Pennington bullies Tate to notch 4th straight victory

Raquel Pennington's formula may not be the prettiest, but it continued to work in her favor on Saturday.

"Rocky" outstruck and outwrestled fellow bantamweight Miesha Tate over three rounds to take a unanimous decision for her fourth straight victory at UFC 205 in New York City's Madison Square Garden.

Pennington had the former champion in trouble in relatively short order, as Tate had to break out a parkour-like maneuver to escape an early guillotine choke attempt midway through the first round.

The "TUF" alum also took the best of the striking exchanges, repeatedly finding Tate's head with her snappy jab. Known for her durability, Pennington showed why she was worthy of the label in the final frame, as Tate - down two rounds - desperately pulled guard in an effort to lock in a submission. The last-ditch attempts were easily shrugged off by "Rocky," who wisely blanketed Tate to close out the bout.

The 30-year-old Tate looked surprisingly lethargic, as Pennington consistently beat her to the punch or the clinch. "Cupcake" had recently lost the title to Amanda Nunes in disheartening fashion at UFC 200, and unexpectedly announced her retirement on Saturday after losing her second straight fight.

Related: Miesha Tate announces retirement after loss at UFC 205

The former champ hangs up her gloves with a career record of 18-7.