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Raquel Pennington can lastly calls herself a champion after claiming the vacant bantamweight title following a grueling, five-round win over Mayra Bueno Silva within the UFC 297 co-main occasion.
It wasn’t the prettiest efficiency however an unpleasant win remains to be a win.
Pennington survived a robust begin from Bueno Silva after which simply started chipping away, spherical after spherical. Utilizing her conditioning and a relentless tempo as her finest weapon, Pennington by no means gave Bueno Silva a minute to breathe and by the point the combat ended, the Brazilian was completely exhausted.
The judges finally scored the combat 49-46, 49-46 and 49-45 with Pennington getting the win and changing into the brand new champion at 135 kilos.
“It feels surreal,” Pennington mentioned afterwards. “It’s been a protracted 5 years getting again to this. I anticipated to return out right here and do much more however a combat’s a combat. Mayra’s powerful. I climbed mountains to get again right here. Keep believing as a result of that’s precisely what I did.”
There was no feeling out course of within the title combat with Pennington trying to press the motion and shut the space with Bueno Silva glad to fulfill her in each change. A clinch battle ensued but it surely was Bueno Silva who finally dragged Pennington to the canvas halfway by means of the opening spherical.
Bueno Silva wasted no time advancing to take the again with Pennington returning to her ft and enjoying protection with the Brazilian nonetheless holding onto her. Pennington defended effectively however she had Bueno Silva caught to her with no likelihood to flee till the spherical ended.
It appeared like Bueno Silva would proceed to make use of that very same technique transferring ahead however Pennington prevented the clinch and the takedowns sufficient to lastly let her palms fly. Pennington related with a number of nasty punches that had Bueno Silva backing up and exhibiting indicators that the injury was including up.
Sadly, Pennington acquired too shut and that allowed Bueno Silva to seize onto her earlier than leaping on her again but once more. Bueno Silva appeared for the rear-naked choke however Pennington stayed powerful to withstand the submission try.
Because the combat moved into the third spherical, Bueno Silva began exhibiting indicators of slowing down with Pennington digging to the physique with punches after which reversing half-hearted takedown makes an attempt. Bueno Silva was fading badly and Pennington made her pay with punishing photographs to the pinnacle and physique as they battled it out on the bottom.
Bueno Silva continued to wrestle till she managed to take the again momentarily and practically locking on a submission however Pennington confirmed endurance till escaping. From there, Pennington peppered away with punches from the highest with Bueno Silva throwing up her legs, probably in search of an armbar or a triangle choke try.
None of it labored as Pennington saved breaking free then posturing up and delivering highly effective punches with Bueno Silva absorbing increasingly injury. Even with a minute break between rounds, Bueno Silva’s power was so drained that she may solely muster a spinning backfist earlier than she ended up dropping to the bottom once more.
Pennington shortly latched onto an arm triangle choke from the highest however she simply couldn’t fairly lock on the submission. Bueno Silva resisted simply sufficient to stop the end however clearly shifted into survival mode and providing virtually nothing in return.
The gang unleashed a refrain of boos as time ran out with Pennington simply chopping away at Bueno Silva’s legs as she continued to put on the mat. It’s not going a efficiency that may find yourself on her spotlight reel however Pennington undoubtedly did sufficient to earn the victory and now she’s acquired a UFC title to point out for it.
With the win, Pennington will virtually assuredly draw former champion Julianna Peña subsequent after she suffered an harm that prevented her from competing at UFC 297 on Saturday.
“I assumed it was going to be Julianna subsequent,” Pennington mentioned. “It’s been 10 years I’ve been ready for that combat.”
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