Ex-UFC Champion B.J. Penn Announces Run For Hawaii Governor, Plans To Remove Federal Mandates

Mandatory Credit: Buda Mendes - Zuffa LLC

Former undisputed UFC lightweight and welterweight champion, B.J. Penn has announced on his official Instagram page, his plan to run for the Hawaii governor next month, with plans also in place to remove COVID-19 mandates if elected to office.

Penn, 42, a native of Kailua, Hawaii took to his Instagram page -- posting a brief video clip from the 2006 action film, 300 -- as well as announcing his intentions to run for Hawaii governor in November.

"I've made a lot of mistakes in my life but I would neve run from a fight or sell out my people," Penn posted on Instagram. "As soon as I step into Hawaii's Governor office I will remove All new federal and state mandates that have been hurting our economy, residents, and 'ohana. We will get the best doctors, medicines, therapies, and health care the world has to offer to fight this (COVID-19) pandemic and always keep Hawaiiamong the safest and healthiest states in the union."

"We will get rid of all vaccine passports," Penn continued. "Hawaii will be a vaccinated with Aloha and Unvaccinated with Aloha policy for everyone. Same with the masks (mask emoji). We will follow the constitution to the tee (okay emoji). I am not here to fit in with the other politicians, I am here to get our freedoms back."

Amongst the comment section beneath his post, Penn appears to have received support from former Strikeforce lightweight champion and Bellator color commentator, Josh Thomson, UFC flyweight alum and former Sinn Féin party member and now independent councillor, Paddy Holohan, as well as former opponent, Matt Hughes, and former Strikeforce and Elite XC champion, Jake Shields.

A UFC Hall of Fame inductee, Penn was inducted into the Modern-Era wing as the inaugural inductee, and is a former undisputed lightweight and welterweight champion under the promotion's banner.

The Hawaiian last featured professionally back in May 2019, dropping a unanimous decision defeat to Clay Guida at UFC 237 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The loss came as Penn's seventh consecutively. Penn has yet to compete since the judging loss, and currently holds a 16-14-2 professional record. 

In January of this year, footage emerged of a belligerent Penn shouting at law enforcement officers as he was handcuffed and charged with DUI (Driving Under the Influence). Penn was released from jail in Honoka'a, Hawaii hours after his arrest, pending a further investigation.