BJ Penn Hospitalized After Flipping Car, Under Investigation For Possible DUI

UFC Hall of Famer BJ Penn was involved in a single-car accident this past weekend.  The incident took place in the former champions hometown of Hilo, Hawaii and has led to a police investigation about if Penn was fit to drive.

Big Island Now reported the incident took place on Friday evening, Feb. 7, at approximately 7 p.m. Penn was driving a black Toyota Tacoma pickup truck when it was involved in a single-vehicle crash on Route 11 in Hilo.

According to Puna Patrol Cpt. Ken Quiocho, the police received calls about a speeding truck which had lost control and flipped over. The sole occupant Penn was then transferred to hospital, his injuries are yet to be disclosed. The 41-year-old was subjected to blood tests upon arrival, the results of which where shared with the police who subsequently began treating the incident as a DUI.

In August 2019, Penn was involved in a drunken street fight outside of a bar in Hilo. The fight was caught on video and shows the decorated mixed martial artist getting dropped after being punched by another man. Despite being scheduled to face Nik Lentz, Penn was cut by the UFC after the video surfaced ending a long association with the company dating back to 2001.

Whilst things outside the cage aren’t going well, inside the cage Penn isn’t doing much better. The Hawaii native hasn’t won a fight since 2010, he currently rides a seven-fight losing streak in the UFC. Last time out he lost to Clay Guida via unanimous decision at UFC 237 in May last year.

Should the UFC take more responsibility for their fighters outside of the octagon and in retirement?