Reagan Penn Set For Pro MMA Debut at ProElite: Arlovski vs. Lopez

Reagan Penn, the youngest brother of former UFC Lightweight and Welterweight Champion B.J. Penn, will make his Professional MMA debut as part of the ProElite 1 card this weekend. Penn will be competing in the Welterweight division against Tennessee fighter Paul “The Grim Reaper” Gardiner. Gardner will enter the contest sporting a perfect 2-0 record and is known to finish his opponents with relentless blows from full guard.

The Penn family is a tight-knit prideful bunch that have a lot of love for the sport that has made B.J. an international star. Jay Dee, the oldest of  the three brothers, of course is a well-known promoter from the Rumble on the Rock days and just about any UFC Primetime special featuring his middle bro. It was Reagan though who grew up sharing a room with B.J. because of the closeness in age (only 2 years apart) which is a big factor in why the two remain very close to this day. If you haven’t read B.J. Penn’s book “Why I Fight” I highly recommend it to any fan of “The Prodigy” or Mixed Martial Arts.

Saturday Night is all about Reagan though. B.J. and Reagan have trained together for years and for this fight the two have been training together with Kendall Grove who will also be featured on the ProElite fight card. Reagan, like B.J., is also a black belt  in Brazilian jiu jitsu and has seen first hand from the corner of his older brother what its like to compete at the highest level. While age may certainly play a factor for the youngest Penn in the longevity of his career fans are looking forward to a successful debut Saturday Night win or loss. Reagan certainly wouldn’t be the first Mixed Martial Artist to have a successful career begin at the age of 30… *cough* Randy Couture *cough*.

ProElite 1: Arlovski vs. Lopez will take place Saturday Night August 27th at the Blaisdell Arena in Honolulu, Hawaii.

Picture courtesy of BJPenn.com

Tags: BJ Penn, debut, MMA, Paul Gardner, ProElite, ProElite: Arlovski vs. Lopez, Reagan Penn

Category: Exclusive, MMA, Pro Elite