And identical to that, one of many quietest title reigns in UFC historical past has ended.
Julianna Pena defeated Raquel Pennington by way of cut up resolution within the co-main occasion of UFC 307 in Salt Lake Metropolis to develop into a two-time girls’s bantamweight champion.
Pena had criticized Pennington within the leadup to Saturday’s occasion in Utah, saying that she had not been doing sufficient throughout her time as champ to advertise the game and the division.
Pennington gained the title – after the belt had been vacated following the retirement of long-time champ Amanda Nunes in 2023 – by beating Mayra Bueno Silva at UFC 297 in January.
Pena, 35, beforehand gained the bantamweight championship in December 2021 when she pulled off a submission upset of Nunes at UFC 269; Nunes handily gained the rematch at UFC 277 in July 2022.
“The Venezuelan Vixen” hadn’t fought since that loss to Nunes. Pena had been scheduled to face Nunes in a trilogy bout at UFC 289 in June 2023 however was changed by Irene Aldana after sustaining damaged ribs in coaching.
Pennington, 36, had wished to make her first title defence in opposition to Pena, explaining in January she had “been ready for that struggle for years whether or not the title is on the road or not.”
Each Pennington and Pena obtained their preliminary shot at UFC contracts by means of appearances on The Final Fighter: Crew Rousey vs. Crew Tate actuality sequence greater than 10 years in the past. The 2 have been teammates throughout that match – Pena gained that season of TUF – and their paths by no means crossed within the Octagon regardless of each being stalwarts within the division.
Once they lastly did meet within the Octagon in Utah, it was a carefully contested bout that required the judges.
Pena started controlling the motion along with her grappling after a slender opening spherical and had Pennington franticly defending a rear-naked choke try when she had again management within the second; she additionally managed the third with management time.
Pennington landed a nifty head kick to open Spherical 4 as the ladies elevated their output, and later within the spherical dropped Pena with an enormous proper that was arrange superbly.
Pena was stung by Pennington once more within the fifth as the 2 girls traded punches over the ultimate 5 minutes, however finally the choice got here right down to which fighter gained that shut opening spherical.
One decide scored the bout 48-47 for Pennington however two had it 48-47 Pena with the brand new champion profitable the primary three rounds and dropping the ultimate two on these two scorecards.
The brand new champ might probably subsequent face Kayla Harrison.
The 2-time Olympic gold medallist in judo improved to 2-0 within the UFC and 18-1 in MMA with a unanimous resolution win over Ketlen Viera earlier on the UFC 307 essential card.
“Girls, get pleasure from it when you can as a result of the queen is dwelling and I’m coming for that (expletive) gold,”
Pena was requested about Harrison and utterly ducked the query, as an alternative deciding to name out the retired Amanda Nunes for a trilogy struggle.
“I felt like I gained that struggle,” a dissatisfied Pennington advised Joe Rogan following the bout. “It was my fault for letting it go to the judges.”