BJ Penn has always walked the line between legend and controversy. But lately, that line’s begun to disappear. The UFC Hall of Famer’s erratic behavior has taken a sharp turn, and this time, he’s pulling others into the storm, intentionally or not. Kayla Harrison, unexpectedly found herself mentioned in Penn’s latest social media tirade. But what was the point he was really trying to make?
Penn recently shared a string of posts on Instagram that sparked confusion and concern. One of them featured side-by-side images of Harrison during UFC 316’s official and ceremonial weigh-ins. The captions? Far from subtle. “We live in a fantasy world, a world of illusion,” Penn wrote. “The masked c— don’t have to take a dr** test or weigh in. What an advantage that is.”
In one of the images, he questioned if Harrison was “even the same person,” adding, “Nothing against Kayla, I’m sure Julianna Pena never weighed in either. BJ Penn weighed in every time. No IV. No PED.” His tone wasn’t aggressive toward Harrison directly, but his comments hinted at a deeper frustration.
To be clear: These claims are entirely unsubstantiated, and there is no evidence supporting the idea that Harrison or anyone else Penn alluded to, bypassed standard UFC procedure. But why mention Harrison at all?
A week after her title win at UFC 316, the newly crowned women’s bantamweight champion spoke to Luke Thomas and confessed, “I’m not gonna lie to you. Friday morning, I thought about retiring on Saturday night, it takes a piece of your soul.”
And for a fighter who dominated at featherweight and lightweight in PFL, moving to bantamweight wasn’t just a challenge, it was a risk. But one she ultimately overcame. So how did a moment of triumph get twisted into a conspiracy theory? The answer may lie with BJ Penn himself.
BJ Penn’s latest post about Kayla Harrison adds to his growing list of concerning incidents
In recent months, BJ Penn was arrested multiple times in his home state of Hawaii. His behavior, including disturbing claims that his mother and siblings have been replaced by imposters, has sparked serious concern from fans and fellow fighters alike.
In May 2025, he was arrested on charges of domestic abuse after a troubling incident at his home. This came after months of social media posts accusing his family of being “replaced.” His mother, Lorraine Shin, even obtained a restraining order, citing fears for her safety and alleging Penn suffers from Capgras delusional syndrome, a rare psychiatric condition that causes individuals to believe loved ones have been replaced.
In a statement made to the authorities, she wrote, “I believe my son [B.J. Penn] is suffering from Capgras delusional syndrome [a psychiatric disorder in which a person holds a delusion that a friend, spouse, parent, other close family member has been replaced by an identical imposter]”
But Penn didn’t comply. After failing to appear in court, a bench warrant was issued. Though he was later arrested and blamed his absence on an infection, he now faces multiple misdemeanor charges related to the incident and ongoing violations of the court order.
With the accumulation of brain injuries in MMA now under intense scrutiny, questions are also growing about the role of chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) in cases like BJ Penn’s.
Though no official diagnosis has been made, the symptoms, paranoia, delusions, and severe cognitive decline, bear eerie similarities. For a man once celebrated as a warrior, the battle now appears to be inside his own mind.
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