Julianna Peña beating Raquel Pennington at UFC 307 would be best outcome for the UFC: Here's why
Julianna Peña vs. Raquel Pennington is, thus far, the only championship fight scheduled for UFC 307, where Peña challenges Pennington for the latter's newly minted UFC women's bantamweight title. It marks one of the few signs of movement for the women's 135-pound division since Amanda Nunes' retirement.
While the fight will likely be a scrap between two women unwilling to give an inch, especially Pennington, who has finally realized her championship dreams, there is a potential winner that the UFC likely favors and it isn't Pennington. Instead, the best outcome for the promotion is a Peña win.
There are several reasons for why that specific outcome would serve the UFC better than Pennington emerging victorious, with Peña being a better fit as the torchbearer for the women's 135-pound division.
Julianna Peña is a more believable champion than Raquel Pennington
There are a few details that separate Julianna Peña and Raquel Pennington. The latter, who is the reigning UFC women's bantamweight champion, has a better record from a statistical standpoint. However, 'The Venezuelan Vixen's' recent run of form has led to her being perceived differently by the fans.
This is largely due to how differently the two women fared against the great Amanda Nunes, whose specter still looms large over the division and all of the women's MMA. Pennington quit on the stool after an extraordinarily one-sided beating from 'The Lioness' at UFC 224.
Given that Nunes retired from the sport as the champion, Pennington's rising as the claimant to the vacant title has sparked rhetoric about her being a paper champion. After all, she never came close to beating Nunes and was handed one of the most lopsided losses in UFC title history.
The same, however, cannot be said for Peña, who became the first and only fighter to beat Nunes since the latter's championship ascension. Not only did she tame 'The Lioness,' she finished her, which not even Cris Cyborg and Ronda Rousey could do.
While Peña lost the rematch dominantly, having been knocked down several times, she never quit and gave as good as she got, leaving the right side of Nunes' face a swollen mess. She also owns a victory over Nunes, leaving them 1-1, which puts Peña in a distinguished position.
Check out Julianna Peña submitting Amanda Nunes at UFC 269:
She is the only fighter on the UFC roster who has beaten Nunes, and for the title no less, so she would make for the most believable and legitimate champion if she reclaims the belt. She wouldn't be the champion just because Nunes is no longer around to dominate everyone.
This would spare the UFC from having to convince fans to accept Pennington as champion and to build her up.
Julianna Peña would sell better as champion
Unfortunately, nothing is compelling about Raquel Pennington besides her toughness, grit, and output. She's scrappy, but there's no excitement inside the octagon. Up until this point during her MMA run, Pennington has just one knockout and four submissions, five finishes in a 24-fight career.
Pennington is neither an entertaining striker nor a dominant wrestler. Instead, she's a generalist who can't stop herself from stumbling into the clinch against the cage. Outside of the octagon, Pennington is even less thrilling, as she isn't a trash-talker who drums up interest in her fights, nor is she an eccentric personality.
Furthermore, she has no feuds. These aren't issues with Julianna Peña, whose trash-talking spree has drawn a tremendous amount of attention. She has taken credit for retiring Amanda Nunes, scoffed at Ronda Rousey's legacy, taken aim at Kayla Harrison, and become the leading 'heel' in women's MMA.
Fans know who she is due to her win over Nunes and her trash talk. Even if they dislike her, they'll tune in just for the chance to watch her lose. With Pennington, there's no such interest, either negative or positive. Inside the octagon, Peña is a more exciting fighter.
Pena is more reckless and forces the action, leading to more thrilling moments, whether it leads to a loss or a win. For this reason, 'The Venezuelan Vixen' has three knockouts and five submissions, eight finishes in 16 fights, which is far better than Pennington's.
More than that, Peña is willing to make a spectacle out of any fight she's scheduled for. There are big fights on the cards for her if she beats Pennington at UFC 307. She has talked trash about Harrison, who is a notable star at women's bantamweight.
A future bout between them would spark fan interest, there's a rivalry, and a built-in storyline. If Harrison faces Pennington instead of Peña, there's no such intrigue, only a question of whether the two-time Olympic gold medalist can become a UFC champion.
Additionally, a rematch with Nunes would draw tremendous attention, which can't be said for Pennington. Peña will make any fight she's in feel big due to her trash talk and promotional skills, so as a champion, she'll be a bigger attraction than her UFC 307 foe.