After Dana White announced the release of former Welterweight and Lightweight Champion BJ Penn, there were mixed reviews whether he would find his way back into MMA.
Many regard Penn one of the best to step foot in the octagon, but is he? A lot of hate is thrown at some of the greats for their antics, but Penn has gotten a pass because of his accomplishments.
The last time that Penn won a fight was in 2010 against Matt Hughes. Since then, he has lost to Nick Diaz, Rory MacDonald, Frankie Edgar, Yair Rodriguez, Dennis Siver, and Ryan Hall. He was scheduled to fight Nik Lentz, but after being involved in a brawl, White announced Penn was released.
Penn made claims on his desire to hang up the gloves multiple times. In theory, he should have retired after Edgar dominated him in their trilogy fight. After returning, he extended his losing streak to seven consecutive bouts.
In 2015, Penn was charged with assault after brawling outside of a bar in Kihei, Hawaii. Despite the charges being dropped, in 2016, Penn had his return to the octagon delayed when an investigation launched over criminal allegations.
In 2019, the estranged girlfriend of Penn filed a restraining order for herself and their two children, alleging many years of physical and sexual abuse. The order was granted for February 2019 until October 2021. All of this put together proves the UFC, Bellator MMA, Pro Fighters League, and ONE Championship do not need Penn.
Photo credit: MMA Torch
