Former UFC Bantamweight Champion Raquel Pennington is reportedly set to make her return to the Octagon at the upcoming Noche UFC event. This comes amid growing anticipation around a superfight between current UFC bantamweight champion Kera Harrison and UFC Hall of Famer Amanda Nunes. Pennington, who has been somewhat overlooked recently, will have the chance to prove herself again nearly a year after losing her title.
Pennington’s last bout was a split decision loss to Juliana Pena at UFC 307 last October. Pena claimed the vacant bantamweight title, which was previously held by Nunes, at UFC 297 by defeating Mayra Bueno Silva.
Reports indicate that Pennington will face one of the rising stars in the bantamweight division on one of the year’s biggest fight cards. Specifically, she is scheduled to fight Norma Dumont at Noche UFC in San Antonio on September 13th—a bout later confirmed by MMA analyst Damon Martin.
Dumont will be making her return to the Octagon after a win over former UFC title challenger Irene Aldana at UFC 306 last September. She has been pushing for high-profile fights while on a five-fight winning streak, climbing the bantamweight rankings with victories over Jermaine de Randamie, Chelsea Chandler, and Karol Rosa. Her unanimous decision win against De Randamie marked a notable return to bantamweight.
The matchup between Pennington and Dumont is shaping up as a potential title eliminator, especially as UFC matchmakers work on organizing the Harrison vs. Nunes fight. Harrison recently captured the UFC Women’s Bantamweight title by submitting Pena at UFC 316.
Noche UFC will also feature a featherweight headliner with Diego Lopes facing Giansilva, both top contenders in that division. The winner could be next in line for a title shot following Alexander Volkanovsky’s successful defense at UFC 314. Lopes lost to Volkanovsky by unanimous decision but has defeated several notable opponents during his UFC career. Silva remains undefeated with recent wins over Bryce Mitchell, Mercik Baghdasarian, and Drew Dover, earning three performance bonuses.
Fan Take: This upcoming bout between Raquel Pennington and Norma Dumont is thrilling for fight fans as it highlights the relentless competition in the bantamweight division and sets the stage for a potential title challenger. It underscores the dynamic nature of women’s MMA, where veterans and rising stars continually collide, elevating the sport to new heights.
