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At UFC 297, Raquel Pennington Secures Bantamweight Title with Victory over Mayra Bueno Silva
After UFC 297 concluded, Raquel Pennington emerged victorious, leaving Mayra Bueno Silva struggling to rise from the mat. This triumphant performance in Toronto secured Pennington’s position as the new women’s bantamweight champion. The title, previously held by Amanda Nunes and vacated in June at UFC 289, now belongs to Pennington, a stalwart of the bantamweight division with an impressive record of 18 fights at 135 pounds.
Pennington’s triumphant return to the spotlight marked a significant achievement, considering her previous loss to Nunes in 2018 and subsequent struggles, where she dropped two of her next three fights before embarking on a remarkable six-fight win streak. Although Saturday’s title fight may not have been the most captivating, Pennington expressed her expectations for a different experience during the broadcast, acknowledging the toughness of her opponent, Mayra Bueno Silva.
“I anticipated a more impactful performance, but a fight is a fight, and Mayra proved to be a formidable opponent,” Pennington stated during the broadcast. Reflecting on her journey, she added, “It’s been a challenging five years, and I had to overcome significant obstacles to reach this point.”
In the detailed account of the fight, Bueno Silva initially took an aggressive stance, dominating the first round by securing Pennington’s back for an extended period. However, the tide turned in the second round, as Pennington seized control with a striking combination, setting the tone for a closely contested frame.
Bueno Silva’s fatigue became evident in the third round, escalating as the fight progressed. Despite her attempts to stall on the mat, it proved ineffective in swaying the judges’ favor. In the fifth round, Pennington had a chance to secure victory with an arm triangle, and while Bueno Silva seemed on the verge of tapping, she narrowly escaped.
The contest concluded with Bueno Silva once again on her back, eliciting loud boos from the Scotiabank Arena crowd. All three judges unanimously scored the final four rounds in favor of Pennington.
Acknowledging the challenging nature of the fight, Pennington remarked, “It reached a point where aesthetics didn’t matter, and the focus was on putting in the hard work to get the job done. It’s not as effortless as some might assume.”
The next opponent on the horizon for Pennington is highly likely to be Julianna Peña, who previously secured the belt by defeating Nunes but later lost in the rematch. Peña, present at the event on Saturday, missed the opportunity for a trilogy with Nunes following the latter’s retirement. Now, she finds herself poised to vie for the title against a fellow UFC veteran in Pennington.
Expressing her readiness for the upcoming clash, Pennington issued a direct message to Peña, stating, “Julianna, recover and sign that contract. I’ve been waiting for that fight for a decade.”
