B.J. Penn ruled mentally fit for trial in Hawaii domestic violence case

Doctors have ruled that UFC Hall of Famer B.J. Penn is mentally fit to stand trial in his ongoing domestic violence case in Hawaii, according to a report by Hawaii News Now. Penn appeared in court on Friday for a hearing related to the charges.

Penn faces multiple counts including assault and violating a restraining order imposed by his mother, Lorraine Shin. Shin has alleged she has been subjected to “extreme psychological abuse” by her son. Penn, for his part, has claimed that his mother and brothers have been murdered and replaced by imposters — a belief Shin attributes to Capgras delusional syndrome, a psychiatric disorder in which a person holds a fixed belief that a close family member or friend has been substituted by an identical imposter.

Penn’s attorney intends to file a motion to dismiss the charges against his client. The former UFC lightweight and welterweight champion was arrested multiple times during 2025, on allegations including shoving his mother, stealing her mail and other property, and breaching the protective order. Penn had previously missed a court-ordered mental fitness examination. He is next due in court on July 8.

On the competitive side, Penn’s career ended on May 11, 2019, when he lost a unanimous decision to Clay Guida at UFC 237 in Rio de Janeiro — his seventh consecutive defeat. “The Prodigy,” widely regarded as one of the most gifted fighters of his generation and a two-division UFC champion, has not competed since.