A new UFC women's bantamweight champion will be crowned at UFC 297 when No. 2 ranked Raquel Pennington clashes with No. 3 ranked Mayra Bueno Silva in the co-main event. The five-round title bout will occur on Saturday, January 20, at Scotiabank Arena in Toronto, Canada.
Pennington (15-9-0) will seek the 135-pound title for the second time in her UFC career. The 35-year-old suffered a TKO loss in 2018 to two-time bantamweight champion Amanda Nunes at UFC 224. The legendary champion vacated the belt last summer when she announced her retirement.
Bueno Silva (10-2-1) is on a mission to regain her credibility after the Nevada Athletic Commission overturned her win over Holly Holm in July for using a banned substance. The 32-year-old acknowledged using an ADHD medication that resulted in a failed drug test.
The veteran American has reeled off five straight wins since losing a unanimous decision to Holm four years ago. The Colorado native earned a split decision win against No. 4 ranked Ketlen Vieira in her last fight in early 2023. She has also notched wins over top 10 contenders Pannie Kianzad and Macy Chiasson.
Pennington is an Octagon workhorse and has won 69% of her fights via a decision. Although she is not a knockout artist, the Altitude MMA team member is an aggressive striker who lands 50% of her significant strike attempts. Her 1,310 career strikes are currently the most in women's bantamweight history.
A gritty fighter with above-average submission skills, Pennington will have a significant advantage if the match lasts more than three rounds. She has fought to a decision a whopping 10 times in the UFC, and her fights have averaged a record-setting 14 minutes and nine seconds. Meanwhile, her opponent has had nine career fights, including three of her past four bouts, which ended before the third round.
Bueno Silva was riding a four-fight win streak before her second-round submission win against Holm was overturned and ruled a no-contest. The submission ace has won 73% of her fights via submission holds and boasts a 50% takedown average. She is also an effective striker and lands 54% of her significant strike attempts.
The Brazilian is a relentless attacker and will be looking to finish the fight early. In her match with Holm, Bueno Silva delivered blunt knees to the body and peppered the former bantamweight champion with sharp elbows to the face in an exciting first round. She caught Holm in a modified ninja choke the following round to end the fight.
The American Top Team member heads into the title fight with an air of confidence usually reserved for reigning champions.
"I will knock her out – I believe this," Bueno Silva told Middle Easy. "I believe – 100 percent."
When asked which round the predicted knockout would occur, Bueno Silva did not hesitate to answer.
"The second round," she boasted.
Although Buena Silva understands why some mixed martial arts fans are not excited about the upcoming title fight, including former champion Julianna Pena, she expects to show everyone why she is the new face of the bantamweight division.
Reported by Yahoo Sport, Bueno Silver told Middle Easy, "On paper, it's not a good fight because nobody wants to watch this fight – I know," Bueno Silva said. "This fight on paper is no good. But I promise I will give a big show for everybody. Everybody (will go) home and think about, 'Hey, this girl Mayra Bueno Silva is the chosen one.'"
While Pennington vs Bueno Silva fight for the vacant UFC bantamweight title, the main event of the day will be Strickland vs Plessis who compete for the UFC middleweight title. Strickland, boasting a record of 28-5-0, is set to defend his middleweight crown. The Strickland vs Plessis UFC 297 odds have tilted slightly in favor of the defending champion, with Strickland positioned as a marginal favorite at -138, as reported by FanDuel sportsbook. This high-stakes bout promises to be a thrilling encounter in the UFC's marquee event.
