Tecia Pennington doesn’t have loads of love for MMA judges.
This Saturday, Pennington faces Carla Esparza on the undercard of UFC 307. The bout is the ultimate of Esparza’s storied profession however for Pennington it’s equally as essential as “The Tiny Twister” is at present on a two-fight dropping streak, dropping break up selections to Mackenzie Dern and Tabatha Ricci, which have Pennington together with her again in opposition to the wall.
“The break up selections have harm me,” Pennington instructed reporters at UFC 307 Media Day. “It’s harm extra, the loss, than something, getting punched or kicked by these ladies or whatnot. I really believed I gained these final two fights.”
Pennington has been a fixture of the strawweight top-15 since coming into the UFC of of The Final Fighter in 2014. However regardless of 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 Now at 35 years outdated, time is working out for Pennington to make a title run, which she blames, partly, on the judging in her fights.
“I’m nonetheless getting at it. I really feel like I’ve bought another good run in me,” Pennington stated. “I really feel like I could make it occur for myself too. I’ve the ability…
“Truthfully, it’s the judges who maintain f*cking me, if I’m being trustworthy,” Pennington stated. “I am going again and I’m like, I don’t know who the judges have been however do they go residence and rewatch that struggle and so they’re like, ‘Man, I took away alternative from this lady. I took away cash from this lady. That sucks. I want I might have performed one thing totally different.’
“I type of want we had common [open scoring] the place they inform you the rating after [each round] like Invicta does it. That may be superior as a result of then as an athlete, I do know.”
Common scoring has been a subject of debate in MMA for years, with Invicta FC even implementing it on a trial foundation in 2020. Nevertheless, there’s been no main push for common scoring to make it into the UFC and it gained’t be in impact Saturday when Pennington faces off with Esparza. Luckily for Pennington, she doesn’t imagine she’ll want it.
“I feel she’s going to be the identical outdated Carla,” Pennington stated. “Similar factor, coming in with some [punches], going for the takedown, attempt to catch my leg and take me down that manner. I’m not saying she’s not going to take me down, she would possibly. However I’ll get proper again up, I’ll stuff loads of her takedowns, I’ll use my motion. The important thing to her profitable is holding me down, however I don’t see that occuring. There’s not been a woman who has been ready to try this. I’ve been capable of rise up and do what I wish to do.”