Former UFC two-division champion BJ Penn has been deemed mentally fit to stand trial following a court-ordered evaluation, clearing the way for his legal proceedings to move forward.
Penn was ordered by the Third Circuit Family Court to undergo a mental health evaluation before answering multiple charges, including alleged temporary restraining order violations. Licensed psychologist Barbara Higa Rogers determined Penn is mentally fit to stand trial and diagnosed him with Cannabis Use Disorder.
Penn addressed the evaluation directly, saying, "I got examined by the top person over here, that’s what they really wanted me to do," and later adding, "No one can call me crazy now. It is what it is, I said what I said. This is still me — if I’m talking like that, this is still me. How do you know? Because the media and the news still talks bad about me. They only talk good about dead people. I gotta understand, this is just their job. It’s what they do. It’s not personal, it’s business. This is the worst nightmare of my life but it’s not personal, it’s just business."
Penn was arrested for the sixth time within a six-month period in November 2025 and stands accused of assaulting his mother. Attorneys for Penn are expected to file a motion to dismiss all charges, which are unrelated to his separate assault case from last December in Hilo.
Penn is scheduled to return to court on July 8. He has not competed since losing to Clay Guida at UFC 237 in early 2019 and holds a professional record of 16-14-2.
