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Tecia Pennington
Born Tecia Lyn Torres Moncaio
(1989-08-16) August 16, 1989 (age 35)
Fall River, Massachusetts, U.S.
Other names The Tiny Tornado
Height 5 ft 1 in (1.55 m)
Weight 115 lb (52 kg; 8.2 st)
Division Strawweight
Reach 60+12 in (154 cm)
Style Taekwondo, Muay Thai, Karate, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu
Fighting out of Colorado Springs, U.S.
Team American Top Team
Rank Black belt in Karate
Black belt in Jhoon-Rhee Taekwondo
Blue belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu
Years active 2011–present
Mixed martial arts record
Total 22
Wins 15
By knockout 1
By submission 1
By decision 13
Losses 7
By decision 7
Amateur record
Total 7
Wins 7
By submission 2
By decision 5
Losses 0
Other information
Spouse
Raquel Pennington
(m. 2022)

Tecia Pennington (born Tecia Lyn Torres Moncaio on August 16, 1989) is an American mixed martial artist, also known by her nickname "The Tiny Tornado." She competes in the Strawweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). The strawweight class is for fighters who weigh 115 pounds or less. As of mid-2025, she is ranked among the top fighters in her division.

Early Life and Education

Pennington was born in Fall River, Massachusetts. When she was five, she moved to Coral Springs, Florida, with her mother, older sister, and younger brother. She started training in martial arts when she was only three years old. She began with taekwondo and earned her black belt after 12 years of practice. She also competed in amateur muay thai, a type of kickboxing, winning 16 of her 20 fights.

Pennington is also a dedicated student. In 2010, she graduated from Florida Atlantic University with a Bachelor of Arts degree. She studied both Criminal Justice and Sociology. In 2017, she earned a master's degree in Criminology from the same university.

Her family background is a mix of Puerto Rican, Portuguese, and Irish heritage.

Mixed Martial Arts Career

Starting as a Professional

Pennington began her amateur (unpaid) mixed martial arts (MMA) career in 2011. She was undefeated, winning all seven of her fights and three different amateur championships.

In 2012, she became a professional fighter and joined Invicta Fighting Championships, an organization for female MMA fighters. She won all four of her fights in Invicta FC, defeating skilled opponents like Paige VanZant, Rose Namajunas, and Felice Herrig. All of these wins were by unanimous decision, which means all three judges agreed she won the fight.

Joining the UFC

In 2013, the UFC created a new strawweight division for women and signed Pennington. She was a contestant on the reality TV show The Ultimate Fighter. The show was a tournament to decide the first-ever UFC strawweight champion. Although she did not win the tournament, her performance earned her a spot in the UFC.

Pennington made her official UFC debut on December 12, 2014. She fought Angela Magaña and won by a dominant unanimous decision. She continued her winning streak with victories over Angela Hill and Jocelyn Jones-Lybarger.

Key Fights and Achievements

Over the years, Pennington has faced many of the best fighters in the world. She has had rematches with Rose Namajunas and Bec Rawlings.

One of her most impressive wins was against Juliana Lima in 2017. She won by submission in the second round, which was the first time she had won a professional fight by making her opponent tap out. This victory earned her a Performance of the Night bonus award.

After a series of tough losses between 2018 and 2019, Pennington came back strong. She won three fights in a row, including a rematch against Angela Hill in 2021. In 2024 and 2025, she had important victories against former champion Carla Esparza and Luana Pinheiro.

Fighting Style

Pennington is known for her fast and energetic fighting style, which is why she is called "The Tiny Tornado." She uses constant movement and combines skills from taekwondo and karate. She is famous for her powerful kicks. While she usually wins fights by out-striking her opponents, she also has strong defense against submission holds.

Personal Life

Pennington is married to Raquel Pennington, who is also a famous UFC fighter. They welcomed a baby daughter in June 2023. Pennington has spoken about the importance of taking care of one's mental health. She leads a very healthy lifestyle and encourages others to do the same.

Championships and Accomplishments

Mixed martial arts

  • Ultimate Fighting Championship
    • Performance of the Night (One time) vs. Juliana Lima
    • Second most wins in the UFC Women's Strawweight division history (11) (behind Angela Hill)
    • Tied (Karolina Kowalkiewicz & Randa Markos) for second most bouts in UFC Women's Strawweight division history (18)
  • MMA Solutions Global
    • MMA Solutions amateur strawweight title (one time)
  • US Freedom Fighter Championship
    • USFFC amateur strawweight title (one time)
  • American Battle Championships
    • ABC amateur strawweight title (one time)
  • Women's MMA Awards
    • 2013 Strawweight of the Year
  • AwakeningFighters.com WMMA Awards
    • 2013 Strawweight of the Year
    • 2013 Newcomer of the Year
  • Bleacher Report

Mixed martial arts record

Professional record breakdown
22 matches 15 wins 7 losses
By knockout 1 0
By submission 1 0
By decision 13 7
Res. Record Opponent Method Event Date Round Time Location Notes
Win 15–7 Luana Pinheiro Decision (unanimous) UFC Fight Night: Burns vs. Morales May 17, 2025 3 5:00 Las Vegas, Nevada, United States
Win 14–7 Carla Esparza Decision (unanimous) UFC 307 October 5, 2024 3 5:00 Salt Lake City, Utah, United States
Loss 13–7 Tabatha Ricci Decision (split) UFC on ESPN: Lewis vs. Nascimento May 11, 2024 3 5:00 St. Louis, Missouri, United States
Loss 13–6 Mackenzie Dern Decision (split) UFC 273 April 9, 2022 3 5:00 Jacksonville, Florida, United States
Win 13–5 Angela Hill Decision (unanimous) UFC 265 August 7, 2021 3 5:00 Houston, Texas, United States
Win 12–5 Sam Hughes TKO (doctor stoppage) UFC 256 December 12, 2020 1 5:00 Las Vegas, Nevada, United States
Win 11–5 Brianna Van Buren Decision (unanimous) UFC on ESPN: Blaydes vs. Volkov June 20, 2020 3 5:00 Las Vegas, Nevada, United States
Loss 10–5 Marina Rodriguez Decision (unanimous) UFC Fight Night: Shevchenko vs. Carmouche 2 August 10, 2019 3 5:00 Montevideo, Uruguay
Loss 10–4 Zhang Weili Decision (unanimous) UFC 235 March 2, 2019 3 5:00 Las Vegas, Nevada, United States
Loss 10–3 Joanna Jędrzejczyk Decision (unanimous) UFC on Fox: Alvarez vs. Poirier 2 July 28, 2018 3 5:00 Calgary, Alberta, Canada
Loss 10–2 Jéssica Andrade Decision (unanimous) UFC on Fox: Emmett vs. Stephens February 24, 2018 3 5:00 Orlando, Florida, United States
Win 10–1 Michelle Waterson Decision (unanimous) UFC 218 December 2, 2017 3 5:00 Detroit, Michigan, United States
Win 9–1 Juliana Lima Submission (rear-naked choke) The Ultimate Fighter: Redemption Finale July 7, 2017 2 0:53 Las Vegas, Nevada, United States Performance of the Night.
Win 8–1 Bec Rawlings Decision (unanimous) UFC Fight Night: Bermudez vs. The Korean Zombie February 4, 2017 3 5:00 Houston, Texas, United States Catchweight (117.5 lb) bout; Rawlings missed weight.
Loss 7–1 Rose Namajunas Decision (unanimous) UFC on Fox: Teixeira vs. Evans April 16, 2016 3 5:00 Tampa, Florida, United States
Win 7–0 Jocelyn Jones-Lybarger Decision (unanimous) UFC 194 December 12, 2015 3 5:00 Las Vegas, Nevada, United States
Win 6–0 Angela Hill Decision (unanimous) UFC 188 June 13, 2015 3 5:00 Mexico City, Mexico
Win 5–0 Angela Magaña Decision (unanimous) The Ultimate Fighter: A Champion Will Be Crowned Finale December 12, 2014 3 5:00 Las Vegas, Nevada, United States
Win 4–0 Felice Herrig Decision (unanimous) Invicta FC 7 December 7, 2013 3 5:00 Kansas City, Missouri, United States
Win 3–0 Rose Namajunas Decision (unanimous) Invicta FC 6 July 13, 2013 3 5:00 Kansas City, Missouri, United States
Win 2–0 Paige VanZant Decision (unanimous) Invicta FC 4 January 5, 2013 3 5:00 Kansas City, Kansas, United States
Win 1–0 Kaiyana Rain Decision (unanimous) Invicta FC 3 October 6, 2012 3 5:00 Kansas City, Kansas, United States Strawweight debut.

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Tecia Pennington para niños

  • List of current UFC fighters
  • List of female mixed martial artists
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