Raquel Pennington’s long journey to gold finally reached the pinnacle on Saturday when she defeated Mayra Bueno Silva in the UFC 297 co-headliner.
After failing in her first title bid in May 2018, Pennington (16-8 MMA, 13-5 UFC) built herself back to the top and capped a six-fight winning streak with a unanimous decision victory over Silva (10-3-1 MMA, 5-3-1 UFC) to claim the vacant women’s bantamweight title at Scotiabank Arena in Toronto.
Check below for the top X (formerly Twitter) reactions to Pennington’s triumph over Silva at UFC 297.
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MMA Junkie
Uma nova campeã será coroada – e ela pode ser brasileira!
🇺🇸 @RockyPMMA e 🇧🇷 @MayraSheetara disputam o cinturão vago do peso-galo em luta que começa agora no #UFC297!
Assista no @UFCFightPassBR 📺 💻 📱 pic.twitter.com/avtuTzdFjH
— UFC Brasil (@UFCBrasil) January 21, 2024
UFC
Get ready for your first title fight of the night!@MayraSheetara makes the walk to the octagon! #UFC297 pic.twitter.com/w8lSBkRkw4
— UFC_AUSNZ (@UFC_AUSNZ) January 21, 2024
UFC
The Lioness and her pride having a great time! 🦁@Amanda_Leoa | @NinaAnsaroff | #UFC297 pic.twitter.com/WD4S5aNUIh
— UFC_Asia (@UFC_Asia) January 21, 2024
UFC
Walking to another crack at the gold! 😤
🇺🇸@RockyPMMA seeking to finally win the big one today! #UFC297 pic.twitter.com/6KF6cBBAcO
— UFC_Asia (@UFC_Asia) January 21, 2024
SportsCenter
THE ENERGY ⚡️🔋 #UFC297 pic.twitter.com/X0RXTkmLoL
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) January 21, 2024
Chael Sonnen
OK, real fast, let’s reminisce. Everybody state what each of these gals did that got you most excited for this fight!
— Chael Sonnen (@ChaelSonnen) January 21, 2024
UFC
TIME TO CROWN A NEW CHAMP 🏆 #UFC297 pic.twitter.com/CiB1EweS0c
— UFC Europe (@UFCEurope) January 21, 2024
Bloody Elbow
Bueno Silva looking for calf kicks early. Pennington looking to counter over the top. #UFC297
— Bloody Elbow (@BloodyElbow) January 21, 2024
Kevin Iole
Silva has Pennington's back and is working to get the choke sunk in
— Kevin Iole (@KevinI) January 21, 2024
Cageside Press
MBS ON THE BACK WITH ROCKY STANDING!!!! BACKPACK TIME!
Rocky fighting the hands.
Rocky with elbows to the quads. MBS happy to threaten and make Rocky carry her weight. MBS trying to get the other hook, nope. #UFC297
— Cageside Press (@Cagesidepress) January 21, 2024
Damon Martin
10-9 Mayra Bueno Silva.
Once she got the takedown, Pennington was stuck playing defense and that's where they stayed for the final two minutes of the round. #UFC297
— Damon Martin (@DamonMartin) January 21, 2024
Anton Tabuena
Pennington’s corner imploring her to “believe” in her hands and not shoot for a takedown.
— Anton Tabuena (@antontabuena) January 21, 2024
Mookie Alexander
Silva's defense is terrible.
— Mookie Alexander (@mookiealexander) January 21, 2024
Aaron Bronsteter
10-9 Pennington
19-19 after R2
— Aaron Bronsteter (@aaronbronsteter) January 21, 2024
Sean O'Malley
High level fight here. #UFC297
— Sean O'Malley (@SugaSeanMMA) January 21, 2024
Marion Reneau
1-1 let's go @RockyPMMA #UFC297
— Marion Reneau (@BelizeanBruiser) January 21, 2024
Oscar Willis
Sometimes Mayra looks like she tries to block punches with eye contact
— Oscar Willis (@oscarswillis) January 21, 2024
Ariel Helwani
— Ariel Helwani (@arielhelwani) January 21, 2024
Brian Campbell
Clinchfest in the co-main. #UFC297
— Brian Campbell (@BCampbell) January 21, 2024
Aaron Bronsteter
29-28 Pennington, showing her trademark grit entering the championship rounds
— Aaron Bronsteter (@aaronbronsteter) January 21, 2024
Marcel Dorff
UFC already looking to let the winner of this fight defend the title next time they visit Canada. 😅 #UFC297
— Marcel Dorff 🇳🇱🇮🇩 (@BigMarcel24) January 21, 2024
Marion Reneau
2-1 Pennington. I knew her opponent would begin to Gas out. #UFC297
— Marion Reneau (@BelizeanBruiser) January 21, 2024
MS
#UFC297 pic.twitter.com/dDN8qTGkhE
— MS (@UFC_Obsessed) January 21, 2024
Michael Chandler
Break her Rocky! #ufc297
— Michael Chandler (@MikeChandlerMMA) January 21, 2024
Fight Ghost
Bueno Silva looking like she wants to quit in the corner. #UFC297
— Fight Ghost (@Fight_Ghost) January 21, 2024
UFC
Championship rounds are NEXT! 🏆
How's your score card looking!? #UFC297
[ Pennington vs Bueno Silva | LIVE on PPV ] pic.twitter.com/W8thjd8nEU
— UFC Canada (@UFC_CA) January 21, 2024
Cageside Press
R4 – Rocky BIG right hand!!!! MBS leg kick, but here comes Rocky! She puts the pressure on MBS! High kick!
MBS body kicks touch, Rocky lands on her too! MBS clinches her, but Rocky puts her on the fence!
Knees to the legs from Rocky! #UFC297
— Cageside Press (@Cagesidepress) January 21, 2024
Ant Evans
Nunes' retirement was the perfect chance to wrap up both the women's featherweight and bantamweight divisions.
But, oh no, noted libtard Dana White wants us all to pretend this shit is entertaining. But wokeness, I guess. #UFC297
— Ant Evans (@AntEvansMMA) January 21, 2024
Chuck Mindenhall
This isn't the kind of fight you want at 12:30am on a Saturday night.
— Chuck Mindenhall (@ChuckMindenhall) January 21, 2024
Sean Sheehan
3-1 Rocky #UFC297
— Seán Sheehan (@SeanSheehanBA) January 21, 2024
UFC
5th and final round, up next 👊@RockyPMMA vs @MayraSheetara
[ LIVE NOW on @ESPNPlus PPV ] pic.twitter.com/voT7XQMIpL
— UFC (@ufc) January 21, 2024
Kevin Iole
Pennington 10-9 in fourth. 38-38 heading to fifth. Silva is guessed, Can Pennington push hard in fifth to win the title? #UFC297
— Kevin Iole (@KevinI) January 21, 2024
Fight Ghost
Pennington -1000 entering the 5th and final round. #UFC297
— Fight Ghost (@Fight_Ghost) January 21, 2024
Caposa
Pennington is 5 mins from being champion. Doesn't look like Bueno-Silva has enough left to get this done. Do you hear me mma gods
— caposa (@Grabaka_Hitman) January 21, 2024
Luke Thomas
Feels like Pennington has been threatening with an arm triangle for 12 minutes.
— Luke Thomas🏋️♀️ (@lthomasnews) January 21, 2024
Brian Ortega
Just slide to the side put some light pressure let’s go @UFC
— Brian Ortega (@BrianTcity) January 21, 2024
Diana Belbita
I miss Amanda Nunes’s championship fights 🙄@Amanda_Leoa
— Diana Belbiță (@DianaBelbita) January 21, 2024
Brian Campbell
Keep the belt vacant. #UFC297
— Brian Campbell (@BCampbell) January 21, 2024
John Pollock
Pennington 49-46 @MMADecisions
— John Pollock (@iamjohnpollock) January 21, 2024
Miesha Tate
Damn this is a good fight, where’s Sean Strickland when you wanna show him some badass WMMA?!! Oh yea…. He’s warming up #ufc297
— Miesha Tate (@MieshaTate) January 21, 2024
Aarom Bronsteter
Raquel Pennington earns a unanimous decision victory over Mayra Bueno Silva and is the new women's bantamweight champion.
She is the oldest women's champion in UFC history and the first woman over 35 to defeat a younger opponent in a championship bout.
— Aaron Bronsteter (@aaronbronsteter) January 21, 2024
UFC
#ANDNEW @RockyPMMA is the Bantamweight Champion! #UFC297 pic.twitter.com/HgSlLZHJUC
— UFC_AUSNZ (@UFC_AUSNZ) January 21, 2024
MMA Junkie
#UFC297 results: Raquel Pennington (@RockyPMMA) def. Mayra Bueno Silva via unanimous decision (49-46, 49-46, 49-45) – to win women's bantamweight title
Full coverage: https://t.co/V8MyFmShUt pic.twitter.com/b5XQvKFJmi
— MMA Junkie (@MMAJunkie) January 21, 2024
MMA Junkie
Raquel Pennington leaves the octagon at #UFC297 with a baby in her arms and a belt around her waist 🏆👼 pic.twitter.com/LBUFLkUHQZ
— MMA Junkie (@MMAJunkie) January 21, 2024
