Tecia Pennington doesn’t have loads of love for MMA judges.
This Saturday, Pennington faces Carla Esparza on the undercard of UFC 307. The bout is the ultimate of Esparza’s storied profession however for Pennington it’s equally as necessary as “The Tiny Twister” is at the moment on a two-fight dropping streak, dropping cut up choices to Mackenzie Dern and Tabatha Ricci, which have Pennington along with her again in opposition to the wall.
“The cut up choices have harm me,” Pennington instructed reporters at UFC 307 Media Day. “It’s harm extra, the loss, than something, getting punched or kicked by these women or whatnot. I actually believed I gained these final two fights.”
Pennington has been a fixture of the strawweight top-15 since coming into the UFC of of The Final Fighter in 2014. However regardless of notable wins over the likes of Angela Hill and Michelle Waterson-Gomez, “The Tiny Tornardo” has been unable to even earn a title shot. Now at 35 years outdated, time is operating out for Pennington to make a title run, which she blames, partially, on the judging in her fights.
“I’m nonetheless getting at it. I really feel like I’ve obtained another good run in me,” Pennington mentioned. “I really feel like I could make it occur for myself too. I’ve the talent…
“Actually, it’s the judges who hold f*cking me, if I’m being sincere,” Pennington mentioned. “I’m going again and I’m like, I don’t know who the judges had been however do they go dwelling and rewatch that combat and so they’re like, ‘Man, I took away alternative from this lady. I took away cash from this lady. That sucks. I want I may have completed one thing completely different.’
“I sort of want we had common [open scoring] the place they inform you the rating after [each round] like Invicta does it. That will be superior as a result of then as an athlete, I do know.”
Common scoring has been a subject of dialogue in MMA for years, with Invicta FC even implementing it on a trial foundation in 2020. Nevertheless, there’s been no main push for common scoring to make it into the UFC and it gained’t be in impact Saturday when Pennington faces off with Esparza. Fortuitously for Pennington, she doesn’t imagine she’ll want it.
“I feel she’s going to be the identical outdated Carla,” Pennington mentioned. “Identical factor, coming in with some [punches], going for the takedown, attempt to catch my leg and take me down that means. I’m not saying she’s not going to take me down, she would possibly. However I’ll get proper again up, I’ll stuff loads of her takedowns, I’ll use my motion. The important thing to her successful is holding me down, however I don’t see that occuring. There’s not been a woman who has been ready to do this. I’ve been in a position to stand up and do what I need to do.”
