Tabatha Ricci vs. Tecia Pennington – Fight Preview & Analysis

UFC on ESPN 56: Lewis vs. Nascimento is scheduled to take place on Saturday, May 11, 2024, in St. Louis, Missouri, USA. In this matchup on the fight card, Tabatha “Baby Shark” Ricci will take on Tecia “Tiny Tornado” Hardy in the Women’s Strawweight bout. You can view the complete UFC on ESPN 56 card.

Ricci brings a unique orthodox fighting stance with an 61″ reach. In contrast, Hardy, an orthodox fighter, stands with a 60″ reach. These variations in their styles can have a significant impact inside the Octagon.

With a 37% striking accuracy, Ricci has shown his precision in landing significant strikes, averaging around 4.41 per minute. On the other hand, Hardy boasts a 48% striking accuracy, landing approximately 4.74 significant strikes per minute.

In this post, we will break down Tabatha Ricci vs. Tecia Pennington matchup. Let’s take a look at the fighter’s ages, their height, records, reach, fight stats, and more below ⤵

The 29-year-old, Tabatha Ricci is coming in with a 9-2-0 record. Ricci will be fighting for the first time since a loss via split decision against Loopy Godinez at UFC 295: Prochazka vs. Pereira in November.

Hardy, meanwhile, is coming off a split decision loss against Tabatha Ricci on November 11, 2023, at UFC 273: Volkanovski vs. The Korean Zombie and holds a 13-6-0 record.

Tabatha Ricci has a orthodox fighting stance with an 61″ reach. The 35-year-old Tecia Pennington is an orthodox fighter with a 60″ reach. An orthodox fighter stands with their left side forward and jabs with their left hand. The southpaw fighter is the opposite. Southpaw stands with their right side forward and jabs with their right hand. In most cases, orthodox fighters are right-handed; if you are left-handed, you fight southpaw.

Tabatha Ricci stats

→ Ricci’s striking accuracy is 37%.
→ Ricci lands 4.41 significant strikes per minute.
→ Ricci’s takedown accuracy is 41%.
→ Ricci’s takedown average is 3.39 per 15 minutes.
→ Ricci’s takedown defense is 71%.

Ricci comes in with 37% striking accuracy, typically landing about 4.41 significant strikes every minute. Conversely, Hardy fires at 48% accuracy, landing about 4.74 significant strikes per minute. Tabatha Ricci also has a 41% takedown accuracy and, on average, gets around 3.39 takedowns every 15 minutes, compared to Hardy’s 0.66 takedowns and 61% takedown accuracy.

Tecia Pennington stats

→ Hardy’s striking accuracy is 48%.
→ Hardy lands 4.74 significant strikes per minute.
→ Hardy’s takedown accuracy is 14%.
→ Hardy’s takedown average is 0.66 per 15 minutes.
→ Hardy’s takedown defense is 61%.

Tecia spent, on average, 13:44 minutes in the Octagon, and Tabatha has an average fight time of 12:32 minutes.

Considering their records, fighting styles, and recent performances, this matchup looks to be an intriguing clash of skills and strategies. Who will come out victorious, Tabatha or Tecia? Sound off in the comments.

You can view the scheduled UFC on ESPN 56 fight card, upcoming UFC schedule 2024, and latest MMA news.