Mayra Bueno Silva to Fight Raquel Pennington for Vacant UFC Women’s Bantamweight Title

Mayra Bueno Silva will be vying for her first UFC title.

The 32-year-old Brazilian mixed martial artist will fight Raquel Pennington for the vacant UFC women’s bantamweight title at UFC 297 on January 20 in Toronto, according to ESPN.

Mayra Bueno SilvaThe title was vacated by Amanda Nunes, regarded as the greatest women’s MMA fighter of all time, in June when she retired following a win over Irene Aldana at UFC 289.

Bueno Silva (10-2-1, 1 NC) is unbeaten in four straight fights.

She stopped Holly Holm via submission in July, but the bout was overturned to a no contest and Bueno Silva was suspended 4½ months due to a failed drug test for a prescribed (but undisclosed) ADHD medication.

Bueno Silva, 32, is tied with Ronda Rousey for most submissions in division history (3).

Pennington (15-8) has won five straight. The Colorado native is coming off a split decision win over Ketlen Vieira in January.

Pennington, 35, has the second-most wins in division history (11) and is ESPN’s No. 1-ranked women’s bantamweight fighter.

The Pennington-Bueno Silva fight was first reported by Brazilian outlet AG Fight.

Irene Aldana Replaces Injured Julianna Peña in UFC 289 Fight Versus Amanda Nunes

Irene Aldana is stepping up to take on a champion…

The 35-year-old Mexican mixed martial artist will face UFC double champion Amanda Nunes at UFC 289 on June 10.

Irene Aldana

Aldana is filling in for Nunes’ previously scheduled opponent Julianna Peña, who suffered a rib injury.

UFC president Dana White broke the news via social media.

The new 135-pound matchup will headline the pay-per-view event, which takes place at Rogers Arena in Vancouver.

“Unfortunately, [Peña] broke her ribs and she can not compete,” White said on Instagram. “We have Irene Aldana coming in, who has won four of her last five and three of those were finishes. We could have another Mexican world champion.”

Aldana (14-6) is a former Invicta FC title challenger with an 8-4 record in the UFC. She has won six of her past eight, including a first-round knockout of Ketlen Vieira in 2019.

Her most recent loss came at the hands of former champion Holly Holm in October 2020. She is vying to become the fourth active Mexican-born champion, alongside flyweight Brandon Moreno, interim featherweight champ Yair Rodriguez and flyweight Alexa Grasso, her teammate at Lobo Gym.

Nunes (22-5) is universally considered the No. 1 pound-for-pound female fighter in the world. She suffered a shocking upset against Peña in December 2021 but bounced back in dominant fashion with a decision win over her last July.

The UFC 289 card also features a lightweight matchup between Charles Oliveira and Beneil Dariush, which was supposed to take this weekend in Newark but was postponed due to an Oliveira injury.

Ketlen Vieira Defeats Former UFC Champion Holly Hunt

Ketlen Vieira is proving she’s a title contender…

The 30-year-old Brazilian mixed martial artist improved to 3-1 in her past four fought contests on Saturday, as she outpointed former champion Holly Holm (14-6) in a five-round main event to make her a new contender for the UFC‘s women’s bantamweight division title.

Ketlen VieiraThe 135-pound fight was very close. Two judges scored it 48-47 for Vieira, while a third had it 48-47 for Holm.

The victory could very well place Vieira (13-2) next in line for a title shot.

Current champion Julianna Peña will defend her belt against Amanda Nunes at UFC 277 on July 30. That bout is a rematch of their shocking title fight in December, which Peña won via submission in the second round.

Vieira has built her title résumé off two former champions. Prior to Saturday’s win over Holm, she took out another former champ in Miesha Tate in November.

Holm is a Hall of Fame professional boxer, but it was Vieira’s hands that appeared to be more dangerous on Saturday. She found her distance with the straight right hand as the fight progressed, scoring on Holm at range — where Holm is usually strongest. Vieira’s success at range actually forced Holm to close distance, which Vieira used to her advantage at times by landing counter rights.

Holm’s best work actually came in the clinch, which she tried to apply throughout the fight. According to UFC Stats, she accumulated over 10 minutes of control time by holding Vieira against the fence, where she landed short knees and punches. She out-landed Vieira in total strikes 188 to 122, but many of those short shots along the fence did not carry much weight.

Holm did score one knockdown with a sidekick to Vieira’s body in the fourth round, and she landed a pair of powerful front kicks in the fifth. Vieira’s offense was just heavier, however. She also nearly submitted Holm in the second round with a standing rear-naked choke, after Holm got careless in a takedown attempt.

For Holm, the loss snaps a two-fight win streak. The Albuquerque native had been knocking on the door of her first title fight since 2019, when she suffered a first-round knockout to Nunes.

Ketlen Vieira Foils Miesha Tate’s Comeback with Unanimous Decision Win

Ketlen Vieira has foiled Miesha Tate’s comeback…

The 30-year-old Brazilian mixed martial artist defeated Tate, one of the most popular women’s fighters in MMA history, via unanimous decision (48-47, 48-47, 49-46) in the main event of UFC Fight Night on Saturday in Las Vegas.

Ketlen Vieira

Vieira used her counterpunching and length to win the standup battle and bloody Tate badly in the fifth and final round.

“That’s what I’m here for — I’m here to fight the best,” Vieira said through an interpreter. “Respect my skills.”

ESPN had Vieira ranked No. 8 in the world at women’s bantamweight entering Saturday.

Tate is the former UFC women’s bantamweight champion who returned after a five-year layoff in July with a TKO win over Marion Reneau. With a victory, Tate was hoping to earn a title shot against old rival Amanda Nunes, but she will have to go back to the drawing board.

“I’ve always dreamed about being in a main event against a legend,” said Vieira. “To be able to live that moment and get a victory, I don’t have words to express.”

The fight had many close rounds. Vieira admitted she was hesitant early on. Tate was the aggressor and landed hard shots in the early rounds. Vieira, though, always seemed to have an answer on the counter. The first round was a tossup, with both women landing big right hands. In the second, Vieira started to get into more of a rhythm, landing combinations.

Vieira kept that momentum in the third round, landing a beautiful right uppercut-left hook combination several times. Tate rebounded in a solid fourth round, landing a hard right hand at the round’s outset and then a takedown later on. Vieira really got off again with her punching combos in the fifth round, blasting Tate and making her bloody with a big right hand. By the end of the fight, Tate had a swollen left eye, bloody nose and lumped up face.

“The real thing is about enjoying the journey,” Tate said. “This is just a moment in time, you guys. We all have moments in our life. … What else can I say? I get to go home and kiss my two kids. Life is great.”

Tate was transported to the hospital after the fight for a CT scan on her head and face, according to UFC.

Vieira said she will be in Las Vegas for 10 more days and would love to work with Tate in the gym while she is in town.

“I’d love to have the chance and opportunity to train with her. She’s a legend,” Vieira said. “I look up to her.”

Added Vieira: “Miesha Tate is a world champion. She’s one of the best fighters in the world.”

Vieira (12-2) came in having lost two of her past three fights, most recently a unanimous decision loss to Yana Kunitskaya in February. She is now 2-2 in her past four. The Brazil native was 10-0 prior to this recent stretch. Vieira, 30, owns career wins over Cat Zingano and Sara McMann.

Tate (19-8) returned from retirement July 17 with a third-round TKO win over Reneau — Tate’s first-ever KO/TKO in UFC. The Washington native, who lives and trains in Las Vegas, retired in November 2016 after back-to-back losses to Nunes and Raquel Pennington.

Only Nunes has more wins in the UFC women’s bantamweight division since 2016 than Vieira, who has six victories during that span, tied with Irene Aldana and Pennington.

Tate, 35, won the UFC women’s bantamweight title at UFC 196 in March 2016 with a fifth-round submission win over Holly Holm and lost it to Nunes at UFC 200 four months later. “Cupcake” is also known for her well-publicized feud with Ronda Rousey, which included two grudge matches.

Ketlen Viera to Fight Former UFC Women’s Bantamweight Champion Miesha Tate in October

Ketlen Vieira is preparing for the main event…

The 3-0year-old Brazilian mixed martial artist will fight former UFC women’s bantamweight champion Miesha Tate is back in the main event.

Ketlen Viera

 

Viera and Tate, one of the most popular women’s MMA fighters ever, will headline a UFC Fight Night on October16 in Las Vegas, according to the UFC .

ESPN has Vieira ranked No. 8 in the world at women’s 135 pounds, and this is Tate’s chance to climb the divisional ladder again. “Cupcake” made her return from retirement after five years away with an impressive,third-round TKO over Marion Reneau in July.

Tate vs. Vieira had been targeted by the UFC for several weeks, but the announcement was pending Vieira signing the bout agreement, which happened Thursday, according to Vieira’s Instagram.

Tate (19-7) headlined UFC 200 in July 2016 against current women’s bantamweight and women’s featherweight champion Amanda Nunes. The Washington native, who fights out of Las Vegas, stepped away from competition after a loss to Raquel Pennington four months after that, taking an executive position with ONE Championship in Singapore.

Tate,announced she’d be returning to the UFC last March — and was seeking a future chance to challenge for the title she lost to Nunes five years ago.

Vieira (11-2) has dropped two of her last three fights after starting her career 10-0. The Brazil native most recently lost to Yana Kunitskaya via unanimous decision in February. Vieira owns UFC wins over Cat ZinganoSara McMann and Sijara Eubanks.