LAS VEGAS, NV – OCTOBER 18: (LR) Opponents Jessica Penne and Elise Reid face off during the UFC Fight Night weigh-in at UFC APEX on October 18, 2024 in Las Vegas, NV. (Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC)
In the second of two strawweight bouts at UFC Vegas 99, Elise Reid faced former women’s 115-pound title challenger Jessica Penn.
Both men clinched at the start, but broke shortly after and Jessica Penne went for a takedown. That didn’t come close, but she did even better work to close the distance soon after, but Reed showed great balance and hurt Penne’s troubles with right hands. Penne refused to break the body lock and tried to land Tripp, but Reed fought her off. A determined Penne re-tackled shortly afterwards and finally dragged Elise Reed down, but she quickly recovered.
Penne caged his opponent again and delivered a knee kick, but Reed responded with short punches and an elbow to the thigh. The opening game showed Pena’s determination and Reed’s solid defense.
The second round began with an exchange of kicks, with Penne taking a different approach this time. She opted to box with some leg kicks, which quickly paid off and forced Reed to retreat. However, Reed’s jab was sharp and Penne opted to clinch again shortly after, but narrowly missed the trip. Reed’s punch then sent Penne staggering back, but he seemed to be signaling a trip rather than doing any actual damage. Still, if Penne is going to play a stand-up game, he’ll have to be wary of the power of the lead. Penne’s face was a little red. Reed threw a spinning back kick and seemed to have found the flow. This caused Penne to try to clinch again, but it didn’t last long.
After threatening to catch a kick, Penne clinched in again in the final moments of the second round, but the lead was reversed and he was free. Penne’s decision to box instead of repeating his ultimately successful approach in round one appears to have backfired. She completed the frame with a bloody nose after being shot.
Penne and Reed enter the third round with a likely tie, and the fight appears to come down to who can execute their game plan in the final frame. As Reed slipped out of range, Penne pulled up with an early takedown. And when Penne missed a takedown, Reed retaliated with a jab that snapped his opponent’s head back and a leg kick that landed with a thud. Penne was beaten red-hot and was in danger of being beaten in a fight. When she was finally able to stand up, there was nothing to give Reid other than some weak knees. Reid quickly broke out of the hold. Reed looked fresher, faster and braver. Her right hand was there to meet the next few Penne takedown attempts.
The pair ended a round of brawling, drawing the limited Apex crowd into the fight and also clinching a decision for Elise Reed. As it turned out, the person had been married just a week earlier.
Official results: Elise Reid def. Jessica Penne unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
