LOS ANGELES — Jessica Penne thought she had an understanding with her boss.
The 31-year old mixed martial artist from Huntington Beach, Calif., held down a day job as a boxing instructor at a gym in nearby Long Beach. But the former Invicta FC atomweight champion also had a potential big break awaiting, as she was offered a slot on the 20th season of The Ultimate Fighter, the UFC's signature reality show.
All she needed was six weeks off to make it happen. She thought her employer would be cooperative.
"I gave them my notice that I was going to be gone," Penne said at a recent TUF 20 media day in downtown LA. "I called them and I gave them my leave date and my comeback date, and I thought that was it."
Then she came home after the show wrapped, and found out otherwise.
"I was fired while I was on the show," she said. "They said, 'Oh, we filled your position, so don't worry about it.'"
Penne didn't want to name the gym so as not to give them any extra publicity. But she also realizes the closing of one door could open others, offering far bigger opportunities than one gym owner could ever provide.
"I realize that everything happens for a reason," Penne said. "Things come in and out of your life for a reason. Usually there are better things on the horizon. So I really don't let it bother me. It was kind of funny."
Penne (11-2) has proven to be a trailblazer in her MMA career. In 2009, she won the first women's fight in Bellator history, scoring a first-round TKO of Tammie Schneider at Bellator 5. Then, pioneering all-women's fight promotion Invicta FC came along, and Penne became the world's first 105-pound champion, submitting Naho Sugiyama to claim the gold at Invicta 3.
So when the opportunity came along to sign up for not only the first all-women's season of The Ultimate Fighter, but also the first season which will crown a champion at the end, the decision was a no-brainer for Penne — even though she was jumping up a weight class.
"I had a little bit of hesitation," Penne admitted. "But being on The Ultimate Fighter was just too good of an opportunity to pass up. It's a once in a lifetime experience. It was a 'get in while you can' kind of thing. I had to do it."
The 10-pound difference between atomweight and strawweight might not seem that big a disparity at first glance. But at that size, it represents nearly a 10 percent change in body size. Only the jump from light heavyweight (205 lbs.) to heavyweight (225) represents a similar percentage change in body mass among MMA's standard weight classes.
"It was difficult," Penne said. "I definitely had to put muscle on just to be able to fight…105 to 115 doesn't sound that far from each other, but it's different. Some of these girls are walking at 135, 140, it's a big strength and size advantage. Even though I'm taller, and have a taller frame for someone my size, it's a little bit of an adjustment."
That wasn't the only adjustment Penne found herself facing as she dove headfirst into the competition. Penne is known around the business as a smart and thoughtful person, but one who puts up a bit of a wall around newcomers until she gets to know them better.
Penne describes herself as an introvert, so entering the infamous Las Vegas TUF house, cut off from the outside world while living with a group of often-rambunctious characters, was several steps out of her comfort zone.
"I'm a little introverted at first until I get to know people," Penne said. "It was definitely difficult for me for awhile. But as you go along, every day is just a grind and you just kind of have to stay focused on your goals and why you're there, and that makes it a little bit easier. It's definitely difficult. I love that I did it, I'm grateful for the experience but I definitely never want to do it again."
Still, Penne appreciates just how far the sport has come in a short period of time. We're not all that far removed from the time in which women were forced to fight three-minute rounds instead of five. Or from the time when the UFC didn't have women's fights. Or from when detractors expected UFC women's bantamweight champion Ronda Rousey to crash and burn on the big stage.
Penne sees this season of TUF, which premieres Wednesday on FOX Sports 1, is proof that the mainstream is ready for what they have to offer.
"I think the mainstream fans, not just the hardcore fans, are finally ready to acknowledge and appreciate us for the athletes we are and for all the hard work we've put in," Penne said. "I feel all the women in the house are established and have a great fan base and support system already with people who watch us, so I think that even though it is a huge step up and different than what we're used to, I think we're ready for it. I think we're working hard and working towards that kind of goal."
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