BJ Penn biography and net worth

• BJ Penn is a former professional mixed martial art fighter from the United States
• Penn is best known for his time with the UFC where he is a former Lightweight Champion and Welterweight Champion
•  The American is one of the richest MMA fighters of all time with an estimated net worth of $4 million

BJ Penn is one of the most iconic names in mixed martial arts; however, not every MMA fan has read his biography. To start with, BJ Penn is a former professional mixed martial art fighter from the United States. He spent the majority of his career at the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), where he is a former Lightweight Champion.

Penn also won the UFC Welterweight Champion and is the second fighter in UFC history to win titles in different weight classes. The American was inducted into the UFC Hall of Fame in 2015. Check out our BJ Penn biography to learn more about the retired fighter.

BJ Penn. Photo/ MMA Junkie – USA Today.

BJ Penn Biography

Career

BJ Penn began training in Brazilian jiu-jitsu at the age of 17. He was introduced to it by his neighbour Tom Callos, who had put up fliers in local gyms looking for people to train with. The future UFC star moved to California a short while after staring his training and it is there that he decided to pursue a career in MMA..

In 2000, Penn earned his black belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu and won the World Jiu-Jitsu Championship. He was able to showcase his talent to the right people such as Dana White who offered him a contract at UFC. He joined the MMA promotion in 2001 and won his first match which was against Joey Gilbert via technical knockout.

Penn went on to win his first three overall matches before dropping a decision to Jens Pulver in 2002. He soon became a household name in UFC, going for two years without losing to anyone. During that period, he became the UFC Welterweight Champion after defeating Matt Hughes at UFC 46.

However, Penn would then face it rough, losing three out of four matches. From 2011 to 2019, he went on an eight fight winless streak, which led to many UFC fans criticizing him for continuing to fight past his prime.

Career Earnings

To further your interest in reading BJ Penn biography we take a look at his career earnings on this part. The exact amount Penn made throughout his MMA career is not known publicly; however, there is information on his earnings from UFC 46 onwards.

According to the website Give Me Sport, Penn earned around $3,345,000 in the octagon from UFC 46 to UFC 234. The biggest payday of his career came at UFC 123 when he defeated Matt Hughes. He reportedly took home $380,000, with the amount including base salary, win bonus and Knockout of the Night bonus.

Net Worth

BJ Penn is one of the richest MMA fighters of his generation. The American may not be as wealthy as Conor McGregor but he has built a fortune that many people only dream of. According to sources such as Wealthy Gorilla, Penn has an estimated net worth of $4 million.

BJ Penn. Photo/ Fox News.

Personal Life

Moving on with BJ Penn biography we take a look at his personal life on this part. Penn was born on 13 December 1978, in Kailua, Hawaii, United States. His father, Jay Dee Penn, is of Irish descent while his mother, Lorraine Shin, is of Korean and Hawaiian descent.

The nickname BJ is a shortened version of another nickname ‘Baby Jay’, which derives from the fact that the retired fighter is the youngest of three brothers named “Jay Dee Penn”. The UFC Hall of Famer has two daughters with the same mother even though they have never married.

FAQs

Where is BJ Penn from?

Kailua, Hawaii, United States.

How old is BJ Penn?

Penn is 44 years old.

How tall is BJ Penn?

Penn is 1.75 metres tall.

What is the net worth of BJ Penn?

$4 million.

When was BJ Penn UFC Champion?

Penn received his first UFC Championship in 2004.