Mayra Bueno Silva is confident about her upcoming fight. She believes her opponent, Raquel Pennington, will quit in their title fight.
The match is set to be a co-main event at UFC 297. It’s happening on January 20 in Toronto. The women’s bantamweight strap is up for grabs.
Silva is predicting that Pennington will lose her fight, similar to her match with Amanda Nunes at UFC 224 in 2018. During that fight, Pennington admitted to her corner that she was “done” after the fourth round.
Silva recalls that fight vividly. She remembers Pennington saying, “Alright, I’m done. I don’t want to fight anymore.” Silva shared these thoughts during an appearance on “The MMA Hour.”
Silva doesn’t think Pennington enjoys fighting. She believes Pennington prefers to hold during the fight because she doesn’t like the actual fighting. Silva predicts that after a hard punch in the first round, Pennington will say, “I don’t want to fight anymore.”
Interestingly, 10 of Pennington’s career wins have been via decision. On the other hand, Silva has finished eight of her 10 wins. This includes a submission win over Holly Holm, which was later overturned to a no contest. Silva tested positive for a banned substance, which she attributed to ADHD medication.
Silva doesn’t think Pennington has the “courage” for a real fight. She predicts she will stop Pennington in the second round. Silva enjoys fighting, punching, and takedowns. She believes Pennington prefers to hold during fights and doesn’t like a clean fight.
Currently, Silva is unbeaten in her last four outings. Pennington, on the other hand, is on a five-fight winning streak dating back to 2021.