From the first time that BJ Penn put on a Gi, it seemed that he had the athleticism to progress quickly in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu at the age of seventeen. BJ Penn started Jiu-Jitsu when he was a teenager and quickly rose up the ranks to become a purple belt under Ralph Gracie. Not long after that, he was later awarded with black belt in year 2000. Most people would take longer than a decade to earn a black belt, but he was able to earn it in less than three years.

BJ Penn is The 1st Non-Brazilian To Win The World Jiu-Jitsu Championship

After training with Ralph Gracie the son of Robson Gracie, BJ Penn progressed from there by training under Andre Pederneiras. During his training with Andre, BJ Penn became the 1st non-Brazilian to win the World Jiu-Jitsu Championship Black belt Division. He defeated many black belt fighters who have been training for their whole entire life. Many people believe that he was one of the fastest people on earth to earn a black belt.

Penn Works Hard in Other Styles to Become a More Complete Fighter

When he was first convinced by the UFC President Dana White to join the UFC, he welcomed the challenge. BJ Penn worked hard to improve his boxing and Muay-Thai skills. The intensity to develop other MMA skills has made Penn even more dangerous than ever. He was no longer looked upon as one-dimensional for his outstanding Jiu-Jitsu; he was starting to win fights through striking.

BJ Penn Takes Fights in Different Weight Classes to Beat the Best

It’s interesting to note that BJ Penn won his first championship belt in the Welterweight Division, which is for mixed martial arts that weigh 156-170 Lbs. It was after he won the Welterweight division and then left the UFC, he came back and worked his way and became the UFC Lightweight Champion.

Penn is One of Two Fighters to Win a Belt in Two Different Weight Classes

Since January of 2008 he has held the title of UFC Lightweight Champion. It’s interesting to note that he is one of only two fighters in the history of the UFC that have won belts in two different weight classes, the other fighter is Randy Couture. Most mixed martial arts fans do not realize that before Penn became the UFC Lightweight Champion that he was the UFC Welterweight Champion.

What Made BJ Start Training Hardcore for his Last Few Fights

In the early days of mixed martial arts, he like other good fighters could be great at a certain style and that would suffice to bring them success. As the sport of mixed martial arts, evolved, he and other champions realized that it was imperative to be strong in all aspects of MMA in order to obtain and keep the championship belt. He is one of the most respected fighters in the MMA community and it looks like that will never change.

Author Bio: Jason Bacot – Enjoy watching MMA and BJ Penn in action? Well, you can read more about BJ Penn at is website.

Category: Sports
Keywords: bj penn, mma, mixed martial arts, bj penn mixed martial arts