Mixed martial arts career
Early career
Pennington started training in martial arts at the age of 19, though initially her parents would not let her fight.[6] She fought in amateur MMA from 2009 to 2011, amassing a record of 7 wins and 1 loss with five of those wins by submission.[7] Her professional debut was in March 2012, a TKO victory against Kim Couture.
Invicta Fighting Championships
Pennington made her Invicta Fighting Championships promotional debut against future The Ultimate Fighter team mate Sarah Moras on July 28, 2012, at Invicta FC 2. She won via unanimous decision.[8]
Her next two fights for the promotion were both losses; one to Cat Zingano at Invicta FC 3[9] and one to Leslie Smith at Invicta FC 4.[10]
The Ultimate Fighter
In August 2013, Pennington was announced as a cast member of The Ultimate Fighter: Team Rousey vs. Team Tate.[11] She defeated veteran Tonya Evinger via submission due to a guillotine choke in the second round and was the third female pick of Team Tate.[12]
Raquel Pennington faced Jessamyn Duke in the elimination round. Pennington defeated Duke via unanimous decision (29–28, 29–28, and 29–28)[13] and the performance earned both participants Fight of The Season honors.[14]
Advancing to the semi-final, Pennington next faced former boxing champion Jessica Rakoczy in the final episode of the series. Prior to the fight, Pennington damaged her hand but was still able to fight. She lost a unanimous decision to Rakoczy (30–27, 30–27, and 30–27).[15]
Ultimate Fighting Championship
Pennington made her promotional debut against TUF 18 team mate Roxanne Modafferi on November 30, 2013, at The Ultimate Fighter 18 Finale. She won via unanimous decision (30–27, 30–27, and 29–28).[16]
For her second fight with the promotion, Pennington replaced an injured Julianna Peña against Jéssica Andrade on March 15, 2014, at UFC 171. She lost the back-and-forth fight via split decision.[17]
Pennington was scheduled to face Holly Holm at UFC 181 on December 6, 2014. However, Holm pulled out of the fight in mid-November, citing a neck injury.[18] Holm was replaced by UFC newcomer Ashlee Evans-Smith.[19] Pennington won the fight via technical submission due to a bulldog choke at the end of the first round. She became the 4th fighter in UFC history to finish a fight with that move.[20]
Pennington fought Holly Holm at UFC 184 on February 28, 2015,[21] a bout that was originally supposed to take place at UFC 181.[22] She lost the fight via split decision.[23]
Pennington was set to take on Liz Carmouche at UFC 191. Carmouche was then replaced by former opponent Jéssica Andrade.[24] Pennington won the fight by submission in the second round.[25] The submission earned her a Performance of the Night bonus.[26]
Pennington faced former UFC Bantamweight Champion and former TUF Coach Miesha Tate at UFC 205 on November 12, 2016. She won the fight by unanimous decision (29–28, 30–27, and 30–27), outstriking and outwrestling Tate for all three rounds.[27]
After being away from fighting for about a year and a half, Pennington faced Amanda Nunes on May 12, 2018, at UFC 224 in a UFC Women's Bantamweight Championship bout.[28] Pennington lost the fight via TKO in the fifth round.[29] This was the first event in UFC history to be headlined by two openly gay fighters.[30]
Pennington returned at UFC Fight Night 139 on November 10, 2018, where she took on former UFC featherweight champ Germaine de Randamie.[31] She lost the fight via unanimous decision.[32]
Pennington faced Irene Aldana on July 20, 2019, at UFC on ESPN 4.[33] She won the fight via split decision.[34]
Pennington was scheduled to face Holly Holm on October 6, 2019, at UFC 243.[35] However, on September 27, it was revealed Holm withdrew from the bout due to a hamstring injury and the bout was cancelled.[36] The pair was rescheduled to fight on January 18, 2020, at UFC 246.[37] She lost the fight via unanimous decision.[38]
Pennington faced Marion Reneau on June 20, 2020, at UFC Fight Night: Blaydes vs. Volkov.[39] She won the fight via unanimous decision.[40]
Pennington accepted a six-month USADA suspension after self-reporting a doping violation upon realizing she had ingested banned substances, 7-Keto-DHEA and AOD-9064, prescribed by her doctor to treat a medical condition. The suspension was retroactive to November 17, 2020, and she would be eligible to fight again on May 7, 2021.[41]
Pennington faced Pannie Kianzad on September 18, 2021, at UFC Fight Night 192.[42] She won the fight via unanimous decision.[43]
Pennington was scheduled to face Julia Avila on December 18, 2021, at UFC Fight Night 199.[44] However, Avila was forced to pull from the event due to injury.[45] She was replaced by Macy Chiasson.[46] At the weigh-ins, Chiasson weighed in at 148.5 pounds, 3.5 pounds over the women's featherweight non-title fight limit. The bout proceeded at a catchweight with Chiasson fined a percentage of her purse, which went to Pennington.[47] Pennington won the fight via guillotine submission in the second round.[48]
Pennington faced Aspen Ladd, replacing Irene Aldana, on April 9, 2022, at UFC 273.[49] She won the bout via unanimous decision.[50]
Pennington faced Ketlen Vieira on January 14, 2023, at UFC Fight Night 217.[51] She won the fight via split decision.[52]
Pennington was scheduled to rematch Irene Aldana on May 20, 2023, at UFC Fight Night 223.[53] However on May 2, 2023, it was announced that Aldana would instead replace an injured Julianna Peña in headlining UFC 289 on June 10, 2023, in a Bantamweight Championship match against champion Amanda Nunes.[54] A few days later it was announced that Pennington would serve as a backup for the title bout.[55]
UFC Women's Bantamweight Champion
Pennington faced Mayra Bueno Silva on January 20, 2024, at UFC 297 for the vacant UFC Women's Bantamweight Championship.[56] She won the fight via unanimous decision.[57]
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