Known for her speed, “The Tiny Tornado” Pennington was ranked #13 in the division, while Gomes sat at #15 with an eye on moving up.

Early in the fight, an exchange and a trip led to Pennington slipping to her back, though Gomes failed to get on top. Gomes fired a spinning back kick, high and wide and almost in slow motion. Pennington answered with a hook kick that was also off-target. A left hand was there for Gomes, however, as was a trip. Pennington popped right back up, where the fight played out in small bursts of activity.

Gomes pressed forward early in round two, firing overhand punches and mixing in leg kicks. Pennington responded with her own kick and found the mark with her left hand. Gomes continued to lead, however, dating in-and-out, nowhere to be found by Pennington’s counters as she faded back after each engagement. Pennington stayed upright the entire round in the second, with the pace slowing a bit as the back half of the frame wore on. A late clinch didn’t change much. and Gomes appeared to have a slight edge in the bout after ten full minutes.

An early clinch slowed the action in round three, but when they did go down, it was Pennington briefly on top. Briefly, as she was soon reversed, dashing any hope of a comeback there. Pennington did work back to her feet, only to get taken back down, left taken out from under her. Gones was able to get the back, hooks in, but Pennnington once again managed to climb to her feet.

As impressive as her ability to get back up was, Tecia Pennington was falling behind, playing defense in a round she needed to win, if not to finish in. When they went down again, it was Gomes again turning the tables, getting on top and landing a bit of ground n’ pound. A finish was never close, but Denise Gomes was in cruise control, on her way to a unanimous decision win that was never really in doubt.

That’s four straight wins for Gomes, who earned her black belt in the win. Pennington sees her two-fight win streak snapped meanwhile.

Official Result: Denise Gomes def. Tecia Pennington by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)

The post UFC Vegas 111: Denise Gomes In Cruise Control Against Tecia Pennington appeared first on Cageside Press.

The second-round TKO represents the third straight win for Gomes (11-3), who is 5-2 inside the octagon since joining the UFC in 2022. And having walked out to the Cyndi Lauper anthem “Girls Just Wanna Have Fun,” it appears Gomes did just that on Saturday.

“The music was to remind me that that’s the point. I gotta get in there, I gotta have fun. And yeah, I had a very good time in there,” the 25-year old told media outlets including Cageside Press following the fight.

Gomes certainly did some damage putting Reed away, after looking strong on the feet and on the ground. She agreed that some of the finishing blows probably weren’t necessary, but that boils down to the ref’s call, not hers.

“I thought that she was out on the first punch because of the way she crumbled,” admitted Gomes. “But my job, I’m always told that I gotta keep on hitting until the referee stops it, and that’s what I kept on doing. Maybe I could have stopped a little earlier, but in any case, I think it sends a good message to the division. If I get you down, I’m going to keep on punching until someone pulls me off of you.”

Gomes isn’t ready to call anyone out just yet, despite her three-fight winning streak. “Honestly right now I don’t think I’m in any position to request anybody, so I’m ready to fight anybody in the division. Whoever they put in front of me, it’s going to be a good fight.” Instead, she plans on continuing to improve, although Gomes does have her eye on a relatively quick turnaround.

“The one thing is, I’m pretty unscathed, I think I could be fighting again in August. If they could give me that date, that would be great.”

Watch the full UFC Vegas 106 post-fight media appearance by Denise Gomes above.

The post UFC Vegas 106 Walkout Track Was to Remind Denise Gomes to Have Fun appeared first on Cageside Press.

Luckily, that didn’t impact the main event any, with Michael Morales putting in a star turn and coming away with the biggest win of his career. Thanks to a nasty TKO finish of Gilbert Burns, a former welterweight title challenger, Morales is now 18-0 following his first headlining spot in the UFC.

He’s also $50,000 wealthier, picking up one of two Performance of the Night bonuses at UFC Vegas 106. The second went to strawweight Denise Gomes, who likewise lit up her own opponent, Elise Reed, for a TKO finish on the night’s preliminary card. The win marked Gomes’ third straight.

Fight of the Night at UFC Vegas 106, meanwhile, went to Melquizael Costa and Julian “Juicy J” Erosa. The featherweight pair kicked off the event’s main card, going the distance in a fight that saw Costa take home a unanimous decision win.

All four bonus-winning fighters from Saturday’s card will take home an extra $50,000 on top of their show and win money, outfitting pay, etc. The card was held at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas.

The post UFC Vegas 106 Sees Morales, Gomes Among Bonus-Winners appeared first on Cageside Press.

Both ladies were fighting for the first time in 2025, and both were coming in off wins in their last outing. In the case of Gomes, she’d won two straight, most recently defeating former title challenger Karolina Kowalkiewicz.

Reed held center early, with Gomes working on the outside but looking dangerous nonetheless, connecting with a powerful right and. Aside from the punishing blow, she later landed the first takedown of the fight, staying all over Reed and preventing her from scrambling out. Gomes would eventually settle in on top, working from half-guard and threatening to pull her leg through and get into mount. She worked over the body with punches, redness soon showing on Reed’s side.

Gomes would finish the opening round on top, taking a clear 10-9. In the second, she quickly rocked Reed for a second time, and this time, stayed all over her. Reed scrambled back to the fence but was taking a beating, and the ref soon dove in to make the save. For good reason; the left side of Reed’s face had already been swelling, and blood was leaking from her following the ground n’ pound beatdown that brought about the finish.

Official Result: Denise Gomes def. Elise Reed by TKO, Round 2, 0:30

The post UFC Vegas 106: Denise Gomes Secures Violent Finish of Elise Reed appeared first on Cageside Press.

Gomes had started her professional fighting career in 2017, the year after Kowalkiewicz had faced fellow Polish star Joanna Jedrzejczyk for the UFC’s 115lb title.

Early on, Gomes worked kicks, low and to the body, while Karolina struggled to counter or close the distance. Gomes feigned a spinning attack (or simply held up on it), and instead the pair traded kicks and single strikes. Near the midway mark, Gomes opened up, closing the distance, attacking, and adding a knee. She then clinched up, pursuing a takedown despite having the edge on the feet. Much of the remaining time would be spent grappling and battling for position.

Round two saw the pair find their way back to the fence, Gomes in control, again pursuing a takedown. She added knees, and looked to land a trip, but Kowalkiewicz was able to turn things around and get her back off the cage. Still, at range, she was out-gunned, with Gomes firing long, straight kicks and left/right hands, exploding forward. That led to Kowalkiewicz grabbing a body lock and going back to the fence, only to be reversed by Gomes.

The third round likely had Gomes up, with Karolina Kowalkiewicz in need of a finish. Instead, the pair clinched up again, at least for the first 90 seconds. At center, Kowalkiewicz found a bit of success, working her jab and even going to the body. She’d try to take the back later in the round, working to set up a submission to no avail. In the end, the scorecards offered zero surprises, with Denise Gomes claiming a unanimous decision victory.

Official Result: Denise Gomes def. Karolina Kowalkiewicz by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28)

The post Denise Gomes Earns First Decision of UFC Vegas 100 Against Karolina Kowalkiewicz appeared first on Cageside Press.

Moura had missed by just half a pound, meaning she wouldn’t have much of an advantage weigh-wise over Gomes, though how much she had drained herself trying to make the strawweight limit remained to be seen.

Early on it was Gomes going after a nasty-looking guillotine as Moura closed the distance for a takedown attempt. She wrenched on the neck while Moura tried to pull free, eventually going so and going after the takedown once more. That led to a competitive, back-and-forth battle for position along the fence that was anything but wall and stall. Eventually, Moura would get Gomes to a seated position, but should could not keep her there. Back in the open, Gomes pressed forward, throwing hands only to for Moura to change levels and land a takedown that left them well away from the cage. Moura spent the rest of the round on top, in guard, looking to score damage.

In the second, Gomes had her opponent stacked up on her back along the fence early. After some time spent there, Gomes opted to back off and allow Moura up, though the pair would end up clinching again, going to the ground briefly, though neither were able to make anything happen there. On the feet again, Gomes walked forward, firing her way into a clinch. That led to Gomes driving Moura into the fence, working on a body lick while Moura defended with underhooks and got off the cage. Moura, however, was looking tired, and stumbled looking for a level change. She’s stay on it, pursuing a single leg with Gomes defending and dropping right hands.

Round three saw the pair go back-and-forth on the feet early, Moura working her jab and firing 1-2s. She fanned on a spinning back kick, and finally changed levels to grab a leg, with Gomes quickly working back to the fence for leverage- to no avail, as Moura ended up dragging her down. Not for long, as Gomes popped right back up. She reversed, but was taken back to the mat briefly off a bodylock. With just under two minutes on the clock, Moura again changed levels to grab a leg, with Gomes again showing some solid takedown defense. The rest of the fight played out in similar fashion; Gomes had the edge in striking, but Moura made it ugly in the grappling department despite landing just a few of her numerous takedown attempts.

In the end, two judges sided with Denise Gomes, handing Eduarda Moura her first UFC, and professional, defeat.

Official Result: Denise Gomes def. Eduarda Moura by split decision (28-29, 30-27, 30-27)

The post UFC Louisville: Eduarda Moura Makes it Ugly, Denise Gomes Prevails appeared first on Cageside Press.

Former Invicta FC champ Hill was looking to bounce back from a loss to Mackenzie Dern in the fight, while Gomes had won two straight.

The experience advantage for Hill was considerable, and early on, she put the pressure on Gomes, bullying her to the canvas. Gomes was quickly back to her feet, but Hill had her tied up along the fence, firing knees and elbows in the clinch.

It wouldn’t be long before Hill took the fight back down, with “Overkill” very heavy on top, threatening to take the back. Gomes was being controlled, and was warned for either grabbing the fence or Hill’s glove. Either way, Gomes made it back up, only for Hill to land a trip. Back up, then back down again. At the midway mark of the round, however, Gomes finally found the space to throw and got aggressive, landing and backing Hill up to the fence. The veteran stayed composed, clinched up, and slowed things down, adding some knees to the midsection. In close, Gomes had little answer, and Hill landed an elbow off the break.

The next exchange saw Gomes land her right, and this time when they went down, it was Gomes in control. Gomes then went after an arm-bar, with a minute left in the frame. Hill kept it arm locked down then rolled through, escaping the submission and scrambling to the top.

Round two saw an active start on the feet with both fighters throwing an Hill sailing just wide on a spinning back fist attempt. Hill was putting on an impressive pace and mixed in shots to the body with her left hook. The clinch continued to favor Hill, and whether Denise Gomes could match the pace and maintain her cardio remained to be seen.

With about 90 seconds left in an active second round, Hill caught a kick and dumped Gomes. But the Brazilian was quickly back to her feet, and soon uncorked a couple of right hands that got her back in the round. Hill went back to her clinch game, and was in control through the final 30 seconds of the round, dragging Gomes down briefly with a body lock.

Gomes came out hot to start round three, but Angela Hill answered right back. And after connecting on the feet, she used a trip with a bodylock to take Gomes back down. Gomes turtled up, but was able to keep Hill from getting hooks in or hunting any subs; the Brazilian was soon back to her feet. Time, however, was going to be a factor in a fight that almost certainly had Gomes trailing.

Undeterred, Gomes would stay in the fight to the final buzzer. But there was no question Angela Hill had done enough to claim the win.

Official Result: Angela Hill def. Denise Gomes by unanimous decision (30-27, 29-28, 29-28)

The post UFC Sao Paulo: Angela Hill Uses Pace, Clinch Work to Defeat Denise Gomes appeared first on Cageside Press.

Gomes, who knocked out highly-touted prospect Yazmin Jauregui in just 20 seconds, was clearly excited by the news, speaking to media outlets including Cageside Press following the fight.

“I didn’t know. It was a surprise for me,” exclaimed Gomes (8-2), who improved her record to 2-1 inside the octagon on Saturday. “I knew I was going to come into the UFC and break some records, but to actually start like this, it’s a very cool thing.”

Gomes was a sizable underdog in the fight, but doesn’t appear to have been bothered the those betting against her.

“People are going to doubt you, it doesn’t matter what happens. If people want to doubt, I have a lot of respect for the opponent, but I’m coming to win no matter what. If people think I’m going to lose, if they think I’m going to win, my respect is going to be the same, my actions are going to be the same.”

The 23-year old from Sao Leopoldo, Brazil was also unaware that Jauregui’s last wins had come at the expense of her Brazilian compatriots. So there was no extra motivation to win one back for Brazil.

“Particularly I do not know who she fought against, that’s something we do back in the gym. I don’t what she did,” explained Gomes. “We came in there to do our thing, and that’s kind of the theory that I had, to actually come in with what I bring.”

Having been the first to defeat Jauregui as a pro, Denise Gomes wants to get back to work as soon as possible, she added.

“Obviously the sooner the better. I want to show people how much I’ve evolved. We were looking to evolve, and as soon as we can fight, we’re gonna do that. We have plans when we go in there, and I want to show with each fight that there’s been evolution as a fighter.”

“Even though we have a game plan, and we do, believe me,” she continued, “whenever we get in there, there’s a surprise. Even for myself. As long as it’s a good surprise, I’m in for it.”

The energy of International Fight Week, and the big UFC 290 card capping it off on Saturday, was a different sort of experience, Gomes later told Cageside Press.

“It’s different. The energy is up there, it’s so high. I worked to prepare myself, to not let it get to me, but I can’t lie— there energy there is just surreal, it’s pretty amazing in the fight.”

Watch the full UFC 290 post-fight press conference with Denise Gomes above.

The post UFC 290: Denise Gomes Surprised After Breaking Record for Fastest Strawweight Finish appeared first on Cageside Press.

From quick finishes to drawn out wars, there was a little something for everyone at the Pay-Per-View event, with at least a couple of fights in the running for Fight of the Night. Earlier on in the main card, it felt like Dan Hooker vs. Jalin Turner was a lock — then along came Brandon Moreno and Alexandre Pantoja in the co-main event.

That back-and-forth fight went the full five rounds, with Pantoja coming away with the split decision win and a brand new flyweight championship. He is now the only Brazilian champion in the UFC, after nearly a month without one following Amanda Nunes retiring following UFC 289 in June.

Pantoja is also $50,000 richer, as is Moreno, for their Fight of the Night effort. Also cashing in at UFC 290, Denise Gomes, who knocked out Yazmin Jauregui in all of 20 seconds on the preliminary card. She picked up one of two Performance of the Night bonuses, with the other going to Dricus Du Plessis, for his shocking finish of former middleweight champion Robert Whittaker — which has now earned the South African a title shot.

Per Dana White at Saturday’s post-fight press conference, a few locker room bonuses (undisclosed) are also likely, with Robbie Lawler one name the UFC President singled out for such a reward.

Attendance at the T-Mobile Arena, meanwhile, was 19,204, a sellout, with a live gate of $9.75 million USD. So chances are, a few extra bucks in bonus money won’t hurt the bottom line too much on this one.

The post UFC 290 Bonuses: Co-Main, Du Plessis Among Those Cashing In appeared first on Cageside Press.

Mexico’s Jauregui and Brazil’s Gomes certainly reflected the international feel of the event, which closed out this year’s International Fight Week.

The night’s only female scrap didn’t last long. Denise Gomes game out firing right out of the gate, hurting Jauregui and immediately putting her on the back foot. An overhand right landed initially, a second shot staggered the Mexcian fighter, and she was soon going down from yet another right hand.

Gomes piled on with blow after blow as Jaurgui struggled back to her feet. But just as she made it up, another punch landed for the Brazilian, sending Jaurgui right back down.

This time, there was no saving Jauregui, not that she was ever truly in the fight. The ref was soon waving it off, giving Gomes a statement win over a solid prospect in the 115 pound weight class.

The fastest finish in strawweight HISTORY

Denise Gomes just made a statement at #UFC290! pic.twitter.com/OW6u14pkKv

— UFC (@ufc) July 9, 2023

“Victory. That’s what we anticipated. A lot of people underestimated me,” Gomes said following the fight, thanking her team and adding that in training, “we knew we were going to win.”

The win by Gomes was later confirmed to be the fastest finish in UFC women’s strawweight history.

Official Result: Denise Gomes def. Yazmin Jauregui by TKO (punches), Round 1, 0:20

The post UFC 290: Denise Gomes Comes Out Guns Blazing, Stops Yazmin Jauregui in 20 Seconds appeared first on Cageside Press.