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STAR-ADVERTISER / AUG. 2012
B.J. Penn, a former world champion at 155 and 170 pounds, had announced he had plans to return to the UFC after retiring following a July 2014 loss to Frankie Edgar.
Former two-division UFC champion B.J. Penn released a statement tonight, refuting allegations by a former employee and his girlfriend that he assaulted a woman.
Pedro Alex Carrasco, a former employee of bjpenn.com, went on Twitter on Tuesday and accused Penn of sexually assaulting Carrasco’s girlfriend and drug use.
Tired of seeing this pervert BJ Penn in the news. Dude's a cocaine addict, who sexually assaulted my Playboy model GF, and I have proof.
— Pedro Alex Carrasco (@LATLPEDRO) February 16, 2016
Penn responded saying. “The allegations that Pedro and his girlfriend are making against BJ Penn simply aren’t true. Penn trusted Pedro to run his website for almost a decade and considered him family. He was fired last year for unethical behavior and was provided a severance that ended on February 16, 2016. One day later allegations appeared in a one sided Twitter rant which happen to be many months after the alleged date in question.
“There are many holes in Pedro’s story. In the almost 15 years that Penn has been a champion fighter there has not ever been any incident or allegation in regards to his conduct with women. He is family man and father of two young daughters with a known long term girlfriend. It is unfortunate that someone that BJ considered family is trying to extort him.”
The UFC released a statement of its own on Thursday saying it has postponed plans to book Penn for an upcoming fight until more details are determined.
“UFC is aware of the recent allegations made against BJ Penn,” the statement read. “The organization required all athletes who compete in the UFC to act in an ethical and responsible manner, as detailed in the UFC Fighter Conduct Policy. Every athlete is deserving of proper review and this situation, as with any serious allegation, will be investigated by an independent party and thoroughly reviewed by the UFC. The UFC organization will also cooperate with any law enforcement investigation.
Penn, who retired following a July 2014 loss to Frankie Edgar, has been training in Albuquerque, N.M., for a potential return to the cage.
Hawaii island police would not comment Wednesday when asked by the Honolulu Star-Advertiser if there was an investigation. However ESPN reported today that the Delaware County Sheriff’s Office in Ohio said a 29-year-old female reported on Tuesday that she was assaulted by Penn on Hawaii island on Aug. 31. The ESPN report says the matter has been referred to Hawaii island police.
Penn was inducted into the UFC Hall of Fame last summer.
Alpha dog should keep his macho ego within the ring. Outside of that, he is just the same as us.
More bad behavior by Penn. Seems to come with the territory of individuals into MMA fighting.
Penn should retire already.
But “UFC holds athletes who compete in the organization to the highest standard…”
No. Don’t retire yet. We already have ten thousand boomers doing that every day for the next twenty years.
So Penn was assaulted by a former employee?? STAR ADVERTISER needs to hire better HEADLINE writers.
The allegation of assault is by a former employee. The headline is fine.
Penn needs to go away. It bums me out that a guy like this acts this way and locals, especially younger kids, look up to him. Just because of what he does in a ring doesn’t make him someone to look up to.
I heard he has money trouble in addition to the legal problems. Go away.
The chick’s boyfriend is outing Penn on Twitter. Says he is a Coke head and he forced himself on the chick cause the guy looked at Penn’s GF’s buttocks.
Sheesh man.
BJ been pounded pretty good his last few fights. Maybe he not thinking straight?
Good excuse I’ll tell my boys to use that one in case they get caught doing something like that.
maybe it’s the coke, how do you spell R-E-T-I-R-E
Time for him to search the plenty of fish website.
this guy is a loser..why would anyone look up to him?..look at his win/loss record..nothing stellar about it
Personally, I used to box, so I’m not up on MMA, but almost all of the lifetime rankings of all fighters has BJ in the top 10. Sounds like he’s pretty much of a success, at least in his chosen field.
Um, no. Money problems is the least of his (and his family’s) worries.
They changed the headline. Do your homework before you start yapping.
Try read again.
aiya beej..smh lol
Hang it up already.
doesn’t he already have a girlfriend?
So you’re saying that guys with girlfriends don’t do these kind of things?
no you just said it.
Signs of the times. Girlfriend or boyfriend is acceptable.
BJ took too many shots to the head. CTE does strange things to people.
Or maybe he was trash to begin with.
Before BJ got famous, him and his boys used to go around the Big Island and crash parties. They would pick fights, surround a selected guy, and let BJ (a world champion in Jiu Jitsu at this time) beat up on some drunk and unsuspecting partier. He did that to a buddy of mine. Never got charged because he’s got connections there in the Big Island police department. What he’s done recently does not surprise me at all. He’s been entitled for most of his life and has never learned in his ways because people there “look out” for him. When the UFC gave him attention, it got worse.
Just listen to what he says and watch how he carries himself. I was born and raised on the Big Island and I always support and am extremely proud of anything and anyone from there. Sudden Rush, Konawaena girls Bball, Kolten Wong, Kaulana Noa, etc. When people find out I’m from the Big Isle and mention BJ, all I do is smh… What we are seeing now is what he has always been and what he will always be… He will never change unless he does some prison time and learns the hard way. As always, I expect the charges to be dropped for one reason or another… I hope Braddah Carasco has some good evidence to really teach BJ one lesson… Once and for all…
One man’s trash is another man’s treasure.
would not be surprise. should not be a role model.
B.J., focus your time on your gym otherwise you will lose it.
Too late. He’s damaged goods.
I used to wonder what “B.J.” stood for and now I know – “Bad Judgement.”
My wife told me otherwise what BJ stands for, last night.
For 2 seconds.
Let’s hope the Big Island police don’t foul up the investigation “IF YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN”?
Time for BEEEJ to go away for a while! Like Halawa……away !
Dana White has a man crush on Penn. The guy doesnt train and has been a poor performer for a decade. Why let him continue. We know he has money problems but who is going to pay to watch him?
Money problems? Mark Zuckerberg will bail him out, like he did with Mr. West.
Looks like this perp has more issues then many believe. Maybe Penn will be spending time in the Pen.
My puppies are never tied down or put in a pen. Free range dogs.
Puppies are what makes the world go round. That, and Hello Kittah Pez dispensers.
Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy!!!
To many cracks!!!
His lawyer is way ahead of you.
Exactly, primo1. Attorneys will use CTE as the reason that anyone in contact sports commits a crime. There can be anecdotal evidence of CTE, but it can’t be definitively diagnosed without an autopsy.
Contra Ku?
This guy is an i…t but not as much as his fans. But both are brainless.
Bradda has a cocaine habit ? How did He pass the drug testing which UFC is pretty strict on and has suspended well known fighters for drug use. ?
There are two sides to every story….
Yes, before you geniuses rush to judgement, this article was updated in the evening to now include the BJ camp’s side of the story. If Penn’s claims are not complete lies, they cast a shadow on the actions of the former employee and his “Playboy model GF.” Let’s wait for more details, bruddahs and sistahs.
BJ IS FULL OF BS…
I met my wife over the BS. Beef Stew.
Life is too short. Can’t be sitting around to watch the paint dry.
Along the evolutionary trail, certain subspecies hit dead ends. One particular one is the subspecies made up of UFC members and their fans. Thank goodness evolution has a way of culling these mutations from proliferating.
Darwinism. Only problem is it takes too long to cull the herd.