Raquel Pennington and Juliana Pena have different opinions about training at high altitude.
Pennington will face Pena for the women’s bantamweight title on Saturday in the co-main event of UFC 307 at the Delta Center in Salt Lake City, Utah, more than 4,000 feet above sea level. Fighters, including light heavyweight champion Alex Pereira, who will defend his title against Khalil Rountree in the main event of UFC 307, are known to arrive several weeks before their bouts in Utah to acclimate to the high altitude. It is being
But Pena doesn’t think that’s necessary. The “Venezuela Vixen” had just arrived in Salt Lake City on Monday in hopes of winning the title. Pena, who has competed in Colorado and Utah, both high altitude states, doesn’t think it will take long to adjust. According to the former champion, if you’re fit enough, the altitude shouldn’t matter much.
“We leave on Monday,” Pena told MMAjunkie.com. “I’ve fought in Utah before. I’ve fought in Denver before. I remember going out to Denver three weeks early thinking I needed to be prepared because the altitude was so high. After my first cardio session, I was like, “I am.” It’s not hard to breathe either. Nothing has changed. what do you mean? ‘
“My strength coach told me, ‘You don’t have to get here early. If you feel good, you’ll be good.'” I’m going to go there on Monday and get acclimated. It will take you a full week to adjust, but if you’re feeling great and you’ve finished your day at work, that’s the confidence you need. I know I have the mat time and as long as I make sure I work hard I have the confidence in the world, so that’s all that matters. ”
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But Pennington insists otherwise. The champion believes not arriving in Salt Lake City earlier to train at high altitude is a decision Pena may regret. “Rocky” from Colorado noticed a big difference while training at low altitude.
“Just because I was born and raised in the highlands, I think that’s a mistake,” Pennington told MMAjunkie.com. “Altitude is no joke. It really affects people. You can’t come here and say, ‘Oh my God, I don’t understand why we’re feeling this way, why we’re feeling this way.’ You know how many people say, “I’m just standing here.” It is advanced and plays an important role when pushing your body to its limits.
“I’m really grateful,” Pennington added. “When I go to other places, I notice a big difference. Sometimes I have to really slow down and control my breathing, because it feels like I’m actually breathing in too much air and I kind of hyperventilate. So you have to train your breathing a little bit differently, and I think that’s something that all athletes should consider, especially if they’re pushing themselves to the limit.
