BJ Penn’s UFC career has officially come to an end. Yahoo Sports’ Kevin Iole reports that, per UFC president Dana White, Penn has officially been handed his walking papers from the Las Vegas-based mixed martial arts (MMA) promotion.
White had previously stated that Penn’s career in the UFC was done after video footage surfaced of the Hawaiian being knocked out cold in a street fight. The UFC boss bluntly put it, “That’s a wrap.”
“He won’t fight again. That’s it. That’s a wrap,” White said. “It’s not even that this was the last straw. I didn’t love him continuing to fight anyway. But when you have the relationship that he and I have, and he’s getting me on the phone begging me for another fight, begging me for another opportunity, it’s hard for me to turn him down.
“But after what I saw on that video, B.J. needs to focus on his personal life and get himself together before he thinks about fighting again.”
Before the street fight knockout, Penn was expected to face Nik Lentz to settle a longstanding beef between the pair. However, that’s now completely off the table after the former lightweight and welterweight champion’s release from the promotion.
What do you think about Penn getting released from the UFC?
