Former undisputed bantamweight champion, Julianna Peña has issued a warning to both Raquel Pennington and Mayra Bueno Silva – ahead of the pair’s vacant title outing at UFC 297 this weekend, as well as bizarrely, surging flyweight contender, Maycee Barber.
Peña, the current number one ranked bantamweight contender, has been sidelined from the Octagon since she suffered her title loss in a rematch against former two-division champion, Amanda Nunes at UFC 277 back in July 2022.
Slated to make her comeback in a June title trilogy rubber match against the Brazilian queen last year, Washington native, Peña was forced from the bout due to an injury setback, and was replaced by Mexican challenger, Irene Aldana.
Yet to make her return to active competition in the time since Nunes’ retirement and vacating of the title back in June, Peña missed out on a vacant championship fight in Canada this weekend at UFC 297 – with Pennington taking on the surging, Bueno Silva over the course of five rounds for vacant spoils.
Julianna Peña plots incoming Octagon return
Maintaining she will challenge for spoils in her immediate return, Peña, the first female Ultimate Fighter winner, has sent a warning to the pair – as well as flyweight contender, Barber ahead of the UFC 297 card.
“Don’t worry, mama’s coming home soon,” Julianna Peña posted on her official Instagram account. “#Baddestf*ckingmother #BFMchamp #thepeñapower #ufc.”
Maycee getting hit with shrapnel for no reason
pic.twitter.com/cmfp7YwCvS
— Aaron Bronsteter (@aaronbronsteter) January 16, 2024
Over the course of her tenure with the Dana White-led UFC, Peña has turned in notable victories over the likes of former championship challengers, Jessica Eye, Cat Zingano, and Sara McMann, as well as former undisputed gold holders, Nicco Montaño – and the aforenoted, Nunes in arguably the greatest upset in the antiquity of the Octagon.
Would you like to see Julianna Peña fight for the title after UFC 297?