Amanda Nunes isn’t typically one to exchange verbal back-and-forths with her opponent, she usually prefers to let her skills inside the octagon do the talking, and well, that makes sense when you have taken out the names Nunes has.
However, it appears Julianna Pena’s comments have just started to chip away at the champion, who spoke about her opponent at the UFC 269 media day on Wednesday.
“She’s a clown, (She) wants attention. That’s it.”
Nunes also spoke on Pena’s grappling ability and was quick to highlight some flaws in what Pena considered to be her greatest asset heading into the fight.
“She’s delusional, What about her best friend Miesha Tate? What about Sara McMann? Sara McMann almost beat her. Sara McMann gave up in the fight. If she didn’t give up, she would have beat Julianna. But I beat Sara McMann years ago.”
“I feel like she can talk whatever she wants. I feel like she has to do that to be able to bring all the attention, but I’m going to tell her, she can have all the attention she wants. All of it. Because Saturday is my night, December is my month. Nobody’s going to take this belt from me.”
Pena was beaten on the ground in her matchups with Germaine de Randamie and Valentina Shevchenko, two fighters more typically known for their striking, and this has given the ‘Lioness’ even more confidence that she is going to be able to get the job done.
“Julianna has all the holes where I can finish her on the floor as well, Germaine (de Randamie) finished her. Germaine de Randamie is a striker and she finished Julianna Pena (on the ground). I feel like my game is way above all those girls she fought.
“We’re going to see what’s going to happen. I just need a mistake from her. In striking, in the floor, whatever she brings up, I’m going to have the answers and I’m going to finish the fight.”
Amanda Nunes is not looking past Juliana Pena
Given her reign at the top, it would become understandable if at some point Amanda Nunes started to take her eye of the ball, however, the double champion insists this isn’t the case, and although she knows Pena is trying to boost her own confidence Nunes is also aware of the danger she may bring.
“I think she’s trying to get that confidence,”
“Because she knows the truth. She says so many lies, things to try to make her believe in that. I’m telling her right now, that’s not going to happen.”
“When they lock that door in the cage, everybody becomes dangerous,”
“Especially for her, she has nothing to lose. I have to really be ready for everything she’s bringing up. She’s definitely dangerous.
“She’s definitely a very good fighter. I’ll be ready to go. She never fought a lioness before.” (Transcribed by mmafighting.com)
Who do you see walking out of UFC 269 with their hand raised?