Brett Okamoto, ESPN Group of workers Scribbler
TORONTO — Just about six years later struggling a demoralizing defeat to Amanda Nunes in her first UFC identify look, Raquel Pennington has after all climbed to the lead of the mountain.
Pennington (16-8) seized the UFC’s vacant bantamweight championship on Saturday, defeating Brazilian challenger Mayra Bueno Silva (10-3-1) via unanimous resolution within the co-main match of UFC 297 within Scotiabank Area. All 3 judges scored the five-round bout for Pennington by the use of rankings of 49-46, 49-46 and 49-45.
Pennington, 35, turns into the UFC’s first 135-pound champion since Nunes retired from the game terminating generation. She fought Nunes for the belt in Would possibly 2018 in Brazil and suffered a TKO loss. Many criticized Pennington’s nook later on for now not falling by the wayside when Pennington seemed defeated on her stool between rounds because of Nunes’s vicious leg kicks.
“It’s been a long five years getting back to this,” Pennington stated. “I expected to come out here and open up more, but a fight is a fight. Mayra is tough. I have climbed mountains to get back here.”
Bueno Silva, 32, threatened to break Pennington’s 2nd alternative at a championship various occasions. She fought for a number of chokes each in status positions and at the field, and got here very related to securing a rear-naked choke within the fourth. Pennington, who made her professional debut in 2012 and is regarded as some of the early pioneers of ladies’s MMA, evenly escaped each and every aim and went directly to dominate the scorecards.
Pennington’s offense got here basically at the ft. She labored in the back of her jab all evening, past blending in the precise move. Bueno Silva struggled to whip her ailing within the clinch, and Pennington made her pay with knees to the frame and elbows for her efforts. The battle was once sluggish every now and then, as the 2 labored thru grappling stalemates alongside the fence. Pennington was once without a doubt the busier of the 2 in the ones positions regardless that, and when she did get on lead, she scored issues with hammerfists.
The sellout Canadian people booed probably the most inadequency of motion, however Pennington reminded them it’s tough to attain offense in a clinch-heavy battle. In step with UFC Stats, Pennington had a 252-88 merit in general moves. She additionally racked up extra keep watch over era than Bueno Silva, who is understood for her grappling pedigree.
The win units up a most probably matchup between Pennington and Julianna Peña for the nearest bantamweight identify battle. Pena would have most probably fought Pennington at UFC 297, however she got here into 2023 getting better from an unrevealed trauma. She isn’t anticipated to be out longer term.
“Julianna, get your ass better and sign on the dotted line,” Pennington stated. “It’s been 10 years that I’ve waited for that fight.”
Nunes, who via all accounts remainder luckily retired, was once in Toronto to eyewitness the battle. Pennington turns into the 6th undisputed bantamweight champion in UFC historical past. The primary was once Ronda Rousey.
