Louis Smolka Describes B.J. Penn's Recent Altercation as 'Just How It Is in Hawaii'

Former UFC lightweight and welterweight champion B.J. Penn continues to make headlines for all the wrong reasons, with videos showing the 40-year-old getting into altercations with security guards and other random men.

Two recent videos were released by TMZ which showed Penn getting briefly knocked out before another video showed the former champion unleashing a barrage of ground-and-pound on the unidentified man. The video was enough to force the hand of UFC President Dana White, who announced that Penn would never fight in the promotion again.

Fellow Hawaiian UFC fighter Louis Smolka, who claims to look up to Penn as one of his idols, said the incident is just an example of what happens in Hawaii (via MMAJunkie.com):

“That’s just B.J. being B.J., bro,” Smolka said. “That’s just kind of how it is out in Hawaii. It’s pretty ruthless. I’ve been out in those situations, too. If you’re out late at night and you’re looking for trouble, it will find you very quickly.

“There are certain guys who will go out drinking and they’re looking to fight, or they’re looking for girls or looking for drugs. If you’re out late at night looking for trouble, it will find you very quickly.”

Smolka said he doesn’t know what actually happened that night but suggested it may have been a clash of egos with a local tough guy:

“If I had to guess, it was probably something along the lines of B.J. going out and buying people drinks,” Smolka said. “Some dude that’s the local badass or the local big shot is now being overshadowed by B.J. because B.J. is bigger than him.

“He took offense to it, probably, and started getting upset. Then it just spiraled. That would be my guess, honestly.”