BJ Penn taps out for first time in his MMA career at UFC 232

BJ Penn, left, and Ryan Hall fight during the first round of a lightweight mixed martial arts bout at UFC 232, Saturday, Dec. 29, 2018, in Inglewood, Calif. (Kyusung Gong/AP)

INGLEWOOD, Calif. — Former UFC lightweight champion BJ Penn has tapped out for the first time in his 17-year mixed martial arts career.

Penn lost to Ryan Hall in the first round at UFC 232 on Saturday night, dropping the Hall of Famer to 0-6-1 in his last seven fights since 2010.

Penn tapped instantly after getting caught in a heel hook by Hall, a Brazilian jiu-jitsu specialist.

Penn (16-13-2) is an MMA pioneer once considered the greatest pound-for-pound fighter in his sport’s history. But the Hawaii-born star turned 40 this month, and he hasn’t won a bout since November 2010.

Although Penn was considered the sport’s best boxer in his prime, he had never been submitted in any of his previous losses. He had lost eight decisions and been stopped four times.

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