Irene Aldana vs Raquel Pennington — Fight recap

Raquel Pennington defeated Irene Aldana via split decision after three rounds on July 20, 2019, in a bantamweight clash that hinged on cage control and striking efficiency. Aldana landed 52 significant strikes at 28% accuracy, but Pennington's superior precision—47 significant strikes at 34%—combined with her grappling control proved decisive.

Pennington secured one takedown and dominated positional time with 5:29 of control compared to Aldana's negligible 0:02, establishing dominance through clinch work and top pressure. Both fighters avoided knockdowns and submission attempts, making this a grinding affair decided by octagon generalship.

The split decision underscored how closely matched the two were in output, but Pennington's ability to control the fight's pace and location ultimately swayed the judges' scorecards.