Ketlen Vieira vs Raquel Pennington — Fight recap

Raquel Pennington defeated Ketlen Vieira by split decision after three rounds on January 14, 2023, in a striking-heavy bantamweight contest. Pennington landed 81 significant strikes at 50% accuracy compared to Vieira's 64 of 152 (42%), establishing cleaner offensive combinations throughout the fight.

Vieira controlled the cage for 4:45 of the bout but failed to convert that positional advantage into takedowns, attempting none while Pennington went 0-for-2 on her own grappling attempts. The Brazilian's leg-strike volume stood out at 18 of 20 landed, yet Pennington's superior head and body work—32 of 35 body strikes landed—proved decisive in the judges' eyes.

The split decision victory keeps Pennington in contention at 135 pounds, while Vieira faces questions about her striking efficiency and inability to leverage her control time.