BJ Penn is seeking another challenge, this time outside the octagon. The UFC Hall of Famer, who is going through a turbulent period marked by legal problems, has announced that he is running for public office, attempting to be elected to the District 1 council.
The announcement was made through a video posted on social media, in which the former Ultimate champion confirmed his candidacy and called for popular support.
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“This is how you change things in Hawaii. Vote BJP. The primaries. When I get in, we all get in,” declared BJ Penn.
This is not the first time the former UFC champion has tried his luck in politics. BJ Penn previously ran for governor of Hawaii in 2022, but failed to secure the necessary number of votes to be elected.
BJ Penn is having legal problems.
BJ Penn was arrested multiple times in 2025. Photo: Reproduction/X
Lorraine Shin, BJ Penn's mother, accused her son of abusive behavior and obtained a restraining order against him in August 2025. According to her, the request was motivated by episodes of intimidation, theft, manipulation of security cameras, and even signs of delirium on the part of the former wrestler, who was arrested twice in May of that year.
In one account, Shin stated that Penn believed family members had been replaced by imposters, a condition consistent with what is known as Capgras syndrome.
This was not the first time BJ Penn had faced legal problems involving his mother. In June 2025, the former champion had already been forced, by court order, to leave the residence he shared with her.
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