TORONTO – UFC 297 will mark a new chapter in the history of the women’s bantamweight division when Mayra Bueno Silva and Raquel Pennington fight for the vacant championship left behind by Amanda Nunes.
After years of dominance atop the weight class, Nunes retired from competition in June, leaving the belt without an owner. More than six months later, a new champion will finally be crowned when Silva (10-2-1 MMA, 5-2-1 UFC) takes on Pennington (15-8 MMA, 12-5 UFC) in the co-main event at Scotiabank Arena.
It will be just the second time in the history of the division, and first time since the March 2016 bout between Miesha Tate and Holly Holm at UFC 196, that a 135-pound title fight will not feature Nunes or Ronda Rousey. They have been the faces of this division since its introduction to the UFC more than a decade ago, and now Silva is ready to take over.
