Brian Mazique , CONTRIBUTOR
Opinions expressed by Forbes Contributors are their own.
UFC women's bantamweight champion Amanda Nunes battered Raquel Pennington for four-plus rounds en route to a definitive title defense. If things had been handled properly, the fight would have ended after four rounds.
RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL - MAY 11: Opponents Amanda Nunes (L) of Brazil and Raquel Pennington of the United States face off during the UFC 224 weigh-in at Jeunesse Arena on May 11, 2018, in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. (Photo by Buda Mendes/Zuffa LLC/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images)
Nunes' leg kicks, takedowns, ground-and-pound and hard strikes to the face left Pennington with bad swelling in her face and a possible broken nose. After the fourth round, Pennington told her corner she was done and wanted the fight stopped.
They encouraged her to keep going and that was a horrible decision. In the fifth round, Nunes continued the assault until the referee stepped in to call a halt to the fight. Unfortunately for Pennington, by that time she was a bloody mess.
Almost everyone in the MMA community, fighters and members of the media, agreed that sending Pennington back out for the fifth round was the wrong call.
Opinions expressed by Forbes Contributors are their own.
UFC women's bantamweight champion Amanda Nunes battered Raquel Pennington for four-plus rounds en route to a definitive title defense. If things had been handled properly, the fight would have ended after four rounds.
RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL - MAY 11: Opponents Amanda Nunes (L) of Brazil and Raquel Pennington of the United States face off during the UFC 224 weigh-in at Jeunesse Arena on May 11, 2018, in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. (Photo by Buda Mendes/Zuffa LLC/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images)
Nunes' leg kicks, takedowns, ground-and-pound and hard strikes to the face left Pennington with bad swelling in her face and a possible broken nose. After the fourth round, Pennington told her corner she was done and wanted the fight stopped.
They encouraged her to keep going and that was a horrible decision. In the fifth round, Nunes continued the assault until the referee stepped in to call a halt to the fight. Unfortunately for Pennington, by that time she was a bloody mess.
Almost everyone in the MMA community, fighters and members of the media, agreed that sending Pennington back out for the fifth round was the wrong call.
