B.J. Penn reveals why 2022 has been "the most amazing year" for him

Former UFC champion B.J. Penn expressed his gratitude towards his well-wishers and supporters in a heartfelt post on social media.

'The Prodigy' posted a picture of himself with a long appreciative caption summing up major events in life this past year, and even joked about his stint in politics and getting rid of the 'Prizefighter' tag. He said:

"I ran for Governor and changed my whole reputation around Hawaii while fighting for the people, I finally let go of my identity of being a prizefighter"

Penn attempted to run for Governor in the 2022 Hawaii gubernatorial elections but could not cross the primaries. Penn, however, claimed that his success at shedding his prizefighter image is owed to his new goal of fighting for the people of Hawaii.

The past few years have been quite eventful for Penn, from facing legal controversies to running for Governor of Hawaii. His post emotionally marked his appreciation and gratitude for the support he received during his ordeals.

Penn is widely regarded as one of the greatest lightweights in the sport of MMA. He holds the record for most consecutive championship defenses in the lightweight division and is tied with Khabib Nurmagomedov and Benson Henderson for the same.

As a former champion in two separate weight classes, the 43-year-old took on some of the biggest names in MMA history, including Matt Hughes, Georges St-Pierre, Lyoto Machida, and Nick Diaz. He retired from MMA after a decision loss to Clay Guida at UFC 237 back in 2019.

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Anderson Silva hails B.J. Penn as the greatest MMA fighter he's ever seen

Former UFC middleweight Anderson Silva regards B.J. Penn as the greatest fighter of all time and claims he is a big fan of the Hawaiian Hall-of-Famer.

As someone who is widely regarded as the greatest MMA fighter to ever do it, Silva was questioned by Helen Yee in an interview in September. He was asked who he considered the greatest, to which he replied:

"All right, so. I think B.J. Penn is the best MMA fighter I’ve seen fight in my entire life. I’m a big fan of B.J. Penn."

Watch Anderson Silva's full interview below:

It is not hard to believe 'The Spider,' considering Penn's incredible career and his contribution to the popularity of the UFC.

'The Prodigy' competed in over five different weight categories throughout his career, which spanned almost two decades. The former UFC lightweight and welterweight champion was the second of only seven fighters in UFC history to win titles in multiple weight classes.