Tag: BJ Penn

Former Coach Explains Why BJ Penn Is “Perfect” For Politics

One of BJ Penn’s former MMA coaches thinks the former UFC champion has the skills necessary for a successful run in politics. Penn is running for the governor of Hawaii in 2022 as a Republican candidate. This is the first time he’s run for public office of any kind since he formally announced his retirement…

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One of BJ Penn’s former MMA coaches thinks the former UFC champion has the skills necessary for a successful run in politics.

Penn is running for the governor of Hawaii in 2022 as a Republican candidate. This is the first time he’s run for public office of any kind since he formally announced his retirement from fighting.

Running for governor of Hawaii for a first-time politician is no easy task, but one of Penn’s former trainers thinks he’s up for the challenge.

During a recent interview with The Schmo, Jason Parillo gave his take on how Penn will do in politics.

“I was extremely excited for him. It’s perfect for BJ Penn,” Parillo said of Penn. “BJ Penn, what people don’t realize at the end of the day, he pays attention to politics. He pays attention to history. He’s a history buff. We’d be in camps and he’d just be on the internet reading history, day in and day out, talking to us, ‘Hey Parillo, what do you think of this?’…BJ cares a lot, he cares a lot about Hawaii more than anyone. He loves Hawaii. He loves his state, he really is a man of the people out there. At the end of the day, who else is going to do it?

“For me, it gives BJ a fight,” Parillo continued when asked about Penn. “He’s a true fighter, no one can talk him out of not fighting over his last couple of years of fighting. He needs something to focus on and he’ll put in his whole heart into it, he’ll put all his energy into it and I think he’ll make some good changes and good progress for Hawaii. Because at the end of the day, he’s not really going out there doing it for money. BJ’s done well for himself and doesn’t need something to do financially, he wants something to go out and make a difference in Hawaii and you gotta really respect him for that.”

While Parillo’s assessment is notable, Penn has also been criticized for his alleged ignorance about politics in Hawaii. During a recent appearance on The Joe Rogan Experience, he failed to answer what the income tax is in Hawaii and some of his other positions on issues.

Penn is widely regarded as one of the greatest UFC lightweights of all time. He competed against some of the top fighters in the sport at both lightweight and welterweight and enjoyed multiple title reigns.

How do you think BJ Penn will do in politics?

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BJ Penn Officially Running For Hawaii’s Governor Without Campaign Goals

BJ PennBJ Penn has made the move to run for Hawaii’s governor in the upcoming elections official. The former two-division UFC champ will be running as a Republican with four other candidates from the same side on the ballot. Along with the mixed martial artist, the other GOP contenders include two businesspersons, a retired U.S. army […]

BJ Penn

BJ Penn has made the move to run for Hawaii’s governor in the upcoming elections official.

The former two-division UFC champ will be running as a Republican with four other candidates from the same side on the ballot. Along with the mixed martial artist, the other GOP contenders include two businesspersons, a retired U.S. army officer, and a councilmember.

Penn aims to replace current Democratic Governor David Ige is term-limited and will be ineligible to run for a third term in office.

Adding another feather to his cap, ‘The Prodigy’ found his calling in politics during the pandemic. The 43-year-old aligned himself with the GOP after speaking out against mask mandates and vaccine restrictions. He had promised to lift them if elected governor.

Given that the world has largely gone back to normal with most restrictions already lifted over the last few months, Penn has yet to define his other gubernatorial goals. Although the official campaign website does not list any plan of action, Penn invites Hawaiians to “join the fight” by donating to his campaign: BJ Penn for Governor of Hawaii.

Penn has hinted at another sporting objective he wishes to seek. Taking to Instagram to share his promises with the fans, Penn announced that he would bring Hawaii its first NFL team as well as three UFC fights a year.

BJ Penn talks campaign on JRE

As one of the most gifted fighters inside the cage, BJ Penn may not find his skills translate as well to politics. In a recent appearance on the Joe Rogan Experience, Penn raised the issue of exorbitant state income taxes. He claimed Hawaii to have the highest one in the country whereas California actually has the highest tax rate. When probed by Rogan on what the rate was, Penn failed to come up with the answer.

“I don’t got the exact number right now but we talk about that often,” Penn said.

While Penn may not be a political expert, he is the most recognized candidate in the GOP primary. His popularity with the audience is what makes him a genuine challenge.

“Really, what he’s bringing to the race is his charisma and populist appeal, and I think that will be attractive to a lot of voters who frankly are very frustrated with the establishment Democratic Party here,” HNN political analyst Colin Moore told Hawaii News Now.

“He might not know that our top marginal income tax rate is 11%, but that’s not what people are really looking for him to deliver.”

Would you vote for BJ Penn?

BJ Penn Officially Running For Hawaii’s Governor Without Campaign Goals

BJ PennBJ Penn has made the move to run for Hawaii’s governor in the upcoming elections official. The former two-division UFC champ will be running as a Republican with four other candidates from the same side on the ballot. Along with the mixed martial artist, the other GOP contenders include two businesspersons, a retired U.S. army […]

BJ Penn

BJ Penn has made the move to run for Hawaii’s governor in the upcoming elections official.

The former two-division UFC champ will be running as a Republican with four other candidates from the same side on the ballot. Along with the mixed martial artist, the other GOP contenders include two businesspersons, a retired U.S. army officer, and a councilmember.

Penn aims to replace current Democratic Governor David Ige is term-limited and will be ineligible to run for a third term in office.

Adding another feather to his cap, ‘The Prodigy’ found his calling in politics during the pandemic. The 43-year-old aligned himself with the GOP after speaking out against mask mandates and vaccine restrictions. He had promised to lift them if elected governor.

Given that the world has largely gone back to normal with most restrictions already lifted over the last few months, Penn has yet to define his other gubernatorial goals. Although the official campaign website does not list any plan of action, Penn invites Hawaiians to “join the fight” by donating to his campaign: BJ Penn for Governor of Hawaii.

Penn has hinted at another sporting objective he wishes to seek. Taking to Instagram to share his promises with the fans, Penn announced that he would bring Hawaii its first NFL team as well as three UFC fights a year.

BJ Penn talks campaign on JRE

As one of the most gifted fighters inside the cage, BJ Penn may not find his skills translate as well to politics. In a recent appearance on the Joe Rogan Experience, Penn raised the issue of exorbitant state income taxes. He claimed Hawaii to have the highest one in the country whereas California actually has the highest tax rate. When probed by Rogan on what the rate was, Penn failed to come up with the answer.

“I don’t got the exact number right now but we talk about that often,” Penn said.

While Penn may not be a political expert, he is the most recognized candidate in the GOP primary. His popularity with the audience is what makes him a genuine challenge.

“Really, what he’s bringing to the race is his charisma and populist appeal, and I think that will be attractive to a lot of voters who frankly are very frustrated with the establishment Democratic Party here,” HNN political analyst Colin Moore told Hawaii News Now.

“He might not know that our top marginal income tax rate is 11%, but that’s not what people are really looking for him to deliver.”

Would you vote for BJ Penn?

BJ Penn: MMA Is Not A Career, It’s An Opportunity

BJ Penn is sending some words of wisdom to the younger generation. BJ Penn had a very successful run in the UFC. He was a multiple-division champion and beat some of the best fighters in the world. At 43 years old, Penn’s fighting days may be behind him and he is looking toward new opportunities….

Continue Reading BJ Penn: MMA Is Not A Career, It’s An Opportunity at MMA News.

BJ Penn is sending some words of wisdom to the younger generation.

BJ Penn had a very successful run in the UFC. He was a multiple-division champion and beat some of the best fighters in the world. At 43 years old, Penn’s fighting days may be behind him and he is looking toward new opportunities. Some may say his career as an MMA fighter was a successful one, but Penn may not agree that it was a career at all.

The former champion spoke recently to Joe Rogan on his podcast to shed some light on fighting for a living.

“I wanna say that to all of those fighters out there. Some of you guys are going to be world champions, some of you guys are going to make a lot of money, but let me remind all of you guys, MMA is not a career, it’s an opportunity,” Penn said via Essentially Sports. “And you go out and make the most of your opportunity when you get the chance.”

Penn began fighting in the UFC back in 2001. Over the course of 18 years, he fought in four different weight classes and won championships in two. The ending of his stint in the UFC was not as successful as the beginning of it. He ended his UFC run with seven straight losses. With such a long, storied run in the UFC, he is now taking all he learned and passing it along.

Penn is now shifting gears and trying his hand in politics. Penn is currently running for Governor of his home state of Hawaii. He recently registered to run as a Republican. He spoke about this as well as the Joe Rogan Experience.

It is of note, however, that over the last several years Penn has found himself in trouble with the law with a DUI that was later dropped and fighting in public on several occasions.

What do you think of BJ Penn’s advice to his fellow fighters?

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Gov. Candidate BJ Penn Accused Of Being Ignorant About Hawaii Politics

UFC legend BJ Penn has been accused of being ignorant about some basic information regarding the state of Hawaii’s politics despite the fact that he is running for office later this year. BJ Penn will be running for Hawaii governor late this year in the 2022 gubernatorial election. He is currently listed among five other…

Continue Reading Gov. Candidate BJ Penn Accused Of Being Ignorant About Hawaii Politics at MMA News.

UFC legend BJ Penn has been accused of being ignorant about some basic information regarding the state of Hawaii’s politics despite the fact that he is running for office later this year.

BJ Penn will be running for Hawaii governor late this year in the 2022 gubernatorial election. He is currently listed among five other candidates who have declared for the Republican Primary.

Penn is a former UFC lightweight and welterweight champion and is also a UFC Hall of Famer. However, although he has won championships as an athlete, some believe he is already undeserving of winning a seat in state office.

This comes after a recent appearance by Penn on The Joe Rogan Experience podcast. In the appearance, there was one notable exchange where Penn griped about the state income tax rate but was unable to disclose what the rate was.

Penn also criticized The Hawaii Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs by referencing crippling regulations and long delays. However, Penn was unable to delve deeper into the matter when pressed. You can view a brief clip of the exchange below.

It must be noted that this is but a 40-second clip of a three-hour podcast episode. Thus, readers, especially Hawaii citizens, are encouraged to listen to more of Wednesday’s JRE episode for more context as well as additional viewpoints from the gubernatorial candidate.

Two individuals who heard more than enough are renowned MMA reporters Luke Thomas and Ben Fowlkes, who responded to the above clip by accusing Penn of ignorance and being unqualified to hold political office.

“Bravely running for governor despite knowing nothing about his state’s government and remaining totally unwilling to learn,” Fowlkes wrote.

“One would imagine a) if you’re going to make claims about high tax rates it’s because you’re aware of what they are and b) this is extremely basic info one would need as a prerequisite to *start* a campaign on policy change. This is rudimentary, not esoteric/learn on the job info,” Luke Thomas chimed in when someone asked how Penn is “unwilling” to learn.

“This. Also he’s been running for, what, six months now? That’s plenty of time to learn if he’d wanted to. And the whole point of a campaign should be to demonstrate why people should vote for you. This is basically saying he’ll only bother to figure it out if he wins,” Fowlkes concluded.

The 2022 Hawaii gubernatorial election will be held on November 8, 2022. The Republican Primary is scheduled for August 13, 2022. You can learn more about the election here.

Continue Reading Gov. Candidate BJ Penn Accused Of Being Ignorant About Hawaii Politics at MMA News.

BJ Penn Makes His Political Pitch Ahead Of Hawaii Governor Race

Former UFC champion BJ Penn is promising a lot of change as he runs for governor of Hawaii later this year. Penn, a UFC legend who retired in 2019 following a seventh straight loss to Clay Guida at UFC 237, announced his intentions to run for governor last October. He initially ran on a platform…

Continue Reading BJ Penn Makes His Political Pitch Ahead Of Hawaii Governor Race at MMA News.

Former UFC champion BJ Penn is promising a lot of change as he runs for governor of Hawaii later this year.

Penn, a UFC legend who retired in 2019 following a seventh straight loss to Clay Guida at UFC 237, announced his intentions to run for governor last October. He initially ran on a platform opposing COVID-19 vaccine mandates, specifically in his beloved state of Hawaii.

In a recent Instagram post, Penn provided an exciting pitch to sports fans in Hawaii.

“Governor Penn will bring Hawaii its first NFL football team and 3 UFC fights a year,” Penn said. “It’s about time!”

Penn didn’t elaborate on how he intends to accomplish these goals if he were to win the gubernatorial race.

Many current and former UFC stars, including Penn, have dove headfirst into the world of politics. Tito Ortiz once served as the mayor of Huntington Beach, CA, while UFC welterweight contender Colby Covington has been an outspoken supporter of former U.S. President Donald Trump.

This is the first time that Penn has run for office and he doesn’t have any prior political experience. However, he has a devoted fanbase who feel that he can bring about substantial change to the islands.

How do you think BJ Penn will do in the upcoming elections?

Continue Reading BJ Penn Makes His Political Pitch Ahead Of Hawaii Governor Race at MMA News.