Vacant UFC Women’s Bantamweight Title Will Get New Owner At UFC 297

The UFC women’s bantamweight championship has been vacant since Amanda Nunes retired after defending that title against Irene Aldana at UFC 289 on June 10, 2023. The 135-pound belt will get a new owner at UFC 297 when Mayra Bueno Silva meets Raquel Pennington on what is likely to be an ESPN+ streaming pay-per-view card.

Nunes was in her second run as the UFC women’s bantamweight champion when she defeated Aldana via unanimous decision. Nunes’ first run as the 135-pound titleholder lasted from July 2016 through December 2021. During her time with that belt Nunes defeated some of the biggest names in the sport, including Miesha Tate, Ronda Rousey, and Holly Holm. Her run with the title ended at UFC 269 when Julianna Pena submitted Nunes in the second round of their matchup. Nunes regained the belt in July 2022 with a decision win over Pena. Her win over Aldana was the first defense of her second title reign.

Nunes also held the UFC women’s featherweight title from December 2018 through her retirement in 2023. She won the belt with an impressive knockout of Cris Cyborg and defended the title twice before retiring.

Mayra Bueno Silva is the No. 3 fighter in the official UFC women’s bantamweight rankings. The 32-year-old Brazilian is 3-0 with one no contest ahead of UFC 297. Bueno Silva is coming off a submission win over Holm in July. That victory was later overturned and ruled a no contest when Bueno Silva failed a drug test for a prescribed (but undisclosed) ADHD medication. Bueno Silva’s suspension ended on November 29.

Raquel Pennington is the No. 2 fighter in the official UFC women’s bantamweight rankings. UFC 297 marks Pennington’s second shot at the 135-pound title. The 35-year-old faced Nunes for the title in May 2018 at UFC 224. Nunes won that fight via TKO in the fifth round. Pennington is currently riding a five-fight winning streak. Her most recent victory was a January 2023 split-decision win over Ketlen Vieira.

AG Fight was the first outlet to break the news of the upcoming women’s title fight. MMA Fighting confirmed the news.

UFC 297 takes place in Toronto, Ontario, Canada on January 20, 2024. The promotion has yet to announce a venue for the upcoming event. The UFC has not visited Toronto since UFC 231 in December 2018. That fight card was headlined by then-UFC featherweight champion Max Holloway defending his title against Brian Ortega.