MANILA, Philippines—From strikes to submissions, UFC legend BJ Penn gave frenzied MMA fans a glimpse of his techniques Wednesday during an open workout at the SM Mall of Asia Music Hall in Pasay.
Penn, only the second fighter to win two championship belts in as many divisions, had quite a workout as he enthralled the crowd with his versatility.
A Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu specialist, Penn showed a several tricks up his sleeve with his single and double-leg takedowns and maneuvers while defending on his back.
The crowd packed up to the second floor, weren’t the only ones in astonishment as the former Lightweight and Welterweight champion was as amazed by the huge turnout.
“I wanna thank the fans for coming out and for the support and for loving the sport,” said the 32-year-old Penn, who lost to Nick Diaz via unanimous decision in his last fight at UFC 137.
After sweating it out with his team, Penn circled around the venue and gamely posed for pictures and signed autographs as the fans cheered his name.
Penn profusely thanked his Filipino fans and left them with something to rave more about.
“It won’t be too long until there’s a Filipino world champion in the UFC,” said Penn, dubbed as The Prodigy.
Hall-of-Famer Randy Couture was the first fighter to hold two UFC world titles in two different divisions.