BJ Penn to be inducted into UFC Hall of Fame 2015
BJ Oenn will be inducted into the Modern Era wing of the UFC’s new Hall of Fame. The ceremony will take place during International Fight Week in Las Vegas in July.
“When you’re standing in the ring across from your opponent, he is thinking there is nothing else more important in the world than winning this fight, and you have to be thinking the same thing. No matter if you’re better than him or not, you have to be thinking the same thing. He’s got a dream and only a dream can kill a dream and your dream has to be bigger than his.”
BJ Penn
Jay Dee “BJ” Penn is widely considered to be the greatest lightweight in MMA history, and the man who established the division in the eyes of the fans. Undefeated in the lightweight division for over eight years, he is, with Randy Couture, one of two two-division champions in UFC history. In addition to competing in and winning the UFC championship at Lightweight and Welterweight, Penn has fought in the middleweight, and light heavyweight divisions.
Penn personifies the words Just Scrap. A fighter from the start, BJ would box with friends at his childhood home on the island of Hawai’i. At 17 he discovered Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, and soon left the considerable comforts of home to train in California under Ralph Gracie. Moving to Nova União, he was awarded a black belt in 2000 by Andre Pederneiras, and weeks later became the first non-Brazillian to win the black belt division at the World Jiu Jitsu Championship.
His meteoric rise to the top of the BJJ world made him a prime target for the newly Zuffa acquired Ultimate Fighting Championship. His world-championship ground skills were well matched by a devastating boxing game, and his physical dexterity, which he attributes to his time rock hopping in the rivers near his Hilo home as a child, made his takedown defense unparalleled in MMA.
His run in the UFC was tumultuous. With a draw at UFC 41 in a lightweight title bout, the lightweight division, BJ’s ideal fighting weight, was disbanded. Forced to go up to welterweight, BJ shocked the world and beat Matt Hughes to become welterweight champion. More hardships followed as BJ’s then rocky relationship with UFC president Dana White led BJ to fight in other organizations, and the Welterweight belt passed to Hughes. BJ felt he wasn’t getting the credit or dollars he deserved, so he took his show on the road.
With his inevitable return to the UFC, he captured the lightweight belt that had eluded him years earlier, and although years of fighting followed, his reputation as a legend was sealed for all time.
Penn retired in July following a unsuccessful drop to featherweight vs. Frankie Edgar. And now The Prodigy” will be inducted into the Modern Era wing of the UFC’s new Hall of Fame. The ceremony will take place during International Fight Week in Las Vegas in July.