Former Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) lightweight and welterweight champion, BJ Penn, was forced to put his return to mixed martial arts (MMA) on hold after one of his ex-employees filed a police report on Tuesday accusing “The Prodigy” of sexual assault.
Read our original report here.
As expected, that didn’t sit well with the Hawaiian’s camp, who released a statement on Friday (via TMZ) with a different version of the story. One that paints the accuser — and since-departed writer of BJPenn.com — as a bitter ex-friend looking for a quick payout.
“In the almost 15 years that Penn has been a champion fighter there has not ever been any incident or allegation in regards to his conduct with women. He is a family man and father of two young daughters with a long term girlfriend. It is unfortunate that someone that BJ considered family is trying to extort him.”
UFC is currently launching its own investigation (details).
Penn, 37, hasn’t competed since a 2014 drubbing to Frankie Edgar. His defeat was so lopsided it prompted a brief retirement; however, the thought of getting revenge on this guy — as well as a new place to train — were enough to lure “The Prodigy” back to the Octagon.
If and when he actually gets there, remains to be seen.