Apr 18, 2023

The next UFC women's bantamweight No. 1 contender will likely be decided next month.

Raquel Pennington and Irene Aldana will meet in a rematch May 20 in the main event of a UFC Fight Night card in Las Vegas, the promotion announced Tuesday. The two fought in July 2019, with Pennington winning a split decision.

ESPN has Pennington ranked No. 3 and Aldana ranked No. 6 in the world at women's bantamweight. The champion in that weight class, Amanda Nunes, will defend her title in a trilogy fight with Julianna Peña at UFC 289 on June 10 in Vancouver. The Pennington vs. Aldana winner will likely fight the victor in that bout.

Pennington (15-8) has won five straight. The Colorado native has not lost since a 2020 bout with former champ Holly Holm. Pennington, 34, has the most bouts in UFC women's bantamweight history (16).

Aldana (14-6) has won two in a row and four of her past five. The Mexican-born fighter is coming off a knockout of Macy Chiasson at UFC 279 in September. Aldana, 35, has won seven of her past nine fights overall.

Raquel pennington irene aldana rematch set ufc fight night may

2023-04-26 10:01:31