Sign up for ESPN+ right here, and you can then stream the UFC live on
your smart TV, computer, phone, tablet or streaming device via the
ESPN app. An unbeaten prospect is stepping up on short notice to
join the ranks of the Ultimate Fighting Championship. Jessica
Penne (12-5) was originally set to face Hannah
Goldy (5-1) at UFC 260 in March, but Goldy fell out of her bout
after testing
positive for COVID-19. The match was pushed to
UFC on ESPN 22 on April 17, but according to
MMA Junkie on Thursday, Goldy will not be competing on this
event either for undisclosed reasons. In her stead will be newcomer
Lupita
Godinez (5-0), who will be making her promotional debut at
strawweight. Godinez confirmed her signing later in the day on her
Instagram.
Undefeated as a pro, Godinez captured the Legacy Fighting Alliance 115-pound crown in a
thriller against Crystal
Vanessa Demopoulos at LFA 94 in 2020. The Mexican fighter out
of Canada fighter made her way to the LFA with victories in
promotions like Sparta Combat League and Combate Americas. “Loopy” has gone the distance
in four of her five career bouts.
Penne is still looking to make her first appearance in the Octagon
since 2017. A four-year ban for synthetic steroids kept her on the
shelf since then, although the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency
reduced that time to 20 months when she was able to prove the
substances were not taken to gain a competitive advantage. With
just one win dating back to 2014, Penne lost a title fight to
Joanna
Jedrzejczyk before losing to Jessica
Andrade and Danielle
Taylor in subsequent years. Unlike her opponent, the former
Invicta Fighting Championships champ maintains
a career finish rate of 75 percent.
UFC on ESPN 22 goes down at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas on April 17,
with a middleweight headliner on tap as Robert
Whittaker finally takes on Kelvin
Gastelum in a bout years in the making. Other highly billed
bouts on the card include a lightweight banger between Jeremy
Stephens and Drakkar
Klose, and a heavyweight rumble between Alexander
Romanov and Juan
Espino. Additionally, a past report from French outlet
L’Equipe stating that Zarah
Fairn dos Santos will be dropping down to bantamweight to face
Josiane
Nunes de Lima has been confirmed by the latter on her social
media.
