Courtesy UFC
Julianna Pena made history Saturday becoming the first ever female Ultimate Fighter win, getting the TKO win over Jessica Rakoczy with one second left in the first round.
Pena (5-2) would defeat Gina Mazany by decision to get into the TUF house, and from there, Pena submitted Shayna Baszler and Sarah Moras to earn her way into the finals. She would take down and mount Rakoczy and laid some ground and pound as the ref stepped in to stop the bout at 4:59 of round 1 in the finals. Pena won a six figure UFC contract and a Harley Davidson motorcycle for her efforts.
You can watch the highlights and Pena’s post fight comments here.
All the seasonal awards went to the ladies. Rakoczy gained the KO of the season by default (she was the only one to get one). Submission went to Sarah Moras, who armbarred Peggy Morgan in the quarterfinals. Fight of the season went to Jessamyn Duke and Raquel Pennington’s three round war in the quarterfinals. All the winners will get $25,000.
Speaking of Duke and Pennington, both earned wins Saturday. Duke broke a record for most significant strikes by a debuting UFC fighter with her unanimous decision win over Peggy Morgan. Pennington defeated a game Roxanne Modafferi in the first female bout of the night. Modafferi’s boxing improved since the show, but it was the hard hitting Pennington who won over the judges.
The other two contestants on the show, Moras and Shayna Baszler, will make their UFC debuts in 2014.
Filed under: MMA
