“The Prodigy” Lightweight
BJ Penn
12-13-2
UFC record, 27 fights, 356.3 min
16-14-2
Pro record, all promotions, as ufcstats lists it
5-5
in 11 title fights
- Height
- 5'9"
- Reach
- 70"
- Weight
- 155 lb
- Stance
- Orthodox
- Born
- Wed, Dec 13, 1978, age 47
- First UFC fight
- Fri, May 4, 2001
- Latest UFC fight
- Sat, May 11, 2019
01/How he wins
in 12 wins
7 KO/TKO (facial cut, flying knee head, knee to head at distance, punch to head at distance, punches to head at distance, punches to head from back control, punches to head from mount), 4 submissions, 1 decision in 12 wins
| How the fight ended | His wins | His losses |
|---|---|---|
| KO/TKO | 7 | 4 |
| Submission | 4 | 1 |
| Decision | 1 | 8 |
| All | 12 | 13 |
2 draws not in either column
02/Career rates
27 fights, 356.3 min
Sig strikes landed
2.80 per min
999 in 356.3 min, 27 fights
Sig strike accuracy
47.5%
999 of 2,101 attempts
Sig strikes absorbed
3.48 per min
1,239 of 2,873 landed on him in 356.3 min
Takedowns
1.09 per 15 min
26 of 45 · 356.3 min
Takedown accuracy
57.8%
26 of 45 attempts
Takedown defence
109 of 143
defended of attempted on him, 356.3 min
Control time
2:27 per 15 min
58:05 of 356:17
Knockdowns
7
scored in 356.3 min, 27 fights
Submission attempts
0.51 per 15 min
12 in 356.3 min
Where his sig strikes land
63% distance, 21% clinch, 16% ground
628 distance, 210 clinch, 161 ground of 999 landed
What he hits
78% head, 16% body, 5% leg
783 head, 162 body, 54 leg of 999 landed
Cage time
356:17
27 fights, the minutes every rate above is counted in
03/Title fights
5-5 in 11
- Lv Frankie EdgarLightweight, title fight. Sat, Aug 28, 2010, UFC 118: Edgar vs Penn 2. Unanimous decision, R5 5:00
- Lv Frankie EdgarLightweight, title fight. Sat, Apr 10, 2010, UFC 112: Invincible. Unanimous decision, R5 5:00
- Wv Diego SanchezLightweight, title fight. Sat, Dec 12, 2009, UFC 107: Penn vs Sanchez. TKO - Doctor's Stoppage, R5 2:37
- Wv Kenny FlorianLightweight, title fight. Sat, Aug 8, 2009, UFC 101: Declaration. Submission, R4 3:54
- Lv Georges St-PierreWelterweight, title fight. Sat, Jan 31, 2009, UFC 94: St-Pierre vs Penn 2. KO/TKO, R4 5:00
- Wv Sean SherkLightweight, title fight. Sat, May 24, 2008, UFC 84: Ill Will. KO/TKO, R3 5:00
- Wv Joe StevensonLightweight, title fight. Sat, Jan 19, 2008, UFC 80: Rapid Fire. Submission, R2 4:02
- Lv Matt HughesWelterweight, title fight. Sat, Sep 23, 2006, UFC 63: Hughes vs Penn. KO/TKO, R3 3:53
- Wv Matt HughesWelterweight, title fight. Sat, Jan 31, 2004, UFC 46: Supernatural. Submission, R1 4:39
- Dv Caol UnoLightweight, title fight. Fri, Feb 28, 2003, UFC 41: Onslaught. Split decision, R5 5:00
- Lv Jens PulverLightweight, title fight. Fri, Jan 11, 2002, UFC 35: Throwdown. Majority decision, R5 5:00
04/By division
3 divisions
| Fights | Record | Min | Sig strikes | Per min | Takedowns | Control | KD | Finishes in wins | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Featherweight | 3 | 0-3-0 | 34.7 | 74 of 195 | 2.13 | 0 of 0 | 2:24 of 34:40 | 1 | 0 in 0 |
| Lightweight | 16 | 10-5-1 | 222.7 | 707 of 1,433 | 3.17 | 22 of 33 | 42:51 of 222:44 | 5 | 9 in 10 |
| Welterweight | 8 | 2-5-1 | 98.9 | 218 of 473 | 2.20 | 4 of 12 | 12:50 of 98:53 | 1 | 2 in 2 |
| All | 27 | 12-13-2 | 356.3 | 999 of 2,101 | 2.80 | 26 of 45 | 58:05 of 356:17 | 7 | 11 in 12 |
05/By year
2001 to 2019
| Fights | Record | Min | Sig strikes | Per min | Takedowns | Control | KD | Finishes in wins | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | 1 | 0-1-0 | 15.0 | 64 of 177 | 4.27 | 0 of 0 | 0:00 of 15:00 | 0 | 0 in 0 |
| 2018 | 1 | 0-1-0 | 2.8 | 3 of 8 | 1.08 | 0 of 0 | 1:33 of 2:46 | 0 | 0 in 0 |
| 2017 | 2 | 0-2-0 | 20.4 | 61 of 129 | 2.99 | 0 of 0 | 2:24 of 20:24 | 1 | 0 in 0 |
| 2014 | 1 | 0-1-0 | 14.3 | 13 of 66 | 0.91 | 0 of 0 | 0:00 of 14:16 | 0 | 0 in 0 |
| 2012 | 1 | 0-1-0 | 15.0 | 24 of 89 | 1.60 | 0 of 2 | 0:56 of 15:00 | 0 | 0 in 0 |
| 2011 | 2 | 0-1-1 | 30.0 | 100 of 193 | 3.33 | 3 of 7 | 5:01 of 30:00 | 0 | 0 in 0 |
| 2010 | 3 | 1-2-0 | 50.4 | 114 of 417 | 2.26 | 2 of 3 | 1:28 of 50:21 | 1 | 1 in 1 |
| 2009 | 3 | 2-1-0 | 61.5 | 143 of 262 | 2.32 | 1 of 4 | 6:06 of 61:31 | 0 | 2 in 2 |
| 2008 | 2 | 2-0-0 | 24.0 | 163 of 244 | 6.78 | 0 of 1 | 6:41 of 24:02 | 3 | 2 in 2 |
| 2007 | 1 | 1-0-0 | 8.2 | 23 of 31 | 2.80 | 3 of 3 | 4:54 of 8:12 | 0 | 1 in 1 |
| 2006 | 2 | 0-2-0 | 28.9 | 54 of 122 | 1.87 | 1 of 2 | 2:16 of 28:53 | 0 | 0 in 0 |
| 2004 | 1 | 1-0-0 | 4.7 | 17 of 23 | 3.66 | 0 of 0 | 4:08 of 4:39 | 0 | 1 in 1 |
| 2003 | 1 | 0-0-1 | 25.0 | 67 of 93 | 2.68 | 5 of 8 | 7:09 of 25:00 | 0 | 0 in 0 |
| 2002 | 3 | 2-1-0 | 48.4 | 120 of 201 | 2.48 | 8 of 11 | 10:47 of 48:23 | 0 | 1 in 2 |
| 2001 | 3 | 3-0-0 | 7.8 | 33 of 46 | 4.21 | 3 of 4 | 4:42 of 7:50 | 2 | 3 in 3 |
| All | 27 | 12-13-2 | 356.3 | 999 of 2,101 | 2.80 | 26 of 45 | 58:05 of 356:17 | 7 | 11 in 12 |
A career line lumps every year together, and a fighter’s 2014 does not describe his 2026. Each year here is the same count over that year’s fights alone, with its own minutes, so it can be read against the career line beneath it.
06/By round
in the fights that reached it
| Fights reached | Min in it | Sig strikes | Per min | Takedowns | Control | KD | Sub att | Ended here | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Round 1 | 27 of 27 | 120.6 | 391 of 710 | 3.24 | 10 of 16 | 31:11 of 120:36 | 4 | 5 | 6, won 5 |
| Round 2 | 21 of 27 | 96.0 | 259 of 580 | 2.70 | 5 of 8 | 16:20 of 96:01 | 2 | 5 | 4, won 3 |
| Round 3 | 17 of 27 | 83.2 | 215 of 503 | 2.59 | 4 of 11 | 2:39 of 83:09 | 1 | 1 | 10, won 2 |
| Round 4 | 7 of 27 | 33.9 | 73 of 164 | 2.15 | 6 of 7 | 5:57 of 33:54 | 0 | 1 | 2, won 1 |
| Round 5 | 5 of 27 | 22.6 | 61 of 144 | 2.70 | 1 of 3 | 1:58 of 22:37 | 0 | 0 | 5, won 1 |
Round length is read from each fight’s round format, so a 12-minute opening round from 1995 counts its twelve minutes. A round is counted only for the fights that reached it; the first column is the denominator for the rest of the row.
07/Fight log
27 fights, newest first
| Date | Opponent | Result | Sig strikes | Takedowns | Control | KD | Time | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sat, May 11, 2019UFC 237: Namajunas vs. Andrade | Clay GuidaLightweight | LUnanimous decision, R3 5:00Fabio Alves 28 - 29. Derek Cleary 28 - 29. Hallison Pontes 27 - 29. | 64 of 177 | 0 of 0 | 0:00 | 0 | 15:00 | Rounds |
| Sat, Dec 29, 2018UFC 232: Jones vs. Gustafsson 2 | Ryan HallLightweight | LSubmission, R1 2:46Heel Hook After Drop to Ground | 3 of 8 | 0 of 0 | 1:33 | 0 | 2:46 | Rounds |
| Sun, Jun 25, 2017UFC Fight Night: Chiesa vs. Lee | Dennis SiverFeatherweight | LMajority decision, R3 5:00Marcos Rosales 28 - 28. Cardo Urso 28 - 29. Gerald Ritter 27 - 29. | 57 of 107 | 0 of 0 | 2:02 | 1 | 15:00 | Rounds |
| Sun, Jan 15, 2017UFC Fight Night: Rodriguez vs. Penn | Yair RodriguezFeatherweight | LKO/TKO, R2 0:24Punches to Head At Distance | 4 of 22 | 0 of 0 | 0:22 | 0 | 5:24 | Rounds |
| Sun, Jul 6, 2014The Ultimate Fighter: Team Edgar vs. Team Penn Finale | Frankie EdgarFeatherweight | LKO/TKO, R3 4:16Punches to Head From Guard | 13 of 66 | 0 of 0 | 0:00 | 0 | 14:16 | Rounds |
| Sat, Dec 8, 2012UFC on FOX: Henderson vs Diaz | Rory MacDonaldWelterweight | LUnanimous decision, R3 5:00Sal D'amato 26 - 30. Lester Griffin 26 - 30. Marcos Rosales 27 - 30. | 24 of 89 | 0 of 2 | 0:56 | 0 | 15:00 | Rounds |
| Sat, Oct 29, 2011UFC 137: Penn vs Diaz | Nick DiazWelterweight | LUnanimous decision, R3 5:00Adalaide Byrd 28 - 29. Tony Weeks 27 - 29. Roy Silbert 28 - 29. | 88 of 164 | 1 of 4 | 1:25 | 0 | 15:00 | Rounds |
| Sat, Feb 26, 2011UFC 127: Penn vs Fitch | Jon FitchWelterweight | DMajority decision, R3 5:00Barry Foley 29 - 28. Sal D'amato 28 - 28. Chris Lee 28 - 28. | 12 of 29 | 2 of 3 | 3:36 | 0 | 15:00 | Rounds |
| Sat, Nov 20, 2010UFC 123: Rampage vs Machida | Matt HughesWelterweight | WKO/TKO, R1 0:21Punch to Head At Distance | 7 of 9 | 0 of 0 | 0:03 | 1 | 0:21 | Rounds |
| Sat, Aug 28, 2010UFC 118: Edgar vs Penn 2 | Frankie EdgarLightweight, title fight | LUnanimous decision, R5 5:00Sal D'amato 45 - 50. David Ginsberg 45 - 50. Cecil Peoples 45 - 50. | 36 of 146 | 2 of 3 | 1:25 | 0 | 25:00 | Rounds |
| Sat, Apr 10, 2010UFC 112: Invincible | Frankie EdgarLightweight, title fight | LUnanimous decision, R5 5:00Doug Crosby 45 - 50. Sal D'amato 47 - 48. Andy Roberts 46 - 49. | 71 of 262 | 0 of 0 | 0:00 | 0 | 25:00 | Rounds |
| Sat, Dec 12, 2009UFC 107: Penn vs Sanchez | Diego SanchezLightweight, title fight | WTKO - Doctor's Stoppage, R5 2:37Facial Cut | 70 of 131 | 0 of 0 | 1:30 | 0 | 22:37 | Rounds |
| Sat, Aug 8, 2009UFC 101: Declaration | Kenny FlorianLightweight, title fight | WSubmission, R4 3:54Rear Naked Choke | 57 of 94 | 1 of 3 | 4:10 | 0 | 18:54 | Rounds |
| Sat, Jan 31, 2009UFC 94: St-Pierre vs Penn 2 | Georges St-PierreWelterweight, title fight | LKO/TKO, R4 5:00to Corner Stoppage | 16 of 37 | 0 of 1 | 0:26 | 0 | 20:00 | Rounds |
| Sat, May 24, 2008UFC 84: Ill Will | Sean SherkLightweight, title fight | WKO/TKO, R3 5:00Flying Knee Head | 122 of 175 | 0 of 1 | 0:07 | 1 | 15:00 | Rounds |
| Sat, Jan 19, 2008UFC 80: Rapid Fire | Joe StevensonLightweight, title fight | WSubmission, R2 4:02Rear Naked Choke | 41 of 69 | 0 of 0 | 6:34 | 2 | 9:02 | Rounds |
| Sat, Jun 23, 2007The Ultimate Fighter: Team Pulver vs. Team Penn Finale | Jens PulverLightweight | WSubmission, R2 3:12Rear Naked Choke | 23 of 31 | 3 of 3 | 4:54 | 0 | 8:12 | Rounds |
| Sat, Sep 23, 2006UFC 63: Hughes vs Penn | Matt HughesWelterweight, title fight | LKO/TKO, R3 3:53Punches to Head From Crucifix | 17 of 37 | 0 of 1 | 1:58 | 0 | 13:53 | Rounds |
| Sat, Mar 4, 2006UFC 58: USA vs Canada | Georges St-PierreWelterweight | LSplit decision, R3 5:00Nelson Hamilton 28 - 29. Cecil Peoples 29 - 28. Marcos Rosales 28 - 29. | 37 of 85 | 1 of 1 | 0:18 | 0 | 15:00 | Rounds |
| Sat, Jan 31, 2004UFC 46: Supernatural | Matt HughesWelterweight, title fight | WSubmission, R1 4:39Rear Naked Choke | 17 of 23 | 0 of 0 | 4:08 | 0 | 4:39 | Rounds |
| Fri, Feb 28, 2003UFC 41: Onslaught | Caol UnoLightweight, title fight | DSplit decision, R5 5:00Steve Rice 48 - 48. Doug Crosby 46 - 48. Tony Mullinax 48 - 47. | 67 of 93 | 5 of 8 | 7:09 | 0 | 25:00 | Rounds |
| Fri, Sep 27, 2002UFC 39: The Warriors Return | Matt SerraLightweight | WUnanimous decision, R3 5:00Cecil Peoples 28 - 29. Jeff Mullen 28 - 29. Doug Crosby 28 - 29. | 32 of 52 | 1 of 1 | 0:55 | 0 | 15:00 | Rounds |
| Fri, May 10, 2002UFC 37: High Impact | Paul CreightonLightweight | WKO/TKO, R2 3:23Punches to Head From Mount | 39 of 56 | 0 of 0 | 3:29 | 0 | 8:23 | Rounds |
| Fri, Jan 11, 2002UFC 35: Throwdown | Jens PulverLightweight, title fight | LMajority decision, R5 5:00Doug Crosby 45 - 48. Tony Mullinax 47 - 48. Jeff Mullen 47 - 47. | 49 of 93 | 7 of 10 | 6:23 | 0 | 25:00 | Rounds |
| Fri, Nov 2, 2001UFC 34: High Voltage | Caol UnoLightweight | WKO/TKO, R1 0:11Punches to Head At Distance | 5 of 6 | 1 of 1 | 0:02 | 1 | 0:11 | Rounds |
| Fri, Jun 29, 2001UFC 32: Showdown in the Meadowlands | Din ThomasLightweight | WKO/TKO, R1 2:42Knee to Head At Distance | 6 of 8 | 0 of 1 | 0:09 | 1 | 2:42 | Rounds |
| Fri, May 4, 2001UFC 31: Locked and Loaded | Joey GilbertLightweight | WKO/TKO, R1 4:57Punches to Head From Back Control | 22 of 32 | 2 of 2 | 4:31 | 0 | 4:57 | Rounds |
UFC bouts only, counted from the fight rows; the promotion’s listed pro record above covers every promotion and is a different denominator. Volume is per minute of cage time and accuracy per attempt; how he finishes is counted in his wins, the one place a fight is the unit. Significant strikes only. Control time the source did not record is absent, never 0:00.