A women’s bantamweight title fight between champion Amanda Nunes and top contender Raquel Pennington headlined tonight’s UFC 224 event in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
Amanda Nunes utilized some nasty low kicks to batter the legs of her opponent early and often throughout the course of their championship bout.
At the end of round four Pennington turned to her corner and said she was “done” but her coaches were having none of it and forced her back out for the fifth and final round.
Here is how the MMA Community reacted to Amanda Nunes’ impressive title defense and Raqel Pennington’s cornes controversial decision to force their fighter to participate in round five.
https://twitter.com/btsportufc/status/995527561084981248
What a great fight so far ladies!! @RockyPMMA vs @Amanda_Leoa #ufc224 @ufc
— Miesha Tate (@MieshaTate) May 13, 2018
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https://twitter.com/jade001/status/995525856431935488
Rocky Pennington says she is done, her corner says otherwise #UFC224
— Chris Taylor (@CTaylor_96) May 13, 2018
"I'm done". Raquel Pennington is telling her corner that she's done but her corner tells her to go back out there to continue to fight. #UFC224
— Damon Martin (@DamonMartin) May 13, 2018
And now this fight is incredibly uncomfortable. https://t.co/B95bRT36Za
— Mike Bohn (@MikeBohnMMA) May 13, 2018
Amanda Nunes gets the TKO stoppage in the fifth round. Raquel Pennington wanted out after the fourth but her corner sent her back out there so she could get bludgeoned and her nose mangled in the fifth. That's just awful#UFC224
— Damon Martin (@DamonMartin) May 13, 2018
Terrible corner. She should not have even gotten up for that 5th round.
— Jordan Colbert (@_JColbert) May 13, 2018
https://twitter.com/SecretMovesMMA/status/995526671305527296
Amanda Nunes defends her title for the third time, finishes Raquel Pennington via TKO in the fifth round. Pennington told her corner before the fifth she was done, but corner talked her into going back out. Dominant win by Nunes.
— Brett Okamoto (@bokamotoESPN) May 13, 2018
Another finish. 13 fights, 11 finishes tonight at UFC 224. No idea how the UFC is going to decide who wins the bonuses.
— Adam Martin (@MMAdamMartin) May 13, 2018
They should have never let her go into the 5th round like that.
— Brian Ortega (@BrianTcity) May 13, 2018
https://twitter.com/RdosAnjosMMA/status/995526914835070976
Raquel Pennington's corner should be ashamed of themselves. There was no need for Pennington to even get off the stool and start the 5th round to begin with when she clearly told her team she was done. #UFC224
— Chamatkar Sandhu (@SandhuMMA) May 13, 2018
Loved all the respect in @Amanda_Leoa post fight interview with @RockyPMMA @ufc
— Alan Jouban (@AlanJouban) May 13, 2018
Nunes now tied with Andrade for most wins in the UFC women's division (9).
— Jed I. Goodman (@jedigoodman) May 13, 2018
https://twitter.com/jade001/status/995527820351885312
If Pennington was getting a flat purse (no win/show), does her corner stop the fight earlier? I’d like to think so. No other explanation for that recklessness. The corner works for the fighter. If she wants out, let her out. Live to fight another day.
— Ariel Helwani (@arielhelwani) May 13, 2018
Look at the concern from Torres, cleaning up Pennington while she's still in the cage after Pennington's cornerman wouldn't let her out. What a contrast.
— Sean Ross Sapp of Fightful.com (@SeanRossSapp) May 13, 2018
https://twitter.com/aaronbronsteter/status/995527538586935296
Is that what she said? I couldn’t hear the audio?? https://t.co/DWdHXQy2UJ
— Miesha Tate (@MieshaTate) May 13, 2018