Top 99 Quotes & Sayings by B. J. Penn

Explore popular quotes and sayings by an American athlete B. J. Penn.

Last updated on September 16, 2024.

Jay Dee "B.J." Penn III is an American former professional mixed martial artist and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu practitioner. Penn competed in the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) and in K-1. Penn was the first American Gold medalist of the World Jiu-Jitsu Championship. In mixed martial arts, Penn has competed in the Featherweight, Lightweight, Welterweight, Middleweight, and Heavyweight/Openweight divisions. A former UFC Lightweight Champion and UFC Welterweight Champion, he is the second of seven fighters in UFC history to win titles in multiple weight classes. Penn fought to a draw against Caol Uno in the UFC 41 Lightweight Tournament. Through his tenures as champion, Penn unofficially unified the UFC Lightweight Championship and broke the all-time lightweight title defense record. In 2015, Penn was made the inaugural inductee into the Modern-era wing of the UFC Hall of Fame.

American - Athlete | Born: December 13, 1978

Source: Wikipedia

Hawaiians are mellow people, but we all live on an island so we see each other all the time. So like you either got to be real nice, because once you have a problem with somebody, you're gonna see them over and over and over, and you're gonna end up fighting. That's why we fight. We're all stuck in one area. You can't get away.

B. J. Penn

I'd like to fight welterweight and lightweight at the same time if I could.

B. J. Penn

The UFC is martial arts and it's all about technique.

B. J. Penn

I think I could do good against some of the top welterweights. Yeah, pretty big guys, but you gotta live some times, you gotta step up sometime, huh?

B. J. Penn

I'd feel OK facing anyone for the welterweight title.

B. J. Penn

Tsunamis are always big news around Hilo, grew up always getting ready to escape a tsunami.

B. J. Penn

I separate my family life from fighting.

B. J. Penn

I should have never fought at 145.

B. J. Penn

When I first started fighting, I thought I was God's gift to fighting.

B. J. Penn

When the whole fighting thing started, I never knew at the end it was going to be all about your record. I never had that mentality. I wanted to fight everybody.

B. J. Penn

Out of Brazil, they're always gonna have another Wanderlei Silva, another Minotauro, another Anderson Silva.

B. J. Penn

Maybe if I had made the move in my early 20s it would have been different. But I did not feel good at 145.

B. J. Penn

Keith Kizer doesn't want to look anyone in the eye.

B. J. Penn

Back when we won the 170-pound title, I knew we were going to go back and get the 155-pound title but the 145-pound title wasn't even a thought in the mind. We would have had that title already if it was around.

B. J. Penn

I thought I would go win 100 in a row with 100 knockouts.

B. J. Penn

When I was 22 years old, I wanted to become the lightweight champion of the world.

B. J. Penn

I think I should stay retired.

B. J. Penn

Of course I can't retire on a win - but then, I can't retire on a loss either.

B. J. Penn

Fighting is still a fight for me. It always has been.

B. J. Penn

You look at somebody like Frankie Edgar and you think, 'oh, that little guy,' this and that. But these guys, they want it. And even if you're sitting there and you think you've figured something out, or got something you're going to surprise somebody with, the first thing you've got to do is have more heart than these guys.

B. J. Penn

I definitely like the rubber guard. I always try to use it, especially when I'm just grappling or at the gym.

B. J. Penn

Some days you think nothing surprises you anymore and other times I'm thinking I can't believe this journey and how it went down.

B. J. Penn

The last thing I'm trying to do is trying to look to go out into a fight. Ask anybody who knows me, I'm not the first guy to go around and just start pushing people.

B. J. Penn

The lion doesn't care that the sheep laugh at him. Remember that. The lion just stays there. The animals make noise and tease. The guy with the belt is the lion.

B. J. Penn

Jiu jitsu is a great art for self-defense. But jiu jitsu alone won't get you to a world championship in the UFC or even a winning record sometimes.

B. J. Penn

I live my life my way. I try to do the right thing, but I know there are going to be people who aren't happy with what I do or say no matter what, so I'm not going to worry about it.

B. J. Penn

As far as Mike Dolce goes, I would never hire him again for anything.

B. J. Penn

We see fighters fight their whole career and never get a title shot. It doesn't matter if they rack up 10 wins if people think they're boring. We all know how it works.

B. J. Penn

Mixed martial arts, UFC, or what have you, I don't think it has anything to do with rankings. It doesn't have to do with 'this guy beat this guy so he deserves a title shot.' It might be like that every once in a while, but this is entertainment and the two biggest names - the best story.

B. J. Penn

This is a fight. This isn't putting a ball in a hole. This has always been a fight for me, and I just love it when it's that way.

B. J. Penn

I want to leave a mark in this sport.

B. J. Penn

Do people talk about Kenny Florian coming from a wealthy family and all this? I don't think they do. People say these things about me when they don't even know me.

B. J. Penn

Fighting, to me, has always been something different than what everybody's else opinion is. I've never believed what everybody else has.

B. J. Penn

I don't want any freebie fights.

B. J. Penn

You can't make everyone happy no matter what. All I can do is live my life and try to be successful and please myself.

B. J. Penn

I'm not a great athlete that can play any sport. But one thing I could always do is... fight back.

B. J. Penn

I wish I owned the UFC, you know?

B. J. Penn

The sport has definitely moved beyond that founding idea of MMA, but without a doubt we wouldn't be sitting here right now if the Gracies didn't come here and teach their style and create the UFC.

B. J. Penn

Being the champ is fake, all of that is all fake.

B. J. Penn

This is my wife. MMA is my wife. For life.

B. J. Penn

2017 is going to be the biggest year for martial arts in the history of the Earth.

B. J. Penn

Fighting is still not a sport for me.

B. J. Penn

I don't want to just be, 'Oh, he was good back in the day.' I want to be known as one of the best.

B. J. Penn

My greatest moment in my whole career is when I became the first non-Brazilian to win the Brazilian jiu-jitsu world championship. That was my greatest moment.

B. J. Penn

Jiu-jitsu is created where the small man can beat the big man.

B. J. Penn

My lasting legacy now is just going to be in highlight reels.

B. J. Penn

I look for ways to try to build the sport, ways to put more fans in the seats and more money in our pockets.

B. J. Penn

There's just something about BJ Penn that gets people amped up. You don't know what's going to happen but something is going to happen. He might disappoint you, make you happy, make you cry or make you jump out of your chair, but he'll do something to you.

B. J. Penn

Martial arts was founded on the spirit that it's not only a sport, but a way of life.

B. J. Penn

Honestly, I don't have any special techniques for Sean Sherk.

B. J. Penn

I know there are a lot of others who are willing to take shortcuts for the sake of money, but when I see that... I get real irritated. I hate it.

B. J. Penn

For me Keith Kizer can't be trusted, the head of the Athletic Commission can't be trusted. I never want to fight under the Nevada State Athletic Commission again.

B. J. Penn

I would never take a fight with someone to one-up someone else. You know, you do things because you want to do them.

B. J. Penn

I have my own morals I live by.

B. J. Penn

I just love the fighting.

B. J. Penn

As life goes on, life just gets harder.

B. J. Penn

My best moment in the UFC, I guess now that I look back, I guess my biggest accomplishment is the two belts in two weight classes. I really wanted to see if I could make it three, but you know, you're talking about the best guys in the world.

B. J. Penn

It isn't always the funnest feeling, sparring three days a week, getting punched in the face at 38 years old, it might not always be the funnest feeling but it's better than a lot of other things. I love it.

B. J. Penn

Jon Fitch is a great opponent, a tough opponent, but St. Pierre brings the whole backing of Canada with him to a fight.

B. J. Penn

You just go out there, you've got to keep training, keeping training as hard as you can and keep winning fights. The only thing that's real is the fight. Everything else is fake.

B. J. Penn

Top 99 Quotes & Sayings by B. J. Penn

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