UFC legend B.J. Penn arrested for sixth time in 2025 after alleged assault

While B.J. Penn is viewed by many as one of the greatest mixed martial artists of all time, his recent erratic streak has seen him fall from grace. Earlier this week, Penn was arrested for the sixth time this year after he allegedly assaulted a 45-year-old male.

According to reports, the Hawaii Police detained the former fighter on the morning of Nov. 4 on third-degree assault charges, and he was later released on a $1,000 bail. He is scheduled to appear at the Hilo District Court on Dec. 3.

As per a statement by the law enforcement, Penn "punched and kicked" the victim multiple times, before he could escape and contact the police:

"At 1 A.M., police responded to a report of an assault at a residence on Kanoa Street in Hilo. The 45-year-old male victim reported that Penn punched and kicked him multiple times before the victim was able to leave the area and contact police. The victim later sought medical treatment for his injuries at Hilo Benioff Medical Center. At 11:50 A.M., officers located Penn on Lehua Street in Hilo, where he was arrested without incident." [H/t: MMA Fighting]

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This is the latest of Penn's erratic behavior, which all started earlier this year with his bizarre claim that his family had been killed and replaced by impostors.

He had been arrested multiple times in 2025, primarily due to abusive behavior towards members of his household and violating a restraining order filed by his mother, Lorraine Shin.

Penn is a former two-division champion in the UFC and holds wins over bonafide legends, including Matt Hughes and Matt Serra.

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When B.J. Penn slammed "entitled" criticisms

B.J. Penn, who believes his family was killed and replaced by impostors, seems to think financial gains are the suspected villains' intention.

While many in the MMA world are convinced CTE is the culprit for Penn's erratic streak, the fighter hasn't held back his opinions. In a social media post earlier this year, he clapped back at his critics, citing all that he has done for his family over the years:

"I just wanted to address for everybody that people come up to me and say, 'I know you feel entitled to this property that your parents had, but you didn't buy or build it.' I just want to say right now, that's all bulls**t... I kept this family afloat for years from the financial crash in [2008]... These people are crazy identity thieves. You see this [shows off his MMA memorabilia], fighting, always having money, liquid cash, these belts... These people are crazy."

Edited by Ujwal Jain