Controversial WNBA star Brittney Griner has had quite an eventful year with the whole world talking about her. While some feel she should’ve served her sentence in Russia, some feel her homecoming is the right step. Former UFC legend BJ Penn feels the entire Griner issue has been staged and the seven-time WNBA All-Star was paid by Russia. She was arrested earlier this year when officials discovered traces of illegal drugs in her luggage.

Interestingly enough, Penn feels all of these have been staged in order to bring back the ‘Merchant of Death’ Viktor Bout from Russia and Griner has been paid a huge amount of money to pull it off.

Former UFC Champion reveals his thoughts on Griner’s release

After months of speculation, Brittney Griner is finally back in the United States of America. She was sentenced to nine years in prison by the Russian judiciary and was set to complete her sentence in one of the harshest prisons in the world.

Thankfully, officials negotiated a swap deal after months of meetings. The swap deal ensured Griner was returned in exchange for Viktor Bout, often known as the ‘Merchant of Death’. He was serving time in the USA following multiple charges of arms trafficking.

According to BJ Penn, all the ruckus around Griner’s arrest and her eventual return was staged in exchange for money so that Russia can have Bout back. Taking to Instagram, he expressed his thoughts on the whole situation.

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He wrote, “How much money did Russia pay Brittney Griner to bring a weed pen to Russia and wait to get traded so they could get the “Lord of War” back in Russia to arm militants to fight Ukraine?”

The Government’s move to bring back Griner in exchange for Bout has been criticized by many. Moreover, Paul Whelan still having to serve his sentence in Russia is also a highly criticized issue.

The swap deal for Brittney Griner received mixed reactions

Ever since her controversial arrest, Brittney Griner has had mixed reactions from across the world. When President Joe Biden announced Griner’s release, the announcement received both support and hate.

“What a ‘stupid’ and unpatriotic embarrassment for the USA!!!”, wrote former POTUS Donald Trump. He has been very vocal about Griner’s plight having called her a ‘potentially spoiled person‘ in the past.

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What are your thoughts on Brittney Griner’s release? Let us know in the comments down below.