Raquel Pennington on bantamweight title fight against Bueno Silva
Raquel Pennington on bantamweight title fight against Bueno Silva
Raquel Pennington (15-9, fighting out of Colorado Springs, Colo., USA) intends to deliver a flawless performance against Silva and add her name to the history books by capturing UFC gold
No. 2 UFC bantamweight
Four wins by submission, one via KO
Currently on a five-fight win streak
Most bouts in UFC bantamweight division history (16)
Raquel Pennington (15-9, fighting out of Colorado Springs, Colo., USA) intends to deliver a flawless performance against Silva and add her name to the history books by capturing UFC gold
No. 2 UFC bantamweight
Four wins by submission, one via KO
Currently on a five-fight win streak
Most bouts in UFC bantamweight division history (16)
Category
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SportsTranscript
00:00 [BLANK_AUDIO]
00:05 >> Well, hello.
00:06 >> You guys good?
00:09 >> Rocky, over here.
00:10 >> Hi.
00:11 >> How are you?
00:11 >> I'm good, how are you?
00:12 >> How's the cold treating you?
00:15 >> We actually got off the plane yesterday and we're like, wow,
00:17 this is warm compared to Colorado.
00:18 We're in the negatives right now, so.
00:20 >> Well, obviously Saturday, I assume you always thought you'd get back to the title
00:24 and get another title shot, but now that it's here and it is fight week and
00:27 it's only a few days away, the hard part's behind you in prep.
00:30 So what are the emotions now that you're only a few days away from another title
00:33 fight?
00:33 >> I'm excited, honestly, for me, in my mind, I know the world title's there, but
00:38 it's just another fight, it's just another stepping stone.
00:40 And this last year has been one of the best years of my life.
00:44 And so I'm more motivated than ever, completely embracing this journey, and
00:49 I'm having fun.
00:50 >> When you say best year of your life, is that because of you and
00:52 Tisha, you welcomed a new addition to your family, you're fine for the title?
00:55 So is it just everything all together?
00:57 >> It's everything, I feel like, but the biggest part is Aleah,
01:00 having Aleah, it's just a game changer.
01:03 My motivation is completely different, my purpose is completely different.
01:07 Everybody's like, you've been away from the octagon for a year,
01:09 how does that affect you?
01:11 It doesn't feel like a year at all.
01:13 I feel like that fight with Ketland just happened, but so much has happened.
01:17 And I say it's important to, yeah, you gotta have fun in the gym,
01:20 you gotta do things as an athlete, but it's also important to be a person.
01:23 And this year was being the person, I mean, I cannot even explain it.
01:28 I mean, if the smile on my face in all these interviews doesn't say enough.
01:31 >> When you say the addition of her is a game changer to you,
01:35 what do you mean by that exactly?
01:37 >> I'm her greatest teacher, right?
01:39 And so I always say that this sport is 90% mental, 10% physical.
01:43 And the emotions that come in all of this, I don't have room for
01:47 any negativity, I don't have room for fear, I don't have room for scared,
01:51 nervousness, there's a healthy level of nervousness.
01:55 Because that's my body telling me that it's prepared.
01:57 But at the end of the day, I'm her mama, I have to teach her how to be courageous,
02:01 I have to teach her how to be brave.
02:02 And this is just me passing on my legacy to her.
02:05 >> When she's older, will you bring her to sparring?
02:08 >> Listen, that little girl can be anything that she wants to be in life.
02:11 But I tell her this every day, I'm like, I love you, you're beautiful,
02:14 you're strong, you can do anything you want, but not be a fighter.
02:18 Don't be a fighter, self-defense, but not a fighter.
02:20 >> So what if she came to you and said, mom, I do wanna be a fighter,
02:22 would you- >> I'm gonna support her in whatever
02:24 she wants to do.
02:25 But I'll tell you what, I've seen what I put my mom through with this stress.
02:28 And I also, I like my health, I see the emotional roller coaster that comes
02:32 with all of it, and I'm like, if we could just avoid this, that would be great.
02:37 >> And then looking at your opponent on Saturday, and Myra,
02:40 she was in here earlier.
02:41 And she's like, on paper, she doesn't think the fans are overly excited about
02:44 this fight, because she goes, people wanna see me fight Juliana.
02:47 So do you think she's looking past you at all?
02:50 >> Listen, she's a character, right?
02:55 All the things that she's saying is really entertaining me.
02:57 What you just said is completely contradicting to what I've heard that
03:00 she's saying.
03:01 At the end of the day, I feel like she's talking all the crap,
03:05 she's trying to say all the things.
03:07 Sure, maybe the fans wanna see her fight Juliana, because they both yap a lot,
03:10 they talk.
03:11 And so everybody wants to see that, they love the entertainment portion.
03:14 That's just not who I am.
03:15 And I think about the kids and the younger generations and who look up to me.
03:18 And it's not about talking crap to each other and doing everything.
03:21 At the end of the day, a fight's a fight, our fists are gonna do the talking.
03:24 So I don't feel the need to waste the extra energy.
03:26 And I mean, I don't know who she thinks she is right now.
03:32 I've been in this sport for a very long time.
03:34 I've been in the top ten majority of my career in the UFC.
03:37 And for her to sit here, they were trying to find another opponent,
03:42 because Juliana's injured.
03:43 It was supposed to be me and Juliana.
03:45 So for her to think that it's supposed to be her and Juliana,
03:48 I love the world she's living in, in her own mind, but she's a little confused.
03:52 >> That kind of goes off of my next question.
03:53 Were you surprised that it was her, and
03:55 do you think she was the worthy opponent when Juliana wasn't healthy to fight?
03:58 >> Yeah, definitely, to say the least.
04:02 It's just been an interesting journey for me.
04:04 You know what, I'm gonna give her credit, right?
04:07 She's here, she's gonna bring a challenge to the table, for sure.
04:10 And I'm not looking past her at all.
04:12 I think there's a level of respect that you give each and
04:14 every opponent that's important.
04:16 But it's just been interesting how all that played out.
04:19 When me and Aldana got scheduled,
04:21 they told me when I originally fought Ketlin, it was for a number one contender
04:25 fight, then all of a sudden that fight passed and they're like, well,
04:28 here's the deal, Juliana and Amanda are gonna fight again.
04:31 And so you and Aldana are gonna fight again.
04:34 And it's like, okay, you guys are completely saying totally different to me.
04:37 And it was frustrating.
04:39 And then Juliana gets injured and I'm like, okay, I'm supposed to be next.
04:44 And then they're like, well, we're gonna pull Aldana up.
04:47 It makes sense, we want Mexico to take a chance of having another champion,
04:51 blah, blah, blah.
04:52 Okay, I hear all the entertainment behind it and everything else, but
04:55 as an athlete, super frustrating.
04:57 And then they call me and they're like, well,
04:58 would you still wanna fight in the main event in Maine?
05:01 It's like, what makes sense?
05:03 I'm supposed to be fighting a number one contender fight,
05:05 tell me who makes sense.
05:07 And they're like, Mayra Buenasilva.
05:08 And at this time, I think she was still 13.
05:10 And I was like, you guys wanna take me from a number one contender fight to
05:13 fighting the number 13 girl in the world?
05:15 How does that make any sense?
05:17 And usually I'm down for every single fight, and they know that.
05:20 But I was like, I'm at a point in my life, I'm 35, I'm on a mission.
05:24 And so to me, it didn't make any sense.
05:27 And then I wake up to headlines the next day and it's like, clash of the top ten,
05:32 Mayra Buenasilva versus Holly Holm.
05:34 So you guys bumped her for promoting or what the hell happened there?
05:37 And then of course, she beats Holly Holm, so then she gets bumped.
05:41 The rankings are interesting, but you know what, she's here now.
05:44 And so it is what it is.
05:46 >> You're coming into this fight off a bit of a layoff.
05:50 Is there anything in particular you've worked on in the gym that maybe you're
05:52 looking to show on Saturday or
05:53 anything that you've worked on that you're excited to kind of put out there?
05:57 >> Yeah, I've talked a lot about the toolbox that I have.
05:59 I got categorized as a striker and as a brawler.
06:01 I'm a well-rounded mixed martial artist.
06:04 And so my biggest thing this fight camp, we've done the work,
06:08 we've done everything that we've needed to, we've prepared in all the ways.
06:12 But my biggest thing as a person and
06:13 as an athlete was to slow down and actually open up that toolbox.
06:17 I have not had the opportunity or I go back to the drawing board every time and
06:21 I reset or I look at things in my fights and I'm like, I should have done this or
06:25 whatever, there's always more expectation from myself and I get frustrated.
06:29 And so my biggest thing this camp was just completely having fun and
06:33 opening that toolbox.
06:34 And it's super exciting because not only am I recharged as an individual and
06:39 just being a brand new mom and a different motivation, but
06:41 I found a different side of me in the gym.
06:44 And I can feel it in my entire being,
06:46 I'm just so excited to showcase that to the world.
06:49 >> What do you think of the fact that a lot of her wins are by submission,
06:52 I think 70% of her victories are by submission.
06:54 The last submission loss for you, I think was in Invicta in 2012,
06:57 if I'm not mistaken.
06:58 Do you look at that stuff as far as the style matchup and
07:00 just knowing you're pretty durable and tough to take out?
07:03 Even Nunez, it was a fifth round stoppage on you, right?
07:05 >> Like I said, I'm a well-rounded martial artist.
07:08 I'm not just this brawler, okay, cool, I have a granite chin,
07:12 I can take some punches, I can throw some punches.
07:14 But there's so much more to me.
07:15 I'm not just in the gym just constantly striking.
07:17 I have my own submission wins, you know what I mean?
07:21 When I decide to make my mind and put my mind to whatever it is,
07:24 I truly feel like I'm going to accomplish that.
07:27 And so there's some days that I've come in and I'm like, okay,
07:29 I'm absolutely, I've taken short notice fights and I'm exhausted.
07:32 And I've gone for the submission, I got those submission wins.
07:34 When I fought Ashley Evan Smith,
07:36 like there was no way that fight was gonna go another round.
07:39 That cut was completely to my skull and they were gonna stop it.
07:43 And it was just like, I heard my coaches yell urgency,
07:45 I seen the blood pouring and I was like, I have to go.
07:48 And so that was me making up my mind.
07:50 But if I'm gonna strike, I'm gonna strike.
07:53 If I wanna fight up against fence, I'm gonna fight up against fence.
07:55 If I wanna wrestle, I have great wrestling.
07:58 Jiu-jitsu, trust me, I have a pretty wicked ground game.
08:01 >> Just last one for me, I don't know if you pay attention to this stuff.
08:04 Do you know you're the betting underdog going into this fight?
08:06 >> I've always been the underdog, always.
08:07 >> Does that surprise you just with your experience?
08:09 I mean, you've been on the Ultimate Fighter, you fought for a title.
08:11 So I'm guessing not, no.
08:13 >> No, I've always been the dark horse in women's MMA and that's completely fine.
08:16 I thrive on people underestimating me.
08:18 And I feel like I've actually been the gatekeeper for
08:20 a really long time at the 135 division.
08:22 There's always gonna be someone new up and coming and rising and
08:25 they're dangerous and this, that or another.
08:27 And they're like, okay, here's Raquel.
08:29 Like, here's what she looks like.
08:31 You have to get through her and once you get through her,
08:33 then you're on to your next step.
08:34 And I always break their game plan in that.
08:37 >> Raquel, can you just contrast this title fight compared to the last time around?
08:42 You're coming off the big injury, the leg break and stuff.
08:45 You're going to Brazil.
08:46 This seems to be a much happier version of yourself.
08:49 You talked about the kid, more comfortable climate.
08:52 Does this feel just much more right for you compared to last time?
08:55 >> Yeah, I'm huge in believing when the stars align and
08:57 I feel like the stars have truly aligned.
09:00 Everybody's journey looks different back then, of course, as an athlete.
09:03 That's what I wanted back then.
09:05 But it wasn't my time and it's as simple as that.
09:08 I've grown tremendously as a person and as an athlete.
09:11 And I mean, as frustrating that was, like you said, I came off of major injuries.
09:16 I came off of an 18 month layoff.
09:18 I had total major reconstructive shoulder surgery.
09:21 They throw me into the biggest profile fight of my career and
09:25 there was just a lot going on.
09:27 And I always say, you can go to the gym and you can put in all the hard work.
09:31 You can take all the supplements, eat completely right.
09:33 But if your head and your heart ain't right, it doesn't matter.
09:36 And that's what my career looked like.
09:37 And so that fight's in the past.
09:39 I'm not looking back in the rear view mirror.
09:41 I know a lot has changed for me.
09:43 I'm on a five fight win streak for a reason.
09:46 And it's my time now.
09:48 >> Yeah, and I mean, there was so much criticism to you around your corner and
09:50 the team from that last fight and stuff.
09:52 Would you kind of look back on that?
09:54 Does that seem like it was a positive moment?
09:56 And what's your perspective on that all those years later now?
10:01 >> Everything happens for a reason, and I truly believe that.
10:04 My team went through a lot.
10:05 A lot of people on the outside, they don't know the behind the scenes.
10:08 It's kind of that iceberg effect, right?
10:09 You see what's above the water, you don't see what's below.
10:12 And the things that happened in that fight and what was said in my corner and
10:15 the decisions that were made.
10:17 Those guys, I don't just choose different coaches every other day or
10:20 like, hey, you're available this weekend, can you corner me?
10:23 We're a second family, we're built on trust and loyalty.
10:26 And that's something huge to me.
10:28 And my coaches know me better than I know myself sometimes.
10:31 And they know the athlete I am.
10:32 So the decisions that were made, I 100% stand behind that.
10:37 In reality, I had all the control.
10:39 You know what I mean?
10:39 If I wanted out of there, that was completely up to me.
10:42 I voiced something out loud to my coaches and to my second family.
10:45 And they made a decision based off of that.
10:48 But we've worked through all that and we've gone through the emotions.
10:52 The world beat us into the ground for it.
10:54 They try to say whatever.
10:55 And at the end of the day, none of that matters.
10:59 >> And just last one for me.
11:01 This is just the second women's bantamweight title fight ever that hasn't
11:05 featured Amanda Nunes or Ronda Rousey.
11:07 The other one was Misha and Holly.
11:09 And you've been here through all of that.
11:11 What does it kind of say that Amanda, Ronda are long gone at this point and
11:16 here you are fighting for a belt again?
11:18 >> Yeah, I mean, I've been asked so many different questions.
11:21 And of course, Amanda's forever gonna have her credit.
11:23 Ronda's forever gonna have her credit.
11:24 They've done some wonderful things and props to them.
11:27 But at the end of the day, Amanda made her choice and she retired and
11:30 the chapter's closed.
11:31 It's up for grabs again.
11:33 And there's so much worthy talent in this division and whatnot.
11:39 And my time is now.
11:41 But the same way that everybody felt a void when Ronda left and
11:43 then Amanda came in and replaced that.
11:45 Now, everybody feels a void when Amanda's gone.
11:47 And now I get to come in and replace that.
11:50 And everybody's journey is gonna look different.
11:52 Everybody's success is gonna look completely different.
11:55 >> Recall right here to your right.
11:57 Just kind of building off that a little, I know you said it's in the rear view.
12:00 But is there any part of you that wishes this second title opportunity could have
12:03 come against Amanda so that you could have taken what you've built over the years
12:07 since that and kind of gotten that one back?
12:09 >> 100%, 100%.
12:12 But I mean, everything happens for a reason.
12:14 And so who knows?
12:16 Maybe Amanda isn't fully done.
12:18 I mean, Ronda said she was done and then Ronda came back and
12:20 tried to give it another shot.
12:21 You never know what's gonna happen.
12:22 But at the end of the day, we're here now.
12:24 My opponent is Buena Silva, and that's what I'm looking forward to.
12:28 And just being me and going out there and accomplishing my ultimate goal.
12:32 >> Is it more difficult to follow in the footsteps of a dominant champion like
12:35 this? Do you feel like you're gonna have to really go out and
12:37 get a few title offenses and really put your stamp on the division?
12:40 >> You know what?
12:42 I feel like I just need to simply be me.
12:44 Like I said, everybody's journey is completely different.
12:46 Nobody's gonna look the same.
12:48 Everybody has their own successes in their absolute own way.
12:51 And for me, this is just 14 years of hard work, sweat, tears,
12:57 the blood, sweat, tears, dedication, everything, the climbing up,
13:02 the falling down, it's all just coming together.
13:05 And that belt is just a resemblance of that.
13:08 But for me, I've honestly already won in life.
13:11 I am truly blessed.
13:12 I'm thankful to be here.
13:13 I live a really cool life.
13:15 I have an amazing opportunity to do this.
13:17 And at the end of the day, it's just me continuing to build my legacy and
13:21 have something to pass on to my daughter.
13:23 >> Thank you.
13:24 >> Raquel, love the hat.
13:26 >> Thanks. >> Is that a custom dealie or
13:27 is that official merch?
13:29 You gonna wanna plug that or?
13:30 >> Yeah, I made these, I think it was last Pride month.
13:36 I had these for sale, but these are my Team Rocky swag, so
13:39 they were a limited edition.
13:41 My flight got all jacked up yesterday and I absolutely lost my luggage, so
13:46 kinda just hanging out.
13:47 I'm like, all right, we gotta cover the hair and do all the things.
13:50 >> It's a good look.
13:52 Regarding the hat then, what are your thoughts on being the co-main event to
13:56 a headliner featuring Sean Strickland, a guy who's made some controversial,
13:59 I'd say offensive comments about the gay and lesbian community?
14:01 I mean, do you have any feeling about that?
14:02 >> You know what, everybody's always gonna have an opinion, right?
14:05 What do they say, opinions are like buttholes, everyone has one.
14:07 So he has one and that's his opinion.
14:10 At the end of the day, it doesn't affect my life and
14:13 it's never going to affect my life.
14:15 And in reality, I'm not even paying attention to the outside noise.
14:18 It's all outside noise, it doesn't matter to me.
14:22 I feel like the world is the way it is because people make their comments and
14:25 do all the stupid stuff.
14:27 But it's what keeps it interesting, so I personally don't care.
14:31 I'm focused on my ultimate goal, I'm focused on myself.
14:33 And I can't even tell you who else is on the card,
14:36 cuz that's how focused I am on just what I'm gonna do.
14:39 >> Thanks, and any pick for the main event then?
14:41 >> Yeah, not Sean Shuklin.
14:43 >> [LAUGH] >> I'm just kidding.
14:47 >> So you mentioned that you felt like an underdog coming into a lot of these
14:53 fights, how did you mentally shift your perspective from feeling like
14:56 a perpetual underdog to feeling like you can become a world champion now?
14:59 >> I don't pay attention to that.
15:01 I mean, I feel like if you don't have haters, you're not doing something right.
15:04 And people have always doubted me, and that's completely fine.
15:07 It's just more motivation.
15:08 It gives me a good laugh at the end of the day.
15:11 They doubt me, they tell me how I should quit, how I suck, how I'm boring.
15:15 I don't even know the things that I've caught.
15:17 And then every time I get my hand raised, I'm like, eat that.
15:20 It doesn't matter, cuz at the end of the day, I mean,
15:22 that's just the people's opinions.
15:24 It's statistics, it's what people wanna see.
15:26 I mean, I've been an athlete my whole life.
15:28 I'm a freaking sports fan.
15:30 It's the same thing if you have a team and you're just like,
15:33 we really want this team to win.
15:35 You know what I mean?
15:36 That's what it comes down to, but it doesn't define me as an athlete.
15:39 It doesn't define me as a person.
15:40 >> Just as you mentioned so much of this being a mental game and
15:45 looking at Saturday as trying to just categorize it as just another fight.
15:51 Was that the perspective going into your last championship fight?
15:55 And tell me a bit about the contrast.
15:57 Was it kind of be all end all back in 2018?
16:01 >> It was.
16:02 I mean, I honestly cannot tell you where my mental state was back in 2018.
16:06 It was literally all over the board.
16:08 I was all over the board.
16:09 I was coming off a long layoff.
16:11 I wanted to feel like myself again.
16:13 I had frustration after frustration, setback after setback.
16:16 I was developing medical issues.
16:17 It was one thing after another after another.
16:20 And as a fighter, it was like, man, I just wanna be me as a person.
16:25 And being a warrior, I just wanted to be me.
16:28 And so it was like, in my mind, I was gonna be world champion.
16:35 In my heart, I didn't feel half of anything.
16:37 I didn't feel it in my entire being because everything was so unaligned.
16:41 But it was gonna happen somehow.
16:43 And now the big difference is I feel it in every part of me.
16:47 Like my mind is right, my heart is right, my freaking spirit is right.
16:51 My motivation is on a different level.
16:53 I just feel 100% different.
16:57 Thank you.
16:58 [BLANK_AUDIO]