Raquel Pennington vs. Irene Aldana 2 set to headline UFC Vegas 73 in May

The UFC has announced a highly anticipated rematch between Raquel Pennington and Irene Aldana. The two bantamweights will square off at UFC Vegas 73 on May 20th, 2023, in what promises to be an electrifying showdown.

Pennington and Aldana first fought at Prelim Card of Anjos vs Edwards in July 2019, with Pennington winning by a split decision. Since then, both fighters have continued to build their resumes and rise to the ranks of the bantamweight division.

Earlier speculations stated that Aldana and Pennington would face off in San Antonio's March 25 main event. The fight, however, was never staged. Since their 2019 battle, neither fighter has suffered a defeat, but Pennington has had a better recent record with an extra victory. She last suffered a defeat against Holly Holm at UFC 246 in January 2020.

A split decision victory against Ketlen Vieira in January gave Raquel Pennington a five-fight winning run. In addition to being on a winning run, Pennington, who is rated second at bantamweight, has victories over Aspen Ladd, Macy Chiasson, Pannie Kianzad, and Mario Reneau. This will mark Pennington's second main event appearance in the UFC; her first being the title fight at UFC 224, which she dropped to Amanda Nunes by TKO.

Irene Aldana recently defeated Macy Chiasson by way of knockout at UFC 279 in September. She defeated Yana Kunitskaya via TKO earlier, at UFC 264. This will be the Mexican fighter's second UFC main event, and she is presently rated fifth at bantamweight. She lost a decision against Holly Holm in her maiden major event, which was also her last defeat, in October 2020. Aldana has a 7-4 record in the Las Vegas-based promotion, including victories against Lucie Pudilova, Bethe Correia, and Ketlen Vieira, among others.

Aldana had been expected to be Amanda Nunes' next opponent by some spectators and analysts. The company chose to match Nunes up with Julianna Pea in a trilogy fight, though.

Whether you're a die-hard UFC fan or a casual observer, this is a fight that you won't want to miss. Be sure to tune in on May 20th to witness two of the best bantamweights in the world go head-to-head in a battle for supremacy.