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USA Today Sports Media Group
USA Today Sports Media Group
Sport
Danny Segura and Abbey Subhan

Raquel Pennington wants Julianna Peña for first UFC title defense: ‘I’ve been waiting for that fight for 13 years’

TORONTO – Raquel Pennington already has in mind who she’d like to fight for her first fight as UFC champion.

The veteran fighter won the vacant UFC women’s bantamweight title this past Saturday. She did so by defeating Mayra Bueno Silva (10-3-1 MMA, 5-3-1 UFC) in the co-main event of UFC 297. And now, with the belt around her waist, Pennington (16-8 MMA, 13-5 UFC) would like to defend against former champion Julianna Pena.

“That’s the fight that makes sense,” Pennington told reporters at the UFC 297 post-fight press conference. “I honestly thought that for the world title it was going to be me and Julianna, but she’s still injured.

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