BJ Penn Arrested for Assault: Sixth Arrest in 2025
Former UFC fighter BJ Penn was arrested and charged with third-degree assault on Tuesday, marking his sixth arrest so far in 2025.
According to the Hawaii Police Department, Penn, 46, was arrested without incident at 11:50 a.m. Officers responded to a report of an assault that occurred at 1 a.m. the previous day at a residence in Hilo, Hawaii. The alleged victim, 45, accused Penn of punching and kicking him several times. The victim sought medical attention for injuries related to the assault.
Police reported that Penn, whose birth name is Jay Dee Penn, paid a $1,000 bail. He is scheduled to appear in court on December 2nd on the charge of assault. In Hawaii, a conviction for third-degree assault can result in a year in prison.
Penn, former UFC lightweight champion, has been involved in a series of legal issues in 2025 and was ordered by a judge to undergo a mental health evaluation last month. Penn must appear in court in January regarding that evaluation.
Most of these problems stem from Penn’s belief that “imposters” have replaced members of his family. His mother, Lorraine Shin, obtained a protection order against him earlier this year after making domestic abuse allegations in May.
In April, Penn publicly requested that the Hilo Police Department investigate the murders of his family members, asking them to “investigate these false imposters who are trying to steal everything from my family.”
Penn retired from mixed martial arts in 2019. His career ended with a seven-fight losing streak from 2011 to 2019, during which he suffered three knockout losses.
