Strange as it is to say about a former title challenger, Penne is
riding the most momentum of her UFC career. A former Invicta
Fighting Championships titleholder at atomweight, Penne was
well-regarded enough as the UFC launched the strawweight division
that it only took her a split decision win over Randa
Markos to become a contender. However, things went completely
south from there. Joanna
Jedrzejczyk and Jessica
Andrade each gave her what felt like career-altering beatings,
particularly after a third straight loss in a flat performance
against Danielle
Taylor. Penne then had her career railroaded by the United
States Anti-Doping Agency, keeping her out of action for four
years, so expectations were not exactly high when she made her
return to the Octagon in April 2021. Yet, Penne has done
surprisingly well. Formerly a reedy fighter, Penne is not a
powerhouse but still looks to be in the best physical form of her
career, which has helped her survive and eke out a win over
Lupita
Godinez before she tapped out Karolina
Kowalkiewicz in August. That marks Penne’s first winning streak
in nearly a decade, and she looks to keep it going against Ducote.
Oklahoma’s Ducote has only been a pro since 2015, but “Gordinha”
has traveled a long path to her UFC debut, spending a few years as
a flyweight in Bellator MMA before finding much more success as
Invicta’s strawweight champion. Initially a submission threat,
Ducote has turned into an unspectacularly well-rounded fighter who
should hit the ground running in the UFC, as she has shown some
impressive power during her current three-fight winning streak.
This is basically a toss-up—there is the chance for some fun
grappling exchanges that could go either way—but Ducote looks like
the safer bet as the harder hitter and more potent offensive force,
even with Penne being in a stronger form since her comeback. The
pick is Ducote via decision.
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