Mixed martial artist BJ Penn called allegations of sexual assault against him an extortion attempt.
In a statement posted on BJPenn.com late Thursday night, Penn said allegations made by Pedro Alex Carrasco, the website’s former editor, that Penn sexually assaulted Carrasco’s girlfriend in Hawaii on Aug. 31, 2015, “simply aren’t true.”
“There are many holes in Pedro’s story,” Penn, who lives in Hilo, said in the statement. “In the almost 15 years that Penn has been a champion fighter there has not ever been any incident or allegation in regards to his conduct with women. He is family man and father of two young daughters with a known long-term girlfriend.
“It is unfortunate that someone that BJ considered family is trying to extort him.”
Carrasco and his girlfriend, a 29-year-old woman, filed a police report with the Delaware County, Ohio, Sheriff’s Office on Tuesday.
That same night, Carrasco went on Twitter and accused Penn of sexually assaulting Carrasco’s girlfriend.
A spokeswoman for the Ohio law enforcement agency said Thursday the police report is being forwarded to the Hawaii Police Department.
The 37-year-old Penn has not been arrested for or charged with any criminal wrongdoing in connection with the allegations in the report.
Penn said in the statement Carrasco was fired from the website last year “for unethical behavior” and was given severance pay that ended Tuesday. He noted Carrasco’s Twitter postings happened “many months after the alleged date in question.”
The former Ultimate Fighting Championship welterweight and lightweight champion has been training at the Jackson Wink MMA gym in Albuquerque, N.M., in hopes of returning to the octagon on the UFC 197 card on April 23 in Las Vegas.
The UFC said in a statement Thursday any plans for Penn — who retired in 2014 and was inducted into the UFC Hall of Fame last year — to fight again are on hold while the allegations are being investigated.
The mixed martial arts organization said it will cooperate with any law enforcement investigation and noted Penn “is considered innocent until proven guilty and UFC is not prejudging this matter.”
Email John Burnett at jburnett@hawaiitribune-herald.com.