UFC 224 now officially has a title fight.
UFC women’s bantamweight champion Amanda Nunes will put her title on the line against top ranked contender Raquel Pennington on May 12 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
The news had previously been reported in February but UFC officials announced the pairing on Thursday with confirmation for UFC 224 in Brazil.
Sources say Amanda Nunes vs. Raquel Pennington is being discussed currently…haven't heard a date but I'd assume UFC 224 in Brazil would be a likely landing spot. #UFC
— Damon Martin (@DamonMartin) February 7, 2018
It's on!@Amanda_Leoa defends against @RockyPMMA at #UFC224 pic.twitter.com/Lo1iSELCsg
— UFC Canada (@UFC_CA) March 8, 2018
Nunes (15-4) will look for the third defense of her women’s bantamweight title when she returns to action in May while competing in her home country of Brazil for the first time since 2015.
Thus far in her campaign as champion, Nunes has dispatched both Ronda Rousey and Valentina Shevchenko in her two title defenses and now she’ll look for three in a row when she welcomes Pennington back to action in May.
Pennington (9-5) hasn’t actually fought since 2016 when she defeated former UFC women’s bantamweight champion Miesha Tate in the final fight of her career. That fight brought Pennington’s win streak to four as she climbed into the contender’s race at 135 pounds.
Unfortunately, Pennington’s chance to compete for UFC gold was delayed by injuries including a broken leg she suffered that kept her out of action until now.
There’s no word yet if Nunes vs. Pennington will serve as the main event for UFC 224, but it is the first title fight confirmed for the card. More bouts are expected to be added to the even in the coming weeks but at least now one title fight is confirmed.
Who wins in the matchup between Amanda Nunes and Raquel Pennington at UFC 224? Sound off in the comments to let us know!
