Tecia Pennington doesn’t have a lot of love for MMA judges.
This Saturday, Pennington faces Carla Esparza on the undercard of UFC 307. The bout is the final of Esparza’s storied career but for Pennington it’s equally as important as “The Tiny Tornado” is currently on a two-fight losing streak, dropping split decisions to Mackenzie Dern and Tabatha Ricci, which have Pennington with her back against the wall.
“The split decisions have hurt me,” Pennington told reporters at UFC 307 Media Day. “It’s hurt more, the loss, than anything, getting punched or kicked by these girls or whatnot. I truly believed I won those last two fights.”
Pennington has been a fixture of the strawweight top-15 since entering the UFC of of The Ultimate Fighter in 2014. But despite notable wins over the likes of Angela Hill and Michelle Waterson-Gomez, “The Tiny Tornardo” has been unable to even earn a title shot. Now at 35 years old, time is running out for Pennington to make a title run, which she blames, in part, on the judging in her fights.
“I’m still getting at it. I feel like I’ve got one more good run in me,” Pennington said. “I feel like I can make it happen for myself too. I have the skill...
“Honestly, it’s the judges who keep f*cking me, if I’m being honest,” Pennington said. “I go back and I’m like, I don’t know who the judges were but do they go home and rewatch that fight and they’re like, ‘Man, I took away opportunity from this girl. I took away money from this girl. That sucks. I wish I could have done something different.’
“I kind of wish we had universal [open scoring] where they tell you the score after [each round] like Invicta does it. That would be awesome because then as an athlete, I know.”
Universal scoring has been a topic of discussion in MMA for years, with Invicta FC even implementing it on a trial basis in 2020. However, there’s been no major push for universal scoring to make it into the UFC and it won’t be in effect Saturday when Pennington faces off with Esparza. Fortunately for Pennington, she does not believe she’ll need it.
“I think she’s going to be the same old Carla,” Pennington said. “Same thing, coming in with some [punches], going for the takedown, try to catch my leg and take me down that way. I’m not saying she’s not going to take me down, she might. But I’ll get right back up, I’ll stuff a lot of her takedowns, I’ll use my movement. The key to her winning is holding me down, but I don’t see that happening. There’s not been a girl who has been able to do that. I’ve been able to get up and do what I want to do.”
