Sunday's "Warriors Don't Bully" event at Hawai‘i Elite MMA served as a gathering for some of the state's most prominent mixed martial arts figures.
Fighters and coaches came together to instruct approximately 54 children on a bevy of self-defense techniques in response to a viral bullying incident that occurred in Wahiawā.
Throughout the course of the three-hour event, instructors at the event stressed concepts such as diffusing a situation and running away from a dangerous occurrence if possible, especially if one is outnumbered.
Taking care of one's health, both physical and mental, was also a topic touched on by fighters present at the event. Former UFC fighter Martin Day, for example, said he hopes the keiki present integrate some sort of consistent training into their lives in order to develop discipline and self-confidence.
Former and current UFC fighters were at the event. So were former champions, such as former Bellator flyweight champion Ilima-Lei Macfarlane. Macfarlane, who flew in from her residence in California to organize the event, rounded up some of the biggest names in the sport, past and present, to come together for a cause that resonated with many.
One name that would have fit the description if not for legal struggles was Hawai‘i native B.J. Penn, viewed as perhaps the most influential figure in the history of Hawai‘i MMA. Penn, 46, was a UFC champion at welterweight and lightweight, just the second person in the organization's history to become a champion in two different weight classes behind Randy Couture. The UFC has opened four UFC B.J. Penn Gyms in O‘ahu, as well as an additional B.J. Penn Gym in Hilo.
Penn's last victory in the UFC came against Matt Hughes at UFC 123 on Nov. 20, 2010. His career ended with a draw against Jon Fitch on Feb. 27, 2011, followed by a string of seven consecutive losses, the most recent to Clay Guida at UFC 237 on May 11, 2019.
Penn has had legal struggles dating back to the time he was still with the UFC. In 2015, he was arrested in Kihei after fighting another man outside of a bar. In 2019, his former partner Shealen Uaiwa filed a restraining order against him. That same year, he also fought a bouncer outside of a Honolulu strip club and was involved in a bar brawl in Pāhoa. In 2021, he was changed with a DUI in Honoka‘a.
Penn's most recent legal troubles saw him get arrested three times in the span of six days in May. He claimed on his personal Instagram account that family members of his had been killed and replaced by imposters. Penn was arrested on May 25 and 26 on charges that stemmed from abuse of a household or family member. Penn's mother, Lorraine Shin, filed a temporary restraining order against him. Penn was arrested again on May 31 after failing to appear in court.
State court records show that a Hilo family court judge extended a protective order against Penn until Nov. 23. He is scheduled to appear in court on June 24. Penn was also sued — successfully — by Kealii Bertelmann in a civil case over accusations Penn made that Bertelmann had stolen from Lahaina fire victims, impersonated Hawai‘i Gov. Josh Green, and more, according to online records and media accounts.
In light of B.J. Penn's legal struggles, Aloha State Daily asked a handful of fighters at Sunday's Warriors Don't Bully event about their thoughts on what Penn is going through. Each fighter voiced genuine concern towards Penn while expressing the desire that he gets help. Below are their answers in full:
Ilima-Lei Macfarlane, former Bellator champion:
"Oh my gosh, braddah B.J. I mean, it's sad, and I think that as much as we love fighting, I think all the other fighters in the room today can attest to this, but as much as we love the sport, we do need to protect our health, and not just our physical health, but our brain health, our mental health. It's a tough sport and that's one of the big reasons why I wanted to retire sooner than later. It's because we have to protect our brains. I think that in B.J.'s case, I'm no doctor or expert, but I'm pretty sure there is some combination of CTE involved, and I'm hoping that he's able to get treatment, and I'm hoping, too, that the UFC is able to provide some kind of, you know, as fighters, there's no union. We don't get health insurance. There's no promotion that offers health insurance or medical benefits or anything like that, which is sad, because, again, we're sacrificing. We're literally putting our lives on the line to step inside that cage. So, I really hope that the UFC steps up and they come and help B.J., somebody who's made literally millions of dollars for their promotion and has contributed a lot to the fight sport. I really hope that they step up and they get him some help. And I hope that maybe this is a wake-up call for other fighters that we really need to take care of our brains."
Brad Tavares, current UFC middleweight:
"That's another situation that breaks my heart, because I've known B.J. for years. He's a really solid dude. I feel like I kind of seen it a while ago, and at first when he started making weird posts, I don't think the majority of people really was keen to it. But then I think when the focus started shifting to close friends and family of his, I think then people started really paying attention, like, oh, something is wrong there. But I've been praying for him. And I mean, I feel like right now that's all we can do, is just pray for him. Continue to pray for the Penn ‘ohana, and I just hope that he gets whatever help or whatever it is that he needs, because like I said, I've known him for years, always been a good, solid dude, probably one of the the greatest fighters to ever come out of Hawai‘i, as one of those guys that we all looked up that made an impact on our lives, so just wishing the best for him and his family."
Martin Day, former UFC bantamweight:
"B.J. is a personal friend of mine, my heart goes out to him and his family. I really hope and pray that B.J. gets the help that it looks like he needs. I mean, shoot, if B.J. hears this, or family hears this, I just I pray for that guy, and I wish him the best, and I hope he can take care of whatever it is going on with him, because he's loved by many. I mean, one of the inspirations that I had coming up as a fighter, and not just a fighter, but just a person in general in Hawai‘i. So much love for that guy, not just for me, but from the entire state of Hawai‘i and the whole world. So, I wish him the best, and if he needs anything, or family needs anything, I'm happy to help."
Yancy Medeiros, current Bellator and former UFC fighter:
"B.J. Penn is my friend. For one thing, he's always seeing things a different way from everyone else, and whether it's something true or not, I hope he finds the help he needs, because he's still my friend. People go through hardships and have hard times, and I don't know what's really going on, because I've only seen what the media approach is, but I know him personally, and I just hope that he's around the right people to help him make the righteous choices. It's not about right and wrong, it's what is righteous, what is the right thing to do, and all I can do is be there for B.J. I hope that he can find the peace and grace with his family and what's going on and he can see what truths he has to see. Because I don't know, I'm not there. I cannot judge him, but I do know him on a personal level, and I've always felt he was good to me and true and real. He was always real with me, so I'm not judging him for what he's going through. I just hope that he finds peace and closure and grace with whoever's around him and it gets to a healthy situation. I just see drama and politics, and that's not what I want to entertain. It's unfortunate. I hope things get better. Who am I to judge him? I don't know. I'm not living his life, you know? I just really think, I really hope, because he's my friend, that things get better for him. Whoever's right and wrong is just, I think about his kids. I think about his family, that's the ones you really gotta think about and I hope that they find a good closure to what's going on."
Christian Shimabuku can be reached at christian@alohastatedaily.com.
