Raquel Pennington doesn’t believe she was defeated by Julianna Pena at UFC 307, as she recently shared her thoughts in her first public statement following the title setback.
“Rocky” was unable to hold onto her UFC bantamweight title in a razor-close battle against Pena last weekend at the Delta Center in Salt Lake City, Utah. As the fight reached its midpoint, it remained closely contested, with both fighters having their moments of success. However, Pennington seemed to gain the upper hand in the final rounds, especially after rocking Peña with a devastating right hand late in the bout.
Despite “The Venezuelan Vixen” enduring the onslaught, she managed to hold her ground, convincing two of the judges that she had done enough to reclaim the title for a second time. Both awarded her 48-47 scorecards, while the third judge saw the fight in Pennington’s favor with an identical 48-47 score.
Heading to the championship rounds
Who's ahead on your scorecards? #UFC307 pic.twitter.com/tZNvEwtzPe
— UFC (@ufc) October 6, 2024
Pennington Demands Rematch With Pena
In the aftermath of her defeat, Pennington took to Instagram on Tuesday to share her thoughts on the bout against Pena. “Rocky” asserted in her statement that she feels the outcome did not reflect her performance and voiced her eagerness for a rematch with Pena.
“I’m home, and I’m health,” she wrote. “My heart hurts, but my head is high! I do not feel I lost that fight, but this is just another wild detour on this journey of mine. I will be back better than ever! I want the rematch stat! Regardless, what an amazing fight week. I was surrounded by so much love, support, and blessings. Memories that will last a lifetime. I’m full of gratitude, and I want to send a shout-out to all the people standing behind me.”
Pennington captured the vacant title with an impressive unanimous decision win against Mayra Bueno Silva at UFC 297 earlier this January. Her recent defeat brought an end to an impressive six-fight win streak.
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