UFC Hall of Famer BJ Penn has managed to hold on to his Octagon career despite a record-setting seven fight losing skid. But it may be an alleged knockout suffered in the street that has him in the news.
Videos surfaced on Wednesday of Penn in an altercation with a fellow patron at Lava Shack in Pahoa, Hawaii. The first video released showed Penn with back mount on the man in the street, dropping punches to the larger man's head. Later in the day, another video was released, this one showing the man catching Penn with a two-punch combo in the street and seemingly knocking the former UFC lightweight and welterweight champion unconscious.
The video of Penn suffering the knockout apparently happened earlier in the evening before Penn's eventual retaliation.
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A representative for Penn released a brief statement on the issue.
"Upon meeting friends for a concert at the Lava Shack, words were exchanged between BJ and the acquaintance," the rep said. "From witness accounts, BJ tried multiple times to defuse the situation, but was hit repeatedly and knocked to the ground, as seen on the video.
"When he got back up he was disoriented, yet realized how serious the situation and threat was and felt there was a need to defend himself. We are thankful that BJ nor the acquaintance were not seriously injured."
Penn was recently involved in another street fight, this one occurring in June at a strip club in Oahu, a month after his most recent Octagon loss against Clay Guida at UFC 237 on May 11.
Penn was on the receiving end of a restraining order from his estranged partner and mother of his two daughters in October 2018 after an alleged decade of abusive behavior and more recent death threats and cocaine usage. The restraining order was extended three years in February.
Penn was also accused of sexual assault by a former editor of BJPenn.com in 2016.
Penn, who has not won a UFC fight since November 2010, is scheduled to face Nik Lentz. The date for that fight has not been officially announced, but UFC president Dana White claims the bout will be Penn's last in the Octagon.
