Raquel “Rocky” Pennington knows she’s fighting an uphill battle at UFC 184, but it’s the opportunity she’s been waiting for.
While the Colorado native will appear in the co-main event slot opposite of UFC newcomer Holly Holm, The Ultimate Fighter alum is certainly on the lower end of the hype scale. This rings especially true when cast in the shadow of the headlining bout on the card that will feature women’s bantamweight phenom Ronda Rousey putting her title on the line against undefeated scrapper Cat Zingano.
The talk during fight week is that UFC 184 will be a historic night for women’s MMA, and while Pennington is embracing the high tide of the moment, she’s also looking to capitalize on it as well. She will be welcoming the highly touted former boxing champion to life inside the Octagon, and Rocky is determined to spoil Holm‘s debut.
She knows she’s the underdog and figured by many to be a steppingstone for The Preacher’s Daughter’s introduction to the biggest stage in MMA, but the 26-year-old Altitude MMA representative has plans of her own. Her bout on Saturday night has the potential to be the biggest moment of her young career, and Pennington is ready to handle business in Los Angeles.
“This is a great opportunity for me,” Pennington told Bleacher Report. “Holly is riding a huge hype train, and she did what she needed to do in order to get to the UFC. She’s done great things throughout her boxing career, and she’s off to a great start in her MMA career. At the end of the day, we may be the co-main event due to Holly’s hype train or whatever it is, but I like to see it as an opportunity I deserve.
“I believe I deserve it just as much as she does. My hard work is finally paid off, and that’s the way I like to see it. I don’t want to completely give her and her hype all of the credit I guess you could say.
“I take it for what it is. I’ve been on The Ultimate Fighter, and there is a lot of pressure in that situation. I kind of learned through that experience to put all the pressure aside, have fun and make sure to go out there and enjoy what I’m doing. Just take things as they come. When this fight against Holly was scheduled I was excited because it’s a great fight against a great opponent.”
While Pennington has been cast in the long-shot role for her upcoming fight, she is familiar with the feeling. Although she’s only been fighting as a professional for three years, she has already faced seasoned veterans during her time inside the cage, fighting the odds in the majority of those tilts.
Yet, with Holm being a new addition to the UFC and all of her previous fights coming in her home state of New Mexico, Pennington believes she’ll have a few advantages of her own at UFC 184.
“I’m definitely being underestimated in this fight,” Pennington said. “I’m the underdog, and I’ve always been the underdog in all of my fights in my career. It’s not something that truly bothers me. I guess you could say it takes the pressure off me. I’ve fought some top names, and I’ve never turned down a fight. I’ve fought whoever they have put in front of me, and that’s what it’s about.
“This is a competitive sport, and everyone wants to be the champion. Everyone wants to get to the top, and I think every female fighter brings something different to the table. You have to face a new challenge every single time. I don’t know why you’d go out and look for certain opponents in order to work your way toward that title shot. Especially in the UFC where the women’s bantamweight division is still so small.
“Why not fight everyone?”
When the cage door closes Saturday night, the opportunity Pennington has been working toward will come front and center. That said, she’ll have a difficult test with the striking acumen her opponent will bring to the Octagon.
Holm‘s boxing skills are second-to-none in women’s MMA, but the Jackson/Winkeljohn-trained fighter also possesses solid kickboxing abilities as well. That said, Pennington has been known to bring an aggressive attack directly to her opposition, and the Colorado Springs-based fighter believes she will have what it takes to push Holm beyond her limit.
“I definitely think I can break her,” Pennington said. “Holly is just another fighter and another human being. None of us are invincible. We are all breakable, and I think that’s part of what being a smart fighter is. It’s part of being a determined fighter with a huge heart. I think I carry all of those qualities, and you can never predict the way a fight may go. At the end of the day, I want to go in the cage, fight my fight and control it.
“My goal is to fight for the world title. I think with Holly coming in with her hype train and everything she’s done in her career so far, it’s the perfect opportunity. A win over Holly will bump me up that much further in my career.”
Duane Finley is a featured columnist for Bleacher Report. All quotes are obtained firsthand unless noted otherwise.
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