LAS VEGAS – Tabatha Ricci beat Jessica Penne with a second-round submission Saturday on the preliminary card at UFC 285 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.
Take a look inside the fight with Ricci, who became the first fighter to submit Penne in the UFC.
Jessica Penne vs. Tabatha Ricci
Result: Tabatha Ricci def. Jessica Penne via submission (armbar) – Round 2, 2:14
Updated records: Ricci (8-1 MMA, 3-1 UFC), Penne (14-7 MMA, 3-5 UFC)
Key stat: Ricci outstruck Penne 81-19 and landed nearly 75 percent of her total strikes.
Ricci on the fight's key moment
“I don’t even know how that armbar happened. I was just asking my coach. I have to go back and look at it again. Every day, so many times drilling throws and submissions over and over, it’s something that just happened natural.”
Ricci on fighting Penne
“I didn’t treat (Penne) different. I just followed the game plan. I’m just honored to fight her because I know that she started a division and she fought big names. I think it was awesome for me to share the cage with somebody (with her) experience and has a lot more fights than me. So for me, it was a challenge for me to test myself. I didn’t treat anything different – just business for me.”
Ricci on what she wants next
“I just had a go since like last year to be ranked. I think now I deserve (to be ranked) since I’ve got three wins straight, especially over Jessica. I don’t have specific names. Whatever my managers and UFC think is going to be good for me, I’m just waiting for the call. I’m ready. That’s my lifestyle. That’s what I do every day. I love what I do. I just can’t wait to go back to the gym. I always want to be active. It was not my fault that my opponents pull out. So if my body allows me to fight, I’m here to go.”
To hear more from Ricci, check out the video of the full post-fight interview above.
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 285.
