Raquel Pennington has criticized Mayra Bueno Silva for downplaying their upcoming UFC 297 fight and looking ahead to a potential match with Julianna Peña, calling Silva’s remarks “laughable” and suggesting she is getting ahead of herself.
Raquel Pennington’s got a bone to pick with Mayra Bueno Silva. Seems like Silva’s getting a bit too big for her britches.
In the run-up to UFC 297, Silva’s been pretty vocal. She’s been downplaying her upcoming fight with Pennington. Even looking past it to a potential face-off with Julianna Peña.
Pennington and Silva are set to go head-to-head this Saturday. It’s the co-main event of UFC 297. The vacant UFC bantamweight title’s up for grabs. But Silva, in a surprising twist, made a bold statement at her UFC 297 media day on Wednesday. She said the bout might not be that great “on paper.”
When probed further, Silva made a bold claim. She said MMA fans would rather see her fight Peña for the belt than Pennington.
Pennington’s been in the UFC for 11 years. She first challenged for the bantamweight title in 2018. So, Silva’s comments? They’re a joke to her.
Pennington’s response at the UFC 297 media day was simple. “I don’t know who she thinks she is right now,” she said. “I’ve been in this sport for a very long time. I’ve been in the top 10 for the majority of my career in the UFC. And for her to sit here [and talk trash] — they were trying to find another opponent because Julianna’s injured. It was supposed to be me and Julianna.
“So for her to think that it’s supposed to be her and Julianna — I love the world she’s living in, in her own mind, but she’s a little confused.”
At 35, Pennington’s one of the longest-serving bantamweights in the UFC women’s division. She first joined the UFC as a cast member on The Ultimate Fighter 18 in 2013. The same season hosted by Ronda Rousey and Miesha Tate. Since then, she’s fought 17 times for the promotion. She’s won 12 times, defeating big names like Tate, Jessica Andrade, Irene Aldana, Roxanne Modafferi, and most recently Ketlen Vieira.
She was even the back-up fighter for the most recent UFC bantamweight title bout. That was between former two-time champion Amanda Nunes and Aldana. Nunes won, recorded her 11th win in a UFC title bout, and then retired. That left the belt vacant. And Pennington as an obvious choice to compete for gold next.
So, when Pennington hears Silva talking big with only three victories to her name as a UFC bantamweight, she just laughs. “Listen, she’s a character. Right? All the things that she’s saying are really entertaining me,” Pennington said.
“At the end of the day, I feel like she’s talking all the crap, she’s trying to say all the things — sure, maybe the fans want to see her fight Julianna because they both yap a lot. They talk, and so everybody wants to see that. They love the entertainment portion. That’s just not who I am, and I think about the kids and the younger generations who look up to me, and it’s not about talking crap to each other and doing everything. At the end of the day, a fight is a fight. Our fists are going to do the talking, so I don’t feel the need to waste the extra energy.
“But you know what? She’s here now, so it is what it is.”