Bueno Silva and Pennington to Fight for the vacant UFC Women’s Bantamweight Crown

A new champion will emerge in the UFC women’s division. On January 20, Mayra Bueno Silva and Raquel Pennington will face off for the UFC women’s bantamweight title that is currently vacant at UFC 297.

Bueno Silva (10-2-1, 1 NC) had her biggest MMA victory wiped out in her last fight when she tested positive for ritalinic acid, which led the Nevada Athletic Commission to change her second-round submission of Holly Holm to a no-contest. Ritalinic acid is a key urinary metabolite of methylphenidate, also known as Ritalin, a common drug for ADHD treatment. Bueno Silva said to MMA Fighting in August that she has been taking the ADHD medication for three years. Bueno Silva, 32, is MMA Fighting’s top-ranked bantamweight in the world. She has not lost in the UFC since returning to 135 pounds in 2022, beating Wu Yanan, Stephanie Egger, and Lina Lansberg, besides the Holm outcome.

Pennington (15-8) is on a five-fight winning streak as she enters her second UFC title fight. Her streak features wins over ranked opponents Ketlen Vieira, Macy Chiasson, and Pannie Kianzad. The 35-year-old veteran is MMA Fighting’s third-ranked bantamweight in the world and has a 12-5 record in the octagon since joining the UFC in 2013 after competing on The Ultimate Fighter 18.

Pennington lost by fifth-round TKO to former champ Amanda Nunes, who has since retired, in her first UFC bantamweight title fight in May 2018.

UFC 297 will be held in Toronto. The main event and the venue for the event are still to be announced.