Raquel Pennington could have misplaced her title due to two judges’ scorecards, however she nonetheless believes she’s the champion after UFC 307.
Pennington put her bantamweight title on the road for the primary time in opposition to longtime rival Julianna Peña within the co-main occasion of the UFC’s latest pay-per-view card in Salt Lake Metropolis. Peña regained the title by way of break up resolution, nevertheless it got here with controversy, as nearly all of the MMA neighborhood scored the battle for Pennington — together with a near-unanimous nod on MMA Choices.
Not solely did the media members that posted playing cards rating it for the now-former champion, however based on Pennington, a variety of figureheads — together with a pair excessive up within the UFC hierarchy — noticed the battle the identical.
“On the subject of these judges, they should make it very clear as a result of a variety of them say that the damaging photographs are what’s scoring,” Pennington informed MMA Combating. “I had the damaging photographs [in the first round], and it simply will get irritating. It will get irritating from simply being a competitor and the athlete in that state of affairs, however not even simply my battle. I don’t know what the judges have been seeing that night time on the whole. I even really feel unhealthy for Jose Aldo. His battle was the identical factor.
“It’s simply loopy to me what these judges do. On the finish of the day, you’ve aggressive fights, they go to the choices, and it simply takes that one individual to remove every little thing from any person and I really feel like they simply actually don’t understand what they’re doing and but, they’re those with one of the best seat in the home. They’re those which can be speculated to be doing one of the best job.
“And it’s loopy to me how each single media outlet, like there wasn’t even one which stated Pena [won]. It was each single media outlet [that] stated Pennington. I’ve had quite a few prime athletes attain out to me. I’ve had Dana White, freaking Hunter [Campbell], Joe Rogan, Jon Anik, [Daniel Cormier], all people who’s sitting proper there and all people is rather like, ‘No means. We don’t perceive this.’ No person understood it. I didn’t perceive it.”
The loss put a halt to Pennington’s six-fight win streak.
The ultimate 4 rounds have been straightforward to attain for all who watched — the second and third for Peña, fourth and fifth for Pennington, together with a fourth spherical that noticed Pennington harm Peña with a head kick early after which drop Peña with an enormous punch shortly thereafter. The primary spherical, which two judges scored for Peña, was the deciding issue.
When it was over, Pennington says she was by no means extra assured she had received the battle, till she heard Bruce Buffer announce Peña as the brand new champion.
“They’d my household lined up prepared to come back in there after which once they introduced it, they have been like, ‘Is Bruce like enjoying a joke right here?’” Pennington stated. “It was all actually bizarre however I wasn’t the one athlete on that card that conditions occur to, and also you see it occur in a number of different occasions. It’s truthfully simply unhappy. There needs to be completely different {qualifications} or one thing for these judges.
“They should look into it slightly bit completely different as a result of this occurs means too usually.”
After the win, Peña referred to as for a trilogy battle with the now-retired Amanda Nunes — one of many all-time greats that has teased a attainable return — regardless of the published going to a split-screen with prior UFC 307 winner Kayla Harrison.
In Pennington’s eyes, she believes two issues ought to occur. One, the UFC considers an open scoring mannequin to assist with among the shoddy scorecards which have turn into extra frequent. And in addition, Pennington appears like the true bantamweight title battle needs to be between her and Harrison.
“I really feel like one thing positively wants to vary with it,” Pennington defined. “I do know a variety of athletes have spoken about open scoring … which may play out for extra thrilling fights, which is lighting a fireplace underneath folks, however one thing positively simply wants to vary, on the whole.
“However on the finish of the day, I imply, it’s what it’s. I personally don’t really feel like I misplaced that battle in any respect. My head is excessive. I do need the rematch, however with that being stated, everyone knows Julianna sits round without end — whether or not it’s an harm or she simply… she tends to take a seat round without end. I positively need the rematch and stuff, however on the finish of the day, I really feel like the true world title battle comes from me and Kayla. I believe it could be an thrilling battle and a very completely different problem after which let Julianna do regardless of the hell she desires to do proper now.
“I do need to get again to the world title and I would like my belt again. So I don’t know, the frustration’s there, I don’t actually have phrases for all of it and whatnot, however on the finish of the day it’s competitors, they gave her the win. So no matter, congratulations to her. I positively know I’m going to be again stronger and higher than ever, and I’m motivated on a very completely different degree. I’ve no accidents. I did go get my fingers X-rayed from cracking her so exhausting. My fingers are positively harm, however other than that, I got here out of that battle utterly wholesome. I’ll be again. …
“On the finish of the day, like, I nonetheless really feel like a champion. So it doesn’t matter.”
