BJ Penn Officially Released From UFC Contract

UFC president Dana White told Kevin Iole of Yahoo Sports that BJ Penn has officially been released from his UFC contract.

Earlier this month, White said Penn would never fight in the promotion again after video surfaced showing Penn in a physical altercation in Hawaii.

"He won't fight again. That's it. That's a wrap," White said earlier this month when he announced Penn would not fight again in UFC. "It's not even that this was the 'last straw.' I didn't love him continuing to fight anyway, but when you have the relationship that he and I have, and he's getting me on the phone, begging me for another fight, begging me for another opportunity, it's hard for me to, you know, turn him down. But after what I saw on that video. BJ, he needs to focus on his personal life and get himself together before he thinks about fighting again."

Penn was supposed to fight Nik Lentz in his last bout with UFC.

Penn lost his last seven fights and hasn't gotten a win since 2010.