Raquel Pennington Withdraws from Noche UFC Fight
Raquel Pennington, the former UFC Women’s Bantamweight Champion, has reportedly pulled out of her scheduled fight at Noche UFC.
Known as “Rocky,” Pennington has not fought since her title loss to Julianna Peña at UFC 307. AG Fight has reported that she had to withdraw from her matchup against top contender Norma Dumont due to an undisclosed injury.
This withdrawal is a considerable setback for Noche UFC, significantly affecting the event’s name recognition. The proposed fight between Pennington and Dumont was among just three matchups featuring ranked fighters at the event, which is set to take place at the Frost Bank Center in San Antonio, TX, on September 13.
Pennington’s Recent Career
Pennington first appeared on The Ultimate Fighter Season 18 and has been part of the UFC roster since 2013. Her first attempt at a UFC title came when she faced Amanda Nunes at UFC 224, where she was stopped. Pennington rebounded with a unanimous decision victory over Marion Reneau in 2020, leading to a five-fight win streak that culminated in her title win against Mayra Bueno Silva at UFC 297.
In her title defense at UFC 307, she lost a split decision to Peña, relinquishing her belt before Peña herself lost the title to Kayla Harrison at UFC 316. Given Dumont’s current ranking at #4 in the women’s bantamweight division and her impressive five-fight winning streak, the matchup could have determined the first challenger for Harrison’s title reign.
Future Plans for Dumont
It remains uncertain whether the UFC will find a new opponent for Dumont for Noche UFC, though the event will still feature high-profile bouts in the main and co-main events. Following his recent loss to Alexander Volkanovski at UFC 314, Diego Lopes aims to counter the growing hype surrounding Jean Silva, who has performed impressively since debuting on Dana White’s Contender Series.
The co-main event also carries significant implications for the strawweight title picture, as Tatiana Suarez seeks to bounce back from her failed title shot at UFC 312 in a match against Amanda Lemos, who has recorded a 2-1 record since her defeat to current champion Weili Zhang.
