MMA superstar Raquel Pennington’s decision and resilience to dispute her family’s decision against compact sports at the age of 19, paid off well after years.
Raquel Pennington is the name that resonates with a special position in the professional fighting industry, MMA.
Internet began flooding with talks about her earlier as she was gearing up to defend her title at UFC 307.
Unfortunately, Raquel lost the highly anticipated title fight with Julianna Pena, with her demanding a rematch.
It explains her career struggles and her journey isn’t just about her athletic prowess, but also about her rich ethnic heritage.
The superstar MMA fighter has a unique blend of ethnicity and it helped her shape both personally & professionally.
Raquel Pennington’s Ethnicity And Openly Lesbian Identity Enriches Reputation In Fighting Legacy
Raquel Pennington‘s ethnicity is the complex stirring of half-Caucasian and half-Mexican heritage.
She was born on September 5, 1998, in Colorado Springs embodying a rich tapestry of cultural mixture of her parents.
Raquel’s cultural duality is largely reflected in her fighting style and public persona, as noticed by her followers.
We hardly have any sourced information about her parents and family. However, upon analysis, we discovered that her mother’s name is Rose Pennington.
Her mother has always been her biggest fan, despite opposing her interest in her callow age.
Speaking in an interview with UFC, Raquel Pennington said:
My mom has been there for every single fight. She missed one fight during COVID and she was devastated. She’s been there through all my athletics.
Still, details about her father remain undisclosed. However, Pennington has never missed posting his dad on numerous occasions.
She is very close to her Pompo, grandfather, and Nana, grandmother, as visible on her social media.
Based on the former MMA title holders’ statements, her father was present when she talked about fighting in the family.
Though the lady, now, embraces her career, at the age of 19, her parents opposed her decision to train professionally.
Despite the initial opposition, she didn’t wait for their decision and enrolled in kickboxing without their knowledge.
Pennington’s resilience led to her first to amateur MMA and later to the profession of MMA fighting, where she currently shines.
Further talking about her identity, we can miss the detail that despite being multi-ethnic, she holds American citizenship.
Besides, the fighter is also openly lesbian and shares a beautiful relationship with UFC Strawweight Tecia Torres.
Raquel Pennington And Tecia Torres’s Love Story Of Strength And Unity In The Octagon
Raquel Pennington is happily married to UFC professional fighter Tecia Torres and shares a beautiful daughter, Aaliyah.
The pair first crossed paths in their early twenties, long before they became they blossomed professionally.
Although, they initially met while training, they didn’t begin dating until later, as Torres was already in a relationship.
They officially started dating after she parted ways from her previous partner and began falling for Pennington.
Their shared passion and love for fighting and training solidified their connection. Raquel and Tecia began dating in 2016.
After a year in May 2017, they publicly announced their engagement on social media, and after five years, they tied the knot.
The UFC power couple, exchanged vows on July 27, 2022, with both sharing the occasion on Instagram.
Their life was further filled with joy when Tecia got pregnant and they welcomed a daughter on June 1, 2023.
Alayah Rose Pennington’s homecoming was announced on Raquel’s Instagram, posting a heartfelt montage from the delivery room.
Though they planned the baby extremely well, they faced a significant shift in their professional states.
Tecia took time off from the competitions to focus on motherhood, but her temporary withdrawal paid them well.
In Case You Didn’t Know:
- Before fully committing to MMA, Raquel was a multi-sport athlete in high school.
- Despite her tough persona as a fighter, she has shared that she has a fear of alligators and sharks
- The combat fighter broke her back during her college years, which kept her out of sports.
