BJ Penn Ruled Mentally Fit To Stand Trial

A judge has ruled former UFC champion BJ Penn (16-14-2) mentally fit to stand trial on multiple charges stemming from allegations in 2025 that he abused his mother and violated a restraining order.

“The court, having reviewed the reports of defendant’s appointed examiner and noting that neither the state nor the defendant’s counsel contests the findings and contents of the report, finds by a preponderance of the evidence that defendant is fit to proceed.”

Penn, 47, was ordered to undergo a mental evaluation in October after a string of arrests in 2025, including on back-to-back days in May. He has repeatedly posted online claiming his mother had been murdered and replaced by imposters seeking to steal his family’s inheritance, publicly calling on the Hawaiian Police Department to investigate.

Penn’s mother has stated in court that she believes her son suffers from Capgras syndrome, a rare psychological condition in which an individual believes those close to them have been replaced by imposters, with known causes including dementia and brain injury.

The former UFC lightweight and welterweight champion retired from MMA in 2019 following a seven-fight losing streak that stretched from 2011, during which he suffered three knockout defeats.