Promotional CEO, Dana White has urged tonight’s co-main event clash at UFC 297 between Raquel Pennington and Mayra Bueno Silva to stand up and deliver amid claims of a lacklustre bout – urging the duo to take inspiration from inaugural bantamweight gold holder, Ronda Rousey.
Taking co-headlining status in the promotion’s first outing in a pay-per-view setting this year, one-time bantamweight title challenger, Pennington makes her return to the Octagon in the midst of a stunning winning run, attempting to land her first promotional belt.
And taking on fierce Brazilian foe, the surging submission ace, Bueno Silva, Pennington and the grappling ace have been under the microscope across fight week ahead of UFC 297 – in particularly receiving criticizm from event headliner, Sean Strickland.
Taking main event honors in his first attempted defense of the middleweight crown, Strickland takes on surging South African contender, Dricus du Plessis, and made the bold claim his bout was finalized in order to save the card from a vacant bantamweight title headliner.
The bantamweight title will no longer be vacant after #UFC297
@RockyPMMA vs @MayraSheetara
[ LIVE on @ESPNPlus PPV | 10pmET/7pmPT ] pic.twitter.com/ErlktlVJ8q
— UFC (@ufc) January 20, 2024
Sharing his thoughts on the pairing of the surging Pennington and Bueno Silva, UFC boss, White urged the bantamweight contenders to take inspiration from former titleholder, Rousey, whom he credited with “building” the 135 pound weight class.
Dana White looks to inspire UFC 297 co-headliner
“Those two [Raquel Pennington and Mayra Bueno Silva], you have to look at that division and think Ronda Rousey built that division,” Dana White told Sportsnet. “These girls have to step up and deliver Saturday night, you know.”
“Listen, a lot of fights get overlooked, so make them pay for it Saturday night,” Dana White explained. “Stand out, make the place go crazy and deliver. And that’s what they need to do. Listen, we do the bells and whistles, we do all these other stuff. Saturday night, you have to go in there and show the world who you are and make the world talk about you on Sunday.”