Tag: bantamweight championship

Raquel Pennington Scores Decisive Decision Victory to Win Bantamweight Title – UFC 297 Highlights

Raquel PenningtonAfter 10 years and 18 fights inside the Octagon, Raquel Pennington can finally call herself a UFC champion. Stepping…

Raquel Pennington

After 10 years and 18 fights inside the Octagon, Raquel Pennington can finally call herself a UFC champion.

Stepping into the UFC 297 co-main event spotlight inside Toronto’s Scotiabank Arena, ‘Rocky’ one of the most dominant performances of her illustrious career against one of the division’s fiercest finishers, Mayra Bueno Silva. Pennington came out looking to push the pace from the get-go, but her offense was largely stifled in the first round as the Brazilian put her clinch game on display.

However, Bueno Silva was unable to keep that pace. As she began to noticeably slow, Pennington wore on her opponent in the clinch and found herself taking significant control of the bout by the time they entered the championship rounds.

In the fifth and final round, Pennington poured it on, unloading a series of ground-and-pound strikes that Bueno Silva had no answer for. With time running out, Pennington popped up and peppered a Bueno Silva with a series of kicks before the final bell rang.

Official Result: Raquel Pennington def. Mayra Bueno Silva via unanimous decision (49-46, 49-46, 49-46) to capture the UFC women’s bantamweight world championship.

Check Out Highlights From Raquel Pennington vs. Mayra Bueno Silva at UFC 297:

UFC to Set Time Limit on How Long Injured Champs *Cough*DominickCruz*Cough* Can Be Inactive Before Being Stripped of Titles


(“Wheeeeeeee!” / Photo via @TheDomin8r)

UFC bantamweight champion Dominick Cruz has had horrible luck over the past two years. He’s torn the ACL in his knee twice, endured multiple surgeries, and has not fought a single time. Yet, he’s remained the official champion of the division while interim titlist Renan Barao has defended his belt twice.

Cruz hopes to be back early in 2014 and head straight into a unification bout against Barao. If he doesn’t, however, he may finally find himself stripped of his title. And according to UFC president Dana White, the organization will now make plans to set a time limit for how long champs can stay champs while sidelined.

“We have thought about it, and we will do it,” White told members of the media Monday. “We’re probably going to do that soon.”

It is about time the UFC did this. We don’t have a negative word to say about Cruz who has earned everything he’s ever gotten and who we feel genuinely bad for given all his bad luck, but it looks plain silly for Barao to be only an interim champion at this point. White seems to agree with those conflicted feelings.

“It’s a combination of me feeling really bad for him, and him being such a good person. … Do I think we let it play out too long? Maybe. But if I look at who the champion is, then I say no. I feel bad for the kid,” White said.


(“Wheeeeeeee!” / Photo via @TheDomin8r)

UFC bantamweight champion Dominick Cruz has had horrible luck over the past two years. He’s torn the ACL in his knee twice, endured multiple surgeries, and has not fought a single time. Yet, he’s remained the official champion of the division while interim titlist Renan Barao has defended his belt twice.

Cruz hopes to be back early in 2014 and head straight into a unification bout against Barao. If he doesn’t, however, he may finally find himself stripped of his title. And according to UFC president Dana White, the organization will now make plans to set a time limit for how long champs can stay champs while sidelined.

“We have thought about it, and we will do it,” White told members of the media Monday. “We’re probably going to do that soon.”

It is about time the UFC did this. We don’t have a negative word to say about Cruz who has earned everything he’s ever gotten and who we feel genuinely bad for given all his bad luck, but it looks plain silly for Barao to be only an interim champion at this point. White seems to agree with those conflicted feelings.

“It’s a combination of me feeling really bad for him, and him being such a good person. … Do I think we let it play out too long? Maybe. But if I look at who the champion is, then I say no. I feel bad for the kid,” White said.

Uncle Dana says that he doesn’t expect for it to come to stripping Cruz of his title since he believes the champ will be ready to fight Barao in early 2014. “He is very confident that he’s going to be back at the beginning of the year,” White said.

“And I think we’ve made it pretty clear what’s going to happen if he’s not.”

The UFC hasn’t made the consequences quite so clear in the past, but it’s encouraging to see that they are beginning to. Well, encouraging to Renan Barao, at least — not so much for Dominick Cruz, whose dusty title belt now has an expiration date.

– Elias Cepeda