The fight between Raquel Pennington and Julianna Peña is for more than just the UFC women’s bantamweight title: it’s a battle for the future of the weight class. At least, so says Peña.
This Saturday, Pennington puts her women’s bantamweight title on the line against Peña in the co-main event of UFC 307. Peña is the brash, outspoken challenger best known for pulling off one of the biggest upsets in UFC history against Amanda Nunes at UFC 269, while Pennington is a divisional workhorse who finally who won the vacant title earlier this year with a win over Mayra Bueno Silva at UFC 297.
They are diametrically opposed personalities in and outside of the cage, and at least for Peña, their differences show why she is the best option to serve as the face of the women’s bantamweight division.
“I believe that I want this opportunity and that this championship belt means more to me than it does to her,” Peña told reporters at UFC 307 media day. “It’s very clear when you match us up, side by side. Raquel has not been a good representation of the women’s bantamweight division. She has not promoted, she has said no to Embedded, she has constantly done everything that she can to avoid being the face of women’s MMA and not being that big face that wants to promote and be that great representation of women’s MMA.
“To me... you’re showing me nothing, but you’re telling me everything by not being that person that is letting everybody know that you’re fighting. I want to be that person. That’s my role and I can do it better, and that’s why I believe I’m going to be able to seal the deal on Saturday night and get that gold again.”
Peña held the bantamweight title from December 2021 until July 2022, where she lost it in her rematch with Nunes at UFC 277. Peña has not competed since then, though she was rumored to be in line to fight Pennington for the vacant belt until she got sidelined by injury.
Meanwhile, Pennington is on a six-fight winning streak over the past four years with wins over multiple top-15 ranked opponents. And for her, actually getting in the cage and fighting is substantially more important for being the face of the division.
“We all know that Julianna has a Master’s Degree in Yapology,” Pennington said in her own media day scrum. “All she does is talk shit. She keeps herself relevant that way. To sit here and say I turned down Embedded, how does she know anything that I’m even doing. It’s interesting. But she just yaps and she talks, but at the end of the day, I’ve always been me. I stay authentic to who I am. I don’t feel the need to go out there and do all the extra shit-talking and whatnot.
“This is 14 years of hard work. I got here just staying in my lane. You want to call me a terrible representation, I didn’t see her doing any better. She had the biggest upset and thens he turned around and got her ass handed to her for five rounds. Where is the representation in that? But I can tell you, for sure, I’m damn sure here to stay. And still.”
UFC 307 takes place this Saturday at Delta Center in Salt Lake City.
