It’s Time to Worry About BJ Penn

The UFC Hall of Famer-turned-conspiracy theorist is spiralling, and his latest social media posts put his own mother at risk—someone he no longer seems to recognize.

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On Monday, March 10, BJ Penn—a pioneering UFC fighter and champion—shared a chilling social media post in which he appeared not to recognize his own mother.

“This lady right here—look at her ass and legs—she is acting like my 79-year-old mother but she is not my 79-year-old mother,” Penn said in a clip that appeared to show a woman cooking in a kitchen and later walking her dog.

Penn went on to accuse his mother of attempting to steal and sell his home. “If I attack her, she’ll try to do something,” he said in the clip.

Penn’s alarming posts served as the latest example of his deepening cognitive and emotional decline. Once considered one of the greatest fighters of all time, Penn has emerged as a cautionary tale of the long-term consequences of head trauma and conspiracy-fuelled delusion.

Penn, whose real name is Jay Dee Penn III, was once a remarkable fighter. He was the second of nine fighters in UFC history to win championships in multiple divisions, becoming both the UFC lightweight and welterweight champion during his prime. He was also the first non-Brazilian to win the World Jiu-Jitsu Championship at a black belt level. His accolades made him a natural choice as the inaugural inductee in the modern-era wing of the UFC Hall of Fame in 2015.

It was also during this time that Penn’s legal troubles began to surface. He was arrested in 2015 and charged with assault after a brawl at a bar in Kihei, Hawaii. Four years later, Penn's estranged girlfriend filed a restraining order against him in October from her and Penn's children, alleging years of physical and sexual abuse. However, it was only after Penn was involved in another bar brawl—one where he was knocked unconscious—that the UFC opted to release him from his contract.

Penn was once again arrested and charged with a DUI in 2021. Footage showed the handcuffed Penn yelling racial slurs at the arresting officers.

Despite his history of alcohol-induced violence, Penn ran for governor in the 2022 Hawaii gubernatorial election. He campaigned on a platform of ending all COVID-19 mandates and restrictions, fuelled by his avid distrust of government.

“I’ve made a lot of mistakes in my life but I would never run from a fight or sell out my people,” Penn posted on Instagram in October 2021. “As soon as I step into Hawaii’s Governor office I will remove All new federal and state mandates that have been hurting our economy, residents, and ‘ohana. We will get the best doctors, medicines, therapies, and health care the world has to offer to fight this pandemic and always keep Hawaii among the safest and healthiest states in the union.

“We will get rid of all vaccine passports. Hawaii will be a vaccinated with Aloha and Unvaccinated with Aloha policy for everyone. Same with the masks. We will follow the constitution to the tee. I am not here to fit in with the other politicians, I am here to get our freedoms back!”

Penn ended up losing the Republican primary to Duke Aiona, who claimed victory by a significant margin. However, taking inspiration from Donald Trump and other candidates who refused to accept the results of an election, Penn filed a complaint with the Hawaii Supreme Court contesting the results. His appeal was denied.

Since then, Penn has continued his slow descent to madness. He questioned the existence of dinosaurs, claimed that Scooby Doo offered insight into the world’s problems, claimed a “secret society” was behind several fighters losing their bouts, and that a Trump body-double replaced the president at UFC 295.

Penn’s cognitive decline took a more concerning turn in recent weeks, as his social media posts have become more erratic, paranoid, and threatening.

“David did not pray for Goliath, he killed his ass,” Penn wrote last week. “BJ Penn will not pray for the thieves who stole my money, my time, my reputation, my kids, and my life. BJ Penn will attack all of you with such ferocity and so viciously and hit you so hard that your mother will feel it. I want my $500,000 back.”

Penn’s failure to recognize his own mother—someone he once proudly celebrated on social media—marks a heartbreaking new low in his downward spiral. While his mother’s safety remains uncertain, one thing is clear—the UFC pioneer is in dire need of help.

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