Professional Record
16-13-2
Current Elo Rating
1742
True Contender System
Lightweight Ranking
Not currently ranked
Pound-for-Pound Ranking
Not currently ranked
About BJ Penn
The prodigy who chased greatness regardless of weight
BJ Penn was one of the first fighters to show that technical talent could make up for huge physical differences. Before his MMA career he had already made history in jiu-jitsu by reaching the world elite in record time, and his natural ease at learning earned him the nickname 'The Prodigy'.
Fighting style
Penn combined extraordinary jiu-jitsu with excellent takedown defense and surprisingly effective boxing. That combination let him fight aggressively without fear of ending up on the ground and turn any scramble into an offensive opportunity. His interest in fighting much bigger opponents was a constant throughout his career.
Champion in two divisions
In 2004 he moved up to welterweight and submitted Matt Hughes to win the championship. He later returned to lightweight, where he had his most dominant stretch and defended the belt against Sean Sherk, Kenny Florian and Diego Sanchez. His long decline in his final years hurt his overall numbers, but his best version is still considered one of the most talented the sport has produced. He was inducted into the UFC Hall of Fame in 2015.
Tale of the tape
- Height
- 175 cm
- Reach
- 178 cm
- Weight
- 70.5 kg
- Age
- 47 years
- Place of birth
- Kailua, United States
- UFC debut
- May 4, 2001
Activity
Next fight
No bout announced
BJ Penn has no next fight confirmed by the UFC yet.
This section updates automatically as soon as one is announced.
Last fight
BJ Pennvs.Ryan Hall
L · SUB · R1
- Event
- UFC 232
- Date
- December 29, 2018
- Elo change
- -76
Career Statistics
Professional career
16-13-2
Wins · Losses · Draws
31 fights
Wins by method
- KO/TKO
- 7
- Submissions
- 4
- Decisions
- 1
11 Finishes
91.7% of 12 wins
Of these 16 wins, 4 have no method recorded in our history.
In the UFC
12-12-2
Wins · Losses · Draws
26 fights
Wins by method
- KO/TKO
- 7
- Submissions
- 4
- Decisions
- 1
11 Finishes
91.7% of 12 wins
Elo
Current Elo
1,742
Peak Elo
2,138
From peak
-396
Streak6 Losses
Biggest Elo gain
Achievements and career
- Title fight record: 5-5
- Current streak: 6 straight losses
- Best recorded streak: 3 straight wins
Elo History
26 recorded UFC fights
UFC Start
1500
Current
1742
Peak Elo
2138
Total
+242
UFC Fight History
| Date | Result | Opponent | Method | Elo | Change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dec 29, 2018 | L | Ryan Hall | Submission · R1 · 2:46 | Elo1742 | Change-76 |
| Jun 25, 2017 | L | Dennis Siver | Decision · R3 · 5:00 | Elo1818 | Change-34 |
| Jan 15, 2017 | L | Yair Rodríguez | TKO · R2 · 0:24 | Elo1852 | Change-78 |
| Jul 06, 2014 | L | Frankie Edgar | TKO · R3 · 4:16 | Elo1930 | Change-62 |
| Dec 08, 2012 | L | Rory MacDonald | Decision · R3 · 5:00 | Elo1992 | Change-52 |
| Oct 29, 2011 | L | Nick Diaz | Decision · R3 · 5:00 | Elo2044 | Change-53 |
| Feb 27, 2011 | D | Jon Fitch | Decision · R3 · 5:00 | Elo2097 | Change-10 |
| Nov 20, 2010 | W | Matt Hughes | KO · R1 · 0:21 | Elo2108 | Change+53 |
| Aug 28, 2010 | L | Frankie Edgar | Decision · R5 · 5:00 | Elo2054 | Change-41 |
| Apr 10, 2010 | L | Frankie Edgar | Decision · R5 · 5:00 | Elo2096 | Change-42 |
| Dec 12, 2009 | W | Diego Sanchez | TKO · R5 · 2:37 | Elo2138 | Change+80 |
| Aug 08, 2009 | W | Kenny Florian | Submission · R4 · 3:54 | Elo2058 | Change+86 |
| Jan 31, 2009 | L | Georges St-Pierre | TKO · R4 · 5:00 | Elo1971 | Change-42 |
| May 24, 2008 | W | Sean Sherk | TKO · R3 · 5:00 | Elo2013 | Change+79 |
| Jan 19, 2008 | W | Joe Stevenson | Submission · R2 · 4:02 | Elo1935 | Change+81 |
| Jun 23, 2007 | W | Jens Pulver | Submission · R2 · 3:12 | Elo1853 | Change+41 |
| Sep 23, 2006 | L | Matt Hughes | TKO · R3 · 3:53 | Elo1812 | Change-23 |
| Mar 04, 2006 | L | Georges St-Pierre | Decision · R3 · 5:00 | Elo1836 | Change-30 |
| Jan 31, 2004 | W | Matt Hughes | Submission · R1 · 4:39 | Elo1866 | Change+189 |
| Feb 28, 2003 | D | Caol Uno | Decision · R5 · 5:00 | Elo1676 | Change-14 |
| Sep 27, 2002 | W | Matt Serra | Decision · R3 · 5:00 | Elo1690 | Change+23 |
| May 10, 2002 | W | Paul Creighton | TKO · R2 · 3:23 | Elo1667 | Change+40 |
| Jan 11, 2002 | L | Jens Pulver | Decision · R5 · 5:00 | Elo1627 | Change-19 |
| Nov 02, 2001 | W | Caol Uno | KO · R1 · 0:11 | Elo1645 | Change+46 |
| Jun 29, 2001 | W | Din Thomas | KO · R1 · 2:42 | Elo1600 | Change+47 |
| May 04, 2001 | W | Joey Gilbert | TKO · R1 · 4:57 | Elo1553 | Change+53 |
Competitive Profile
BJ Penn’s position is calculated by the True Contender MMA Elo system from real results and strength of opposition. The profile updates with the rankings after new fights are processed.