updated children nationality birth_date mma_decwin residence sherdog mma_decloss image_size team rank mma_kowin image school name mma_subwin weight_lb years_active birth_place url height stance mma_koloss mma_draw reach_in weight_class article_title birth_name
september 23 , 2014 2 american 13 december 1978 3 hilo , hawaii 1307 7 200px b.j. penn 's mma nova união '' black black belt in brazilian jiu-jitsu '' 7 us cropped.jpg army 51883 ultimate fighting champion motivates wounded warriors hilo high school b.j. penn 6 155 2001 -- 2014 kailua , hawaii , u.s. http://www.bjpenn.com/ 5 9 orthodox 3 2 70 featherweight -rrb- welterweight -lrb- 2004-2006 , 2010-2012 -rrb- middleweight -lrb- 2004-2005 -lrb- -rrb- heavyweight/openweight -lrb- 2005 -rrb- 2014 -rrb- lightweight -lrb- 2001-2003 , 2007-2010 b.j. penn
 jay dee penn
b.j. penn

jay dee `` b.j. '' penn -lrb- born december 13 , 1978 -rrb- is a retired american professional mixed martial artist and brazilian jiu-jitsu practitioner .
penn debuted and competed in the ultimate fighting championship -lrb- ufc -rrb- , 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 , middleweight , and heavyweight divisions .
as a former ufc lightweight champion and ufc welterweight champion , he is only the second fighter 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 unified the ufc lightweight championship -lrb- against sean sherk -rrb- to become the division 's first undisputed champion ; as well as broke the all-time lightweight title defense record .
penn was inducted into the ufc hall of fame in july 2015 .
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 `` 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 .
