The co-main event of UFC 307 found Raquel Pennington looking to make the first defense of her women’s bantamweight championship, opposite ex-champ Julianna Pena.
A grudge match of sorts, though one that felt one-sided. The pair had been roommates on The Ultimate Fighter 18, which Pena won. However, although both had admitted to disliking the other, it was Pena who seemed to be doing more talking ahead of the fight.
Pena fired her jab a couple of times to start the night’s first title fight, while Pennington fired a leg kick that missed its target. There was plenty of feeling out in the opening round, which lacked much in the way of extended engagements, leg kicks, and wrestling.
Following a slow-paced, close round, the pair tried to get a little busier in the second. Pena found success with her right hand, while Pennington looked to mix up her attacks. The first takedown arrived less than two minutes in, with challenger Pena landing it. Off a throw, she settles into side control, with Pennington lifting a leg to prevent her from transitioning to mount. Still, there was half a round remaining on the clock, all the time in the world for Pena to work. Pennington would eventually make it back to her feet, the problem being, she was carrying Pena like a backpack. Pennington tried to dump her, and Pena started to slide off, but the champ was expending an awful lot of energy trying to free herself. While she wouldn’t fully extract herself, the round came to a close.
Round three found Pena connecting early; she continued to jab her way in, and had a little more accuracy with her striking. The champ for her part also worked her jab, doubling up. She would also mix in a kick to the body, but mostly, “Rocky” was working her boxing. Pena, however, landed another key takedown with just over two minutes on the clock. In a close fight and another close round, that takedown loomed large, even with Pena unable to make much happen with it initially. And after a few moments, a scramble saw Pena take the back. Pennington threatened to reverse, briefl, but Pena secured a body triangle. She looked for a rear-naked choke, but the champ fought the hands.
Heading into round four, Julianna Pena was arguably up, but there had yet to be a blow-out, lopsided round. Pennington looked to change that, however, opening the first championship round with a head kick. Pena survived, but the champ had at least let it be known that she was not going down quietly. Pena, if nothing else, proved to be extremely durable, with the kick landing flush, the best moment of the fight to date. Later in the round, Pennington would underscore that statement, dropping Pena with a punch!
The complexion of the fight had suddenly changed, with a 10-8 now in play. Pennington also had a chance to finish, but she jumped on Pena rather than letting her up. Pennington briefly had a guillotine, before Pena managed to free herself. With a minute to go, they reset, Pena not much more tentative, hands high. The champ, meanwhile, had a bloody nose, but that was nothing compared to the damage Pena had absorbed.
The fifth and final round arrived with Raquel Pennington back in the driver’s seat. The fight was likely either tied, or, if the judges were generous, Pennington might have been up care of a 10-8 in the fourth. A pretty big if, however. Pennington continued to work her boxing, and Pena appeared to have lost a step. She did manage to close the distance, but Pennington pushed her off. The champ then turned another clinch around, and put Pena against the fence. She then backed off, and worked her hands some more, though Pena did land a right in response. Then it was Pennington clinching up, not that it lasted. Back at center, a right hand rocked Pena.
The champ was coming on late in the fight, 90 seconds on the clock. Pennington fanned on a knockout blow. She was loading up. With a minute to go, Pena looked to need a Hail Mary. She didn’t find it, and they battled it out to the final horn, Pennington appearing to have done enough to retain her title. Despite that, two of the three judges awarded the victory to Julianna Pena, in another surprising twist on the night.
Official Result: Julianna Pena def. Raquel Pennington by split decision (48-47, 47-48, 48-47)
