Dana White says BJ Penn has been officially released from the UFC
BJ Penn has been released by the UFC, according to UFC president Dana White. White revealed the news to Yahoo Sports’ Kevin Iole Thursday afternoon via text message.
Per @danawhite the @ufc has officially released @bjpenndotcom He had said a while back Penn would not fight for UFC any longer
— Kevin Iole (@KevinI) September 26, 2019
Penn, a former two-division world champion, has lost seven consecutive fights in the Octagon and also found himself in legal troubles recently after several allegations of violence and abuse from the mother of his children and a neighbor in his native Hawaii. Penn has also been caught on video fighting outside of the ring several times in recent months, getting knocked out in one such altercation.
Earlier this month White told ESPN that BJ Penn would not fight again for the UFC. “He won’t fight again,” White claimed, at the time.
“That’s it. It’s a wrap.”
At the time White did not say whether or not Penn was or would be actually released from his UFC contract, however. Today’s news is important because if the UFC has released Penn, then they no longer owe him fights on his last contract with them, and White can keep good on his promise of not having “The Prodigy” fight for the promotion again.
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