Tag: Raquel Pennington

Raquel Pennington says UFC even had her family lined up thinking she beat Julianna Peña at UFC 307

Raquel Pennington says everyone but the judges thought she beat Julianna Peña at UFC 307.

[autotag]Raquel Pennington[/autotag] says everyone but the judges thought she beat [autotag]Julianna Peña[/autotag].

Pennington (16-10 MMA, 13-6 UFC) lost her bantamweight title to Peña (13-5 MMA, 8-3 UFC) by split decision in the co-main event of UFC 307 in Salt Lake City.

All but two media members scored the fight in favor of Pennington (h/t MMA Decisions). Pennington says even the UFC was prepping to have her announced as the winner.

“That night was just a really weird night,” Pennington told MMA Junkie Radio. “I’ve gone to a decision multiple times, and I’ve never felt so confident going to the judges’ decision. I feel like it’s one of those things, for one, when it comes to a championship fights, you have to beat the champ to be the champ – and she did not beat me.

“The three people who had the best seat in the house – the entire world, the entire media, like everybody in the UFC was for me then all of a sudden it’s like, oh – her. I think that says a lot, especially when you’re just shocked that your name got called. They even had my family lined up ready to go in there. I mean everybody, the commentators, Dana (White), were like, ‘Hmm – no.'”

Despite the disappointment in losing her title, Pennington hinted that the UFC has some plans for her.

“It was really interesting. It definitely hurt my heart, but my head is high,” Pennington continued. “It’s just another bump in the journey. I’m actually excited for what the future holds. I’ve had some great conversations with the UFC, and there’s a lot to look forward to. I definitely don’t feel like I lost that fight, so I still feel like the champ.”

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MMA Junkie Radio #3507: Guests Raquel Pennington and Paige VanZant, PFL and UFC recaps, more

Check out the latest episode of MMA Junkie Radio with “Gorgeous” George and “Goze.”


Monday’s episode of MMA Junkie Radio with “Gorgeous” George and “Goze” is here.

On Episode 3,507, the brosephs welcome in guests [autotag]Raquel Pennington[/autotag] and [autotag]Paige VanZant[/autotag]. Plus, they recap the big PFL: Battle of the Giants pay-per-view, the UFC’s latest show and discussed the latest news. Tune in!

USA TODAY Sports/MMA Junkie rankings, Oct. 8: Julianna Peña back on top

Check out the latest USA TODAY Sports/MMA Junkie rankings following UFC 307, where Julianna Peña reclaimed the women’s bantamweight title.

The latest pay-per-view event for the UFC hosted a pair of title fights, producing a new two-time champion.

In the main event of UFC 307, [autotag]Alex Pereira[/autotag] successfully defended his light heavyweight title by stopping [autotag]Khalil Rountree[/autotag] in a Fight of the Night battle. Pereira is already No. 1 in his division and in the P4P rankings, so he has nowhere to move. However, Rountree, even in a loss, moves up a few spots due to his stellar performance, moving from No. 12 to No. 10.

In the co-feature, [autotag]Julianna Peña[/autotag] emerged victorious in a controversial split decision win over [autotag]Raquel Pennington[/autotag] to win back the women’s bantamweight title. Peña entered the week at No. 2 and Pennington at No. 1, swapping places after Saturday’s result.

In another women’s bantamweight swap, No. 3 [autotag]Ketlen Viera[/autotag] lost to No. 4 [autotag]Kayla Harrison[/autotag]. They swap rankings in this week’s update.

Check out all the latest pound-for-pound and divisional USA TODAY Sports/MMA Junkie rankings.

Video: Was Raquel Pennington robbed at UFC 307? Is Julianna Peña vs. Kayla Harrison next?

Where does women’s bantamweight go after Saturday’s UFC 307 results? We discuss on “Spinning Back Clique.”

The landscape in the UFC women’s bantamweight division changed dramatically at UFC 307.

Saturday’s pay-per-view event in Salt Lake City hosted two key bouts at 135 pounds, with a championship fight between [autotag]Raquel Pennington[/autotag] and [autotag]Julianna Peña[/autotag], and what many expected to be a title eliminator in [autotag]Kayla Harrison[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Ketlen Vieira[/autotag]. In the end, Peña regained her UFC belt in disputed fashion, and Harrison kept her undefeated status in the promotion.

Did Peña rightfully win the UFC belt, or was Pennington robbed from a decision win? Is Harrison the clear next challenger, or could [autotag]Amanda Nunes[/autotag] be lured back into competition?

MMA Junkie’s Brian Garcia, Nolan King, Mike Bohn, and host Gorgeous George analyze the updated landscape at women’s bantamweight and discuss how things could shake out in the near future.

Watch their discussion in the video above, and don’t miss this week’s complete episode of “Spinning Back Clique” below on YouTube.

https://youtube.com/live/W8fowdpah74

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Raquel Pennington issues statement on UFC 307 title loss to Julianna Peña: ‘I do not feel I lost that fight’

Raquel Pennington addressed her controversial championship loss to Julianna Peña at UFC 307 for the first time.

[autotag]Raquel Pennington[/autotag] doesn’t agree with the judges’ ruling of her UFC women’s bantamweight fight against [autotag]Julianna Peña[/autotag].

Pennington believes she deserved to retain her title, but in the end she lost a  split decision in the co-main event of UFC 307 this past Saturday in Salt Lake City. Pennington (16-10 MMA, 13-6 UFC) won one 48-47 scorecard but lost 48-47 to Peña (13-5 MMA, 8-3 UFC) on the two others.

Many fans agreed with Pennington and voiced their outrage on social media that the result went the other way. In an Instagram post Tuesday, Pennington addressed her defeat for the first time:

I’m home and I’m healthy. My heart hurts but my head is high! I do not feel I lost that fight but this is just another wild detour in this journey of mine. I will be back better than ever! I want the rematch stat! Regardless what an amazing fight week, 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 who stand behind me. My amazing group of coaches @jhostriking @jason_kutz @tylerlarsenbjj @mennyboy12 @antwon_burton3 and @evierae_jaktmuscle My training partners who put in work with me this camp Cory, @ryan.ashleigh and @jjaldrich My recovery team @sabrinabishopselman @cismrehab @peakbalancefamily My amazing management group @vaynersports @sarahzemonek @botemplin @kcoll0207 and my amazing wife @teciatorres and my entire family who has been my biggest support since day 1. To all my true fans out there I love each and every one of you. We will be back!!! ❤️🏆 #TeamRocky

The decision was highly controversial, with 25 media members scoring the bout for Pennington, one scoring it a draw, and one scoring it for Peña, according to MMADecisions.com.

With this result, Pennington, 36, saw her six-fight winning streak come to an end. She won the title that was vacated by Nunes when she defeated Mayra Bueno Silva by unanimous decision in January. But she failed to make a successful title defense Saturday.

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For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 307.

UFC 307 Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay: Program cracks $29 million total paid since Venum deal

The UFC has now paid more than $29 million to its athletes under the Promotional Guidelines Compliance program following UFC 307.

SALT LAKE CITY – Fighters from Saturday’s UFC 307 event took home UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay totaling $407,500.

The program, a comprehensive plan that includes outfitting requirements, media obligations and other items under the fighter code of conduct, replaces the previous payments made under the UFC Athlete Outfitting Policy.

UFC 307 took place at Delta Center in Utah. The main card aired on ESPN+ pay-per-view following prelims on ESPNews and ESPN+.

The full UFC 307 UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance payouts included:

* * * *

[autotag]Alex Pereira[/autotag]: $42,000
def. [autotag]Khalil Rountree[/autotag]: $32,000

[autotag]Julianna Peña[/autotag]: $32,000
def. [autotag]Raquel Pennington[/autotag]: $42,000

[autotag]Mario Bautista[/autotag]: $11,000
def. [autotag]Jose Aldo[/autotag]: $21,000

[autotag]Roman Dolidze[/autotag]: $11,000
def. [autotag]Kevin Holland[/autotag]: $21,000

[autotag]Kayla Harrison[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Ketlen Vieira[/autotag]: $11,000

[autotag]Joaquin Buckley[/autotag]: $11,000
def. [autotag]Stephen Thompson[/autotag]: $21,000

[autotag]Iasmin Lucindo[/autotag]: $4,500
def. [autotag]Marina Rodriguez[/autotag]: $11,000

[autotag]Alexander Hernandez[/autotag]: $11,000
def. [autotag]Austin Hubbard[/autotag]: $6,000

[autotag]Cesar Almeida[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Ihor Potieria[/autotag]: $6,000

[autotag]Ryan Spann[/autotag]: $11,000
def. [autotag]Ovince Saint Preux[/autotag]: $21,000

[autotag]Tecia Pennington[/autotag]: $16,000
def. [autotag]Carla Esparza[/autotag]: $16,000

[autotag]Court McGee[/autotag]: $21,000
def. [autotag]Tim Means[/autotag]: $21,000

Under the UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance program’s payout tiers, which appropriate the money generated by Venum’s multi-year sponsorship with the UFC, fighters are paid based on their total number of UFC bouts, as well as Zuffa-era WEC fights (January 2007 and later) and Zuffa-era Strikeforce bouts (April 2011 and later). Fighters with 1-3 bouts receive $4,000 per appearance; 4-5 bouts get $4,500; 6-10 bouts get $6,000; 11-15 bouts earn $11,000; 16-20 bouts pocket $16,000; and 21 bouts and more get $21,000. Additionally, champions earn $42,000 while title challengers get $32,000.

In addition to experience-based pay, UFC fighters will receive in perpetuity royalty payments amounting to 20-30 percent of any UFC merchandise sold that bears their likeness, according to officials.

Full 2024 UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance payouts:

Year-to-date total: $6,302,500
2023 total: $8,188,000
2022 total: $8,351,500
2021 total: $6,167,500
Program-to-date total: $29,039,500

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 307.

Julianna Peña def. Raquel Pennington at UFC 307 in Salt Lake City: Best photos

Check out the best photos from Julianna Peña’s split decision win over Raquel Pennington at UFC 307 at Delta Center in Salt Lake City.

Check out the best photos from [autotag]Julianna Peña[/autotag]’s split decision win over [autotag]Raquel Pennington[/autotag] to win the women’s bantamweight title at UFC 307 at Delta Center in Salt Lake City. (Fight and venue photos by Stephen R. Sylvanie, USA Today Sports)

UFC 307 results: Julianna Peña claims gold again in controversial decision over Raquel Pennington

Julianna Peña is UFC champion once again, despite most media members and fans disagreeing with the decision.

[autotag]Julianna Peña[/autotag] has gold around her waist once again.

In the UFC 307 co-main event Saturday at Delta Center in Salt Lake City, Peña (13-5 MMA, 8-3 UFC) defeated [autotag]Raquel Pennington[/autotag] (16-10 MMA, 13-6 UFC) by split decision (48-47, 47-48, 48-47) to win the promotion’s women’s bantamweight title.

The first round was closely contest with both women standing at distance, testing out their technical striking. The next three rounds were a bit more clear-cut. In Round 2, Peña took Pennington down and controlled her for much of the round in side control.

In Round 3, Peña dragged the fight to the canvas again. This time, she worked from the back with a body lock. She tried to lock in a rear-naked choke and face crank, but Pennington fended her off until the horn.

Peña found success on the feet in Round 4, as she outpointed Pennington. That is, until Pennington landed the first knockdown of her 19-fight UFC career. It was a massive right hand that floored Peña. Rather than pounce with strikes, Pennington sought a guillotine choke. Peña grabbed hold of Pennington and got back to the feet.

In Round 5, both fighters were visibly tired. Pennington seemed a bit sharper and fresher and landed hard shots on Peña, who wobbled at one point due to a big punch. Peña was much more defensive-minded in the round as Pennington pushed the action.

In the end, it was Peña who was awarded the title by split decision.

The decision was highly controversial with 25 media members scoring the bout for Pennington, one scoring it a draw, and none scoring it for Peña, according to MMADecisions.com. At the time of publication, over 85 percent of fan voters also scored the fight for Pennington.

After the fight, Peña was asked about fighting [autotag]Kayla Harrison[/autotag] next. Harrison (18-1 MMA, 2-0 UFC) defeated Ketlen Vieira by unanimous decision earlier in the night. Peña elected to call for a trilogy vs. Amanda Nunes instead. The answer visually amused Harrison, who signaled that Peña was running.

Peña first claimed gold in December 2021 when she defeated Nunes by submission in one of the biggest upsets in UFC history. She then lost the title to Nunes by unanimous in July 2022. Saturday’s fight was her first since that bout.

Pennington has a six-fight winning streak snapped by coming up short in her first title defense attempt. She won the title that was vacated by Nunes when she defeated Mayra Bueno Silva by unanimous decision in January.

Up-to-the-minute UFC 307 results include:

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 307.

UFC 307: Pereira vs. Rountree preview show live stream with Farah Hannoun

Before the fights get underway, join MMA Junkie’s Farah Hannoun for a live-streamed preview of UFC 307 in Salt Lake City.

UFC 307 goes down Saturday night with two title fights atop the bill, and before the fights get underway, Farah Hannoun will host a live-streamed preview show right here, which kicks off at 5 p.m. ET.

In the headliner, light heavyweight champion [autotag]Alex Pereira[/autotag] (11-2 MMA, 8-1 UFC) puts his title on the line against challenger [autotag]Khalil Rountree[/autotag] (14-5 MMA, 9-5 UFC). In the co-feature, women’s bantamweight champ [autotag]Raquel Pennington[/autotag] (16-9 MMA, 13-5 UFC) defends her title for the first time when she meets ex-champ [autotag]Julianna Pena[/autotag] (12-5 MMA, 7-3 UFC). In addition, two-time Olympic gold medalist and former PFL champ [autotag]Kayla Harrison[/autotag] (17-1 MMA, 1-0 UFC) takes on [autotag]Ketlen Vieira[/autotag] (14-3 MMA, 8-3 UFC) as a huge favorite.

UFC 307 takes place at Delta Center in Salt Lake City and streams on ESPN+ pay-per-view following prelims on ESPNews and ESPN+.

Below is the complete lineup:

UFC 307 main card

  • Champ Alex Pereira vs. Khalil Rountree – for light heavyweight title
  • Champ Raquel Pennington vs. Julianna Peña – for women’s bantamweight title
  • Jose Aldo vs. Mario Bautista
  • Kayla Harrison vs. Ketlen Vieira
  • Roman Dolidze vs. Kevin Holland

UFC 307 preliminary card

  • Joaquin Buckley vs. Stephen Thompson
  • Iasmin Lucindo vs. Marina Rodriguez
  • Cesar Almeida vs. Ihor Potieria
  • Alexander Hernandez vs. Austin Hubbard

UFC 307 early preliminary card

  • Ovince Saint Preux vs. Ryan Spann
  • Carla Esparza vs. Tecia Pennington
  • Court McGee vs. Tim Means

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 307.

UFC 307 ‘Embedded,’ No. 6: Fighters shed final pounds for weigh-ins: ‘It ain’t easy, but it’s worth it’

The sixth episode of UFC 307 “Embedded” follows Alex Pereira and other stars of the pay-per-view through their weight cut.

The UFC is back on Mountain Time for UFC 307, and the popular “Embedded” fight week video series is here to document what’s happening behind the scenes.

UFC 307 (pay-per-view, ESPNews, ESPN+) takes place Saturday at Delta Center in Salt Lake City.

In the headliner, light heavyweight champion [autotag]Alex Pereira[/autotag] (11-2 MMA, 8-1 UFC) puts his title on the line against challenger [autotag]Khalil Rountree[/autotag] (14-5 MMA, 9-5 UFC). In the co-feature, women’s bantamweight champ [autotag]Raquel Pennington[/autotag] (16-9 MMA, 13-5 UFC) defends her title for the first time when she meets ex-champ [autotag]Julianna Peña[/autotag] (12-5 MMA, 7-3 UFC). In addition, two-time Olympic gold medalist and former PFL champ [autotag]Kayla Harrison[/autotag] (17-1 MMA, 1-0 UFC) takes on [autotag]Ketlen Vieira[/autotag] (14-3 MMA, 8-3 UFC) as a huge favorite.

The sixth and final episode of “Embedded” follows the featured fighters while they get ready for fight week. Here is the UFC’s description of the episode from YouTube:

Champ Raquel Pennington reflects on her upcoming fight against Julianna Peña; athletes cut weight before official weigh-ins; Champ Alex Pereira gets his warrior face paint; The stars of UFC 307 face off one last time at the Ceremonial Weigh-ins.

Previous UFC 307 ‘Embedded’ episodes

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 307.