Fountain Valley, CA – As a pioneer of women’s mixed martial arts, Jessica Penne made her mark in competition as an Invicta FC Atomweight champion and a veteran of The Ultimate Fighter and nine UFC fights. Now, the Orange County native will return home for the next chapter of her career as the MMA matchmaker for the Southern California’s premier promotion, SOCA Fights.
“I am excited to announce that Jessica Penne has been hired to be the new mixed martial arts matchmaker for all future SOCA Fights shows, and especially our flagship show, Fight Club OC,” said Hall of Fame promoter and CEO of SOCA Fights, Roy Englebrecht.“To have such an experienced and successful fighter, who is born and raised in Southern California, and who knows the MMA landscape as good as anyone, is just a great reward for our shows and our fans.”
“I’m beyond excited to join SOCA Fights as their new matchmaker,” said Penne.“It’s an honor to help build cards that showcase talent, heart, and the future of MMA right here in the OC.”
A professional mixed martial artist for nearly two decades, Penne quickly made a name for herself on the regional fight circuit, and in 2012, she won the inaugural Invicta FC Atomweight title . By 2014, Penne was competing for a UFC strawweight title on The Ultimate Fighter reality series, where she made it to the semifinals. Following the show, Penne, a black belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and a brown belt in judo, became a strawweight contender in the UFC, challenging Joanna Jedrzejczyk for the world title in 2015. During her time in the UFC, and continuing today, Penne became a respected fight commentator and podcaster with her friend and training partner Angela Hill. And with her knowledge of the sport, in and out of competition, the future is bright for SOCA Fights’ new MMA matchmaker.
“Jessica has found success in every endeavor she has gone after, whether it was getting her college degree, winning a InvictaFC championship belt, becoming a fight commentator, analyst and podcaster, or as a real estate agent,” said Englebrecht.“I know that she will find the same success outside the cage as our MMA matchmaker. I can’t wait for her first bouts on the next Fight Club OC show set for August 28.”