Jessica Penne is 2-0 since returning from a roughly four-year layoff after a submission win over Karolina Kowalkiewicz at UFC 265.
Penne (14-5 MMA, 3-3 UFC) handed Kowalkiewicz (12-7 MMA, 5-7 UFC) her fifth straight loss in strawweight competition with a first-round armbar finish in their prelim bout at Toyota Center in Houston.
The fight spilled to the ground early, and from there Penne went to work. She advanced into position to lock up to the submission, twisting Kowalkiewicz’s arm and forcing the bout to be stopped.
Check out the replay of the finish below (via Twitter):
Flipping the script!
💥 @JessicaPenne gets the armbar in RD 1! #UFC265 pic.twitter.com/Cc6ktjlT2m
— UFC (@ufc) August 8, 2021
An emotional victory for @JessicaPenne ❤️ #UFC265 pic.twitter.com/mLnaPJErCH
— UFC (@ufc) August 8, 2021
Penne was overcome with emotion after the fight. Her layoff from the sport stemmed from a U.S. Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) suspension that was ultimately reduced in a controversial case, and now the 38-year-old has won consecutive fights since coming back.
“I’m so happy to be here,” Penne said in her post-fight interview with Daniel Cormier. “I never thought I would be here again, so I just want to make the best of every opportunity I have.
