as well as that `` ( through his ) accomplishments, B.J. Penn built the 155 - pound division ''. Credited as the greatest Lightweight combatant in mixed martial arts history, Penn 's domination of the division, as well as his performances in higher weight classes have him regarded as one of the greatest fighters in the history of the sport. Contents 1 Background 2 Mixed martial arts career 2.1 Brazilian Jiu - Jitsu 2.2 Ultimate Fighting Championship 2.3 Fighting and Entertainment Group 2.4 Return to the UFC 2.4. 1 Lightweight Championship 2.4. 2 Welterweight title shot 2.4. 3 Return as Lightweight Champion 2.4. 4 Losing the title 2.4. 5 Return to welterweight and hiatus 2.4. 6 Move to featherweight 3 Personal life 4 Legacy and influence 4.1 Ranking in mixed martial arts history 4.1. 1 UFC Hall of Fame 5 Championships and accomplishments 5.1 Mixed martial arts 5.2 Submission grappling 5.3 Brazilian Jiu - Jitsu 6 Mixed martial arts record 7 Filmography 7.1 Film and television 7.2 Video games 8 See also 9 References 10 External links Background Penn was born in Hawaii to Jay Dee Penn, an Irish - American, and Loraine Shin, a Korean - American. 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. Callos then taught B.J. and his brother what he knew. Shortly thereafter, B.J. moved to San Jose, California to begin training at the Ralph Gracie BJJ academy with Dave Camarillo, who he lived with and became close friends with. It was here during his time in San Jose that he decided to pursue a career in martial arts ( albeit not mixed martial arts at the time ). Mixed martial arts career Brazilian Jiu - Jitsu 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 Andre Pederneiras. A few weeks later he became the first non-Brazilian to win 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. 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 MMA. 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. Penn received his first UFC Championship in 2004 at UFC 46 : Supernatural. Penn jumped up in weight classes to challenge the five - time defending UFC Welterweight Champion Matt Hughes to fill a title contention slot in a division where Hughes had already defeated all the available opposition. 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 exclusively 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. The UFC promptly stripped him of the welterweight title, claiming Penn breached his contract and that the signing constituted him refusing to defend his title. Penn filed a suit against the UFC and publicized his side of the conflict, claiming his UFC contract had already expired. Penn filed a motion to stop the UFC from awarding a new welterweight title, but that motion was denied. In his second fight for FEG, Penn fought again at welterweight ( 170 pounds ) 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 ( 185 pounds ). Penn won by decision, extending his winning streak to four fights. On March 26, 2005, at the inaugural event of FEG 's new MMA promotion Hero 's, Penn faced future UFC Light Heavyweight Champion Lyoto Machida, losing by unanimous decision at K - 1 Hero 's 1. The fight happened at an open weight class with Penn weighing in at 86.5 kilograms ( 191 lb ) and Machida 102 kilograms ( 225 lb ). 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. Return to the UFC Hughes and Penn before their rematch at UFC 63 : Hughes vs. Penn In early 2006 at UFC 56, UFC president Dana White announced that Penn and the UFC had agreed to a settlement and Penn was to return as a top welterweight contender. Penn re-debuted on March 4 at UFC 58, losing to Georges St - Pierre by split decision in a fight that determined the number one welterweight contender. Although St. Pierre was declared the winner after a three - round decision, some believed that Penn had done enough to earn himself the victory, causing noticeably more damage throughout the fight, as Joe Rogan described Georges St - Pierre 's face being `` a bloody mess '' while B.J. Penn `` barely having a scratch on him. '' Despite having lost the bout, Penn 's performance against Georges St - Pierre, is considered to be one of the best put forth against the future UFC Champion. 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 for 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 aired on April 5, 2007. Penn lead a team of eight lightweight fighters, and fought a rematch against Jens Pulver at the conclusion of the series 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 both later saying they no longer held any ill will against each other. On July 7, 2007, during the post-fight press conference of UFC 73, UFC president Dana White announced that Penn would stay at lightweight to fight current UFC lightweight champion Sean Sherk. However, Sean Sherk subsequently was suspended by the California State Athletic Commission, and the status of the possible title fight was left in limbo as he pursued his appeals. 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 play - by - play 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 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 appearing on the cover of the July 2008 Issue of KoreAm 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. St - Pierre responded to the allegations by offering to fight a rematch against Penn. 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. The Florian - Penn title fight was scheduled for UFC 99, but B.J. Penn requested more time off after his fight with GSP. He defended his title against Florian on August 8, 2009 at UFC 101. Penn looked noticeably in better physical shape than his previous outings at 155 lbs and negated any sort of takedown offense from Florian the entire match despite his opponent 's persistence in grappling and engaging the clinch. On his feet, Penn avoided virtually any damage, constantly stuffing or evading any attempts of a left high kick, punches, or elbows from Florian when the two departed from the clinch. In a measured performance, Penn preferred to pace himself in his standup, occasionally showing explosive bursts of striking up until the fourth round, where he executed a powerful takedown and quickly assumed the half guard position, punishing the contender with elbows until gaining the full mount, where punches followed to continue the ground and pound assault from the BJJ specialist. A scramble ensued, where Florian gave up his back twice but was unable to escape Penn 's mount, the second time Penn took his opponent 's back, he looked to trap Florian 's arm with one of his legs, but was unable to do so, instead striking the liver of Florian with his heel, which eventually led Penn to secure a rear naked choke at 3 : 45 of the fourth round to defend his lightweight championship title. Penn fought Diego Sanchez for the UFC Lightweight Championship on December 12, 2009 at UFC 107. 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. Penn in November 2008. 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 ca n't keep performing at the top level. That 's it Joe. I got a daughter and another daughter on the way, I do n'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 could n'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 do n't know, I 'm enjoying what I 'm doing. '' Move to Featherweight 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 Uniao under coach Andre 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. Personal life Penn autographing a copy of his autobiography, `` Why I Fight '' His nickname `` B.J. '' is a shortened version of another nickname `` Baby Jay '', which itself derives from the fact that Penn is the youngest of his brothers all 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 '', and `` Baby Jay ''. Penn 's mother, Lorraine Shin, is of 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 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 had two daughters with the same mother. He says that they have never married and `` it does n'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. 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 Penn is regarded amongst the greatest mixed martial artists of all - time. He is widely considered as one of the greatest Lightweight ( 155 lbs ) competitor in the sport 's history, in addition to one of the greatest Welterweight ( 170 lbs ) competitors as well ( in 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 Hall of Fame 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. Championships and accomplishments Mixed martial arts Ultimate Fighting Championship UFC Hall of Fame Modern - Era Wing ( Inaugural inductee ) UFC Lightweight Championship ( One time ) Three successful title defenses Three consecutive title defenses UFC Welterweight Championship ( One time ) UFC 41 Lightweight Tournament Co-Champion ( drew with Caol Uno in the finale ) Unofficially Unified the UFC Lightweight Championship Fight of the Night award ( Two times ) vs. Matt Hughes II, Nick Diaz Knockout of the Night award ( One time ) vs. Matt Hughes III Submission of the Night award ( Two times ) vs. Joe Stevenson, Kenny Florian Tapout of the Night award ( One time ) vs. Matt Hughes I Second Multi-Divisional Champion in UFC History Only combatant to win both the UFC Lightweight Championship and UFC Welterweight Championship Tied ( Benson Henderson ) for all - time leader in lightweight title defenses Only combatant to record stoppage victories in each of the available five rounds All of which occurred in championship bouts K - 1 Fighting Network Rumble on the Rock Lightweight Championship ( One time ) K - 1 World Grand Prix Hawaii Superfight Winner Sports Illustrated ( SI.com ) 2000s Fighter of the Decade ( Top Ten ) UFC 's Greatest Fight ( First Place ) vs. Matt Hughes on September 23, 2006 UFC 's Greatest Fight ( Eighth Place ) vs. Georges St - Pierre on March 4, 2006 MMA Fighting Lightweight Fighter of the Year ( 2003 ) Welterweight Fighter of the Year ( 2004 ) Welterweight Fighter of the Year Runner - Up ( 2006 ) Fight of the Year ( 2006 ) vs. Georges St - Pierre on March 4, 2006 Fight Matrix Rookie of the Year ( 2001 ) Fighter of the Year ( 2004 ) Most Noteworthy Match of Year ( 2002 ) vs. Jens Pulver on January 11, 2002 Most Noteworthy Match of Year ( 2009 ) vs. Georges St - Pierre on January 31, 2009 Fight ! Magazine 2000s Fighter of the Decade ( Top Five ) Mixed Martial Arts Lifetime Achievement Award Submission of the Year ( 2009 ) vs. Kenny Florian on August 8, 2009 Bleacher Report 2000s Lightweight Fighter of the Decade MMA 's Greatest Lightweight of All - time Black Belt Magazine Black Belt Magazine Hall of Fame NHB Fighter of the Year ( 2008 ) Eurosport Fight Club Full - Contact Fighter of the Year ( 2004 ) Fight of the Year ( 2006 ) vs. Matt Hughes on September 23, 2006 Sherdog Awards Mixed Martial Arts Hall of Fame Fighter of the Year -- Honorable Mention ( 2004 ) Beatdown of the Year ( 2008 ) vs. Joe Stevenson on January 19, 2008 Submission grappling IBJJF World Championships 2000 -- Black Belt Pena : 1st Place 1999 -- Brown Belt Leve : 3rd Place 1998 -- Blue Belt Pena : 2nd Place CBJJ Brazilian Team Championships 2000 -- Marrom Preta Leve : Nova Uniao, 1st Place Other Credentials Grapplers Quest Lightweight Championship Superfight Winner 1997 Joe Moreira Tournament -- Blue belt, 1st place 1999 Copa Pacific Tournament -- Gold medal Black belt awarded 3 weeks prior to the 2000 World Jiu - Jitsu Championship Believed to have earned the fastest Black belt of all Brazilian Jiu - Jitsu practitioners Brazilian Jiu - Jitsu World Jiu - Jitsu Championship World Jiu - Jitsu Championship Gold Medal ; Black belt division World Jiu - Jitsu Championship Silver Medal ; Blue belt division World Jiu - Jitsu Championship Bronze Medal ; Brown belt division First American to win gold in the Black belt category Awards Nova Uniao Competition Team ( Reserved for the four top team competitors ) 1997 - Blue belt awarded by Ralph Gracie 2000 - Black belt awarded by Andre Pederneiras 1 ^ Penn unofficially unified the UFC Lightweight Championship when he defeated Sean Sherk at UFC 84. Mixed martial arts record Professional record breakdown 30 matches 16 wins 12 losses By knockout 7 By submission 6 0 By decision 8 Draws Res. Record Opponent Method Event Date Round Time Location Notes Loss 16 -- 12 -- 2 Dennis Siver Decision ( majority ) UFC Fight Night : Chiesa vs. Lee 000000002017 - 06 - 25 - 0000 June 25, 2017 5 : 00 Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, United States Loss 16 -- 11 -- 2 Yair Rodríguez TKO ( front kick and punches ) UFC Fight Night : Rodríguez vs. Penn 000000002017 - 01 - 15 - 0000 January 15, 2017 0 : 24 Phoenix, Arizona, United States Loss 16 -- 10 -- 2 Frankie Edgar TKO ( punches ) The Ultimate Fighter : Team Edgar vs. Team Penn Finale 000000002014 - 07 - 06 - 0000 July 6, 2014 4 : 16 Las Vegas, Nevada, United States Featherweight debut. Loss 16 -- 9 -- 2 Rory MacDonald Decision ( unanimous ) UFC on Fox : Henderson vs. Diaz 000000002012 - 12 - 08 - 0000 December 8, 2012 5 : 00 Seattle, Washington, United States Loss 16 -- 8 -- 2 Nick Diaz Decision ( unanimous ) UFC 137 000000002011 - 10 - 29 - 0000 October 29, 2011 5 : 00 Las Vegas, Nevada, United States UFC Welterweight title eliminator. Fight of the Night. Draw 16 -- 7 -- 2 Jon Fitch Draw ( majority ) UFC 127 000000002011 - 02 - 27 - 0000 February 27, 2011 5 : 00 Sydney, Australia Win 16 -- 7 -- 1 Matt Hughes KO ( punches ) UFC 123 000000002010 - 11 - 20 - 0000 November 20, 2010 0 : 21 Auburn Hills, Michigan, United States Return to Welterweight. Knockout of the Night. Loss 15 -- 7 -- 1 Frankie Edgar Decision ( unanimous ) UFC 118 000000002010 - 08 - 28 - 0000 August 28, 2010 5 5 : 00 Boston, Massachusetts, United States For the UFC Lightweight Championship. Loss 15 -- 6 -- 1 Frankie Edgar Decision ( unanimous ) UFC 112 000000002010 - 04 - 10 - 0000 April 10, 2010 5 5 : 00 Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates Lost the UFC Lightweight Championship. Win 15 -- 5 -- 1 Diego Sanchez TKO ( doctor stoppage ) UFC 107 000000002009 - 12 - 12 - 0000 December 12, 2009 5 2 : 37 Memphis, Tennessee, United States Defended the UFC Lightweight Championship. Win 14 -- 5 -- 1 Kenny Florian Submission ( rear - naked choke ) UFC 101 000000002009 - 08 - 08 - 0000 August 8, 2009 3 : 54 Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States Defended the UFC Lightweight Championship. Submission of the Night. Loss 13 -- 5 -- 1 Georges St - Pierre TKO ( corner stoppage ) UFC 94 000000002009 - 01 - 31 - 0000 January 31, 2009 5 : 00 Las Vegas, Nevada, United States For the UFC Welterweight Championship. Win 13 -- 4 -- 1 Sean Sherk TKO ( flying knee and punches ) UFC 84 000000002008 - 05 - 24 - 0000 May 24, 2008 5 : 00 Las Vegas, Nevada, United States Defended the UFC Lightweight Championship. Win 12 -- 4 -- 1 Joe Stevenson Submission ( rear - naked choke ) UFC 80 000000002008 - 01 - 19 - 0000 January 19, 2008 4 : 02 Newcastle upon Tyne, England Won the vacant UFC Lightweight Championship. Submission of the Night. Win 11 -- 4 -- 1 Jens Pulver Submission ( rear - naked choke ) The Ultimate Fighter 5 Finale 000000002007 - 06 - 23 - 0000 June 23, 2007 3 : 12 Las Vegas, Nevada, United States Return to Lightweight. Loss 10 -- 4 -- 1 Matt Hughes TKO ( punches ) UFC 63 000000002006 - 09 - 23 - 0000 September 23, 2006 3 : 53 Anaheim, California, United States For the UFC Welterweight Championship. Fight of the Night. Loss 10 -- 3 -- 1 Georges St - Pierre Decision ( split ) UFC 58 000000002006 - 03 - 04 - 0000 March 4, 2006 5 : 00 Las Vegas, Nevada, United States Return to Welterweight. UFC Welterweight title eliminator. Win 10 -- 2 -- 1 Renzo Gracie Decision ( unanimous ) K - 1 : World Grand Prix Hawaii 000000002005 - 07 - 29 - 0000 July 29, 2005 5 : 00 Honolulu, Hawaii, United States Middleweight bout. Loss 9 -- 2 -- 1 Lyoto Machida Decision ( unanimous ) K - 1 : Hero 's 1 000000002005 - 03 - 26 - 0000 March 26, 2005 5 : 00 Saitama, Japan Openweight bout ; Penn weighed in at 191 lbs and Machida at 225 lbs. Win 9 -- 1 -- 1 Rodrigo Gracie Decision ( unanimous ) K - 1 Rumble on the Rock 6 000000002004 - 11 - 20 - 0000 November 20, 2004 5 : 00 Honolulu, Hawaii, United States Middleweight debut. Win 8 -- 1 -- 1 Duane Ludwig Submission ( arm - triangle choke ) K - 1 MMA : Romanex 000000002004 - 05 - 22 - 0000 May 22, 2004 1 : 45 Saitama, Japan Win 7 -- 1 -- 1 Matt Hughes Submission ( rear - naked choke ) UFC 46 000000002004 - 01 - 31 - 0000 January 31, 2004 4 : 39 Las Vegas, Nevada, United States Welterweight debut. Won the UFC Welterweight Championship. Win 6 -- 1 -- 1 Takanori Gomi Submission ( rear - naked choke ) K - 1 Rumble on the Rock 4 000000002003 - 10 - 10 - 0000 October 10, 2003 2 : 35 Honolulu, Hawaii, United States Won the Rumble on the Rock Lightweight Championship. Draw 5 -- 1 -- 1 Caol Uno Draw ( split ) UFC 41 000000002003 - 02 - 28 - 0000 February 28, 2003 5 5 : 00 Atlantic City, New Jersey, United States For the UFC Lightweight Championship. UFC Lightweight Tournament Final. Win 5 -- 1 Matt Serra Decision ( unanimous ) UFC 39 000000002002 - 09 - 27 - 0000 September 27, 2002 5 : 00 Uncasville, Connecticut, United States UFC Lightweight Tournament Semifinal. Win 4 -- 1 Paul Creighton TKO ( punches ) UFC 37 000000002002 - 05 - 10 - 0000 May 10, 2002 3 : 23 Bossier City, Louisiana, United States Loss 3 -- 1 Jens Pulver Decision ( majority ) UFC 35 000000002002 - 01 - 11 - 0000 January 11, 2002 5 5 : 00 Uncasville, Connecticut, United States For the UFC Lightweight Championship. Win 3 -- 0 Caol Uno KO ( punches ) UFC 34 000000002001 - 11 - 02 - 0000 November 2, 2001 0 : 11 Las Vegas, Nevada, United States UFC Lightweight title eliminator. Win 2 -- 0 Din Thomas KO ( knee and punches ) UFC 32 000000002001 - 06 - 29 - 0000 June 29, 2001 2 : 42 East Rutherford, New Jersey, United States Win 1 -- 0 Joey Gilbert TKO ( punches ) UFC 31 000000002001 - 05 - 04 - 0000 May 4, 2001 4 : 57 Atlantic City, New Jersey, United States Filmography Film and television Year Title Role Notes 2007 The Ultimate Fighter 5 Himself Head coach 2008 Renzo Gracie : Legacy Himself 2009 BJ Penn : 90 Days Himself 2009 Never Surrender BJ Last Call with Carson Daly Himself ESPN : Sport Science Himself 2011 Fighting Fear Himself 2011 Hawaii Five - 0 Kapu Member 2012 MMA Uncensored Live Himself 2012 The Fighters Himself 2014 The Ultimate Fighter : Team Edgar vs. Team Penn Himself Head coach 2014 UFC Presents Mana : BJ Penn Himself Video games Year Title Role 2002 UFC : Throwdown Himself 2003 UFC : Tapout 2 Himself UFC : Sudden Impact Himself 2009 UFC 2009 Undisputed Himself UFC Undisputed 2010 Himself 2012 UFC Undisputed 3 Himself 2014 EA Sports UFC Himself 2016 EA Sports UFC 2 Himself See also List of UFC champions List of Brazilian Jiu - Jitsu practitioners References Jump up ^ BJ `` The Prodigy '' Penn -- Official UFC ® Fighter Profile. Ufc.com. Retrieved on October 30, 2011. ^ Jump up to : `` Fight Finder -- B.J. `` The Prodigy '' Penn Mixed Martial Arts Statistics ``. Sherdog.com. Archived from the original on June 2, 2008. Retrieved February 10, 2009. ^ Jump up to : `` BJ Penn ''. BJJ Heroes. Retrieved July 9, 2017. Jump up ^ BJ Penn -- Biography and Profile of BJ Penn. Martialarts.about.com ( December 12, 1978 ). Retrieved on 2011 - 10 - 30. Jump up ^ http://bleacherreport.com/articles/419901-top-five-ufc-champions-of-all-time#/articles/419901-top-five-ufc-champions-of-all-time/page/2 Top 5 Greatest UFC Champions Jump up ^ Sherdog.com. `` MMA in 2003 : Peering Into the Rearview ''. ^ Jump up to : Rabey, Rabey ( July 25, 2011 ). `` Sean Sherk Wants Top Contender When He Returns ''. Addicted MMA. ^ Jump up to : Rick, LaFitte. `` UFC Great B.J. Penn Making Improbable Return at Featherweight For Frankie Edgar Trilogy ''. Rant Sports. Jump up ^ `` BJ Penn is ' Absolutely a UFC Hall of Famer ' says Dana White ''. Yahoo ! Sports. Jump up ^ `` BJ Penn : Official MMA Fight Record ( 16 - 10 - 2 ) ''. Jump up ^ `` Nevada Court Rules Against Temporary Injunction Of Ufc Welterweight Title Match : Penn Attorney Sites Mediation Next, Trial A Last Resort ''. Full Contact Fighter. Jump up ^ O'Dowd, Daniel. `` BJ Penn : Truly Untouchable at 155lbs ? ''. Jump up ^ `` Dana White on why Ronda Rousey will headline UFC 157 : ' She 's the champ ' ''. MMAFighting.com. December 16, 2012. Jump up ^ `` Dana White : Tito Ortiz, BJ Penn Deserve to Be in UFC Hall of Fame ''. MMAFighting.com. December 16, 2012. Jump up ^ `` White : B.J. Penn is ' almost ' on weight already ahead of featherweight debut ''. Bloodyelbow. October 21, 2013. Jump up ^ `` BJ Penn : The 10 Most Memorable Moments from the Career of the UFC ' Prodigy ' ''. Bleacher Report. December 3, 2012. Jump up ^ `` BJ Penn ''. bjpenn.com. December 19, 2009. Retrieved October 17, 2010. ^ Jump up to : `` What is Tom Callos To BJ Penn ? ''. Hawaiisportspage.com. Archived from the original on January 4, 2009. Retrieved February 10, 2009. ^ Jump up to : Callos, Tom ( February 10, 2009 ). `` Genesis of `` The Prodigy ''. Blackbeltmag.com. ^ Jump up to : Hirth, James ( July 28, 2005 ). `` K - 1 Hawaii Preview : Penn Versus Gracie ''. Sherdog.com. Retrieved February 10, 2009. Jump up ^ `` Biography ''. BJPenn.com. Archived from the original on August 12, 2007. Retrieved October 10, 2006. ^ Jump up to : Chiappetta, Mike ( February 13, 2008 ). `` Focused BJ Penn ready to make history ''. NBCSports.com. Archived from the original on February 11, 2009. Retrieved February 18, 2009. Jump up ^ `` UFC 137 Results : 5 Significant Achievements from BJ Penn 's Career ''. BleacherReport. October 30, 2011. ^ Jump up to : Iole, Kevin ( January 28, 2008 ). `` Penn focused on nurturing talent, not wasting it ''. Yahoo ! Sports. Archived from the original on January 31, 2009. Retrieved February 18, 2009. Jump up ^ Sloan, Mike ( June 26, 2007 ). `` Penn avenges 2002 loss to Pulver ''. ESPN / Sherdog.com. Retrieved February 18, 2009. Jump up ^ `` BJ Penn vs Matt Hughes at UFC 46 : Ultimate Submissions breaks down the grappling prowess of the ' Prodigy ' ''. MMAMania.com. Jump up ^ Cofield, Steve. `` The best of the decade : 10 biggest MMA upsets ''. Yahoo Sports. Jump up ^ `` The 50 Best Submissions in the History of MMA ''. ComplexSports. Jump up ^ Sloan, Mike ( July 23, 2004 ). `` BJ Penn Sues Zuffa Over Stripping of Welterweight Title ''. Sherdog.com. Retrieved October 9, 2012. Jump up ^ `` Penn beats Gracie and Goodridge wins at K - 1 Hawaii ''. Mmaringreport.com. Archived from the original on January 11, 2009. Retrieved February 10, 2009. Jump up ^ `` 大会 結果 詳細 ''. Hero-s.com. Archived from the original on June 3, 2009. Retrieved February 10, 2009. Jump up ^ `` Georges St - Pierre vs. BJ Penn I ''. Tapology.com. March 4, 2006. Jump up ^ `` B.J. Penn Claims Rib Injury Influenced Loss To Matt Hughes ''. Mmanews.Com. September 28, 2006. Retrieved February 10, 2009. Jump up ^ `` Exclusive Interview : The Ultimate Fighter 5 Coach, Jens Pulver on BJ Penn ''. Buddytv.com. June 22, 2007. Retrieved February 10, 2009. ^ Jump up to : Iole, Kevin ( June 23, 2007 ). `` Pulverized ''. Ca.sports.yahoo.com. Retrieved February 10, 2009. Jump up ^ Bilmes, Eugene ( May 28, 2008 ). `` Fighter Spotlight : BJ Penn ''. Mmastation.com. Retrieved February 10, 2009. ^ Jump up to : Iole, Kevin ( August 28, 2007 ). `` There should be no room for Babalu 's antics ''. Sports.yahoo.com. Retrieved February 10, 2009. Jump up ^ Stupp, Dann ( July 20, 2007 ). `` UFC Lightweight Champ Sean Sherk Appealing Fine, Suspension ''. MMAjunkie.com. Archived from the original on January 6, 2009. Retrieved February 10, 2009. Jump up ^ Iole, Kevin ( November 2, 2007 ). `` Sherk not stripped ; Penn - Stevenson for interim title ''. Sports.yahoo.com. Retrieved February 10, 2009. Jump up ^ Karkoski, Kris ( December 8, 2007 ). `` Sean Sherk Stripped of Lightweight Title ''. MMAFrenzy.com. Retrieved February 10, 2009. Jump up ^ `` MMA 411 's live UFC 80 PPV Coverage : BJ Penn vs Joe Stevenson ''. 411mania.com. January 19, 2008. Retrieved February 10, 2009. Jump up ^ Sherdog.com. `` Sherdog 's Miscellaneous Awards for 2008 ''. Sherdog.com. Retrieved August 27, 2010. Jump up ^ Smith, Michael David ( January 19, 2008 ). `` UFC 80 : B.J. Penn Beats Joe Stevenson, Wins Lightweight Championship in Bloody Battle ''. AOL Sports. Archived from the original on January 23, 2008. Retrieved January 21, 2008. Jump up ^ `` Penn calls for St. Pierre match ''. FanNation.com. May 28, 2008. Retrieved February 10, 2009. Jump up ^ Perkins, Jason ( July 2, 2008 ). `` BJ Penn To Fight The Winner Of GSP vs. Jon Fitch ''. fightline.com. Archived from the original on August 24, 2008. Retrieved July 2, 2008. Jump up ^ `` Everything About the GSP -- BJ Penn Rivalry ''. Myvideofight.com. Archived from the original on February 18, 2009. Retrieved February 10, 2009. Jump up ^ Morgan, John ( January 14, 2009 ). `` B.J. Penn : I 'm going to try to kill you, but it 's nothing personal ''. MMAjunkie.com. Archived from the original on February 4, 2009. Retrieved February 10, 2009. Jump up ^ `` UFC 94 round by round updates ''. MMAJunkie.com. January 31, 2009. Retrieved July 2, 2009. ^ Jump up to : `` BJ Penn : I 'm Still The Light Weight Champ. Let 's Keep Fighting ''. bjpenn.com. February 15, 2009. Retrieved February 19, 2009. Jump up ^ Chiappetta, Mike ( February 4, 2009 ). `` Penn asks commission to investigate St - Pierre ''. NBCSports.com. Archived from the original on February 7, 2009. Retrieved February 7, 2009. Jump up ^ `` NSAC Takes No Action at Greasegate Hearing ''. MMAFrenzy.com. March 17, 2009. Retrieved August 27, 2010. Jump up ^ Gross, Josh ( December 18, 2009 ). `` MMA : Highlights and lowlights ''. SportsIllustrated. Jump up ^ `` GREG JACKSON RESPONDS TO DANA WHITE 'S `` GREASEGATE '' ALLEGATIONS ``. MMAJunkie.com. Jump up ^ Alexsander, Gary ( February 11, 2009 ). `` ' Stitch ' Duran breaks down GSP greasing allegations ''. AroundtheOctagon.com. Fighters Only Magazine. Archived from the original on February 13, 2009. Retrieved February 11, 2009. Jump up ^ in his first post-fight interview on February 11, 2009. `` Transcript from BJ Penn interview from BJ Penn.com ''. aroundtheoctagon.com. February 11, 2009. Archived from the original on February 13, 2009. Retrieved February 11, 2009. Jump up ^ Chiappetta, Mike ( February 6, 2009 ). `` St - Pierre responds to greasing allegations ''. NBCSports.com. Archived from the original on February 7, 2009. Retrieved February 7, 2009. Jump up ^ `` B.J. Penn accepts Georges St - Pierre 's challenge for third meeting ''. Sports.yahoo.com. MMAjunkie.com. February 6, 2009. Archived from the original on February 12, 2009. Retrieved February 7, 2009. Jump up ^ `` Penn Files Formal Complaint with NSAC ''. MMAWeekly.com. March 11, 2009. Retrieved June 23, 2009. Jump up ^ `` B.J. Penn Files Formal Complaint Against Georges St Pierre ''. Bloody Elbow. March 11, 2009. Retrieved July 2, 2009. Jump up ^ `` BJ Penn vs. Diego Sanchez Now Slated for UFC 107 on December 12 in Memphis ''. MMAFrenzy.com. January 2, 2009. Retrieved September 3, 2009. Jump up ^ Nelson, Jake. `` BJ Penn : The Greatest Lightweight in the History of the Sport ''. ProFighting-fans.com. Jump up ^ `` Penn Dominates, Finishes Sanchez at UFC 107 ''. sherdog.com. December 12, 2009. Jump up ^ `` Dana White proud of new BJ Penn ''. FiveKnuckles.com. Archived from the original on December 17, 2009. Retrieved December 13, 2009. Jump up ^ `` MMA Decisions - Edgar def. Penn : ''. mmadecisions.com. March 12, 2016. Jump up ^ Leanza, Mike. `` UFC 112 : Frankie Edgar Shocks the World and BJ Penn, the Judges Do Too ''. BleacherReport.com. Jump up ^ Ngo, Tom. `` Frankie Edgar Beats BJ Penn to Capture Lightweight Title ''. 5thround. Jump up ^ BJ Penn Signs Bout Agreement against Frank Edgar. Bloody Elbow. Retrieved on October 30, 2011. Jump up ^ Hendricks, Maggie. ( October 24, 2011 ) Edgar convincingly beats Penn in UFC 118 main event -- Cagewriter -- UFC Blog -- Yahoo ! Sports. Sports.yahoo.com. Retrieved on 2011 - 10 - 30. Jump up ^ UFC 118 : Edgar dominates Penn, Couture destroys Toney. Vancouversun.com ( August 28, 2010 ). Retrieved on 2011 - 10 - 30. Jump up ^ `` TRILOGY : PENN VS. HUGHES 3 AT UFC 123 ''. MMAWeekly.com. September 13, 2010. Jump up ^ `` ' Rampage ' Jackson wins thriller over Machida at UFC 123 ''. The Vancouver Sun. November 20, 2010. Retrieved November 20, 2010. Jump up ^ `` UFC 123 Results : B.J. Penn Turns The Tide, Sinks Matt Hughes ''. MMAWeekly.com. November 21, 2010. Archived from the original on July 14, 2011. Retrieved July 25, 2011. Jump up ^ `` BJ Penn vs. Matt Hughes III ''. Tapology.com. Retrieved August 26, 2012. Jump up ^ `` UFC 123 in the Bag, B.J. Penn Faces Jon Fitch at UFC 127 Next ''. MMAWeekly.com. November 21, 2010. Jump up ^ ( 1 ) Archived February 18, 2011, at the Wayback Machine. Jump up ^ Floyd Mayweather Joins UFC : BJ Penn Shocker. Ringside Report ( January 8, 2011 ). Retrieved on 2011 - 10 - 30. Jump up ^ Nate, Kid. ( July 11, 2011 ) UFC Apparently Nixes B.J. Penn vs. Jon Fitch Rematch, Penn to Face Carlos Condit ?. Bloody Elbow. Retrieved on 2011 - 10 - 30. Jump up ^ `` Carlos Condit vs. B.J. Penn in the works for UFC 137 in Las Vegas ''. mmajunkie.com. July 15, 2011. Jump up ^ `` BJ Penn Moves Camp to California for UFC 137 Bout ; Kendall Grove, Reagan Penn Join Him ''. MMAweekly.com. July 27, 2011. Jump up ^ `` Nick Diaz out, Carlos Condit in against Champ Georges St - Pierre at UFC 137 ''. MMAJunkie.com. September 7, 2011. Retrieved September 7, 2011. Jump up ^ `` UFC 137 Results : B.J. Penn Retires After Loss to Nick Diaz ''. BloodyElbow. Jump up ^ `` UFC 137 : BJ 's Message to Fans ''. BJPenn.com. November 1, 2011. Retrieved November 1, 2011. Jump up ^ `` BJ Penn Tweets Hard At Nick Diaz, Jon Fitch, Manager says BJ is back ''. BJPenn.com. November 1, 2011. Retrieved January 5, 2012. Jump up ^ `` Dana White : BJ Penn, Tito Ortiz deserve to be in UFC Hall of Fame ''. Jump up ^ `` Ortiz, Penn both set for Hall of Fame induction ''. Jump up ^ `` B.J. Penn cuts UFC retirement short, accepts Rory MacDonald challenge ''. Jump up ^ Mrosko, Gene ( June 9, 2012 ). `` BJ Penn vs Rory MacDonald fight booked for Sept. 22 in Toronto ''. mmamania.com. Retrieved June 9, 2012. Jump up ^ Roth, Matthew ( August 5, 2012 ). `` UFC 152 : Rory MacDonald Injured and out of B.J. Penn Fight ''. Bleacher Report. Retrieved August 5, 2012. Jump up ^ `` Rory MacDonald vs. B.J. Penn targeted for UFC on FOX 5 co-headliner ''. mmajunkie.com. August 10, 2012. Jump up ^ `` Video - B.J. Penn Torn Between Retiring and UFC Comeback ''. FightNetwork. July 11, 2013. Jump up ^ Dave Doyle ( September 11, 2013 ). `` B.J. Penn, Frankie Edgar to coach The Ultimate Fighter 19, fight at featherweight ''. mmafighting.com. Jump up ^ Staff ( March 19, 2014 ). `` Frankie Edgar - B.J. Penn headline TUF 19 Finale card July 6 in Las Vegas ''. mmajunkie.com. Retrieved March 19, 2014. Jump up ^ `` Andre Pederneiras : B.J. Penn will train with Jose Aldo for Frankie Edgar ''. MMAFighting. Jump up ^ `` BJ Penn Brings In Dominick Cruz In Prep For Edgar Bout ''. BJPenn.com. Jump up ^ Staff ( July 6, 2014 ). `` Edgar destroys Penn in Ultimate Fighter finale ''. staradvertiser.com. Retrieved July 6, 2014. Jump up ^ C.J. Tuttle ( July 6, 2014 ). `` B.J. Penn Retires After 3rd Straight Loss ; ' I Should n't Have Been in the Ring Tonight ' ''. sherdog.com. Retrieved July 6, 2014. Jump up ^ `` B.J. Penn has no answer again for Frankie Edgar, losing for a third time ''. The Globe and Mail. Jump up ^ Staff ( January 19, 2016 ). `` Ex-champ B.J. Penn ends retirement, but UFC boss still unsure on details ''. mmajunkie.com. Retrieved January 19, 2016. Jump up ^ Damon Martin ( 2016 - 02 - 08 ). `` BJ Penn says his return has been pushed back to UFC 197 in April ''. foxsports.com. Retrieved 2016 - 02 - 08. Jump up ^ MMA Fighting Newswire ( 2016 - 02 - 18 ). `` UFC postpones BJ Penn 's return amid allegations ''. mmafighting.com. Retrieved 2016 - 02 - 18. Jump up ^ Staff ( 2016 - 04 - 12 ). `` B.J. Penn vs. Dennis Siver slated for UFC 199 in Los Angeles ''. mmajunkie.com. Retrieved 2016 - 04 - 12. Jump up ^ Jesse Holland ( 2016 - 05 - 11 ). `` Dennis Siver injured, bounced from UFC 199 fight against BJ Penn ''. mmamania.com. Retrieved 2016 - 05 - 11. Jump up ^ Tristen Critchfield ( 2016 - 05 - 11 ). `` Cole Miller steps in to face B.J. Penn at UFC 199 in Los Angeles ''. sherdog.com. Retrieved 2016 - 05 - 11. Jump up ^ Thomas Myers ( 2016 - 05 - 23 ). `` BJ Penn flagged for possible anti-doping violation, pulled from UFC 199 fight with Cole Miller ''. mmamania.com. Retrieved 2016 - 05 - 23. Jump up ^ Dan Hiergesell ( 2016 - 08 - 13 ). `` B.J. Penn vs. Ricardo Lamas in the works for UFC Fight Night 97 in Manila on Oct. 15 ''. MMAmania.com. Retrieved 2016 - 08 - 13. Jump up ^ John Morgan ( 2016 - 10 - 04 ). `` Injury forces B.J. Penn out of UFC Fight Night 97 headliner ''. mmajunkie.com. Retrieved 2016 - 10 - 04. Jump up ^ Staff ( 2016 - 10 - 06 ). `` UFC Fight Night Manila : Lamas vs. Penn to be rescheduled ''. ufc.com. Retrieved 2016 - 10 - 06. Jump up ^ Staff ( 2016 - 10 - 06 ). `` After B.J. Penn 's withdrawal, UFC cancels next week 's UFC Fight Night 97 event in Philippines ''. mmajunkie.com. Retrieved 2016 - 10 - 06. Jump up ^ Dave Doyle ( 2016 - 11 - 21 ). `` Yair Rodriguez vs. B.J. Penn announced as UFC Phoenix main event ''. mmafighting.com. Retrieved 2016 - 11 - 21. Jump up ^ Steven Marrocco ( 2017 - 01 - 16 ). `` UFC Fight Night 103 results : Yair Rodriguez devastates Hall of Famer B.J. Penn for TKO win ''. mmajunkie.com. Retrieved 2017 - 01 - 16. Jump up ^ Chuck Mindenhall ( 2017 - 01 - 16 ). `` Ass kicking is timeless, but Yair Rodriguez made B.J. Penn look old ''. mmafighting.com. Retrieved 2017 - 01 - 16. Jump up ^ Staff ( 2017 - 03 - 22 ). `` B.J. Penn - Dennis Siver, Johny Hendricks - Tim Boetsch at UFC Fight Night 112 in Oklahoma City ''. mmajunkie.com. Retrieved 2017 - 03 - 22. Jump up ^ `` UFC Fight Night 112 results : Dennis Siver defeats BJ Penn by decision ( highlights ) BJPenn.com ''. BJPenn.com. 2017 - 06 - 25. Retrieved 2017 - 06 - 26. Jump up ^ Wickert, Mark ( 2004 ). `` BJ PENN : The Day the Hawaiians Took Over ''. Knucklepit.com. Archived from the original on August 26, 2006. Retrieved August 23, 2006. Jump up ^ Song, Jaymes ( July 2008 ). `` The Ultimate Fighter ''. KoreAm Journal. Archived from the original on January 7, 2009. Retrieved February 10, 2009. Jump up ^ Morinaga, Dayton ( November 23, 2008 ). `` Penn writes new chapter in his life ''. Honolulu Advertiser. Archived from the original on December 3, 2008. Retrieved November 27, 2008. Jump up ^ `` Penn 's new baby ''. Jump up ^ `` Mixed Martial Arts : The Book of Knowledge Review ''. Lockflow.com. May 1, 2007. Archived from the original on December 27, 2007. Retrieved January 8, 2008. Jump up ^ Hardcover Nonfiction -- List. NYTimes.com. Retrieved on October 30, 2011. Jump up ^ `` Never Surrender ( 2009 ) ''. imdb.com. Retrieved November 18, 2009. ^ Jump up to : `` BJ Penn Comes Full Circle Against Frankie Edgar ''. BleacherReport. Jump up ^ `` UFC 137 Results : The Great, Disappointing Career of B.J. Penn ''. BloodyElbow. Jump up ^ Becker, Dana. `` Let Us Embrace The Legacy And Return Of BJ Penn ''. MMAConvert. Jump up ^ `` BJ `` The Prodigy '' Penn ``. UFC. Jump up ^ `` UFC Gym in Hawaii Open for Enrollment ''. UFC. Jump up ^ `` FightLiveTV - BJ Penn : They should test for every possible PED in the world ''. Jump up ^ `` Details about new UFC PPV intro ''. Mixedmartialarts.com. ^ Jump up to : `` BJ Penn : Tribute to the Greatest Lightweight of All Time ''. December 23, 2009. ^ Jump up to : `` Ranking the GOATS of Each Weight Division in MMA ''. December 23, 2009. ^ Jump up to : `` The 10 Best MMA Fighters of All Time, by Division ''. December 23, 2009. Jump up ^ Gurevich, Anton. `` 170lbs of Gold : Five greatest Welterweights in UFC history ''. LowkickMMA. Jump up ^ Fox, Jeff. `` FIVE BEST WELTERWEIGHTS OF ALL - TIME ''. MMA Manifesto. Jump up ^ `` B.J. Penn 's quest to regain lost stature steals ' Road to the Octagon ' show ''. MMAFighting. Jump up ^ `` Breaking Down the Recipe for the Ideal UFC Superstar ''. BleacherReport. Jump up ^ Gurevich, Anton. `` Freddy Roach : BJ Penn, GSP and Anderson Silva are the TOP 3 Boxers in MMA ''. LowKickMMA. Jump up ^ `` '' The Prodigy '' BJ Penn ``. Tapology. Jump up ^ `` Anderson Silva Says BJ Penn is the Greatest Mixed Martial Artist of All Time ''. Yahoo ! Sports. Jump up ^ Chiappetta, Mike. `` Who is MMA 's best of all time ? Anderson Silva says it 's B.J. Penn ''. MMAFighting. Jump up ^ Hall, Chris. `` Anderson Silva calls B.J. Penn greatest fighter of all time ''. BloodyElbow. Jump up ^ Mowatt, Kelsey. `` Anderson Silva : BJ Penn is Greatest Fighter Ever ''. MMAFrenzy. Jump up ^ `` UFC Hall of Famer Mark Coleman joins B.J. Penn 's coaching staff for The Ultimate Fighter 19 ''. MMA Torch. Jump up ^ `` THE TOP 100 MMA FIGHTERS : NO. 04 : BJ PENN ''. FighterOnly ! Magazine. Jump up ^ Shaun Al - Shatti ( May 23, 2015 ). `` B.J. Penn, Bas Rutten, Jeff Blatnick, Hughes - Trigg 2 inducted into UFC Hall of Fame ''. mmafighting.com. Retrieved May 23, 2015. Jump up ^ Gross, Josh ( December 16, 2009 ). `` Fedor Emelianenko, Anderson Silva among MMA 's best of decade ''. Sports Illustrated. Retrieved September 3, 2012. Jump up ^ Martin, Todd. `` UFC 's Greatest Fights 10 of 10 ''. Sports Illustrated. Retrieved September 3, 2012. Jump up ^ Martin, Todd. `` UFC 's Greatest Fights 10 of 10 ''. Sports Illustrated. Retrieved September 3, 2012. Jump up ^ `` MMA Fighting.com 2006 Year End Awards ''. MMAFighting.com. January 1, 2007. Retrieved May 5, 2012. Jump up ^ `` Fight Matrix Awards ''. FightMatrix.com. Retrieved September 3, 2012. Jump up ^ `` Fedor Emelianenko - Fighter of the Decade ''. FightMagazine.com. December 25, 2009. Jump up ^ `` 2008 FIGHT ! Magazine Awards ''. FightMagazine.com. Jump up ^ `` 2009 FIGHT ! Magazine Awards ''. FightMagazine.com. Archived from the original on July 11, 2011. Jump up ^ `` MMA Awards of the Decade ''. December 23, 2009. Jump up ^ Horwitz, Raymond. `` BJ PENN INDUCTED INTO THE BLACKBELT HALL OF FAME ''. BlackBeltMag.com. ^ Jump up to : Pusey, Trent ( January 5, 2007 ). `` 2008 Inside Fights Awards ''. Eurosport. Retrieved September 5, 2012. Jump up ^ Martin, Todd. `` SHERDOG. COM 'S MMA HALL OF FAME ''. Sherdog.com. Jump up ^ Sherdog.com. `` Sherdog.com Names Wanderlei Silva 2004 Fighter of the Year ''. Jump up ^ Beatdown of the Year -- Sherdog 's Miscellaneous Awards for 2008. Sherdog.com. Retrieved on October 30, 2011. Jump up ^ Hernandez, Sergio. `` History in the Making : B.J. Penn becomes the undisputed lightweight king at UFC 84 ''. MMA Mania. External links Wikimedia Commons has media related to B.J. Penn. Official website Professional MMA record for B.J. Penn from Sherdog UFC Profile BJJ Heroes BJ Penn Profile BJ Penn Quotes Sporting positions New title Rumble on the Rock Lightweight Champion October 10, 2003 -- January 31, 2004 Vacant Penn signed with UFC Preceded by Matt Hughes UFC Welterweight Champion January 31, 2004 -- May 17, 2004 Vacant Penn signed with K - 1 Title next held by Matt Hughes Vacant Title last held by Sean Sherk UFC Lightweight Champion January 19, 2008 -- April 10, 2010 Succeeded by Frankie Edgar UFC Hall of Fame Inductees Pioneer Wing Royce Gracie Ken Shamrock Dan Severn Randy Couture Mark Coleman Chuck Liddell Matt Hughes Tito Ortiz Pat Miletich Bas Rutten Antônio Rodrigo Nogueira Don Frye Maurice Smith Kazushi Sakuraba Modern - Era Wing Forrest Griffin B.J. Penn Urijah Faber Contributors Charles Lewis Jr. Jeff Blatnick Bob Meyrowitz Fights Forrest Griffin vs. Stephan Bonnar Matt Hughes vs. Frank Trigg Mark Coleman vs. Pete Williams UFC Welterweight Champions Pat Miletich Carlos Newton Matt Hughes B.J. Penn Matt Hughes ( 2 ) Georges St - Pierre Matt Serra Georges St - Pierre ( ic ) Georges St - Pierre ( 2 ) Carlos Condit ( ic ) Johny Hendricks Robbie Lawler Tyron Woodley ( current ) UFC Lightweight Champions Jens Pulver Sean Sherk B.J. Penn Frankie Edgar Benson Henderson Anthony Pettis Rafael dos Anjos Eddie Alvarez Conor McGregor ( current ) Tony Ferguson ( ic ) VIAF : 63973892 Retrieved from `` https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=B.J._Penn&oldid=815976769 '' Categories : 1978 births Living people American male mixed martial artists American people of Irish descent American people of Korean descent American practitioners of Brazilian jiu - jitsu American submission wrestlers American sportspeople in doping cases Doping cases in mixed martial arts Mixed martial artists from Hawaii People awarded a black belt in Brazilian jiu - jitsu Lightweight mixed martial artists Welterweight mixed martial artists Ultimate Fighting Championship champions Ultimate Fighting Championship Hall of Fame inductees American male writers Hidden categories : All articles with dead external links Articles with dead external links from June 2016 Webarchive template wayback links Use mdy dates from August 2013 Articles with specifically marked weasel - worded phrases from September 2016 Wikipedia articles with VIAF identifiers Talk Contents About Wikipedia Deutsch Español Français 한국어 Italiano Nederlands 日本 語 Norsk Polski Português Русский Simple English Suomi Svenska Українська Edit links This page was last edited on 18 December 2017, at 12 : 40. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution - ShareAlike License ; additional terms may apply. By using this site, you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Wikipedia ® is a registered trademark of the Wikimedia Foundation, Inc., a non-profit organization. About Wikipedia

Question: how fast did bj penn get his black belt
Answer: in just under three years