Ex-UFC Champ BJ penn Charged with Assault in Sixth 2025 Arrest
Hilo, Hawaii – Former UFC lightweight champion BJ Penn, 46, was arrested and charged with third-degree assault on Tuesday, marking his sixth arrest of 2025, according to the Hawaii Police Department.
Officers responded to a report of an assault at a Hilo, Hawaii residence at 1 a.m. on Monday, where a 45-year-old man alleged Penn punched and kicked him multiple times. The alleged victim sought medical treatment for related injuries. Penn, whose birth name is Jay Dee Penn, was taken into custody without incident at 11:50 a.m.Tuesday and posted $1,000 bail. He is scheduled for an initial court appearance on December 2. A conviction for third-degree assault in Hawaii carries a potential sentence of up to one year in jail.
This latest arrest comes amid a series of legal issues for Penn in 2025.Last month, a judge ordered him to undergo a mental health evaluation, with a court date regarding the evaluation set for January. Many of the issues stem from Penn’s publicly stated belief that “imposters” have replaced his family members.
Earlier this year, penn’s mother, Lorraine Shin, was granted a protection order against him following allegations of domestic abuse made in May. In April, Penn requested the Hilo Police Department investigate the alleged murders of his family members, stating, “investigate these fake frauds who are trying to steal everything from my family.”
Penn retired from mixed martial arts in 2019, concluding a career that ended on a seven-fight losing streak from 2011 to 2019, including three losses by knockout.
