Great news for the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) women’s bantamweight division, as top contender and The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) 18 champion Julianna Pena has been cleared to resume her mixed martial arts (MMA) career, following last December’s public dust-up in Spokane, Washington.
From UFC.com:
UFC announced today that an investigation into allegations of assault by UFC competitor Julianna Pena is now complete. Pena recently came to a resolution with the Prosecutor’s Office in Spokane County, Washington. The resolution was thoroughly reviewed by Campbell & Williams, a Las Vegas-based law firm hired by UFC to oversee its investigation into the matter.
UFC elected not to schedule Pena for a bout while the legal proceedings were ongoing. Now that the matter has been resolved, Pena is eligible to return to competition in the UFC and will be scheduled for a bout in the near future.
While UFC is supportive of the resolution of Pena’s criminal matter, Pena acknowledges that her actions as a professional athlete should reflect well of her, the sport of mixed martial arts, and the UFC. Consequently, Pena has volunteered to participate in counseling as a condition for her return to the Octagon.
Pena was arrested for her alleged assault outside a local watering hole, but insists your balls are safe.
Now it’s just a matter of time before the “Venezuelan Vixen” gets penciled in for her Octagon return. I would reckon fellow division contenders Cat Zingano and Amanda Nunes are at or near the top of the list (see it), but nothing is official at this time.
Stay tuned.