MMA News

Tag: Julianna Peña

  • Casey O’Neill Pulled A Julianna Peña To Dana White Before UFC 271

    UFC women’s flyweight Casey O’Neill took a page out of bantamweight champion Julianna Peña’s book while speaking to Dana White prior to UFC 271.

    At UFC 271, O’Neill took another step towards title contention. She did so by sending veteran Roxanne Modafferi into retirement off the back of a loss.

    While she failed to maintain her 100% finishing record in the UFC, “King Casey” did extend her perfect professional résumé to 9-0 with victory on the scorecards. In doing so, she moved up three places to #12 on the 125-pound ladder.

    She also appeared to establish herself as the promotion’s newest villain with her Octagon interview and post-fight press conference remarks. if she’s believed, we can expect O’Neill to become “the best bad guy” we’ve ever seen in the coming months and years.

    https://www.instagram.com/p/CZ-HNZ5vmlt/

    O’Neill Vowed To Capture Gold

    With another jump closer to dominant flyweight ruler Valentina Shevchenko, O’Neill is beginning to attract attention as a possible title contender. But while she’s targeting a steady rise through every ranked 125lber first, the Scottish-Australian has gold in her sights, something she let Dana White know prior to her win against “The Happy Warrior.”

    Discussing O’Neill’s performance during his appearance at the UFC 271 post-fight press conference, White revealed what the 24-year-old told him at the event’s ceremonial weigh-ins. She seemingly took the opportunity to make an ambitious promise to the UFC President.

    “The thing about Roxanne is she’s very unassuming. But she’s a very tough, durable, awkward fighter to fight, and Casey beat her tonight,” said White. “She walked up to me on stage during the weigh-ins and said, ‘I’m going to be your next world champion.’ So I like her attitude, I like the way she fights, she’s aggressive, she’s tough, we’ll see what she does.”

    O’Neill’s promise is reminiscent of the one given to the UFC President by reigning bantamweight queen Peña. After “The Venezuelan Vixen” upset the odds at UFC 269 by dethroning then-two-division champion Amanda Nunes, White revealed the newly-crowned titleholder had forecasted her own success to him before she’d joined the promotion.

    The question is, can O’Neill make good on her promise like Peña did?

    https://www.instagram.com/p/CXmaaWsOw5r/?utm_source=ig_embed

    Do you think Casey O’Neill can replicate Julianna Peña’s bantamweight success at flyweight?

  • Mackenzie Dern: You Don’t Have To Give Birth To Be A Mom Champ

    UFC women’s strawweight contender Mackenzie Dern has given her take on bantamweight champion Julianna Peña’s past comments on motherhood.

    At UFC 269, Amanda Nunes put her 135-pound gold on the line against “The Venezuelan Vixen.” In and around fight week was the presence of two little ones. While the Brazilian became a mom after her wife Nina Nunes gave birth to daughter Raegan in 2020, Peña brought her daughter into the world two years prior in 2018.

    After shocking the world with her performance at the final pay-per-view of 2021, the newly-crowned bantamweight queen shocked a few more with some of her post-fight remarks. She claimed that, owing to the fact she gave birth to her child, she deserves the title of “first mom champ,” rather than the defeated Nunes.

    In a recent exclusive interview with MMA News, Dern, who became a mother herself in 2019, provided her thoughts on her UFC peer’s controversial comments.

    https://www.instagram.com/p/CanHbtspFnB/

    Dern: I Disagree With Peña, But Understand Her Take

    After making the statement, Peña drew widespread criticism, with Nunes even suggesting her rival has to be more aware when addressing the sensitive topic of motherhood and the alternate methods to pregnancy.

    Like many, Dern, the current #5-ranked 115-pound contender, disagrees with the idea a fighter can only become a ‘mom champ’ if she’s given birth.

    Nevertheless, the Brazilian jiu-jitsu specialist told MMA News she understands where Peña is coming from, and identified some of the benefits that could come for those who didn’t go through pregnancy and delivery.

    “I think each family is different,” said Dern. “I don’t think that actually giving birth is what makes the mom champ, you know what I mean? Because, I mean, the guys, they have tons of guys, men, that dedicate a lot of time with their kids and all things like that. But also, too, they have the guys that have the moms, the wives, that’s been kinda help(ing) with their career, their training, and the guys can just focus on training, and they have the wife that helps them out and can just take care of the kids for them, and be that support team for them.

    “I don’t know. I don’t really agree with the whole, ‘Oh, because they’re giving birth, they’re the mom champ.’ But, I mean, I understand what she’s trying to say,” concluded Dern.

    It is worth noting that Peña later clarified her remarks and has since stated that Amanda Nunes is indeed a true mom champ.

    As well as discussing Peña’s comments on motherhood, Dern also touched on topics like her recent knee injury, her upcoming return to action at UFC 273 against Tecia Torres, and the impending return of former champion Joanna Jędrzejczyk during her interview with MMA News.

    Since returning from her maternity break, Dern has shot back into contention. After suffering her first setback in professional MMA at the hands of Amanda Ribas, the 28-year-old won four straight bouts, three of which ended via first-round submission.

    Having dropped her last contest to Marina Rodriguez, Dern will be hoping to return to the win column and the title conversation when she enters the Octagon for the first time in 2022. In her way of doing so will be Tecia Torres, who has had an impressive resurgence in recent times.

    Given that she’s on the right side of 30, Dern will be hoping to join the club of mom champs in the coming years, a pursuit that will first have to get through a certain “Tiny Tornado.”

    Do you agree with Mackenzie Dern?

  • Archives: Cowboy Enjoys ‘Topless Festivities’ at Daytona 500 (2017)

    The following article was published on this day five years ago. It is presented to you in its original, unaltered form, courtesy of The MMA News Archives.

    On This Day Five Years Ago…

    [ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED FEBRUARY 27, 2017, 11:56 AM]

    “Cowboy” is currently enjoying a break from the octagon following his second round, TKO loss to Jorge Masvidal at UFC on Fox: Shevchenko vs. Peña in January.

    Cerrone was enjoying a four-fight win streak at welterweight, which included three “Performance of the Night” awards prior to Masvidal derailing his success following his jump from lightweight.

    “Cowboy” is just as renowned for his activity inside the cage as he is for his fighting skills. For example, the fan-favorite fought and beat Benson Henderson on the Conor McGregor v Denis Siver card just 15 days following his defeat over Miles Jury at UFC 182, and fans are keen to see the former WEC title challenger take a break to readjust himself prior to a return to the octagon.

    Those calls appear to have been heeded by “Cowboy”, as he recently spoke with TMZ Sports to discuss his downtime at Daytona 500. Cerrone discusses why the UFC is scarier than NASCAR and gives his insight into “topless festivities” and “crazy redneck chicks lying around naked”.

    There is winding down, and then there is winding down “Cowboy” style…

    You can watch the full clip above.

  • Amanda Nunes Reveals What Moment Changed The Fight At UFC 269

    Former UFC women’s bantamweight champion Amanda Nunes has revealed what moment allowed Julianna Peña to take over in the UFC 269 co-main event.

    2022 is representing a fresh challenge for Nunes. For the first time since 2015, she’s entered the new year off the back of a defeat. While she was coming off a loss to then-fellow contender Cat Zingano seven years ago, this time around she’s looking to rebound after having one of two belts she held last year snatched from her grasp.

    After extending her two-division rule with a dominant first-round submission over Megan Anderson last March, Nunes was tasked with returning to 135 pounds to defend her bantamweight strap for the first time since 2019. In her way of completing another year with champ-champ status and extending her win streak to 13 was Peña.

    While most expected “The Venzuelan Vixen” to represent a small hurdle for the “Lioness,” she turned out to be a 10-foot wall that stood firm in the face of the consensus female GOAT.

    After surviving the opening round, Peña turned the intensity up in the second. When she appeared to tire and hurt Nunes on the feet, the UFC’s first female TUF winner dragged the Brazilian to the ground and submitted her.

    https://www.instagram.com/p/CXXt7GrMyUi/

    Nunes: Peña Was The First Opponent To Catch Me On The Feet

    Two months removed since the memorable upset, which many have branded the most shocking in UFC history, Nunes has provided some context behind her performance.

    While many branded her loss as a display of quit, the reigning featherweight queen has suggested she was carrying a number of injuries into the contest that were serious enough for a doctor to recommend her withdrawal. With those issues contributing to what she described as a “mess” of a camp, Nunes believes she simply wasn’t prepared enough.

    But despite citing those struggles as reasons behind her setback, Nunes also gave credit to the newly crowned bantamweight titleholder. During a media scrum earlier this month, the 33-year-old pinpointed one punch early in round two as the turning point in the contest.

    “I got caught in the beginning of the second round. I don’t know if it was a jump-in, overhand, I don’t know what the move was. But for me, it looked like a jump overhand. It got me right here [points to behind left ear],” said Nunes. “It’s like, that was the end. I was not able to recover after that. I told Nina (Nunes) like, I felt dizzy, because I never got caught before. If you’re asking me how getting caught feels, I never would’ve answered because I never got caught before. So when I got caught, I lost everything; I lost my balance, my visual was a little bit blurry, too, and from that moment, everything went downhill.

    “When I got on the floor, I was already done,” Nunes continued. “From watching the fight, and how everything was played in my head after I got caught, yeah. Everybody say I was tired and everything, okay, (they) look at me and say, ‘Your timing was off;” yeah, I didn’t train well for the fight. Of course, you think I showed up 100%? But I did get caught. She really connected a good one and I wasn’t able to recover.”

    Having apparently become the first woman to really catch Nunes and badly wobble her in the striking realm, Peña will look to repeat the feat when she puts her gold on the line in a rematch against the Brazilian later this year.

    Before that, though, the pair are set to exchange words and interact on the upcoming season of The Ultimate Fighter, where the two rivals will serve as coaches.

    https://www.instagram.com/p/CZkxe7fPyiM/

    Who do you think will win the rematch, Amanda Nunes or Julianna Peña?

  • Julianna Peña Disputes Amanda Nunes’ “I’m Better” Claim: “Where At?”

    UFC Women’s Bantamweight Champion Julianna Peña has questioned which areas Amanda Nunes believes she has the edge over her in.

    At UFC 269, the final pay-per-view event of 2021, Nunes’ seemingly unstoppable two-division rule was brought to a crashing halt. Having remained unbeaten since 2014, had her hand raised in 12 consecutive Octagon outings, and won gold at both 135 and 145 pounds, the “Lioness” was expected by most to breeze past her final challenge of last year.

    Embracing the underdog role, Peña exuded immense confidence throughout fight week. Those who branded it as delusion were left with egg on their faces come fight night when “The Venezuelan Vixen” shocked the world with a second-round submission.

    While she handled the loss graciously inside Las Vegas’ T-Mobile Arena, Nunes recently provided some context behind her loss, suggesting she’d entered the fight with injuries and off the back of a rough camp.

    With that in mind, the reigning featherweight titleholder has vowed to prove she’s better than Peña when they meet for the second time later this year.

    “Honestly, of course, the belt is something that all of us chase,” Nunes said in an interview with ESPN. “At this point in my life, I just want to show up 100 percent how I want to be. So with the belt, without the belt, I just want to really, really prove I’m better than her.” (h/t MMA Junkie)

    It’s safe to say “The Venezuelan Vixen” disagrees with that assessment.

    Peña: Nunes Got To See All My Strengths At UFC 269

    During her own interview with ESPN, Peña responded to her rival’s claims. The newly-crowned champ said Nunes felt all aspects of her well-rounded game at UFC 269, and with that in mind, questioned where the Brazilian could possibly expect to have an edge.

    “I think she got to see it all. We sparred on the feet, we grappled, you know, she was in dangerous positions when we were grappling,” said Peña. “She says that she wants to prove that she’s absolutely 100% better than me, but I’m like, ‘Where?’ We can grapple right here, right now if you want and I’ll show you that.

    “You wanna box? We can do that, too. I’ll show you that, too. So this, ‘I can’t wait to show how much better that I am than her,’ where at? Where do you think that? I don’t think that, I don’t agree with that,” added Peña. “The beauty of fighting is we’re gonna go find out and we’re gonna get to do it all over again.”

    Like Peña says, we’ll soon find out who is right. After a stint coaching this year’s edition of The Ultimate Fighter, the pair are set to run it back.

    While “The Venezuelan Vixen” will be hoping to record her first successful defense and firmly establish her superiority over the consensus female MMA GOAT, the “Lioness” will be out for redemption.

    Do you agree with Julianna Peña? Is she better than Amanda Nunes in all areas?

  • Amanda Nunes: Losing The Belt Has Brought My Fire Back

    Former UFC women’s bantamweight champion and reigning featherweight titleholder Amanda Nunes says losing the 135-pound belt to Julianna Peña has brought her “fire” back.

    At UFC 269 in December, Nunes saw her 12-fight win streak and three-year two-division rule collapse at the hands of an unlikely character. Like many before her, Peña’s chances of dethroning the “Lioness’ were dismissed and her confidence branded delusional.

    But writing the story completely different to most fans and pundits expected, “The Venezuelan Vixen” created a chapter of UFC history that will long be remembered. In the second round of their co-main event clash, Peña rocked Nunes on the feet before dragging her down and submitting her.

    For the T-Mobile Arena crowd and the millions watching at home, the sound of “And New” was about as surprising a moment as any since the promotion’s inception.

    Nunes “Can’t Wait” To Start Over

    While Nunes would be forgiven for being distraught and disheartened after suffering her first setback since 2014, the Brazilian has remained as positive as ever.

    After a gracious post-fight interview, she promised to come back strong. If the featherweight champ’s recent comments are to be believed, her return this year will signify the arrival of a Nunes who is hungrier than ever.

    During a recent media scrum, the consensus female MMA GOAT suggested losing the bantamweight gold and now having something to “chase” has brought her fire back.

    “Honestly, after I lose that belt, the fire is like, built up again,” said Nunes. “I’m telling you, damn, I can’t wait to start over. I have something to chase. It’s not like, ‘Oh my god, I lost my belt,’ and staying home crying. That’s never gonna happen with me. Actually, UFC changed my life. How I’m living, whatever happens right now is like, amazing. UFC changed, literally, my life. I don’t have time to be sad.”

    https://www.instagram.com/p/CZsPA1hPwsh/

    With her fire back and her physical condition hopefully at 100%, Nunes will get her chance for redemption later this year. After coaching this year’s edition of The Ultimate Fighter, Peña and Nunes will run it back, with the status of bantamweight queen on the line.

    Do you think Amanda Nunes will reclaim the bantamweight gold from Julianna Peña in their rematch?

  • Julianna Peña Considers Trying Stand-Up Comedy, May Fight Hecklers

    While she certainly has undeniable talent inside the Octagon, UFC Women’s Bantamweight Champion Julianna Peña hopes to one day try her hand in the art of stand-up comedy.

    The past few months have seen Peña rise from an unlikely contender to one of the most prominent names in MMA. While her title-winning performance against Amanda Nunes at UFC 269 certainly played a key part in that, the champ’s charisma and confidence with a microphone in her hand have played an enhancing role.

    Before the final pay-per-view of 2021, Peña’s confidence and self-belief were branded as delusional by many, including then-two-division titleholder Nunes. But with a second-round submission, “The Venezuelan Vixen” silenced her critics and shot into the mainstream.

    https://www.instagram.com/p/CYHysQivvs7/

    Peña’s Aspirations Always Went Beyond Fighting

    While the result was surprising for many and was even branded the sport’s biggest shock by some, there was nothing untoward about it for Peña. For her whole life, she’s aspired to be great and to achieve her goals.

    While combat sports success has always been a target, the Washington native’s UFC triumph is just one of many ambitions she’s harbored throughout her life. The others? A dabble into rap music and a successful stand-up comedy show.

    During her appearance on the Joe Rogan Experience, Peña revealed she’d recently been approached about an opportunity to perform a comedy set. While that might seem like a left-field offer to some, the bantamweight queen said that becoming a comedian was one of three potential career paths she’d identified during her early years.

    “(Comedian Adam Hunter) just texted me the other day and asked me if I would be willing to do a five- or seven-minute set,” said Peña. “So when I was growing up, the three things I wanted to be: rapper, boxer, and comedian. Like, I remember growing up and being like, ‘I wanna be either of these three things.’ And so I love comedy. I’m a massive comedy fan… I told him I think I will.”

    In comedy, one thing is needed: tough skin. With heckling rife in the occupation, comedians have to be able to handle potential abuse and be able to dish it back.

    That is certainly one thing that wouldn’t phase Peña, although given how she tried to handle an abusive co-worker during her restaurant days, perhaps she’d attempt to deal with it too well…

    “And I think about that. I don’t think I could handle that, right? Get some heckler in the crowd I’d be like, ‘Let’s step outside, guy. You got something to say to me?’” 

    It was perhaps apt that she also discussed the need to avoid stepping over lines and causing offense, something Rogan has come to know a lot about since Peña’s appearance on his podcast.

    “And that’s the thing, too, like what’s offensive and what’s funny? Like, I think masks are hilarious. But you start talking about masks and people wearing masks, and then people are going to get offended because all these people have died and yadda, yadda, yadda,” said Peña.

    Given her remarks on motherhood and COVID-19, it’s safe to say Peña doesn’t have a knack for avoiding controversy…

    https://www.instagram.com/p/CZNhazYOmTE/

    So, as well as an upcoming coaching stint on this year’s edition of The Ultimate Fighter and her first title defense against Nunes, perhaps we can expect a rap album and a comedy tour from “The Venezuelan Vixen” in the near future.

    Would you go to a Julianna Peña stand-up comedy show?

  • Peña Understands How ATT Drama Could Lead to Nunes’ Exit

    Julianna Peña can see where Amanda Nunes is coming from leaving ATT.

    Julianna Peña has a rematch set with Amanda Nunes. Leading up to the next fight these two will be spending a lot of time together. They will be coaching the upcoming season of The Ultimate Fighter, and that calls for six weeks of close encounters between them. There was some bad blood leading up to the first fight, and now coming into the second, Peña is siding with Nunes on one issue.

    Recently, Nunes decided to take some time away from her longtime gym, ATT. She cited wanting to branch out on her own and do her own thing as her reason. ATT has been in the news for another reason as well. Former ATT athlete Colby Covington will be fighting current ATT fighter and former training partner Jorge Masvidal at UFC 272.

    ATT owner Dan Lambert has recently stated that the fallout between Covington and Masvidal was so toxic that at one point both fighters had to be removed from the gym. This, along with other recent incidents, makes it easy for Peña to understand why Nunes would want out.

    “I absolutely do believe that. It’s probably because she’s felt this way for a long time. She’s at a one-stop-shop at American Top Team; a McDonald’s, cookie-cutter type gym, where they’re just throwing these guys in and out, and in and out, and everyone trains with everyone,” Peña said during a recent media scrum.

    “You’ve got Jorge Masvidal used to be friends with Colby Covington, used to be friends with Dustin Poirier, now they all hate each other, but they still gotta train in the same gym. It’s awkward. It’s, ‘Do I trust these people? Do they have my best interests? Are they telling people about me? Are they watching what I’m doing like a hawk and then this information’s gonna get leaked out?’”

    Peña Believes Kayla Harrison May Have Played Role In Exit

    Amanda Nunes, Kayla Harrison

    Nunes is maintaining that she is still holding a good relationship with the team. But Peña looking in from the outside can see many flags, including another former teammate who has expressed interest in fighting Nunes: Kayla Harrison.

    “It’s a whole lot of paranoia. It’s a lot of people making sure they have your best interests. So, I feel – I don’t know exactly what happened—but I feel like that’s definitely some part of why she feels like she needs to leave,” Peña said. “Especially with them saying, ‘Oh, Kayla Harrison’s the team captain, how do you feel about that?’ … ‘But now Kayla Harrison is my training partner, but now Kayla Harrison wants to fight me for a mega-million-dollar fight.’ It’s like, who is really your friend here? You can’t trust anyone in that gym. I anticipate if she said this was a long time coming, I believe that I really do.”

    In the lead-up to the first bout with Peña, Nunes said she had a bad training camp. She said she suffered injuries in the weeks before the fight. Now with a new training gym and time to heal, she is expecting a different outcome.

    Do you think Nunes’ departure from ATT will helo her in the rematch with Peña?

  • Peña On Nunes’ UFC 269 Injury Claim: No One Had A Gun To Your Head

    UFC Women’s Bantamweight Champion Julianna Peña has reacted to Amanda Nunes’ claim that she was injured and shouldn’t have fought at UFC 269.

    At the final pay-per-view of 2021, Peña proved herself right and a whole lot of people across the MMA community wrong. Not only did she surprise fans and pundits with her pre-fight confidence, which came despite what many perceived to be an insurmountable task, but she provided one of the most shocking moments in the promotion’s history on fight night.

    In the second round of the co-main event, “The Venezuelan Vixen” forced Nunes, the then-double champ who was unbeaten since 2014, to tap. According to the newly-crowned 135-pound queen, the “Lioness” was exposed on December 11.

    https://www.instagram.com/p/CXmaaWsOw5r/

    Now three months gone from the memorable result, the former bantamweight titleholder has attempted to provide some context behind her disappointing, lackluster, and defeated performance at UFC 269.

    According to the Brazilian, her pre-fight camp was a “mess,” not only due to the initial summer delay after she contracted COVID-19 but because of injuries she carried during preparation and into the event itself.

    Peña: If You’re Injured, Don’t Fight

    During a recent interview with ESPN MMA’s Brett Okamoto, Peña responded to Nunes’ claims and take on her first setback in 13 outings.

    Having experienced two serious knee injuries herself across her career, the champ admitted she has sympathy for her rival and understands what she’s been going through.

    But while she sees it as a “legitimate excuse,” Peña reminded Nunes that nobody was forcing her to compete. “The Venezuelan Vixen” said that if the consensus female GOAT’s injury was bad enough to have a doctor encourage her to withdraw, she simply should have delayed the fight.

    “It’s a tough situation for me to hear that because I’ve torn both my knees out. I have come back from two devastating knee injuries,” said Peña. “So, in one regard, I hear you, girl. I feel ya. I 100% know exactly what you are feeling like, you know. I have had that time off to reconstruct my knees, and to build them back, and to still be competing at the highest level that there is.

    “So, my knees are not an excuse to say I shouldn’t have shown up to the fight. If your knees are bad, don’t fight,” added Peña. “Nobody’s forcing a gun up to your head. Nobody’s making you do this. So, if you want to say that it was because you were injured, don’t take the fight, that’s fine. I’m sure we can find somebody else more than willing to step into that spot instead. I agree, fighters don’t like excuses, but then I also agree that that is a legitimate excuse. But then I also say, then fix it and let’s figure out how we can keep this party rolling,” Peña concluded.

    https://www.instagram.com/p/CZuoTe9vIpY/

    From the latest injury claim and discussion about the UFC 269 contest to controversial motherhood statements, the back and forth between Nunes and Peña has certainly not slowed since their December clash.

    Now, with the pair set to coach this year’s edition of The Ultimate Fighter ahead of their rematch, it stands to reason we’re set for many more exchanges in the coming months.

    Do you think Julianna Peña will upset the odds again when she shares the Octagon with Amanda Nunes for the second time later this year?

  • Tate Says Peña’s Doubters Are “Crazy” To Think Nunes Win Was A Fluke

    Meisha Tate is putting all her confidence in Julianna Peña ahead of the new bantamweight champion’s rematch against Amanda Nunes.

    It is no secret that Miesha Tate is a fan of the newly crowned champion Julianna Peña. The two are good friends and former training partners. Tate was also Peña’s coach on their season of The Ultimate Fighter, and since then, she knew that Peña had what it takes to become a UFC champion.

    Now that Peña has defeated longtime champ Amanda Nunes, some people are caulking it up to luck or an off day on Nunes’ part. To these doubters, Tate has a message.

    “Oh, they’re crazy,” Tate said.

    Tate knows firsthand what it takes to become a UFC champion. And although her championship run was cut short by Nunes herself, Tate is positive that Peña could beat her again.

    Julianna Pena vs. Amanda Nunes

    “Yes, absolutely. She just has a no-quit, no-give-up mentality. And now that the seed of doubt has been planted in Amanda’s mind, that’s probably where I see the biggest change going, and that’s not gonna favor Amanda,” Tate told Ariel Helwani of The MMA Hour.

    The rematch between Julianna Peña and Amanda Nunes is targeted for later this year after the two women have wrapped up the upcoming season as coaches on The Ultimate Fighter.

    As for what 2022 holds for “Cupcake,” Tate has announced that since Peña, her good friend is the reigning champ at 135 pounds, she will be dropping to flyweight. Tate will be making her flyweight debut against Lauren Murphy in April.

    Do you think Amanda Nunes would beat Julianna Peña in a rematch?

  • Amanda Nunes: I Was Lying To Myself Pre-UFC 269

    UFC Women’s Featherweight Champion Amanda Nunes says she was “lying” to herself by believing she could compete at UFC 269.

    After extending her win streak to 12, her two-division rule, and her seven-year unbeaten run at UFC 259 last March with a dominant submission win against Megan Anderson, Nunes returned to bantamweight to defend her 135-pound gold against Julianna Peña.

    While many saw the challenger as a gift-wrapped delivery for the Brazilian’s first outing in the weight class since 2019, Peña switched the ‘And Still’ bunting to ‘And New’ in December.

    After their initially scheduled UFC 265 clash was pushed back after the then-champ returned a positive COVID-19 test, the pair finally collided at the last pay-per-view of the year.

    Providing one of the most memorable moments of the year, and across the promotion’s entire history, “The Venezuelan Vixen” submitted Nunes in the second round to be crowned the new queen of the bantamweights.

    During a recent media scrum, Nunes, who still owns the featherweight gold, looked back on her crushing defeat inside Las Vegas’ T-Mobile Arena.

    Having branded her camp as a “mess” due to the negative effect the UFC 265 cancelation had on her training, as well as numerous injuries she claims to have carried into the event, Nunes suggested the smart thing to do would have been to delay the matchup for the second time.

    According to the Brazilian, she was lying to herself by attempting to fight through her issues and by believing she could compete at 100% of her abilities at UFC 269.

    “I thought it wouldn’t look good if I let that fight fall through one more time. So I put what I was (dealing with) aside, but I didn’t have a very good camp, that was the honest thing,” said Nunes. “I tried putting into my head that I was ready, I was 100%, but I was lying to myself. That is exactly what I was (doing). But as a fighter, as a warrior, I wanna fight. I want to do that. I’m gonna fight whatever, even if I have an injury. But at this level, you cannot do those stupid moves. So, I paid for it.

    “I was supposed to let the fight fall through, get 100% again, and fight Julianna,” Nunes continued. “And I know Julianna is a very tough opponent. I know that (defeat) could have a chance at happening cause my timing was very off. I wasn’t even able to do sparring in my camp.”

    Nunes Reveals Doctor Advised Her Not To Fight At UFC 269

    To put into context how serious her troubles and physical issues were prior to UFC 269, Nunes revealed her doctor had advised her to pull out of the UFC’s year-ending PPV.

    The “Lioness” described her decision to ignore that advice as a “dumb” move, and one she certainly paid for at the hands of Peña.

    “Unfortunately, sometimes we do dumb things, and especially at the level I’m at, we’re not supposed to do those things,” said Nunes. “Sometimes I say, ‘Man, I really should’ve listened to my doctor.’ He told me, ‘Let me handle it with the UFC, I’ll tell them exactly what you’re going through right now, and you have to have time to rest and recover. If you don’t you’re not gonna perform as well.’ I was like, fighting with my doctor. I said, ‘You’re not gonna do that, you don’t have my permission to do that. I’m gonna fight.’

    “So, I went back to his offices (after UFC 269) and he looked at me like, ‘I told you,’” added Nunes. “So now, after watching the fight as well, I had a hard time for a little bit watching the fight because I was like, ‘Man, I don’t know what happened.’ Like, I kept lying to myself after the fight.”

    After losing the bantamweight title in 2021, Nunes will be hoping to reclaim her spot on the throne this year when she meets Peña for the second time. The pair are set to run it back following a stint coaching this year’s edition of The Ultimate Fighter.

    Are you excited for the new season of TUF and Julianna Peña vs. Amanda Nunes 2?

  • Julianna Peña Open To Exploring Potential WWE Run In The Future

    The UFC‘s new women’s bantamweight champion, Julianna Peña, is open to a future with the WWE.

    “The Venezuelan Vixen” told the NY Post she would give professional wrestling a shot if the opportunity ever presented itself.

    “Right now my focus is on fighting. Later on, if that opportunity presents itself, I don’t see why I couldn’t explore that avenue. Definitely, my focus is on fighting for the UFC,” said Peña.

    Recently winning the championship and already having the rematch targeted for later this year, Peña certainly has a lot to focus on in her UFC career. Her next opponent, Amanda Nunes, will have her chance to reclaim the Bantamweight throne.

    Both women were recently announced as the coaches for the 30th season of The Ultimate Fighter with the rematch expected to take place this summer.

    Peña May Have Her Dream Opponent Waiting For Her In WWE

    If Peña did make a move over to the WWE, perhaps we could see her tangle with someone she’s called out in the UFC for years, Ronda Rousey.

    The bantamweight champ wasted no time after gaining the victory over Nunes at UFC 269 in December. Already, she has opponents lined up, one of whom being the 2022 WWE Woman’s Royal Rumble winner, Ronda “Rowdy” Rousey. Rousey made her return to WWE programming last month, and she is currently scheduled to perform at this year’s WrestleMania against Charlotte Flair.

    During Season 18 of The Ultimate Fighter, fans of the show witnessed the beginning of Peña’s and Rousey’s conflict.

    Miesha Tate, Julianna Peña, Ronda Rousey
    Miesha Tate, Julianna Peña, Ronda Rousey, Credit: The Ultimate Fighter

    Peña’s friendship with Miesha Tate solidified their tension, and as fierce competitors, they bumped heads while filming the show.

    The queen of armbar submissions may have been the face of the UFC’s women’s league at the time, but Peña never cowered and still desires a match with her in the cage.

    Hopefully for Peña, Rousey will pull a Brock Lesnar and make one more appearance in the UFC. However, if the curtain is officially closed on “Rowdy” returning to the Octagon, a WWE match might settle the fire between them.

    What do you think of Julianna Peña joining the WWE in the future?

  • Nunes Beating Peña Would Fuel Valentina Shevchenko For Trilogy Fight

    Valentina Shevchenko could be interested in another shot at Nunes if “The Lioness” beats Peña.

    Valentina Shevchenko is sitting back and watching the drama unfold between Amanda Nunes and Juliana Peña. The flyweight champ does not have a direct interest in the fight that went down at UFC 269 or the rematch, but in a roundabout way, it could pique her interest.

    Shevchenko has a history with Nunes. The two fought twice, with Nunes winning both times.

    Even though Shevchenko is now at flyweight, there have been rumblings of a possible third fight between these two. Nunes losing the belt, however, has stalled those talks. Shevchenko spoke with SunSport about her thoughts on the upcoming bantamweight rematch and how it impacts her own future.

    “I think Amanda will definitely want to take revenge next. There will be another fight [between Amanda and Julianna] again because it’s obvious,” she said. “If she prepares for the rematch, does everything right then she will probably regain her belt and it’ll be another reason why I have to move up to bantamweight for our trilogy.”

    Valentina Shevchenko
    Image via UFC’s YouTube channel

    For a bit, a potential third fight between Amanda Nunes and Shevchenko was the most interesting matchup the UFC could make in both divisions. Both have been so dominant in their respective title runs that it seemed inevitable. However, it was up to Shevchenko to make the move up in weight since Nunes would be unlikely to drop and she was not willing to do so.

    Shevchenko admitted that she was undersized when she fought at bantamweight and was grateful when the 125-pound division was made. When the UFC started allowing champions to hold two belts at the same time, that could have opened the door for the trilogy. But first, Nunes will have to get her bantamweight belt back.

    Do you think Valentina Shevchenko could beat Amanda Nunes if they fought at bantamweight today?

  • Peña Adopts ‘Don’t Start Nothing, Won’t Be Nothing’ Mindset For TUF 30

    Juliana Peña can’t be certain that there won’t be drama on TUF this season, but she knows that she won’t be the one starting it.

    A new season of The Ultimate Fighter is getting underway and the coaches have now been named. Bantamweight champion Juliana Peña will be opposing her former foe Amanda Nunes on the show.

    These two are fresh off their bout against each other where Peña dethroned Nunes. A rematch will be set for the conclusion of the season. After spending several weeks in close proximity to each other, the tension is bound to get heavy.

    The Ultimate Fighter show is known to have quite a bit of drama. The contestants are stuck in a house together for weeks with no contact with the outside world. Add on top of that weight cutting constantly and having to fight each other. All of these factors make for some loose cannons and drama starting at a moment’s notice.

    However, it is not only the cast that has beefed with each other. Many times it is the coaches who are at each other throats.

    In the case of TJ Dillashaw and Cody Grabrandt, they were literally at each other’s throats, as in grabbing each other by the throat. There has been some pushing and shoving between coaches since the very early days of TUF, but if any roughness starts this season, Peña claims it will not start it on her end.

    “Listen, it’s not gonna come from me on my side,” Peña told the media (via The Mac Life.) “I mean, if she wants to throw some ‘punches,’ we can do that. Trust me, nobody puts baby in a corner. I will be fighting back with everything that I have. I’m not gonna be pulling any shenanigans, and I don’t anticipate that I’m gonna be being that person. But if they come at me, then we’re gonna have a different story, obviously.”

    These two had their first faceoff since Peña won the belt from Nunes a few months ago. The face-off was very subdued and neither of them began trash-talking or shoving. All seems calm right now, but tempers could rise after the fights begin on the show and in the UFC APEX.

    Do you think there will be drama between Juliana Peña and Amanda Nunes on TUF?

  • Nunes: Peña Should Approach “Sensitive” Motherhood Subject Differently

    After her victory against Amanda Nunes at UFC 269, Julianna Peña claimed her spot as “first mom champ”.

    Peña stopped the show in round 2 by rear-naked choke and accomplished the greatest feats of her MMA career: defeating Amanda Nunes. “The Venezuelan Vixen” became the new bantamweight queen and noted another title for herself in a post-fight interview.

    January of 2018 marks the birth month of Peña’s first child. Peña gave birth by C-section and claims that makes her the first mom champion. This is in contrast to Nunes, who supported her wife Nina Nunes throughout the pregnancy and delivery.

    Since Peña’s statements made in December, she has clarified the meaning of her words. The bantamweight champion is not discrediting “The Lioness” as a mom or as a mom champ, but she believes since she birthed her daughter, that is deserving of separate recognition.

    However, the controversial comments left a sour taste in many mouths, especially Nunes, who posted on Instagram her counter opinion of motherhood.

    And Nunes’s views have not changed. During a recent media scrum, she touched on the subject again.

    “Honestly, how Julianna carried herself, I know that was coming from her. That don’t bother me that much. If I want, I can have a baby. I don’t have any problem. But I had to post something because when me and Nina went through the IVF process, I saw how many mothers were sitting down crying next to me because they’re not able to have a baby. They have to go through another way to be able to feel that love from a child and give it back,” said Nunes.

    Amanda, Nina, and Ragean Ann Nunes / Julianna Peña and Issa Cruz; Photo Credit: Getty / Instagram

    Agreeably, Peña needed to recover after her C-section birth to daughter Issa Cruz before getting back in the cage. However, the issues surrounding motherhood make it a sensitive subject for millions of people.

    “So, when I heard that from her, I was like, ‘Now I have to (respond)…’ There are a lot of people that can not have a baby. So, that was my way to step in and say like, ‘Okay, you’re a mother, cool, you delivered your baby, but there are a lot of people who are not able to.’ You have to really say those things in a different way because there are a lot of people sensitive about that subject. As a champion as well, I have to be able to stand out and voice something,” Nunes continued.

    At some point in 2022, both champions will meet in the Octagon again. Perhaps the motherhood controversy is adding more heat to their anticipated rematch.

    What are your thoughts on Amanda Nunes’s approach to Julianna Peña’s comments?

  • Julianna Peña Closes Her Investigation Of The COVID-19 Pandemic

    Julianna Peña has wrapped up her COVID-19 investigation.

    During her recent appearance on The Joe Rogan Experience podcast, Julianna Peña opened up on a wide range of issues, and she even brushed up on her informal career as an investigative reporter.

    MMA News covered Peña’s initial dabbling into the journalism field when she was hot on the case of Amanda Nunes’ UFC 265 pull-out. She ultimately concluded that Nunes pulled out because she was ill-prepared for the original fight date of August 7, 2020. In fact, throughout the course of her investigation, Peña determined that Nunes was more than likely never stricken with the coronavirus at all, despite that being the reported reason for her withdrawal.

    This would not be the end of Peña’s remarks connected to COVID-19. Peña would revert to her investigative ways on the JRE where she addressed many subjects and theories pertaining to the pandemic.

    On Mask Efficacy

    “For me, I don’t put on a mask unless somebody asks me. I’m like, “That’s over. Come on,” Peña said.

    When asked what kind of mask she was referring to, she replied, “Gas masks. I don’t know. I’m sick of this. I’m seriously so sick of it.”

    Peña would later point to a specific demonstration that she feels debunks the protection efficacy of masks.

    “Have you seen that guy where he takes a pool from a vape pen on the outside and then just like clouds and plumes of smoke coming out? It’s like, what is it really protecting?”

    On Her Experience With COVID-19

    “Fine,” Peña said of her bout with the virus. “I mean, I had the chills. It started with the headache, and I had a massive headache for two days. I couldn’t understand what was going on…and I had the chills day three. It was freezing. I had sweatpants on, everything, and three blankets, and I was still shivering cold. I think day four or five, I lost taste and smell, and then I had a very mild cough, and then it was gone.”

    Exposing The COVID-19 “Conspiracy”

    “I’m a massive conspiracy theorist on this whole thing, and I have been since the very beginning. I’m like, ‘This is just a money grab. They’re trying to kill us, and this is ridiculous.”

    After Rogan was taken aback by these remarks, Peña would swiftly present her supporting evidence.

    “Well, remember [Dr. Peter] McCullough said that there’s a specific plant that’s growing somewhere and then one day they were all burned, gone. He said that there was like a field of this medicine somewhere else and then when they went to go back for it, it was all burned down.”

    “Well, at this point, I don’t even think it’s a conspiracy anymore with all the other stuff that’s happening. It’s like, no, this is reality.”

    Conclusions

    After receiving backlash for her conspiracy theory, Peña took the time to clarify and apologize for her remarks during a recent media scrum, thus bringing a close to her COVID-19 investigation.

    “My words were a little bit misconstrued,” Peña said. “I am tired. I am exhausted. We are going on this pandemic two years, going on three years now. I just want things to go back to normal. I realize that they probably won’t. I didn’t mean to come across as insensitive, especially for the fact that I had COVID. Everybody that I know had COVID. I lost my aunt in Venezuela. I lost many people that were near and dear to me. It absolutely is real.

    “I’m just angry, and frustrated, and exhausted over the whole situation because I just am wanting things to go back to normal. And so if I offended anybody by my comments on COVID, please, I would like to apologize. That was not, by any means, what I meant to say. I just meant to say that I’m frustrated with the way that the world is right now.”

    Peña’s stint as a rogue investigative reporter may be off to a rocky start yet, but her career as a professional cage fighter is going quite swimmingly. “The Venezuelan Vixen” sits as your reigning, defending UFC women’s bantamweight champion after pulling off arguably the biggest win of 2021 when she unseated Amanda Nunes from the throne at UFC 269.

    A rematch between the two is set for later this year at the conclusion of TUF 30, a season where both women will serve as head coaches.

  • Amanda Nunes: Peña Defeat Was A “Combination Of A Lot Of Things”

    UFC Women’s Featherweight Champion Amanda Nunes has opened up on her upset defeat to Julianna Peña at UFC 269.

    In a year that saw Mexico’s Brandon Moreno and Brazil’s Glover Teixeira crowned as unlikely champions, it was a certain “Venezuelan Vixen” who took the cake in terms of shocking title-winning performances.

    At the final pay-per-view of 2021, then-two-division UFC champion Nunes looked to extend her win streak to 13 and maintain her dominance over the 135-pound weight class.

    Hoping to hand the “Lioness” her first defeat since 2014 was Peña, an outspoken and confident challenger who represented a pre-fight approach we hadn’t seen versus Nunes for some time.

    While many doubted as much, The Ultimate Fighter‘s first female winner proved that her confidence was well placed by dethroning Nunes in a memorable fashion inside Las Vegas’ T-Mobile Arena.

    Nunes: My Camp For Peña Was A “Mess”

    Now, with her chance at redemption confirmed for later this year, the former bantamweight queen has looked back on her upset loss on December 11, and detailed the issues she thinks led to her disappointing performance.

    In addition to the damage done to her training and routine by the pair’s canceled bout in August, which came after Nunes returned a positive COVID-19 test, the Brazilian has revealed she was suffering through injuries before and during her clash with “The Venezuelan Vixen.”

    Those factors led to what Nunes described as a “mess” of a pre-fight camp, and ultimately a defeated performance at UFC 269.

    “Honestly, I feel like it was a combination of a lot of things,” Nunes said during a recent media scrum. “You know, we were going through a lot of things before the fight, especially injuries and trying to train with injuries, all those things. I think I look back on my training camp preparing for Julianna; it was a mess. If you look back, the first fight (booking), I had Covid. I was doing good in that camp, and then I get Covid, and I have to stop; to really start over.

    “Finally, I start over, I get a couple issues that I had to go through with it, but I (didn’t) wanna let that fight go again,” Nunes added. “So I thought it wouldn’t look good if I let that fight fall through one more time… I didn’t have a very good camp. That is the honest thing.”

    https://www.instagram.com/p/CZkxe7fPyiM/

    With the pair set for a coaching stint on TUF before their intriguing rematch, Nunes will hope to make it to her chance for redemption at 100%. If she does so, Peña will certainly have a tough opening defense for her newly begun reign atop the bantamweight mountain.

    Do you think Amanda Nunes will exact revenge on Julianna Peña in their rematch?

  • Watch: Juliana Peña And Amanda Nunes’ Have First TUF Faceoff

    Juliana Peña and Amanda Nunes had their first TUF faceoff earlier today.

    The rivalry between newly crowned bantamweight champion Juliana Peña and former champion Amanda Nunes is beginning to heat up. Fresh off her victory over Nunes, Peña was gunning for another chance at the GOAT. Peña wants to prove that she is the best at 135 pounds beyond a reasonable doubt, and if beating Nunes again will solidify that, then she is ready.

    To sweeten the deal of the rematch, the UFC has named these two as coaches of the upcoming season of The Ultimate Fighter (TUF).

    Peña and Nunes were announced as coaches for the 30th season of TUF just recently. They have not begun filming yet, but the two were involved in a media day to promote the show. During the media day in Las Vegas, Nunes had the chance to come face to face with the only woman to have beaten her in seven years.

    During the face-off, Peña was wearing a black TUF jersey, showing that her chosen team will be the black team. Nunes was wearing red. The man in the middle of the faceoff, standing in for Dana White, was TUF alum Forrest Griffin. No words were spoken between the two, but Nunes was holding her featherweight belt while Peña donned her new bantamweight strap.

    Peña’s UFC journey began when she was a member of the season 18 Ultimate Fighter cast. Peña won her season and now gets the chance to help others go down the path she has before.

    This 30th season will feature men’s heavyweights and women’s flyweights battling it out for a UFC contract while locked away from the outside world. Since the inception of The Ultimate Fighter, many fighters featured on the show went on to have great UFC careers, with a few becoming champions.

    The new season featuring Peña and Nunes begins Tuesday, May 3 on ESPN+.

    Do you think Julianna Peña will be able to make in 2-0 against Amanda Nunes after this season of TUF?

  • Julianna Peña & Amanda Nunes Set To Coach TUF Ahead Of Rematch

    After winning UFC gold, Julianna Peña will fulfill another dream by coaching The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) prior to her rematch against Amanda Nunes later this year.

    Recently, Peña revealed that talks had begun for her to coach TUF alongside Amanda Nunes before running back their UFC 269 clash. Now, MMA News can confirm that this arrangement has been agreed to by both parties.

    There is currently no set schedule for when the season will begin airing or when the rematch will take place. Peña is on the record for expressing her preference for the rematch to take place in the summer, which falls right in line with the upcoming taping of TUF.

    Julianna Peña shocked the world at UFC 269. The massive underdog overcame a tough first round and let her hands go in the second. The bout ended with Peña sinking in the choke and ending the streak of the consensus WMMA GOAT, Amanda Nunes.

    Immediately following her win, Peña discussed what it would mean for her to coach TUF during the UFC 269 post-fight press conference. 

    “I would love to coach The Ultimate Fighter. It’s always been a dream of mine,” Peña said. “And yeah, I would love for her to coach alongside me. I got nothing but love and respect for Amanda. I think that she’s been a great champion. And coaching The Ultimate Fighter would be another dream come true for me.”

    Julianna Pena
    Julianna Peña

    The Ultimate Fighter has run since 2005 on various media outlets. The most recent season featured featherweight coaches Alexander Volkanovski and Brian Ortega ahead of their UFC 266 title bout. Peña herself became the first female Ultimate Fighter season winner in 2013.

    Throughout the years, the show has waned in viewership but still managed to pump out future stars and provided us with multiple champions. Like Peña, current belt-holders Rose Namajuanas and Kamaru Usman also made their way into the UFC via the show. 

    “The Venezuelan Vixen’s” win over Nunes will forever be remembered as one of the biggest upsets in the promotion’s history. And as she prepares to defend her title, Peña finds herself in the fortunate position to begin paving the way for a new generation of fighters to begin chasing their own dreams and forging new legacies.

    Will you be watching Amanda Nunes and Julianna Peña coach The Ultimate Fighter?

  • Rogan: Peña’s UFC 269 Upset Over Nunes Changed The World

    UFC color commentator Joe Rogan believes women’s bantamweight queen Julianna Peña changed the world with her victory over Amanda Nunes at UFC 269.

    At the final pay-per-view of 2021, Peña closed out the year by providing one of its most memorable moments. Prior to the event, “The Venezuelan Vixen” carried an air of confidence that has never been synonymous with opponents of Nunes, who was undefeated since 2014 at the time and reigned over both the 135 and 145-pound weight classes.

    Having been branded delusional by most, including the “Lioness,” Peña set out to prove herself right and her doubters wrong. In about as impressive fashion as she could, she did just that.

    After surviving the opening round, Peña brought a look out of Nunes that no one has managed to do since Cat Zingano eight years ago. After tiring the Brazilian out in a wild battle on the feet, Peña dragged her to the ground and submitted her.

    According to the new champ, Nunes got “exposed” at UFC 269.

    Rogan: Peña Showed What Is Possible

    The result was an upset felt around the world. From casual fans and hardcore fans to fighters and pundits, very few had seen it coming. That’s what made it arguably the biggest shock in UFC history.

    One man who recognized the momentous nature of the win was Joe Rogan. From his cageside seat, the renowned podcast host had a front-row view for what transpired. In his mind, the fight not only changed the landscape of the division and the promotion but the entire world.

    “It was almost like the world changed,” Rogan said while hosting Peña on an episode of the Joe Rogan Experience. “The whole world changed. Like, what is not possible is now possible.”

    Whilst the UFC 269 co-main event brought the MMA community one of the most memorable underdog triumphs the sport has ever seen, Rogan believes the fight itself also boasted everything required to make it a classic.

    The 54-year-old told the newly-crowned champion that her effort that night in Las Vegas created everything he and the rest of the fanbase would ever want from a matchup inside the Octagon.

    “That was one of the best fights I’ve ever seen. In terms of, what do you want out of a fight? You want to be completely immersed,” added Rogan. “The world goes away. All you’re thinking about is what’s happening right in front of you. And because of your effort, because of what you accomplished that night, you changed the way people think about what’s possible and not possible. That’s everything we want from a fight. Everything.

    “You were the underdog, you came in, you were counted out by so many people, you fought the greatest of all time, and you fucked her up. And the way you did it, the whole world—everybody that watched that was like, ‘Holy shit.’ The world is a different place now.”

    https://www.instagram.com/p/CYHysQivvs7/

    Having ascended the 135-pound mountaintop, the next step for Peña will be to further tighten her hold on the belt by adding another blemish to Nunes’ record when they collide for their expected rematch later his year.

    But even if she is unable to do so, nobody will be able to take away her accomplishment and the incredible feat she achieved on December 11.

    What was your reaction when Julianna Peña ended the two-division dominance of Amanda Nunes at UFC 269?

  • Peña Heartbroken After Khabib’s Comments About Her UFC 269 Win

    UFC Women’s Bantamweight Champion Julianna Peña was heartbroken to hear Khabib Nurmagomedov’s comments that downgraded both her win over Amanda Nunes and the quality of women’s mixed martial arts.

    At UFC 269, Julianna Peña silenced many a critic and generated the sorrow of overconfident gamblers across the globe who bet the house on Amanda Nunes. The bout was a true illustration of the unpredictability of MMA and the magnitude a big PPV moment could carry.

    There was one man who was not impressed, however. And it wasn’t just anybody; it was the legendary and undefeated former UFC lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov.

    Unlike many other spectators, Khabib was not moved by Peña’s inspirational performance. In fact, during an Eagle FC press conference, Khabib expressed in so many words that Peña’s victory over Nunes was a testament to WMMA’s inferiority.

    “I am like, we can watch what Julianna Peña did with Amanda Nunes [at UFC 269]. But Julianna Peña, she is not like the greatest or something like that. She just beat Amanda Nunes like [on the day]. We can watch not many good [female] fighters all around the world. There are only like five or six of them,” Khabib said.

    Peña Heartbroken Over Khabib’s Comments

    Until last week, Julianna Peña had not responded to Khabib’s remarks, and we now have a glimpse as to why that is.

    Before her bout with Amanda Nunes was even made, she scoffed at a comparison between Nunes and Khabib when MMA reporter Ariel Helwani compared the fear factor the two figures carried across the sport. Peña would even outright demand that Helwani never make that comparison again, implying that The Eagle was too lofty of a figure to be juxtaposed with the Lionness.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_-iWFINrQyw

    With this level of reverence in mind, it should come as no surprise that Peña was saddened to hear Khabib’s take on her championship victory and his downgrade of all of WMMA in the progress.

    “I saw in a presser that they asked [Khabib] a question and he was just completely downgrading the whole win and everything like that….it totally broke my heart…” Peña said in a recent appearance on the Joe Rogan Experience podcast. “I was like, ‘Dude, you’re breaking my heart, man. Like, I freaking love you. Like, seriously.”

    Khabib’s name was brought up when Peña and Rogan were discussing fighters who retired on their own terms. Peña begrudgingly credited Khabib for the way he retired and stuck to his guns but still couldn’t help but revisit the recent wounds the ground-and-pound specialist inflicted on her.

    “He must be friends with Kayla Harrison or something. I don’t know. Because he was like, [MOCK KHABIB ACCENT] ‘If this is the top of women’s division, it’s a joke,” Peña said. “I mean, it wasn’t very nice. I didn’t appreciate it, Khabib.”

    Khabib’s comments were made when asked if there were any plans of adding women’s divisions to his Eagle FC promotion in the near future. Khabib left the door open, but as you might have guessed from his comments, he isn’t in any big hurry to make this addition to his promotion’s overall roster.

    Meanwhile, Khabib criticisms aside, Peña is hoping to deliver an encore of her UFC 269 victory over Nunes sometime in 2022 in a rematch that she, Nunes, and UFC President Dana White have already signed off on, with a potential season of The Ultimate Fighter leading up to the big sequel.

    Perhaps if she defeats Nunes again and proves that it wasn’t a fluke, she will have gained the approval of this man she once admired and perhaps boost his perception of WMMA in the process.

    What are your thoughts on Julianna Peña’s reaction to Khabib Nurmagomedov’s comments about her UFC 269 win over Amanda Nunes?

  • Archives: Peña Issues Statement After Losing to Shevchenko (2017)

    It’s been almost five years to the day since Julianna Peña lost to Valentina Shevchenko. As we now know, Peña was able to turn out just fine, currently sitting as the women’s bantamweight champion. But in the following article, we re-experience her raw reaction to losing in the UFC for the first time.

    The following article is presented to you in its original, unaltered form, courtesy of The MMA News Archives.

    [ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED JANUARY 30, 2017, 8:41 PM]

    Headline: Julianna Peña Issues Statement After Losing to Valentina Shevchenko

    Author: Fernando Quiles Jr.

    Julianna Peña may have lost her first fight in the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), but the sky isn’t falling.

    Peña was submitted in the second round courtesy of an armbar from Valentina Shevchenko this past Saturday night (Jan. 28). The loss was Peña’s third as a professional mixed martial artist (MMA). That almost means her four-fight winning streak was snapped.

    On her Facebook page, Peña apologized to her fans for falling short in Denver. She believes the defeat will help her grow:

    “So, so sorry about my loss you guys. Too hungry. At this level of competition, you cannot make the first mistake or you pay the price. This is a big-time learning experience for me. Time to move forward though. I take one look in the past and then I turn around and keep it pushing toward the future.”

    “The Venezuelan Vixen” said she hasn’t lost sight of what’s important. A loss inside the Octagon isn’t going to make her forget about the people who have supported her.

    “Michael Jordan missed shots and even the best MMA fighters have tasted defeat at some point in their career. My character is not defined by my wins and losses nor are they contingent on the amount of love I receive from those who truly matter to me. Thank you to those who realize how much work goes into this process. It takes a village to get to the big stage and I could not be more grateful for my team who continue to help me achieve my dreams on a daily basis.”

    Peña ended her statement by showing appreciation for her fans.

    “You guys motivate and inspire me to continue to be great. You guys are my mentors, my heroes, my main support and without you being there for me, there would be no ‘Venezuelan Vixen.’ Much respect, love and thankfulness to those who tuned in to the fight. Like the terminator says, I’ll be back.”

  • Kayla Harrison Suggests UFC Offer Is A Case Of Bad Timing

    Two-time PFL champion Kayla Harrison hasn’t made up her mind on her free agency, but the UFC’s offer may now be off the table.

    Harrison earned the 2021 PFL lightweight championship after defeating Taylor Guardado in the finals. She remains undefeated in her professional MMA career after a successful tenure in Olympic Judo.

    Many believed that the UFC might’ve been the most likely destination for Harrison. This included a potential matchup with her now-former teammate Amanda Nunes for the UFC featherweight title.

    During a recent interview with MMA Junkie, Harrison explained her free agency decision process and what promotions are still under consideration.

    “I got the offer from the UFC. I know what it is. I think timing-wise, because of certain things that are gonna happen with Amanda [Nunes] and Julianna [Peña] etc…” Harrison said. “Timing is kind of everything in this sport, so PFL’s definitely the front-runner. Bellator, again, we had spoken to. I don’t know the exact details of what was said between Ali and them, but I know what I had proposed, so, it doesn’t look like that’s gonna—we’ll see.”

    Harrison was then asked whether or not Nunes’ shocking loss to Julianna Peña altered any plans she had to sign with the UFC.

    “Not really, I was bummed for my teammate that night, there’s a viral video of me screaming something like, ‘Fuck!’ But it was mostly ’cause I was in shock and bummed for her. But what Amanda does with her career has no barring on my career and I respect her, I have a ton of respect for her as a fighter, as a mom, as a human being, but my journey is my journey.”

    Recent reports indicate that Harrison is expected to re-sign with the PFL on possibly a one-year contract. This would allow her to reevaluate the landscape next year.

    Harrison has emerged as one of the most dominant fighters in MMA today and could fight on the biggest platform in the sport sooner rather than later. But for now, it appears that the UFC may be temporarily out of the Kayla Harrison sweepstakes.

    What are your predictions for Kayla Harrison in 2022?

  • Peña: Nunes Would Look Like Earth’s Biggest Coward Without Rematch

    Julianna Peña won’t be letting Amanda Nunes shy away from a rematch.

    The biggest upset of 2021 was when Julianna Peña took down bantamweight champion Amanda Nunes at UFC 269. Since that win, Peña has not let up on her former opponent. She is welcoming of a rematch and has no doubt that she can win once again.

    Although Peña has been very vocal since her win, Nunes has been on the quiet side. Peña, who spoke recently on The Joe Rogan Experience, has laid down the consequences for Nunes in the event she opts not to have the rematch.

    “Well, somebody suggested, ‘Well, what if [Nunes] doesn’t decide to take the fight with you and decides to take an easier fight at ’45 and retires into the sunset?’ I’m like, she can’t,” Peña said. “She can’t do that. She would look like the biggest coward on Earth.”

    Amanda Nunes
    © Stephen R. Sylvanie-USA TODAY Sports

    Since the loss, Nunes has not been making many statements publically. She did, however, decide to leave her longtime gym ATT to begin the process of starting her own team. Nunes, of course, still holds the featherweight belt and has a duty to defend that as well.

    The idea of Nunes retiring soon is not that far-fetched, either. She has been fighting in the UFC since 2013. She won the bantamweight title in 2016 and followed it up by winning the featherweight belt two years later. Nunes is currently the top female on many people’s GOAT lists.

    There have been some rumors that Peña and Nunes are frontrunners for coaching the next season of The Ultimate Fighter. Peña got her start in the UFC as a fighter on TUF in a season that was coached by Miesha Tate and Ronda Rousey. This would be a full-circle situation for Peña, who would welcome the opportunity.

    Do you think Amanda Nunes will agree to an immediate rematch with Julianna Peña?

  • Peña: A Conversation Has Taken Place About Coaching TUF With Nunes

    Julianna Peña is looking to have some fun before she takes on Nunes again.

    The new UFC Bantamweight Champion Julianna Peña is already making plans for her next move in the division. Peña made headlines when she defeated two-division champ Amanda Nunes at UFC 269. The win by Peña shocked many, as Nunes was on a 12-fight winning streak and defeated some of the best names in women’s MMA along her way. Now that Peña is holding the belt, she has an idea of what could be next.

    Rumors have already been circling that the UFC is interested in a rematch between Peña and Nunes. Peña, who got her start in the UFC as a member of The Ultimate Fighter, would like to return to her roots and coach a season against Nunes.

    “A dream come true for me would be to coach The Ultimate Fighter and then go right into the rematch,” she told BT Sports. “So, that’s a perfect-world scenario. I know we don’t live in a perfect world, but that’s what I would like. As long as I can get the rematch at whatever time, that’s what’s gonna make me happiest.”

    At the moment, this is all a dream for Peña, but that doesn’t mean that it will never happen. Peña claims that this idea is already in the planning phase and talks have begun.

    “Yeah, it has,” Peña said of TUF talks. “So, I mean, we’ll see.

    The future is unclear for Nunes, who has a bit more freedom than Peña at this point. Nunes still holds the featherweight title and could very well defend that as her next fight.

    Also, Nunes is in the process of changing gyms and fight camps. This fact could delay her return. If Nunes is indeed looking for an immediate rematch, the idea of coaching on TUF could be a good way to have some training time before getting back in the Octagon.