Mixed martial artists come from every corner of the globe, bearing a variety of styles. Sometimes, fighters are products of their environment, favoring disciplines prevalent in the country or state from which they hail. Various regions of the United States are considered factories for great fighters, though that certainly is not the case with each state. In this weekly Sherdog.com series, the spotlight will shine on the best mixed martial artist of all-time from each of the 50 states. Fighters do not necessarily need to be born in a given state to represent it; they simply need to be associated with it. For example, reigning Ultimate Fighting Championship welterweight titleholder Robbie Lawler may have been born in San Diego, but few would recognize him as a Californian.
When discussing MMA and the state of Hawaii, all roads point in the same direction: B.J. Penn. “The Prodigy” is one of the most talented fighters to ever compete in the sport, and when he burst into the Ultimate Fighting Championship in May 2001, no one had seen his combination of destructive striking and world-class jiu-jitsu.
Penn first surfaced as a name to watch in 2000, when he became the first non-Brazilian to win the Mundials at the black-belt level. Andre Pederneiras had awarded the Hawaiian his black belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu after just three years of formal training. Penn had no issues in his transition to mixed martial arts. He became the second fighter in history to capture UFC titles in two weight classes, first as a welterweight, then as a lightweight.
Though Penn had a long history of not applying himself in training, he had more than enough natural ability to mask his flaws and stay at or near the top of the sport for years. Wins over Caol Uno, Sean Sherk, Takanori Gomi, Renzo Gracie, Diego Sanchez, Kenny Florian, Jens Pulver and UFC hall of famer Matt Hughes highlight his resume. When it comes to fighters from the “Aloha State,” Penn is in a league of his own.
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