UFC strawweight contender Tecia Pennington faced significant personal challenges leading up to her fight at UFC Vegas 106 on Saturday night. Despite the adversity, Pennington delivered a powerful performance inside the Octagon.
Pennington secured one of the most crucial victories of this stage of her career by defeating Luana Pinheiro, kicking off the main card action. However, the win didn`t bring complacency. In a raw and emotional post-fight interview, Pennington tearfully pleaded with UFC matchmakers for a chance to compete against higher-ranked opponents and eventually fight for the championship title.
The 35-year-old veteran has experienced numerous highs and lows throughout her tenure in the UFC, which began after her appearance on *The Ultimate Fighter 20*. After earning her contract, Pennington has faced many of the division`s elite, including former champions like Joanna Jedrzejczyk, Jessica Andrade, and the current titleholder, Zhang Weili.
Despite her history with top contenders, Pennington`s recent victory over Pinheiro holds particular significance, especially given the difficult circumstances she has navigated outside the cage in the recent past.
Pennington`s Tears and Title Aspirations
In addition to embracing motherhood, Pennington has recently endured the loss of several close family members. Following her win against another Top 15 fighter, she made it clear that her goal is to challenge for the championship before concluding her career.
Speaking at the UFC Vegas 106 post-fight press conference, Pennington made a heartfelt appeal to the UFC`s brass for an opportunity to climb the ranks towards a title shot.
“I want to finish this sport with great wins, I want to be one of the best in the world…in the Top 5 again,” Pennington stated, visibly emotional. “I’ve got that momma strength and will in me now, and I fight with just more in my heart now.” She then bravely shared her personal loss: “I don’t know if you’re watching this, but I lost my Dad just three months ago.”
She explained the impact this had on her career focus. “I begged for a fight because I needed something to motivate me, because it’s really hard now being 11 years in the sport to be motivated these days…but when I have a fight, I’m motivated. I’m in the gym, I’m training hard, I’m missing time with my daughter…”
“But I also love the sport…my arms, legs, still doing it. A lot stronger than in my whole life. I just have more to fight for, I fight for myself, for my Dad in his honor, both of my grandmas…I’m a very emotional person, very nice person but not in the Octagon.”
Pennington`s recent form includes a win over Carla Esparza at UFC 307, which snapped a two-fight losing streak and notably led to Esparza`s retirement. Before facing Esparza, Pennington had a mixed record, trading wins against notable opponents such as Angela Hill and Michelle Waterson-Gomez.
UFC Vegas 106 Card Faced Last-Minute Setback Due to Unusual Diagnosis
While Pennington`s emotional victory kicked off the event, the remainder of the UFC Vegas 106 card largely delivered, despite a significant late change at the top. Light heavyweight Rodolfo Bellato was dramatically pulled from his scheduled co-main event bout against Paul Craig for an unexpected and highly unusual reason.
The fight between Bellato and Craig is now expected to be rescheduled for a future event. As of reporting, Paul Craig had not made any public comments regarding Bellato`s last-minute withdrawal.
Bellato`s fight with Craig was officially scratched just minutes before it was scheduled to begin, as announced during the UFC Vegas 106 broadcast. Following initial confusion surrounding the cancellation, Bellato himself later disclosed that a `herpes` diagnosis was the medical reason preventing him from competing at the event.
Percy Harlow