Tecia Pennington Balances Fighting Career and Motherhood Ahead of UFC Match

LAS VEGAS, Nevada — Tecia Pennington steps into the Octagon this weekend for her fight against Denise Gomes at UFC APEX, facing a pivotal moment in both her career and personal life.

At 36 years old, Pennington is making her fourth appearance since taking a break to start a family with her wife, former UFC bantamweight champion Raquel Pennington. Although she is currently on a two-fight winning streak and has re-entered the flyweight rankings, the demands of motherhood have shifted her priorities.

“It’s a lot different, and in all honesty, it’s harder,” Pennington said. “I still love the sport, but I love being a mother more — that’s just the God’s honest truth. Everything I do is for my daughter, so one day she can look back and see how cool I was.”

Throughout her 13-year career, Pennington has proven to be both competitive and resilient. She began her career with four consecutive wins and has faced top fighters, including Paige VanZant and Rose Namajunas, leading her to participate in Season 20 of The Ultimate Fighter.

Despite stepping away from fighting to raise her daughter Alayah, Pennington has had significant success since her return. She followed a controversial split decision loss to Tabatha Ricci with convincing victories over Carla Esparza and Luana Pinheiro.

“It just shows my durability, my credibility as a fighter; that I’ve remained one of the best in the world since I started,” she mentioned. “I have seven losses and five of them are from champions now. I’m the only fighter that has fought every single champion!”

Pennington holds a unique place in UFC history, having faced six fighters who have held the strawweight title. Although successful against Esparza, she has lost to some of the greatest champions in the division but continuously proves her mettle against them.

As she prepares for her fight with Gomes, Pennington admits she wishes she could fight more often, especially given her age. “I wish I got three in a year instead of two because when you take six to eight months off, that’s a long time for somebody who is 36,” she said. “I’d definitely want a fight within two months after a win.”

The fighter acknowledges the tough emotions that come with transitioning away from her long-time career. “It’s scary, a little bit, because being a fighter has been a part of my life my entire life,” she explained. “It’ll close a chapter.”

Despite these feelings, Pennington plans to leverage her vast experience against the younger, hungry Gomes, who has secured three straight victories in the division. “I know I have more Octagon experience, more fight experience overall as an athlete, just because I’m older than her,” she stated. “There is nothing she can do to me that hasn’t already been tried.”

As the fight approaches, Pennington expresses confidence in her abilities and hopes for a decisive win. “I’d love to submit her or knock her out, but when you look at my fights, most of them go to a decision, so realistically, I see myself with a dominant win over her,” she said.

With her sights set on future opportunities, Pennington aims for a quick return to action in hopes of climbing the rankings. “If I could get a few fights in regularly and not have to wait six or eight months, that would be nice,” she concluded.

Fans can catch the fight live from UFC APEX in Las Vegas, Nevada, on November 8, 2025, with prelims starting at 4 p.m. ET, followed by the main card at 7 p.m. ET.