BJ Penn "The Prodigy"
BJ Penn, known as "The Prodigy", is a mixed martial artist from the United States listed in the Lightweight division. BJ Penn holds a professional record of 16-14-2, including 12-13-2 inside the UFC. Of those UFC wins, 7 came by knockout or TKO, 4 by submission and 1 by decision. BJ Penn stands 5'9", has a 70-inch reach, fights out of a orthodox stance, and is 47 years old. BJ Penn is currently on a 7-fight losing streak and is listed as Not Fighting.
BJ Penn profile
| Division | Lightweight |
|---|---|
| Professional record | 16-14-2 |
| UFC record | 12-13-2 |
| Division rank | Unranked |
| Status | Not Fighting |
| Country | United States |
| Age | 47 |
| Date of birth | 1978-12-13 |
| Height | 5'9" |
| Reach | 70" |
| Leg reach | 37.5" |
| Stance | Orthodox |
| Last weigh-in | 155.5 lbs |
| Current streak | L7 |
| Total octagon time | 5h 56m |
Striking statistics
| Significant strikes landed per minute | 2.8 |
|---|---|
| Significant strikes absorbed per minute | 3.48 |
| Striking accuracy | 47.5% |
| Striking defense | 56.9% |
| Knockdowns per 15 minutes | 0.29 |
| Strikes to the head | 78.4% |
| Strikes to the body | 16.2% |
| Strikes to the legs | 5.4% |
Grappling statistics
| Takedowns per 15 minutes | 1.09 |
|---|---|
| Takedown defense | 76.2% |
| Submission attempts per 15 minutes | 0.51 |
| Average control time per fight (seconds) | 129.07 |
UFC finish breakdown
| UFC wins by KO/TKO | 7 |
|---|---|
| UFC wins by submission | 4 |
| UFC wins by decision | 1 |
BJ Penn recorded fight history
Recorded bouts across promotions. This list can be incomplete and is not a substitute for the published full career record.
| Date | Promotion | Event | Opponent | Result | Method |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019-05-11 | UFC | UFC 237: Namajunas vs. Andrade | Clay Guida | loss | Decision (Unanimous) |
| 2018-12-29 | UFC | UFC 232: Jones vs. Gustafsson 2 | Ryan Hall | loss | Heel Hook After Drop to Ground |
| 2017-06-25 | UFC | UFC Fight Night: Chiesa vs. Lee | Dennis Siver | loss | Decision (Majority) |
| 2017-01-15 | UFC | UFC Fight Night: Rodriguez vs. Penn | Yair Rodriguez | loss | Punches to Head At Distance |
| 2014-07-06 | UFC | The Ultimate Fighter: Team Edgar vs. Team Penn Finale | Frankie Edgar | loss | Punches to Head From Guard |
| 2012-12-08 | UFC | UFC on FOX: Henderson vs Diaz | Rory MacDonald | loss | Decision (Unanimous) |
| 2011-10-29 | UFC | UFC 137: Penn vs Diaz | Nick Diaz | loss | Decision (Unanimous) |
| 2011-02-26 | UFC | UFC 127: Penn vs Fitch | Jon Fitch | draw | Decision - Majority |
| 2010-11-20 | UFC | UFC 123: Rampage vs Machida | Matt Hughes | win | Punch to Head At Distance |
| 2010-08-28 | UFC | UFC 118: Edgar vs Penn 2 | Frankie Edgar | loss | Decision (Unanimous) |
| 2010-04-10 | UFC | UFC 112: Invincible | Frankie Edgar | loss | Decision (Unanimous) |
| 2009-12-12 | UFC | UFC 107: Penn vs Sanchez | Diego Sanchez | win | Facial Cut |
| 2009-08-08 | UFC | UFC 101: Declaration | Kenny Florian | win | Rear Naked Choke |
| 2009-01-31 | UFC | UFC 94: St-Pierre vs Penn 2 | Georges St. Pierre | loss | Corner Stoppage |
| 2008-05-24 | UFC | UFC 84: Ill Will | Sean Sherk | win | Flying Knee Head |
| 2008-01-19 | UFC | UFC 80: Rapid Fire | Joe Stevenson | win | Rear Naked Choke |
| 2007-06-23 | UFC | The Ultimate Fighter: Team Pulver vs. Team Penn Finale | Jens Pulver | win | Rear Naked Choke |
| 2006-09-23 | UFC | UFC 63: Hughes vs Penn | Matt Hughes | loss | Punches to Head From Crucifix |
| 2006-03-04 | UFC | UFC 58: USA vs Canada | Georges St. Pierre | loss | Decision (Split) |
| 2005-07-29 | K-1 | K-1 - World Grand Prix Hawaii | Renzo Gracie | win | Decision (Unanimous) |
| 2005-03-26 | K-1 | K-1 - Hero's 1 | Lyoto Machida | loss | Decision (Unanimous) |
| 2004-11-20 | ROTR 6 | ROTR 6 - Rumble on the Rock 6 | Rodrigo Gracie | win | Decision (Unanimous) |
| 2004-05-22 | K-1 MMA | K-1 MMA - Romanex | Duane Ludwig | win | Submission (Arm-Triangle Choke) |
| 2004-01-31 | UFC | UFC 46: Supernatural | Matt Hughes | win | Rear Naked Choke |
| 2003-10-10 | ROTR 4 | ROTR 4 - Rumble on the Rock 4 | Takanori Gomi | win | Submission (Rear-Naked Choke) |
| 2003-02-28 | UFC | UFC 41: Onslaught | Caol Uno | draw | Decision - Split |
| 2002-09-27 | UFC | UFC 39: The Warriors Return | Matt Serra | win | Decision (Unanimous) |
| 2002-05-10 | UFC | UFC 37: High Impact | Paul Creighton | win | Punches to Head From Mount |
| 2002-01-11 | UFC | UFC 35: Throwdown | Jens Pulver | loss | Decision (Majority) |
| 2001-11-02 | UFC | UFC 34: High Voltage | Caol Uno | win | Punches to Head At Distance |
| 2001-06-29 | UFC | UFC 32: Showdown in the Meadowlands | Din Thomas | win | Knee to Head At Distance |
| 2001-05-04 | UFC | UFC 31: Locked and Loaded | Joey Gilbert | win | Punches to Head From Back Control |
More lightweight fighters
BJ Penn is listed in the Lightweight database division.
Medical and compliance records
UFC medical and compliance records
Explore the free UFC prediction archive.
Sources and methodology
Career records and bout history are compiled from published MMA records. UFC performance metrics use published bout statistics; percentiles and derived metrics are calculated by Verdikt AI. Data can change after official corrections.
Tapology fighter record · Reviewed professional MMA record (Sherdog)
How to compare records and statistics · Read the methodology or report a correction.
