Julianna Peña Reclaims Bantamweight Title with Controversial Split Decision Over Raquel Pennington at UFC 307

UFC 307: Julianna Peña

Julianna Peña became a two-time UFC bantamweight champion in a highly debated split decision win over Raquel Pennington at UFC 307. The co-main event delivered intense action, but the outcome stirred controversy as Peña edged out Pennington in a close contest.

Throughout the fight, Pennington seemed to gain momentum, especially in the later rounds. A pivotal moment came in the final minutes when Pennington dropped Peña with a powerful right hand. Despite this, Peña managed to survive and kept herself in the fight, leaving the outcome in the hands of the judges. Two judges scored the fight 48-47 in Peña's favor, while the third gave Pennington the same 48-47 score.

“I wasn’t sure,” Peña admitted when asked if she thought she did enough to secure the victory. “I heard these judges tonight were doing some crazy stuff. It’s unfortunate I went to a decision. Just a loss of focus and that’s what I would say, I got dropped. Definitely need to be a little bit more focused.”

Pennington, visibly disappointed by the decision, expressed her frustration but accepted the result.

“I felt like I won that fight,” Pennington stated. “I felt like I was landing more strikes and then dropping her... It was my fault for letting it go to the judges.”

The fight started with both competitors exchanging stiff jabs, though Pennington found early success with her strikes. However, Peña managed to shift the momentum with a body lock takedown in the second round, landing effective elbows while maintaining control on the ground.

As the fight progressed, Pennington found her rhythm again in the striking department, particularly with a devastating head kick in the fourth round that rattled Peña. Pennington’s most significant moment came with a huge right hand that sent Peña to the canvas, raising the intensity in the arena. Despite Pennington's strong finish, Peña survived and managed to claim victory by split decision.

After reclaiming her title, Peña wasted no time calling out former champion Amanda Nunes, hoping for a trilogy fight to settle their 1-1 rivalry.

“What I’d really like is for Amanda Nunes to quit ducking and come back inside this octagon,” Peña declared.