“The Prodigy” is being rewarded for his prodigious career in the octagon.
Former two-time, two-division UFC world champion BJ Penn of Hilo was named a 2015 inductee of the UFC Hall of Fame.
The announcement was made Saturday during the UFC 187 prelims broadcast on Fox Sports 1. Penn’s formal induction will take place at a gala event July 11 at the UFC Fan Expo during the UFC’s annual International Fight Week in Las Vegas.
Known as “The Prodigy” throughout his 13-year, 16-10-2 professional mixed martial arts career, Penn will take his place in the Modern Era category of the UFC Hall of Fame.
The Modern Era category recognizes fighters who turned professional on or after Nov. 17, 2000, when the Unified Rules of Mixed Martial Arts were created and widely adopted. Penn turned professional on May 4, 2001, at UFC 31.
“It is our honor to induct BJ Penn into the UFC Hall of Fame,” UFC President Dana White said in a statement. “He was one of those stars who helped build the UFC. When we bought this company, we were told no one cared about lightweights. BJ Penn not only made people care, he was one of the biggest draws in UFC history.
“And what he accomplished inside the octagon speaks for itself — he is one of only two people to win two UFC titles in two different divisions and he beat a who’s who of his era. He is a legend and a no-brainer for the UFC Hall of Fame.”
Born Jay Dee Penn on Dec. 13, 1978, “Baby Jay” is believed to have earned a Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt faster than any practitioner of the martial art when he was 20, less than three years after taking his first lesson. Penn validated his black belt status when he became the first American to ever win the black belt division of the World Jiu-Jitsu Championships.
Because of the speed of Penn’s achievements, he was dubbed “The Prodigy,” a moniker which he carried into his MMA – and UFC – debut against Joey Gilbert at UFC 31 on May 4, 2001.
“Nothing personal, I just want the belt,” Penn said after scoring a first-round knockout.
Penn joins Pioneer Era inductee Bas Rutten, Fight inductee Matt Hughes vs. Frank Trigg II and Contributor Jeff Blatnick to complete to 2015 UFC Hall of Fame class.
Fans with tickets to the UFC Fan Expo will be able to attend the UFC Hall of Fame 2015 event for no additional cost. Tickets to the UFC Fan Expo are available at www.ufcfanexpo.com with two-day passes beginning at $60 online and $65 onsite. One-day passes begin at $35 online and $45 onsite.
To visit the UFC Hall of Fame fight library – which includes the induction speeches for the first 12 UFC Hall of Famers – go to www.ufc.tv/category/ufc-hall-of-fame-library.
