UFC bantamweights Ketlen Vieira and Raquel Pennington will collide in what could be a No. 1 contender bout on Jan. 14, 2023, multiple people with knowledge of the situation told MMA Fighting.
The UFC Fight Night card will be headlined by Kelvin Gastelum vs. Nassourdine Imavov.
Vieira (13-2) was hoping to earn a shot at the 135-pound championship against fellow Brazilian Amanda Nunes one week later at UFC 283 in Rio de Janeiro, which is scheduled for Jan. 21. The Nova Uniao talent has defeated former champions Miesha Tate and Holly Holm in her most recent octagon appearances.
Pennington (14-8), who challenged Nunes for the title in Rio de Janeiro back in 2018, won her past four against Marion Reneau, Pannie Kianzad, Macy Chiasson and Aspen Ladd. Pennington also holds UFC wins over former UFC titleholders Tate and Jessica Andrade, plus 135-pounder contender Irene Aldana.
Mike Heck contributed to this report.
