UFC releases statement on BJ Penn

Last month, former UFC champion BJ Penn announced that he was officially ending his retirement and going after the 145 pound belt. Penn teamed up with Greg Jackson and Mike Winkeljohn at Jackson-Wink MMA for his highly anticipated return.

While he was initially supposed to return on March 5th, the UFC pushed the bout back to April. However, no opponent has been named for ‘The Prodigy’ in his return bout.

Recently however, former BJPenn.com employee Pedro Carrasco’s girlfriend, Amber Paxton, filed a report with the Ohio Police in which Penn was accused of sexual assault.

In the wake of those allegations, the UFC has released a statement via UFC.com regarding the accusations:

“UFC is aware of the recent allegations made against BJ Penn. The organization requires all athletes who compete in the UFC to act in an ethical and responsible manner, as detailed in the UFC Fighter Conduct Policy. UFC will not tolerate violations of the policy. Every athlete is deserving of proper review and this situation, as with any serious allegation, will be investigated by an independent party and thoroughly reviewed by the UFC. The UFC organization will also cooperate with any law enforcement investigation. In light of the serious allegations, UFC has postponed plans to book Penn for an upcoming bout until more details are determined.

UFC holds athletes who compete in the organization to the highest standard and will continue to take appropriate action, if and when warranted. It is important to note that Penn is considered innocent until proven guilty and UFC is not prejudging this matter.”