Newly minted undisputed bantamweight champion, Raquel Pennington has opened as a betting favourite to beat former titleholder, Julianna Peña in a future title combat – following her coronation at UFC 297 over the course of the weekend in Toronto.
Pennington, who co-headlined UFC 297 over the course of the weekend in ‘The Nice White North’ – turned in a one-sided unanimous determination win over Mayra Bueno Silva in her second pursuit of the bantamweight crown.
Sidelined herself for the prior 12 months, former champion and The Final Fighter winner, Peña has but to function since July 2022, most just lately struggling a championship combat loss to common-foe, Amanda Nunes within the pair’s title conflict rematch.
And compelled from a title trilogy rubber match with Nunes at UFC 289 again in June of final 12 months amid an damage, Peña was changed by Irene Aldana, with the Mexican struggling a unanimous determination loss in what got here as Brazilian favourite, Nunes’ last combat.
Welcoming a primary title protection in opposition to Peña after her one-sided judging win over Bueno Silva at UFC 297 over the course of the weekend, Raquel Pennington has opened as a -150 betting favourite to beat the +130 betting underdog and former gold holder, Peña in the event that they share the Octagon.
Raquel Pennington backed to beat Julianna Peña in UFC title combat
And mentioning her intentions to attain a combat with Raquel Pennington as quickly because the summer season – Julianna Peña has one eye on a possible Worldwide Combat Week occasion in June, which is slated for Las Vegas, the place followers and spectators can select to play the most effective slots to play on-line for actual cash.
Voicing her curiosity in a quickfire turnaround in opposition to Peña within the fast aftermath of her title combat victory in opposition to Bueno Silva in Canada, Pennington notably pointed to the pair’s stint on the above-mentioned Final Fighter – as an fascinating storyline for the duo’s anticipated grudge combat for gold.
“That’s the combat that is sensible,” Raquel Pennington stated of a bout with Julianna Peña while talking after UFC 297. “ I truthfully thought that for the world title it was going to be me and Julianna, however she’s nonetheless injured.”
“That relationship simply goes again to 2013 after we had been each again in The Final Fighter,” Raquel Pennington defined. “Let’s simply say, I discovered Julianna’s persona then, and it’s sort of a kind of the place you keep your approach, and I’ll keep mine, however you get underneath my rattling pores and skin, I’ve been ready for that combat for 13 years – whether or not the title is on the road or not.”
A possible spanner could also be thrown into the works for Peña, nevertheless, with the above-noted former duel-weight champion, Nunes showing not so committal on her June retirement, amid her prior TKO win over Pennington, and failing to shut the door fully on a return to the game.
“We’ll see what occurs, you realize,” Amanda Nunes advised Megan Olivi following UFC 297. “I’m nonetheless younger, you realize – recent. You understand, like, you by no means know. We now have numerous issues to do, I’ve numerous issues to determine at residence nonetheless – what I’m gonna do. And, we’ll see what occurs.”
“I don’t know, you realize,” Amanda Nunes defined when requested if the door remained open on her return. “I’m a fighter, you realize. That is my job. And I like this a lot, and I don’t know.”
