The recent (and somewhat disturbing) allegations of domestic violence, directed at former UFC two-division champion BJ Penn (read them here), are so “hurtful, false, and misleading,” that the aging Hawaiian will not even dignify them with a response.
Except for the one his team issued on Thursday.
According to representatives for Penn, “The Prodigy” is locked in a contentious custody battle with the mother of his children, who — according to the statement provided to his official website — is using slanderous accusations to “inflame the pending custody proceedings.”
“BJ is in a highly-contested child custody case involving his two young daughters. The order of protection has made serious allegations against BJ. The allegations are so misleading, hurtful and false that any further comment by BJ or about BJ would cause more damage to the well-being of his children and potentially further inflame the pending custody proceedings. BJ and his family ask that you respect their privacy at this very difficult time.”
The promotion has yet to comment and as of this writing, Penn is expected to compete against longtime veteran Clay Guida at the upcoming UFC 237 pay-per-view (PPV) event, taking place Sat., May 11, 2019 inside Jeunesse Arena in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
Penn, 40, has been caught in a downward spiral over the last decade, managing an abysmal 1-8-1 record dating back to late 2009. In addition, “The Prodigy” has dropped six straight and got finished in three of those losses.
No telling what the future holds for the ex-champion, but the sooner he can get things turned around, the better.